Margaret Howell

this is actually not a review of this particular store but the treatment i received from victoria when i bought a shirt in which all the specs (particularly the high armhole) was not listed). As i mentioned because dog the failure to disclose and the total failure to make amends and by imposing penalties on my return, i will no longer purchase margret howell goods. my guess is victoria is perhaps a young women in her twenties with not much customer service experience.

I love this store. The shop is fresh, the sales associates are kind, and the windows are always crisp and inspiring. What elevates the brand for me is the silent elegance and high quality fabrics and finishings. I visit every time I'm in London.

After a very poor initial visit I was pleasantly surprised when returning for a second time. On my first visit staff were cold and unwelcoming. I recently visited to collect an order and staff were welcoming and helpful with support finding alternative sizes etc. The store itself is beautiful and well designed and the products are great quality and well designed as expected. Maybe it is a just the luck of the draw the staff at this branch.

I've shopped in most of the famous stores in London but the Margaret Howell stores consistently provide extremely rude service: A phone call to check on availability of an item is met with a response 'we don't have it you'll have to phone one of the other stores' I recently placed a clean paper cup on a table for a second and the manager's reacted like I'd decided to hold a kids party in the store. It takes effort to be consistently rude whilst it's a pleasure to be nice to people.

It seems that this company has perpetuated a horrific culture of rude incompetence in its retail stores and insulted the history of the brand and its importance in fashion. They seem to have intentionally found the most rude least competent people available and put them in a place to sell to people who are accustomed to polite competence. It is an utter embarrassment. I love the brand, love the clothes, love the designs. But if i have to encounter a person like the ones in many MH stores in order to buy a piece of clothing… i’ll just go and have something made to measure instead. It’s like dealing with people from the lowest possible classes of society… what a shame.

Margaret Howell is an undisputed master and this stunning shop is a reflection of that BUT it would be immensely helpful to everyone from the brand to the clients and even to the employees themselves if these employees could understand that being a salesperson for even the greatest of brands doesn’t make them ANY better than ANY of their clients. Arrogance in 2023 is never a good look and a smile and polite phrase is a bare minimum especially for a brand that sells understated luxury.

I do not understand these negative reviews. I think the staff are friendly and helpful and the clothes are top notch. I have never found better made clothing anywhere in the world. I simply cannot comprehend why someone would think that sales staff are 'intimidating.'

My wife and I visited the store in search of a rain jacket. The 5 members of staff working made absolutely no attempt to engage us at any point in time during our 20 minute visit despite us being the only customers in the store - instead the entire staff stood socialising around the till.