'Pop-up' shops.....

[Corsair7]

I thought these were just shops that sold cheap christmas decorations, but it seems a number of retailers are now using 'pop-up' shops in the run up to christmas, litterally shops they deploy into empty premises for 6 weeks with the intention of closing them immidiatly after sales drop off after christmas.

HMV opened a shop in our town in November, and already they've closed it, and this was already planned before their current sales forecasts hit their share price. Other less mainstream shops have also been seen opening simply for the christmas rush, taking advantage no doubt of extremly low rents and rates, only employing people for weeks, and then bolting before you even have a chance of taking back faulty or duplicate goods.

I dont see this as healthy for our high streets. I actually thought things were starting to look 'on the up' in our high street again, but we're left again with mostly charity shops and 'pound stores'..... (actually, even the pound shop has closed recently...)

Its bleak out there.

[Tsippy]

With the cost of running a business, especially the business rates, it's probably the lowest risk method for opening a shop. Plus if you can guarantee good sales for 2 months but not the whole year, then it makes sense to just open for that 2 months.

I agree that it's not good for the High Street, but blame government for making it such an expense to try and start / run a business, I am sure that if business rates were axed we'd see a revival on the High Street.

[Globs]

Tsippy said:

With the cost of running a business, especially the business rates, it's probably the lowest risk method for opening a shop. Plus if you can guarantee good sales for 2 months but not the whole year, then it makes sense to just open for that 2 months.

I agree that it's not good for the High Street, but blame government for making it such an expense to try and start / run a business, I am sure that if business rates were axed we'd see a revival on the High Street.

+1

The overhead of running a shop now is to huge few dare attempt it.
That's why you just see the profitable shops like Starbucks, mobile phone outlets etc, and all high streets look like clones of each other. All the interesting little shops whose only failing was to have a lower profit margin have been killed.

IIRC in italy there is protection for the shopkeeper against high rents/rates and as a result you get an interesting mix of shops to choose from. Certainly on the continent the high streets look much healthier. Mind you on most of the continent you can park in front of the shop you are visiting too, makes them much more accessible.

Not sure where the UK is going, with no parking and no shops it's going to become very dull here.

[Deva Link]

Globs said:

The overhead of running a shop now is to huge few dare attempt it.
That's why you just see the profitable shops like Starbucks, mobile phone outlets etc,

I have no idea how most of either of those make enough money to maintain a high street or major mall presence.

Globs said:

Mind you on most of the continent you can park in front of the shop you are visiting too, makes them much more accessible.

Not sure where the UK is going, with no parking and no shops it's going to become very dull here.

For married men like me, who rarely go "shopping", I find this a huge issue. To have to drive into town, park in a multi-story, wander through town etc etc, just to buy a birthday card or whatever, is simply ridiclous.

[I Love Lamp]

Deva Link said:

Globs said:

The overhead of running a shop now is to huge few dare attempt it.
That's why you just see the profitable shops like Starbucks, mobile phone outlets etc,

I have no idea how most of either of those make enough money to maintain a high street or major mall presence.

Globs said:

Mind you on most of the continent you can park in front of the shop you are visiting too, makes them much more accessible.

Not sure where the UK is going, with no parking and no shops it's going to become very dull here.

For married men like me, who rarely go "shopping", I find this a huge issue. To have to drive into town, park in a multi-story, wander through town etc etc, just to buy a birthday card or whatever, is simply ridiclous.

moonpig.com

[Globs]

I Love Lamp said:

Deva Link said:

Globs said:

The overhead of running a shop now is to huge few dare attempt it.
That's why you just see the profitable shops like Starbucks, mobile phone outlets etc,

I have no idea how most of either of those make enough money to maintain a high street or major mall presence.

Globs said:

Mind you on most of the continent you can park in front of the shop you are visiting too, makes them much more accessible.

Not sure where the UK is going, with no parking and no shops it's going to become very dull here.

For married men like me, who rarely go "shopping", I find this a huge issue. To have to drive into town, park in a multi-story, wander through town etc etc, just to buy a birthday card or whatever, is simply ridiclous.

moonpig.com

Yup - I guess the answer is dead high streets and a busy postal service.
Still, saves us meeting any real people out there, which is just as well with the chav population exploding...

