First retail ‘name’ to pop off 2018
Discussion
DSLiverpool said:
Out of interest did any of you buggy buyers consider a Doona travel system - it’s a car seat with drop down wheels like a plane - amazing!
Looking at the website showing how it works, its a clever idea but the seat appears to be fixed to the wheels so cannot be swapped for a carrycot, buggy, etc which would limit it for me.In theory you are only meant to use a maxi-cosi type thing for 2h max (although if they come out then the clock resets) but if you just want to to for a walk, on the train, whatever then a carrycot works bettter which would mean buying a second travel system to cover for that.
Nickbrapp said:
anonymous said:
[redacted]
Then we can just buy and send it back£1000 for a pram?! Kids are so bloody expensive I’m glad I’m never having any!
As someone else has stated, Mothercare could up their ecommerce and back it up with showrooms to keep in the market.
The other unknown is what online companies would be paying in ecommerce fees to the search engines, SEO companies, e-billing companies in the future. I read an article recently of a company who ran into trouble with Google when their product clashed with Google's own product and it appears that Google pushed them down the rankings for some reason.
anonymous said:
[redacted]
The other day I needed new trainers, and because snow, I went online and just ordered loads with a view to returning all but one. Aside from getting all the deliveries now, I realised that online buyers also have to also take on the temporary debt of those items, which can easily be £500+ which for many will mean using a credit card.Makes much more sense to pop down to the shops and seen and try them on there.
cuprabob said:
New Look to close 60 shops with the loss of 980 jobs.
New look have £1.2 billion of debt and have 593 stores (of which they are closing 60). Firstly how on earth do they have a £1.2 billion debt and secondly who was crazy enough to lend it to them in the first place.I don't understand how these chains appear out of nowhere over night with hundreds of stores using borrowed money, never make a profit and then just go into receivership. Surely a bank somewhere is losing money or is it just printed made up money from the miracle economy and nobody really cares.
Same as the AA, how on earth are they £2.7 billion in debt?
Joey Deacon said:
cuprabob said:
New Look to close 60 shops with the loss of 980 jobs.
New look have £1.2 billion of debt and have 593 stores (of which they are closing 60). Firstly how on earth do they have a £1.2 billion debt and secondly who was crazy enough to lend it to them in the first place.I don't understand how these chains appear out of nowhere over night with hundreds of stores using borrowed money, never make a profit and then just go into receivership. Surely a bank somewhere is losing money or is it just printed made up money from the miracle economy and nobody really cares.
Same as the AA, how on earth are they £2.7 billion in debt?
"The company’s debt mountain has grown to £1.2bn over the past year, which largely is a hangover of the debt-fuelled leverage buy-out by private equity firms Apax and Permira in 2004. However, if New Look’s earnings continue to slide, its ratio of debt to earnings will soon look untenable."
The AA:
"Centrica sold the AA in July 2004 to two private equity firms, CVC and Permira"
https://www.theguardian.com/business/nils-pratley-...
Edited by Fittster on Wednesday 7th March 14:50
TheRainMaker said:
Like all things, they don't have to be.
IMO it’s nuts to buy a new travel system, car seat yes, but get the rest off local eBay/FacebookEspecially if you plan to have more than one before the first is a reliable walker - most travel systems only carry one child - easier to buy and sell preowned! It all wipes clean anyway
essayer said:
TheRainMaker said:
Like all things, they don't have to be.
IMO it’s nuts to buy a new travel system, car seat yes, but get the rest off local eBay/FacebookEspecially if you plan to have more than one before the first is a reliable walker - most travel systems only carry one child - easier to buy and sell preowned! It all wipes clean anyway
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
Fittster said:
New Look have been around for years (quick google shows they were founded in 1969). Where does the debt come from? Lots of private equity ownership involvement since the mid 2000s.
"The company’s debt mountain has grown to £1.2bn over the past year, which largely is a hangover of the debt-fuelled leverage buy-out by private equity firms Apax and Permira in 2004. However, if New Look’s earnings continue to slide, its ratio of debt to earnings will soon look untenable."
The AA:
"Centrica sold the AA in July 2004 to two private equity firms, CVC and Permira"
https://www.theguardian.com/business/nils-pratley-...
Yup, sounds like all of them use the Man Utd method of leveraging the buying item's assets so the equity firm pays minimal out of own pocket."The company’s debt mountain has grown to £1.2bn over the past year, which largely is a hangover of the debt-fuelled leverage buy-out by private equity firms Apax and Permira in 2004. However, if New Look’s earnings continue to slide, its ratio of debt to earnings will soon look untenable."
