The Range, Colchester Reviews Summary

Product Variety and Availability

Pros:

• "Love this shop! Can literally get anything you need and there's a lovely little cafe too!"
• "Its was nice. They have pretty much anything you could want for the home."
• "Need a light bulb? Get it here. Need a mirror? Get it here."
• "The Range is a good go to for most things. Great section for kids arts and crafts."
• "Its a great shop and has something for everyone, as well as having very reasonably priced DIY stuff it also has plants, house wares, a bit of everything."
• "Sells amazing range of arts and crafts, plus furniture, lighting, Christmas lights and decs in the autumn/ winter."
• "Large selection of homewares, Household tools, home decoration, garden plants."

Cons:

• "Christmas section was terrible... products scattered over the shelves and blocking the floors."
• "Ordered a bedside cabinet around 5 weeks ago and was sent two left handed runners for one of the drawers."
• "Ordered an item online, was given reservation number and informed in stocks. Traveled 20 miles then told don't always believe what it says consequently out of stock."
• "A great shop that seems to sell everything... but the roof was leaking in multiple places."
• "Trying to find items in store is a mission and poorly presented."
• "This shop has to be the worst for not labelling up the price on items."
• "When I asked if a particular item was in stock the member of staff told me that they normally did but they didnt know if it was in stock as the store was a mess."

Customer Service

Pros:

• "Staff very friendly and helpful."
• "Magical and full of surprises. Wonderful local store within friendly employees. Exceptional value."
• "The guy serving outside dealing with the trees was absolutely fantastic!!"
• "The service was impeccable, the cashier couldn't be more helpful as we'd bought way more than we could carry in one go... went out of her way to ensure we received the best experience possible."
• "All staff are willing to help!"
• "Staff are quite friendly and will show you where a product is."
• "Absolutely amazing staff I needed new bedding and I have a disability so the young ladies managed to get me everything I needed so helpful."

Cons:

• "Manager also refused to give her name for this review when asked. Lazy and terrible customer service."
• "Returning an online purchase (after phoning for the options to return) only to be told in store that they can't (which they can)."
• "Has most things that you need staff are friendly if you can find them on the shop floor the one disappointing thing is the fact that their refund policy is absolutely diabolical."
• "Poor customer service, stood and waited whilst a member of staff was talking to a customer."
• "Guy at checkout refused to take a £5 note as it was slightly ripped!"
• "I needed to exchange something and everytime i went up to the customer service desk, the person on the desk had to be prompted by their colleagues to serve the customer instead of continuing their conversation on both occasions."
• "The cafe staff was rude and they had no food just a few bits of cake."

Store Layout and Accessibility

Pros:

• "Love that Iceland is there now. Move the new layout."
• "It has a car park for two hours and can be extended at the till."
• "You could easily spend hours here! Lots of free parking for customers."
• "Level access and reasonable car park although the spaces are a bit tight."
• "Always a good place to visit."
• "Ample parking space in front of the Range."
• "This is a very large shop which has two levels. There's a lift as well as stairs and a toilet."

Cons:

• "The store is getting very run down its about time it had a refurbishment."
• "Arts and crafts have been moved upstairs to make room for Iceland. It is so dark you need a torch to see."
• "All Xmas stuff squeezed into level 1 mezzanine area, anyone with buggies or trolley having to fight for the one and only lift."
• "The customers toilets entrance is clutters making very difficult with a pram."
• "The lift was broken, AGAIN! never seems to be working so unfortunately if you have a pushchair or wheelchair, you'll miss out half the store."
• "Car park poor, spaces not big enough."
• "It's very dark - you'll notice that as soon as you go in."

Pricing and Value

Pros:

• "Magical and full of surprises. Wonderful local store within friendly employees. Exceptional value."
• "Good store; plenty of choice with reasonable prices and value for money."
• "The cost of many items are on a budget but very stylish."
• "Pro... most of the stuff is great value."
• "Good shop with excellent selection and the restaurant is excellent value and good quality food."
• "A vast range of useful items. Particularly good for frames, art and craft materials, gardening paraphernalia, all at reasonable prices."
• "Can always find what I'm looking for at a reasonable price."

Cons:

• "As usual good service polite team members I went there for pond food however they are well over the top on their prices."
• "Absolutely disgusting we wanted to buy some wipes at 6.99 they came up on the till at 7.45."
• "Had gone up in price overnight, we went back to point out that the advertised price was lower to what we had been charged."
• "Tried to buy two items both priced up wrong no offer to give the items for the price."
• "Christmas section was terrible... and the prices were so high for poor products."
• "Furnishings sold here are usually low quality and tacky."
• "A lot of the items we used to buy here no longer stocked."

Overall Experience

Pros:

• "During this difficult period I have got to say that The Range Colchester has been the most adaptive outlet to this situation."
• "The Range offers a brilliant selection for the major holidays and seasons, especially Summer, Christmas and Halloween."
• "Great range of items for home and garden. They also offer interesting seasonal items, plants and furniture."
• "A good place to visit especially if you enjoy craft."
• "Great shop with plenty of different types of products from a tin of paint to a canoe."
• "Always love coming here ! They have almost everything I need under one roof."
• "Well presented shop with everything you need for home decoration."

Cons:

• "I will never ever return to this store again."
• "I used to visit regularly but now only when I can't find what I need elsewhere."
• "I usually love the range at Christmas time, but unfortunately when I asked a member of staff if there were anymore christmas bits coming, she started flaring her arms saying 'what do you mean'."
• "The range itself is ok its the parking eye company which controls the parking which puts me off from going to the range."
• "Poor selection of goods compared to other stores in chain. Shop looks run down."
• "Didn't find the Christmas stock very exciting this year either bit of a let down."
• "A pleasant shopping trip turned into a nightmare😔."