Psyche to close

Is changes still open near house of fraser.
Wiseman_Vaughn said:
Agreed. I never found it too pricey and loved their sales.

Shopped there on and off since the 80s.

There have been some decent clothes shops in the Boro over the years..... Reporter, Changes, Triads, Red Square are the ones I remember
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Yes the psyche January sale was always a bit of an event you could get some great bargains. Never liked changes the owner always gave it the hard sell it felt you couldn't leave without out buying something.
Always liked the house in yarm the staff and owner peter were always great. I rarely buy designer gear unless its discounted these days and tend to buy online. however I really don't like the idea of using flannels and inflating the wallet of ashley.
 
JackG said:
I think he did it with a heavy wallet.
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I doubt it was that much to be fair. If it was a big sell out then I wouldn't imagine he'd still be working for them.

I'm speculating but I think Steve will know that the writing is on the wall for traditional retail and is taking a reasonable payment to lose the burden along with the security of a future job.

I don't know the bloke directly but you have to take your hat off to him for constantly reinventing. Psyche wasn't a place I particularly liked but the place has been an institution.

I wasn't aware Ashley had bought out the House at Yarm either. What exactly is his plan with all of this real estate in a dying sector?
 
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Emmersons_BrazillianDong said:
I doubt it was that much to be fair. If it was a big sell out then I wouldn't imagine he'd still be working for them.

I'm speculating but I think Steve will know that the writing is on the wall for traditional retail and is taking a reasonable payment to lose the burden along with the security of a future job.

I don't know the bloke directly but you have to take your hat off to him for constantly reinventing. Psyche wasn't a place I particularly liked but the place has been an institution.

I wasn't aware Ashley had bought out the House at Yarm either. What exactly is his plan with all of this real estate in a dying sector?
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I think he's banking on people one day deciding they'd like to leave the house and do stuff. Not one of his wiser moves I think. In 5 years we'll just be brains floating round in jars in a warehouse, having downloaded our consciousness into a virtual world.
 
Red Square was sound, a few niche brands in there that you couldn’t find elsewhere. A lot of Carhartt, Fjallraven etc. Shame that went.
 
I made sure I got married in a suit from Psyche. And the shirt, belt and shoes. For me it was big money but something I felt I had to do. I forgot about the socks so my sister bought them through their online store 😁

It is a big shame but it is indicative of modern online shopping- they continue to operate online theirselves
 
Will cost the Boro - I doubt Ashley will be bothered about spending money advertising at the Riverside.

I too spent way too much money in there to strut my stuff in at Club M and The Empire. A really good shop for the town over the years.
 
Never really understood the concept of 'Psyche'. It always seemed something that was destined to eat itself up. Given it's taken a while, but they probably managed to survive because they made a go of operating as a digital business.

It was a peculiar place that made no sense. These sorts of stores rely on affluent people with money to waste. That's why they are only in certain locations. Psyche's customer base in store was probably mainly people who couldn't afford it, kids in tracksuits and caps included.

People often talk about quality and value, but Psyche didn't really excel in either of these areas. They sold designer retail line items that were generally produced in countries associated with low cost labour. Quality wise, there was little difference to clothes that might cost in the region of 75% less that didn't carry a designer name. You could also get much better value and quality when seasonal sales were on at some of the London or European places online.
 
JustTheGent said:
Never really understood the concept of 'Psyche'. It always seemed something that was destined to eat itself up. Given it's taken a while, but they probably managed to survive because they made a go of operating as a digital business.

It was a peculiar place that made no sense. These sorts of stores rely on affluent people with money to waste. That's why they are only in certain locations. Psyche's customer base in store was probably mainly people who couldn't afford it, kids in tracksuits and caps included.

People often talk about quality and value, but Psyche didn't really excel in either of these areas. They sold designer retail line items that were generally produced in countries associated with low cost labour. Quality wise, there was little difference to clothes that might cost in the region of 75% less that didn't carry a designer name. You could also get much better value and quality when seasonal sales were on at some of the London or European places online.
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I would disagree with pretty much all of that. The thing is the clothes they sold were high quality. At prices you would struggle to find elsewhere. I certainly managed to buy stuff there that was cheaper than I could have got for the same thing in a department store down here.
 
JustTheGent said:
Never really understood the concept of 'Psyche'. It always seemed something that was destined to eat itself up. Given it's taken a while, but they probably managed to survive because they made a go of operating as a digital business.

It was a peculiar place that made no sense. These sorts of stores rely on affluent people with money to waste. That's why they are only in certain locations. Psyche's customer base in store was probably mainly people who couldn't afford it, kids in tracksuits and caps included.

