Anything that makes taking risks - arguably the only way to fight your way out - harder is a serious problem’Hit or Miss
Autumn 11
Womenswear chains' autumn 11 ranges are impressive, but the major challenge is to deliver on price as well as trends
Clarks
Eye-catching styles with comfort in mind, Clarks offers good value in a well-signposted setting.
Jones Bootmaker
A good range of product in a calm setting with good service and some highly competitive prices
New Look
On trend for autumn 11, New Look offers good value and helpful staff but few real-leather lines
Russell & Bromley
Top-quality on-trend product, well merchandised, at prices that generally reflect the upmarket offer
Topshop
Totally on trend, it knocks spots off its rivals with good value product. Insufficient seating though.
Hit or Miss
Womenswear chains’ autumn 11 ranges are impressive, but the major challenge is to deliver on price as well as trends.
RIVER ISLAND
Bang on trend, in tune with its cool customers’ tastes. But it struggles with the cash-strapped.
PRIMARK
Excellent products at the cheapest prices on the high street, but quality is not always up to scratch.
FOREVER 21
A bright, airy store, with great design detail, but it is trumped by rivals on product and prices.
DOROTHY PERKINS
If colour is what you’re after, Dorothy Perkins is the store to head to, with well-priced product.
Kurt Geiger
A few strong items but generally the store lacks wow factor as well as sufficient seating.
Nine West
Some good stylish product if sometimes a little tacky and overpriced. Service could be improved.
River Island
Trend-leading River Island has interesting product and ways of displaying it, but it is of mixed value.
Schuh
Attention to detail from the welcoming staff and plenty of seating, but some prices are too high.
Hit or Miss
Footwear retailers in Westfield Stratford proved they have a handle on autumn 11 trends, but only some go the extra mile to keep customers spending.
TOPSHOP
Perfectly executed on-trend product, excellent staff and wide pricing makes this top of the shops.
MISS SELFRIDGE
Expertly interprets trends, but loses out to the fanfare of bigger rivals and their lower prices.
MARKS & SPENCER
A standout autumn collection covering all key trends in one of Stratford’s anchor stores.
ALL SAINTS
A truly differentiated and impressive offer let down by old-season stock and blaring music.
Autumn 10
February's international catwalk shows gave high street fashion retailers plenty to play with for Autumn 10. Drapers' visit to Bristol's Cabot Circus shopping centre and neighbouring Broadmead saw - with few exceptions - great interpretations of autumn 10's love affair with texture, leopard print and minimalism.
Hobbs, 17 Philadelphia Street, Cabot Circus
Product is perfectly pitched to the Hobbs customer, while service is second to none.
All Saints, 4 Philadelphia Street, Cabot Circus
The product is All Saints all over but with wider appeal and good pricing architecture.
Reiss, 13 Philadelphia Street, Cabot Circus
Reiss ticks all the trend boxes except the aviator jacket on the day of Drapers’ visit.
French Connection, 21 Philadelphia Street, Cabot Circus
Better pricing continues for autumn 10 but product is predominantly stripy.
Monsoon, Unit SU13B, Concorde Street, Cabot Circus
Too much Sale stock so early in the season takes the focus away from a few key pieces.
Topshop, Unit SU25, Brigstowe Street, Cabot Circus
An enviable product offering at good prices, only let down by a haphazard basement floor.
Oasis, Unit SU60, George White Street, Cabot Circus
Oasis ticks off all of this season’s trends but a mid-season Sale detracts from the offer.
H&M, Unit SU24, Brigstowe Street, Cabot Circus
A messy, incoherent store lets down a decent offer of some key trends and basics.
Primark, 1-27 The Horsefair
Another complete product offering targeting young and older shoppers alike.
BHS, 38-46 Broadmead
Outerwear and basics are strong but there is a lot of discounting, which cheapens the offer.
Zara, Unit SU40, George White Street, Cabot Circus
Autumn’s minimalist trend is right up Zara’s street, and is delivered at excellent value.
Ted Baker, 1 Quakers Friars, Cabot Circus
Quirky product stands out but the windows are disappointing by Ted’s high standards.
Dorothy Perkins, Unit SU39, George White Street, Cabot Circus
Good on-trend pieces and basics but struggles to carry off high-end interpretations.
Wallis, Unit SU35, Concorde Street, Cabot Circus
Brightly coloured dresses stand out but Dorothy Perkins offers better value.
River Island, Unit SU06, Concorde Street, Cabot Circus
A great mix of trend-led styles and River Island’s sexy signature at great prices.
New Look, Unit SU54, The Circus, Cabot Circus
Clever merchandising enables New Look to show off its comprehensive trend-led offer.
Warehouse, Unit SU40A, Penn Street, Cabot Circus
If it’s dresses you want this is the shop for you, but customer service could be better.
Next, Unit SU22, Brigstowe Street, Cabot Circus
A complete offer of on-trend and workwear pieces in a great store environment.
