First retail ‘name’ to pop off 2018

[talksthetorque]

ambuletz said:

on a related note I'm a little concerned about arcadia group that own Topman, Topshop, burton, evans, dorothy perkins. They closed down all those stores at my local retail park (galleons reach, beckton). Having said that the topman/topshop on oxford street is THE place to go.

The Big Tesco Extra near us has just converted 1/2 their mezzanine to an "Outfit" which is one store with concessions for the Main Arcadia Brands
Dorothy Perkins - Topshop - Miss Selfridge - Wallis - Oasis - Burton- Top Man
The other half is still tesco clothing and a cafe full of oddballs.
The Tech bit that was there has been downsized about 75% and stuck next to the pharmacy bit downstairs

Red 4 said:

Homebase.

Four quid for bag of screws when I can get 3 x the amount for two quid at Screwfix.

Big (very big) Homebase near me just closed.

Always found Homebase expensive.

Just been bought recently by an Australian firm, to be rebranded as Bunnings, to match their offerings down under.
The customer service in our local homebase is great. THey do seem to be going downmarket to Compete against The Range/Wilkos etc

For what it's worth, I think we'll see a furniture place go. Someone like Furniture Village

Edited by talksthetorque on Friday 29th December 23:10

[Thankyou4calling]

Primark.

Stuff is too cheap and doesn't last long. They'll close.

Rolex Boutiques. Only seem to sell one brand of watches and wouldn't give a discount. They'll close.

Tie rack.

Probably already closed down but if not it will soon.

[limpsfield]

Good shouts.

HR Owen. You see the price of those Ferraris? Unsustainable business model.

[king arthur]

Yep. Greggs is another good shout. Who wants to eat that muck?

[Red 4]

talksthetorque said:

Just been bought recently by an Australian firm, to be rebranded as Bunnings, to match their offerings down under.
The customer service in our local homebase is great. THey do seem to be going downmarket to Compete against The Range/Wilkos etc

Ah. OK.

That might explain the closure - refurb and rebranding.

Cheers.

[Thankyou4calling]

limpsfield said:

Good shouts.

HR Owen. You see the price of those Ferraris? Unsustainable business model.

Agree. Went in the one near me on Old Brompton Road, couldn't supply me a car for 2 years. No way a business can survive with that level of service.

Went straight to Vauxhall and got an Astra with no waiting, I'm a happy man and will now await the closure of HR Owen as I smugly drive my CDI hatchback. Oh yes sir.

[RATATTAK]

king arthur said:

Yep. Greggs is another good shout. Who wants to eat that muck?

I think they might survive if they send the staff on a course which will teach them how to to put butter on bread

[dxg]

Staples. Well, the UK bit of it.

I used to the local branch a lot. Whenever running a workshop, I'd spent c. £100 on consumables.

But, much like the Go Outdoors sheds mentioned above, the store was nearly always empty with only the odd mother or grandparent picking up a few pens and maybe some printer paper. The high value sections - the computing kit and the office furniture sections - were always empty (apart from the printer ink). They must have spent more on rent than the weekly take.

I say used, because it's now, guess what, a B&M - also mentioned above...

[dazwalsh]

Homebase. Overpriced hovel of a store. How the hell they get customers through the door is beyond me, convenience of location can only go so far surely?

My local one is to be turned into an Aldi.

[scenario8]

The retail analysts will be all over this thread next week.

My vote? Aldi or Lidl. The market can’t possibly cope with two funny foreign shops with four letter names where old and little Sainsburys or Budgens shops used to be. Nailed on one, if not both, will shut by February.

And Persimmon. Who even buys a new house? I’ve never bought one and nor has my wife. Or either of our mums. Got to be on their way out.

On a more serious note I wonder what Maplins future holds. Multiple private equity owners. 200+ expensive real estate leases...who knows? The clever city boys take risks but try not to feck up so we’ll see.

[Jazzy Jag]

So which car manufacturer do we think will vanish or get bought out next?

I can't see MG lasting much longer in the UK TBH.

rumour was that the Chinese MD was given a certain amount of money to make the UK work.

He mush be getting to the bottom of the barrel by now.

[FiF]

Harpoon said:

garyhun said:

Agree with that. There’s one near Peterborough - sells too varied a product line (doesn’t seem to know what it is) and the discount card is w very weird arrangement.

Go Outdoors became part of the JD Sports group earlier this year, joining Millets and Blacks. They've come a long way from the single store in the back streets of Sheffield (originally known as CCC)

Customer if CCC from way back now in a different part if the country. I don't understand the comment above about they don't seem to know what they are. I think they know exactly what they are, and the one near us seems to have decent trade. Could argue their are some product lines tgat need trimming, eg mountain and trail bikes? Really?

Only aspect of the discount card system that pisses me off is that I remember my discount card but always forget my RNLI stuff that would get me another 10% off. Grrr, not their fault.

The ones in that sector, outdoor leisure that I'd question long term is Cotswold Outdoor. Expensive, very few people actually buying, but then it maybe just that store with poor selection of stock.

[king arthur]

dxg said:

Staples. Well, the UK bit of it.

I used to the local branch a lot. Whenever running a workshop, I'd spent c. £100 on consumables.
.

Staples is gone already. Replaced by....I can't even remember the name of it, same stores but different name and about a 20% hike in prices.

[Jazzy Jag]

king arthur said:

dxg said:

Staples. Well, the UK bit of it.

I used to the local branch a lot. Whenever running a workshop, I'd spent c. £100 on consumables.
.

Staples is gone already. Replaced by....I can't even remember the name of it, same stores but different name and about a 20% hike in prices.

Was looking for a new chair for my home office and found a nice one on Staples website.

I couldn't find a store locator on the site so I emailed them to find that they only do on-line sales now.

[Funkycoldribena]

What about Frankie and Bennies?
Never been in one,could be packed constantly but they seem to have windows like a 7 series BM so no idea.

[tumble dryer]

limpsfield said:

This thread is in danger of turning into the ramblings of four drunk blokes in the pub at 10:45 on a Sunday night

Derek - what the actual fk was that post about!?!

[dazwalsh]

king arthur said:

Staples is gone already. Replaced by....I can't even remember the name of it, same stores but different name and about a 20% hike in prices.

Office depot, eurgh

[PistonBroker]

king arthur said:

Staples is gone already. Replaced by....I can't even remember the name of it, same stores but different name and about a 20% hike in prices.

Office Outlet. I kept on calling it Office Depot until recently.

Can't say I've noticed a price hike.

[snuffy]

Jazzy Jag said:

I couldn't find a store locator on the site so I emailed them to find that they only do on-line sales now.

Well bugger me with a fish fork - I never knew that.

I've just checked and you are right.

But, again, another crap shop. A couple of years ago I wanted some stuff but could not be arsed to wait, so I trotted off to my local Staples. Could I find what I wanted ? No. So I asked where it was and they said "No, we don't have that in store but we can order it for you".

Now, the only point of a shop as opposed to buying online is that they have it immediately. If they have to order it then what's the point of going to a shop?

[Oakey]

Pizza Hut? We have three local, two of which always seem empty (one of which only opened recently). Anyone in Blackpool must have driven past that one outside the Pleasure Beach and questioned how the hell that remains in business in the depths of Winter!