People often talk about quality and value, but Psyche didn't really excel in either of these areas. They sold designer retail line items that were generally produced in countries associated with low cost labour. Quality wise, there was little difference to clothes that might cost in the region of 75% less that didn't carry a designer name. You could also get much better value and quality when seasonal sales were on at some of the London or European places online.
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Load of rubbish...it was open for over 35 years. It thrived and won countless awards because it did sell quality in an area where young working people had enough disposable income to spend on clothes for "going out" because everything else was relatively cheap

And Middlesbrough night-time economy boomed from mid-80s to mid-Noughties through many bars and clubs that people dressed up for. The amount of people out in Middlesbrough on a Friday or Sat night used to be staggering
 
JustTheGent said:
Never really understood the concept of 'Psyche'. It always seemed something that was destined to eat itself up. Given it's taken a while, but they probably managed to survive because they made a go of operating as a digital business.

It was a peculiar place that made no sense. These sorts of stores rely on affluent people with money to waste. That's why they are only in certain locations. Psyche's customer base in store was probably mainly people who couldn't afford it, kids in tracksuits and caps included.

People often talk about quality and value, but Psyche didn't really excel in either of these areas. They sold designer retail line items that were generally produced in countries associated with low cost labour. Quality wise, there was little difference to clothes that might cost in the region of 75% less that didn't carry a designer name. You could also get much better value and quality when seasonal sales were on at some of the London or European places online.
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Yeah this is wide of the mark imo. For a long time Middlesbrough punched well above its weight with Psyche, triads and red square. Unfortunately red square and psyche are no more and I have no idea what triads is like these days but those stores were certainly comparable if not better than what you could find in the bigger cities.

JD and Mike Ashley now pretty much own all the high street - all those independents (especially if they have a good online presence) that haven't already been taken over by one of those two will be soon.
 
Psyche in my view was generally expensive clothing for cheap people. The department store opened in 2003 so it's been on the go for around 18 years. It was always doomed to failure in my book. Yes it's taken a while, but it's the digital side of the business that has keep it going - not the department store concept. Ultimately it was a vanity project that ran out of legs. There was lots of things attempted over the years to diversify the store to make it more viable but they failed.
 
JustTheGent said:
Psyche in my view was generally expensive clothing for cheap people. The department store opened in 2003 so it's been on the go for around 18 years. It was always doomed to failure in my book. Yes it's taken a while, but it's the digital side of the business that has keep it going - not the department store concept. Ultimately it was a vanity project that ran out of legs. There was lots of things attempted over the years to diversify the store to make it more viable but they failed.
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You sound a little bitter aside from the fact that the stuff you've posted is nonsense.

It was always doomed for failure when that store alone continued trading for 18 years? You're also disregarding the 20 or so years it traded beforehand?

Its totally fine not to understand or to like a particular place. I haven't bought anything from there since around the Uptons store opening when I was at college. But to use the benefit of hindsight to say you knew it was doomed to fail is just a bit daft.
 
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Emmersons_BrazillianDong said:
You sound a little bitter aside from the fact that the stuff you've posted is nonsense.

It was always doomed to failure when though that store alone continued trading for 18 years? Disregarding the 20 or so years it traded beforehand?

Its totally fine not to understand or to like a particular place. I haven't bought anything from there since around the Uptons store opening when I was at college. But to use the benefit of hindsight to say you knew it was doomed to fail is just a bit daft.
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That’s what I was thinking. It seems more (from his original post) that it’s someone biased against high end clothing and using it to attack the retailer.

As others have said, Psyche was a very good store and it was very successful for a long time. In a world where such independent stores simply don’t exist. Not in that format at least, psyche should be seen as a success story
 
Not necessarily against higher end fashion as it has its place as a creative form. I actually know someone operating at the higher echelons of the industry. But most of the clothing put out to mass retail isn't particularly good quality. Retail prices are connected to brand names and marketing much more than anything to do with quality.

As far as being bitter is concerned, I'm not sure what there is to be bitter about. I'm simply giving my views on Psyche and how I see things. For me, it was always a place that would eventually close down. I'm talking about the department store concept.

With regards to quality and price of clothing, I'll often pay a bit more to get something handmade that is not by a brand. These things will pretty much last forever. I also buy some designer brands if the price is right. For instance, about 8 years I picked up a Nigel Cabourn Everest jacket for a few hundred. It was a pop up out of season sale down a side street in London. They'd obviously priced it wrong.
 
I wouldn't consider Psyche's product range particularly high end, and that's one of their problems, in my opinion. It is run of the mill mass market stuff. They stock the cheapest products that "designer" brands are producing - the stuff pumped out in factories in Pakistan and Cambodia and and sold to less discerning customers. £120 t-shirts with a D&G logo on, that sort of thing.

They are not positioned to deliver either a quality/value proposition, or a high end shopping destination.

I don't know who does the buying there. But they have failed to keep pace with what is going on in the world. They stock a narrow selection of brands that have largely had their day, and neglect entirely many of the emergent brands of the moment.

It didn't have to die the death it has. Look up the road to END clothing, they manage to service both the classless chav and the hypebeast. They're doing collaborations with brands the kids love and securing stock of exclusive items that have people camping outside overnight. They appear to be flourishing. There are many independent clothes stores that are, despite it being claimed they do not exist above.