Debenhams, 1-5 St James Barton
Good pricing architecture and product across the mainline and sub-brands.
Marks & Spencer, 78 Broadmead
M&S covers most trends and adapts them to its customers, but the store looks tired.
Spring 10
Bristol’s Cabot Circus shopping centre and neighbouring Broadmead is subject to Drapers' scrutiny of Autumn 10 collections
BHS, 48-54 Commercial Road
A dull offer which merely mops up what Bhs’s in-house brands fail to already provide
Marks & Spencer, 23-31 Commercial Road
There’s little to excite in this branch of M&S, but all the basics are here
Debenhams, The Square
Every trend is ticked off, but the store is confusing, cramped and badly laid out
Austin Reed, 1 Westover Road
This sad-looking shop has too many Sale signs and not enough focus on womenswear
Coast, Within House of Fraser, Old Christchurch Road
Wedding wear is here in spades at good prices but certain body shapes are under-served
French Connection, Within House of Fraser, Old Christchurch Road
Better pricing in a new concession makes the French Connection bling all the more enticing
Ted Baker, Within House of Fraser, Old Christchurch Road
A full range of product categories makes this one of House of Fraser’s best concessions
Zara, 68 Commercial Road
Great product, great store and great prices put Zara heads and shoulders above its rivals
Warehouse, Within House of Fraser, Old Christchurch Road
A well presented, trend-led collection, but it lacks a real punch to stand out this season
Jane Norman, Old Christchurch Road
Party girl takes on key spring trends in an environment suited to young, clubby shoppers
Oasis, 21-23 Old Christchurch Road
An easy-to-browse store set over two floors takes advantage of spring 10’s girlish trends
Next, 22-24 Commercial Road
A disappointing shop with too many distractions and not enough original pieces
Dorothy Perkins, 10 Old Christchurch Road
A comprehensive basics offer is balanced out with the key looks in a tidy environment
Peacocks, 2 Dalkeith Arcade
Plenty of trend references in an immaculate store - just a pity about its run-down location
Jaeger, Within Beales, Old Christchurch Road
A small Jaeger offer has too much colour but still offers some spot-on pieces for spring
Wallis, Bhs, 48-54 Commercial Road
Carefully bought product offers the shopper something exciting but lacks excitement
Monsoon, 41 Old Christchurch Road
A rainbow of coloured dresses leads the way at Monsoon, with plenty of added extras
Karen Millen, 3-4 Bournemouth Arcade
An exclusive-feeling store houses some of the more ‘wow’ pieces seen in Bournemouth
Miss Selfridge, 14-14A Commercial Road
A disappointing store overshadows some pretty product and decent pricing
Mango, Within House of Fraser, Old Christchurch Road
Balmainia is in full swing at Mango, with rock ‘n’ roll product in a well-branded space
H&M, 68 Commercial Road
Plenty of trends mixed in with more grown-up workwear make for an inclusive one-stop shop
River Island, 34 Old Christchurch Road
The exciting product would have looked more impressive in a slightly less tired shopfit
Topshop, 10 Old Christchurch Road
Original trend interpretations characterise a strong season for Topshop in a first-rate store
Autumn 09
Bournemouth was the venue for the second in our seasonal surveys of the high street’s spring 10 ranges
River Island
A quirky take on trends in an inspirational store puts River Island in top spot for young fashion.
Topshop
Original product, a fun shopping environment and a two-floor layout makes for a great store.
Dorothy Perkins
Footwear stands out in a store too diluted in product terms to really be a strong contender.
Miss Selfridge
A great mix of directional and commercial looks well targeted at the younger shopper.
Primark
Acres of striking trend-led product, with plenty of cheap basics in a relatively tidy store.
French Connection
A small but perfectly formed destination store for dazzling party dresses and blinging daywear.
Whistles
Whistles makes its mark with original prints, luxury fabrics and an exclusive-feeling store.
Spring 09
Hit or Miss - Menswear Autumn 11
In the third and final of this season’s surveys, menswear retailers at Westfield Stratford took an everyman approach for autumn 11 with style options galore.
River Island
A first-rate product offer, but prices and in-store merchandising aren’t as competitive.
Superdry
A limited knitwear range and too many plaid shirts characterise this season’s product offer.
All Saints
A limited chino offer takes the gloss off a strong knitwear offer and the in-store music is too loud.
Burton
Dull mannequins fail to do justice to a solid collection in which chinos and knits stand out.
Clarks
Eye-catching styles with comfort in mind, Clarks offers good value in a well-signposted setting.
Jones Bootmaker
A good range of product in a calm setting with good service and some highly competitive prices
New Look
On trend for autumn 11, New Look offers good value and helpful staff but few real-leather lines
Russell & Bromley
Top-quality on-trend product, well merchandised, at prices that generally reflect the upmarket offer
Topshop
Totally on trend, it knocks spots off its rivals with good value product. Insufficient seating though.