[chris watton]

parking is a real issue these days - plus the amount of choice we used to have seems to have disappeared. It seems most of new shopping centres (like the new Gloucester Docks development) cater for woman - not too many 'man shops' - it seems that they are 80% clothes shops, 19% cafe/coffee shops and 1% vaguely interesting (to me..) shops!
It is a shame about HMV, as I do like to peruse in there, but when you realise that what you buy is twice what you would pay at Amazon, it does make you think twice - but it is still tempting to buy from the likes of the 'proper' shops, as I know their overheads are very high, due to the greed of the local councils and government - coupled with the fact that parking is always a nightmare.

I'll stick to Amazon and Scan....

[FasterFreddy]

Deva Link said:

Globs said:

The overhead of running a shop now is to huge few dare attempt it.
That's why you just see the profitable shops like Starbucks, mobile phone outlets etc,

I have no idea how most of either of those make enough money to maintain a high street or major mall presence.

The profit margin from selling cups of coffee is massive. Presumably selling mobile phone contracts is equally lucrative.

Everything is now available at Tescos and the like, so we're heading towards town-sized hypermarkets I reckon. What an appalling thought.

[ShadownINja]

Tsippy said:

With the cost of running a business, especially the business rates,

chris watton said:

parking

So... the local council is at fault... I wonder if they realise. They probably say it's intentional to encourage customers using public transport (aka encourage customers to shop online).

How much is business rates for a corner shop selling newspapers and sweets in Epsom? I can't find precise figures.

Edited by ShadownINja on Thursday 6th January 11:10

[speedchick]

ShadownINja said:

Tsippy said:

With the cost of running a business, especially the business rates,

chris watton said:

parking

So... the local council is at fault... I wonder if they realise. They probably say it's intentional to encourage customers using public transport (aka encourage customers to shop online).

This is what happened where I am, the council had huge and ambitious plans for one area in town, so they concentrated everything on that, but couldn't secure a flagship store (the first they tried was C&A so that tells you how long this has been going on)

Tehy neglected the other end of town, where the shops actually were, only remembered those shops were there when it was time to increase the rents and rates, hence half the shops are now empty.

Ripped a perfectly servicable multistorey carpark down to build a new health and sports centre, pulled the old sport centre down and left a small car park in its place.

And have now decided to change all the car park fees, now you can buy upto 2 hours for around £4, if you want any longer than that, you have to pay the full 24 hour rate, and they now charge for parking in the evenings.

[Corsair7]

Talking of parking fees, we took a couple of unwanted gifts back this weekend. Cost us £4.50 in parking fees, and then the family insisted on eating out, sandwich and cold drink for three in BHS cafe cost £16.50.

I should have just thrown the unwanted gifts away..... lolz.

[Jackleman]

When I was in Oz last year there was a competition to win a pop-up pub! only in Oz :-)

[Tsippy]

ShadownINja said:

Tsippy said:

With the cost of running a business, especially the business rates,

chris watton said:

parking

So... the local council is at fault... I wonder if they realise. They probably say it's intentional to encourage customers using public transport (aka encourage customers to shop online).

How much is business rates for a corner shop selling newspapers and sweets in Epsom? I can't find precise figures.

Edited by ShadownINja on Thursday 6th January 11:10

http://www.2010.voa.gov.uk/rli/en/basic/find

If you can get the post code for the shop, you should find its business rates using the link.


And then use the rateable value to calculate business rates here :

http://online.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/log...

Edited by Tsippy on Thursday 6th January 11:38

[ShadownINja]

speedchick said:

This is what happened where I am, the council had huge and ambitious plans for one area in town, so they concentrated everything on that, but couldn't secure a flagship store (the first they tried was C&A so that tells you how long this has been going on)

Tehy neglected the other end of town, where the shops actually were, only remembered those shops were there when it was time to increase the rents and rates, hence half the shops are now empty.

Ripped a perfectly servicable multistorey carpark down to build a new health and sports centre, pulled the old sport centre down and left a small car park in its place.