As something that would drive people into store, i would have thought they'd lean into the suiting operation that occupies an entire floor. Yet they offer pretty much two brands at the mid range, Boss and Paul Smith. Brands trading more on name recognition than quality tailoring, to be honest. Interestingly, Mike Ashley started flogging Boss suits in a big way a few years back through one of his other stores, Cruise. Old stock flogged at a discount but carrying a brand name. I am perhaps being unfair to Paul Smith, they have some decent items. But these are not what Psyche chooses to stock, they opt for the cheapest of the Paul Smith line.
The cheapest items produced by a recognisable name. Possibly out of season stock. - All ripe for a discounting come sale time. Far from high end.
If you buy suits regularly, and have a bit about you, you will find greater quality and styling elsewhere. If you wish to buy a truly high end suit, you will not find one here. So who does it service? The unaware making a single purchase as far as i can tell, which fits with testimony from this thread, to be fair.

Along with suits, shoes are the item I would be most inclined to visit a store to purchase. Psyche had a god awful selection. It was possibly the weakest part of the entire store. Overpriced tat with glued soles. Again, anyone that pays attention would be giving these a wide berth.

If you want to buy a Ralph Lauren top, great. If you're more concerned with what a garment is made from than the logo on the sleeve, or how the sole of your shoes is attached to the upper, you're **** out of luck. If fashion is life and you take your streetwear seriously, no dice. For literally anything other than quasi designer exercises in profit margin, you're better serviced elsewhere.

I don't agree that its been clear it was doomed for 18 years, but it has been clear for some time. Every dog has its day. Its fashion, it changes quickly. And I'm afraid Psyche simply failed to keep up.

It's good to hear that no jobs will be lost. Hopefully they do something interesting with the store because it is an interesting building.
 
ThirdLeg said:
I wouldn't consider Psyche's product range particularly high end, and that's one of their problems, in my opinion. It is run of the mill mass market stuff. They stock the cheapest products that "designer" brands are producing - the stuff pumped out in factories in Pakistan and Cambodia and and sold to less discerning customers. £120 t-shirts with a D&G logo on, that sort of thing.

They are not positioned to deliver either a quality/value proposition, or a high end shopping destination.

I don't know who does the buying there. But they have failed to keep pace with what is going on in the world. They stock a narrow selection of brands that have largely had their day, and neglect entirely many of the emergent brands of the moment.

It didn't have to die the death it has. Look up the road to END clothing, they manage to service both the classless chav and the hypebeast. They're doing collaborations with brands the kids love and securing stock of exclusive items that have people camping outside overnight. They appear to be flourishing. There are many independent clothes stores that are, despite it being claimed they do not exist above.

As something that would drive people into store, i would have thought they'd lean into the suiting operation that occupies an entire floor. Yet they offer pretty much two brands at the mid range, Boss and Paul Smith. Brands trading more on name recognition than quality tailoring, to be honest. Interestingly, Mike Ashley started flogging Boss suits in a big way a few years back through one of his other stores, Cruise. Old stock flogged at a discount but carrying a brand name. I am perhaps being unfair to Paul Smith, they have some decent items. But these are not what Psyche chooses to stock, they opt for the cheapest of the Paul Smith line.
The cheapest items produced by a recognisable name. Possibly out of season stock. - All ripe for a discounting come sale time. Far from high end.
If you buy suits regularly, and have a bit about you, you will find greater quality and styling elsewhere. If you wish to buy a truly high end suit, you will not find one here. So who does it service? The unaware making a single purchase as far as i can tell, which fits with testimony from this thread, to be fair.

Along with suits, shoes are the item I would be most inclined to visit a store to purchase. Psyche had a god awful selection. It was possibly the weakest part of the entire store. Overpriced tat with glued soles. Again, anyone that pays attention would be giving these a wide berth.

If you want to buy a Ralph Lauren top, great. If you're more concerned with what a garment is made from than the logo on the sleeve, or how the sole of your shoes is attached to the upper, you're **** out of luck. If fashion is life and you take your streetwear seriously, no dice. For literally anything other than quasi designer exercises in profit margin, you're better serviced elsewhere.

I don't agree that its been clear it was doomed for 18 years, but it has been clear for some time. Every dog has its day. Its fashion, it changes quickly. And I'm afraid Psyche simply failed to keep up.

It's good to hear that no jobs will be lost. Hopefully they do something interesting with the store because it is an interesting building.
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Absolutely this.

The move to the Uptons building was about the time they lost their way IMHO and moved away from some great brands doing something different like Dries van Noten, YMC even their own short-lived own brand of knitwear, to focus on entry level Paul Smith, Hugo Boss and Ralph Lauren as the above poster pointed out.

Far more choice on Mr Porter or in Harvey Nicks for real high ends stuff, or places like End or Hip (Leeds) for more casual / street stuff. I'd argue Triads have got it right and know what people in Boro want to buy.
 
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