Hit or Miss
Womenswear chains’ autumn 11 ranges are impressive, but the major challenge is to deliver on price as well as trends.
RIVER ISLAND
Bang on trend, in tune with its cool customers’ tastes. But it struggles with the cash-strapped.
PRIMARK
Excellent products at the cheapest prices on the high street, but quality is not always up to scratch.
FOREVER 21
A bright, airy store, with great design detail, but it is trumped by rivals on product and prices.
DOROTHY PERKINS
If colour is what you’re after, Dorothy Perkins is the store to head to, with well-priced product.
SAINSBURY’S
Packed full of summertime treats aimed at housewives trading in the school-run for a fortnight of Mediterranean sun
GEORGE AT ASDA
George has upped its quality, while keeping prices super low, delivering a host of on-trend styles
PRIMARK
Well interpreted trends and its signature cheap as chips prices keep Primark’s value position strong
MATALAN
A badly lit, dingy store detracts from a clearly merchandised store with credible designs for 16 year-old lads through to 45 year-old dads
PRIMARK
Primark’s menswear offer fails to live up to its womenswear in terms of style, but prices are low
GEORGE AT ASDA
Menswear has some way to go to catch up to its womenswear counterpart, but the good, better, best pricing architecture was spot on
FRENCH CONNECTION
A small menswear offering does not make for an equable comparison with Westfield’s often large offerings
UNIQLO
A featherweight till receipt and its mix of updated classic pieces makes Uniqlo tough to resist
HOLLISTER
Smoke and mirrors it may be but the mix of candy sweet and sexy Americana will thrill UK teens
BURTON
A more convincing young fashion offer from Burton sees it do battle at the youthful end of menswear
DESIGUAL
A dramatic theatre of a store, but it is filled with clothes that you can only wear at a festival
ARMANI EXCHANGE
Exciting retail in sci-fi store crash-landed from a sleeker future with clobber to match.
MARKS AND SPENCER
A manicured department, crammed full of product with penny-pinching entry points and an obsession with quality
ZARA
Zara failed to compete with rivals’ immaculate stores, and poor merchandising let the product down
WAREHOUSE
Warehouses combines great designs with richer fabrications, whilst still keeping prices relatively low
DEBENHAMS
There’s plenty on offer at Debenhams, with Red Herring and Designers At brands servicing their customers
GAP
Gap’s design credentials are a let-down this season and its store failed to live up to competitors too
Topman
Standout product with a strong pricing architecture in one of Stratford’s most impressive stores
Marks and Spencer
Although sub-brands tick the right product boxes the store is let down by poor menswear signage.
Kurt Geiger
A few strong items but generally the store lacks wow factor as well as sufficient seating.
Nine West
Some good stylish product if sometimes a little tacky and overpriced. Service could be improved.
River Island
Trend-leading River Island has interesting product and ways of displaying it, but it is of mixed value.
Schuh
Attention to detail from the welcoming staff and plenty of seating, but some prices are too high.
Hit or Miss
Footwear retailers in Westfield Stratford proved they have a handle on autumn 11 trends, but only some go the extra mile to keep customers spending.
TOPSHOP
Perfectly executed on-trend product, excellent staff and wide pricing makes this top of the shops.
MISS SELFRIDGE
Expertly interprets trends, but loses out to the fanfare of bigger rivals and their lower prices.
MARKS & SPENCER
A standout autumn collection covering all key trends in one of Stratford’s anchor stores.
ALL SAINTS
A truly differentiated and impressive offer let down by old-season stock and blaring music.
MATALAN
A surprisingly diverse range which through targeted sub-brands speaks to a democratic range of ages
SAINSBURY’S
Even suburban dads deserve more sartorial imagination than this lacklustre mix of wardrobe basics
NEW LOOK
A pic ’n’ mix of bang-on trends at pocket money prices. This is a genuine men’s version of the rightly feted womenswear offer
RIVER ISLAND
Branded, colourful and confidently open-plan this is wow factor merchandising backed up by product that takes trends and twists them
H&M
A schizophrenic mix sees sophisticated, youthful styles next to more mainstream fare, which makes this relatively small men’s department feel a touch ill-at-ease
HUGO BOSS
An awe-inspiring store overflowing with helpful staff and replete with the brand’s blend of trend and quality
SUIT SUPPLY
An awesome concept theatrically delivered but among the spectrum of suits there should be room for more trend-led product
TED BAKER
Ted’s quirkiness is hard to beat and its value for money on rich fabrications also impressed
RIVER ISLAND
River Island narrowly loses out to Topshop this season, but its offering it still well-pitched to its market
DOROTHY PERKINS
Dorothy Perkins gets its prices right in a well-laid out store, but its product offering is a bit hit and miss
WALLIS
Wallis fails to give its customers a reason to shop there and are better off going to Dorothy Perkins
ARMANI EXCHANGE
Armani Exchange serves up cool interpretations of this season’s trends at reasonable prices