And have now decided to change all the car park fees, now you can buy upto 2 hours for around £4, if you want any longer than that, you have to pay the full 24 hour rate, and they now charge for parking in the evenings.

Hrm. I haven't been into any town (driving through is free apart from petrol etc costs) for maybe 6 months. I only tended to go on Sundays because parking is free (even Nazis need a day off) in the outskirts of town.

[dandarez]

Deva Link said:

Globs said:

The overhead of running a shop now is to huge few dare attempt it.
That's why you just see the profitable shops like Starbucks, mobile phone outlets etc,

I have no idea how most of either of those make enough money to maintain a high street or major mall presence.

Globs said:

Not sure where the UK is going, with no parking and no shops it's going to become very dull here.

I think you should look up how 'name' brand shops operate. Take Starbucks and google it.

In Witney, yeah Mr Cameron's town, we have a brand new shopping precinct called Marriott's Walk on the area that once occupied the town's football club.

It has one thing that is different to other places: a FREE Multi-Storey car park!
The precinct has been busy since it opened just over a year ago.
Some premises are still vacant but some have now been let - not surprising as it is a prosperous area of Oxfordshire.

On the opening of the new shopping precinct as predictable, most shops are what you find everywhere else. There is also a large unit next to M&S that was taken by ...Starbucks!
It has hoardings advertising itself all round the large unit.

But it has NEVER OPENED!!
Are Starbucks paying rent? Or using it as a huge advertising ploy? Who knows?
I wouldn't go in a Starbucks even if was dying for a caffine fix.
But then I don't go near any fast food, fast coffee outlets.

As I said, google Starbucks. This country is becoming a mini USA. Shopping 'malls' to baseball caps.
Identical this and identical that wherever you go.

Didn't used to be like this.
Progress? And YOU will pay for it!

[Deva Link]

FasterFreddy said:

The profit margin from selling cups of coffee is massive. Presumably selling mobile phone contracts is equally lucrative.

Well, the gross margin in enormous - I've seen a cost breakdown and coffee is the cheapest component, milk cost them more - but the net margin isn't that great.

FasterFreddy said:

Everything is now available at Tescos and the like, so we're heading towards town-sized hypermarkets I reckon. What an appalling thought.

For a car based society you can't argue with the convenience of out-of-town places generally - one near my parents has a card shop, a WH Smiths and a mini M&S. It's like a modern city-centre high street, but out-of-town.

[blugnu]

There are few 'interesting to blokes' shops in shopping centres because, as others have said, we don't go shopping as much, and when we do it tends to be for gadgets, which are products ideally suited to selling on the internet (know specifications etc).

I have a little shop with parking outside. It's not in the city centre, and it costs me a mere £700 or so per month in rates for the pleasure of being here. You don't even get a bin in return.

So I agree wholeheartedly with the posts suggesting that rates are ridiculously high.

[Odie]

Trafford centre had 3-4 pop up shops.

[Manee]

Back when i was working for gamestation i got sent to Market st in manchester to help kit out a store for the sole reason of christmas.

they spent a decent amount kitting the store out so obviously they felt it was worthwhile to do it as such even in the last years financial climate. they were expecting to take a few million over the two/three months it would be open

[john_p]

I just can't justify buying anything other than a last minute / desparation purchase in the high street any more. My Christmas shopping would easily have been twice the price if I hadn't done it online.

I went shopping at the weekend and just in a few shops it seems they either have no choice but to charge higher prices OR they do it just to scalp the customer

HMV: Blu-ray discs approx. £10 more than Amazon
Waterstones: Books double the price of Amazon
Maplin: Totally overpriced, most small stuff is ~£1 on ebay (£10 for a kettle lead! fk you)
Currys: £70 for a HDMI cable "reduced to £49.99"

You might get lucky with price pricing of big-ticket electrical items in the bigger stores, but mostly these are cheaper online, and delivered.

Plus you pay to park there, of course .. not so bad where I am, but try Windsor.. (4 hrs = £8.50+)

Edited by john_p on Thursday 6th January 12:52