Enter if desparate and bring plenty of cash (Brantano)

Member Name: bucksfizz66

Product:	Brantano
Date:	03/09/09 (41 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: They put both shoes out

Disadvantages: You can leave with 2 right shoes, interesting store policies, pricey and gaudy

Brantano could be marmite - you either love it or hate it, and this is normally a simultaneous feeling.

Without doubt Brantano is laid out in an orderly manner with shoes segregated according to size, with plenty of space between the shoe displays. Unlike other shoe stores Brantano is widely known for the fact that they have both shoes from the pair out on their displays.

Although Brantano do measure childrens feet - I have never used this service and prefer to stay loyal to Clarks. My only real raeson for visiting is if I have failed to pick any trainers and wellies for school anywhere else such as Tesco or Asda.

Their choice of shoes (and I refer to the childrens section) is interesting from the vibrant (i.e. gaudy) trainers to the glitter strewn high heeled shoes for ages 4+ - it is these kinds of choices that only see me taking my daughter to this store in desparation.

I personally think a fair proportion of the shoes / trainers are expensive at this store and you really have to be careful about what you pick up. The issue with the high heeled shoes is this store touts these as shoes not dressing up shoes - I'm not sure of the benefits of these to childrens feet where the bones are not fully ossified until the age of 7/8. For me I don't have the money to spend on additional superfluous shoes such as these and you wonder which parenting market they are targetting.

The shopping assistants are certainly interesting. I have visited two of their stores in the last fortnight in the welly hunt. In the first store I was looking at highly coloured girls wellies and asked were there any in a size 13. The assistant did eventually return with a pair of farmer green wellies saying "I've got these in a 13, is that OK for you", when I said no she just stood there as if she didn't understand my response. In the next store I was looking at the same wellies and asked "have you got any of these in a 13", the assistant eventually returned and said "no I've only got 13's in this one" (pointing at one of the pairs I was looking at) exasperated I turned to him and said "well why don't you get them then".

I'm not sure on the store policies here: bring you what you don't want and keep back what you do want.

They also charge for carrier bags - 5p.

Whilst we queued at the checkout - the guy in front was buying shoes for his son, now despite Brantanos policy of putting both shoes out, these two didn't realise they had picked up two right shoes (!!), luckily for them the assistant checked in the box and realised. Let this be a lesson to us all.

The variety of available shoes might look vast but infact is quite limited when you stand back and look. The stores frequently have 20% off weeks - highlighting the need to reduce their excessive prices.

Summary: Where do I start........choose carefully.