Two features stand out in this branch of Penneys - the helpful but busy staff - and the condition of the women's changing room on the ground floor. To deal with the latter first: the area smelled of cabbage; the carpet was stained and looked grimy; there was thick dust on an air-freshener unit on the wall; there were hangers cluttering up all the pegs; and there was a long queue inside the communal changing room (ugh) for private changing facilities. Of the two cubicles (not enough at the best of times) one was missing a curtain. However, the staff were pleasant. All were busy stocking shelves or manning checkouts; although everyone stopped civilly when asked for help, a feeling persisted that they had another task waiting. They were well-informed about what stock was available, or went to ask someone who was. One spotted and pointed out a fault in a dress I asked about, while looking at the washing instructions.
Despite heavy hints, nobody offered to check out whether items were available in other stores, although one assistant did remark that she knew a pair of trousers had only been stocked in two stores, and was not available in the requested colour at either outlet. In general appearance the store is easy to get around; it is well lit, with adequate space between racks. Sign posting is fine but uninspired, as is the decor. Although the ground floor was very busy - other floors less so - the shop was pleasantly quiet with no music playing. Customer services is found downstairs, where items can be held; exchange and refund are both possible provided tags and receipt are all intact.
Women's clothes seemed to be arranged according to function - dresses at the front of the store, then suits and skirts and formal trousers, then sporty wear and finally jeans and shirts. Many items were in stock only in limitedsizes. The best feature of the store is that the clothes are good value. The worst is the changing rooms and poor state of the carpets throughout. Marks out of 10: six (despite the temptation to drop a few more points for the changing rooms).