The AA:
"Centrica sold the AA in July 2004 to two private equity firms, CVC and Permira"
https://www.theguardian.com/business/nils-pratley-...
Edited by Fittster on Wednesday 7th March 14:50
Disgusting form of capitalism.
hyphen said:
Fittster said:
New Look have been around for years (quick google shows they were founded in 1969). Where does the debt come from? Lots of private equity ownership involvement since the mid 2000s.
"The company’s debt mountain has grown to £1.2bn over the past year, which largely is a hangover of the debt-fuelled leverage buy-out by private equity firms Apax and Permira in 2004. However, if New Look’s earnings continue to slide, its ratio of debt to earnings will soon look untenable."
The AA:
"Centrica sold the AA in July 2004 to two private equity firms, CVC and Permira"
https://www.theguardian.com/business/nils-pratley-...
Yup, sounds like all of them use the Man Utd method of leveraging the buying item's assets so the equity firm pays minimal out of own pocket."The company’s debt mountain has grown to £1.2bn over the past year, which largely is a hangover of the debt-fuelled leverage buy-out by private equity firms Apax and Permira in 2004. However, if New Look’s earnings continue to slide, its ratio of debt to earnings will soon look untenable."
The AA:
"Centrica sold the AA in July 2004 to two private equity firms, CVC and Permira"
https://www.theguardian.com/business/nils-pratley-...
Edited by Fittster on Wednesday 7th March 14:50
Disgusting form of capitalism.
Looks like we can add Claires Accessories to the list :
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5483595/Cl...
Seems that if your company sells over priced tat or reheated food from Brake Brothers then your company is probably is big trouble.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5483595/Cl...
Seems that if your company sells over priced tat or reheated food from Brake Brothers then your company is probably is big trouble.
Joey Deacon said:
Looks like we can add Claires Accessories to the list :
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5483595/Cl...
Seems that if your company sells over priced tat or reheated food from Brake Brothers then your company is probably is big trouble.
I have fond memories; not, of spending many an hour in that shop, with my daughters!http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5483595/Cl...
Seems that if your company sells over priced tat or reheated food from Brake Brothers then your company is probably is big trouble.
Retailers don't help themselves really.
A few weeks ago I was in House of Fraser in Leeds. I saw a nice pair of jeans but they were a bit on the expensive side. Anyway, I decided to get one of their recognition cards in the hope that there'd be an offer. Sure enough, a 20% spring recognition discount materialised. Cool, I'll get my jeans.
Offer expires March 11 and I can't get into Leeds 'till Wednesday March 14, so I go online to order them. Not available in my size. Phone the store in Leeds to see if they've some in my size. Yes they have. Can I buy them today over the phone and pick them up Wednesday? No, they won't let me pay over the phone. Can I order a pair into store online today, in the wrong size, to get the discount, and then ask the store to exchange them for a pair that's the right size on Wednesday? No, they won't exchange them as that would constitute "extending the discount". They'll only give me a refund at the discount price by which time the pair in the right size in store will have gone back up to the non-discount price.
Articles everywhere saying House of Fraser is begging landlords to lower the rent due to tough trading conditions, that they're looking to downsize their stores to cut costs. It would help to put money in their tills if they made it possible for customers to actually do business with them!
A few weeks ago I was in House of Fraser in Leeds. I saw a nice pair of jeans but they were a bit on the expensive side. Anyway, I decided to get one of their recognition cards in the hope that there'd be an offer. Sure enough, a 20% spring recognition discount materialised. Cool, I'll get my jeans.
Offer expires March 11 and I can't get into Leeds 'till Wednesday March 14, so I go online to order them. Not available in my size. Phone the store in Leeds to see if they've some in my size. Yes they have. Can I buy them today over the phone and pick them up Wednesday? No, they won't let me pay over the phone. Can I order a pair into store online today, in the wrong size, to get the discount, and then ask the store to exchange them for a pair that's the right size on Wednesday? No, they won't exchange them as that would constitute "extending the discount". They'll only give me a refund at the discount price by which time the pair in the right size in store will have gone back up to the non-discount price.
Articles everywhere saying House of Fraser is begging landlords to lower the rent due to tough trading conditions, that they're looking to downsize their stores to cut costs. It would help to put money in their tills if they made it possible for customers to actually do business with them!
MitchT said:
Retailers don't help themselves really.
A few weeks ago I was in House of Fraser in Leeds. I saw a nice pair of jeans but they were a bit on the expensive side. Anyway, I decided to get one of their recognition cards in the hope that there'd be an offer. Sure enough, a 20% spring recognition discount materialised. Cool, I'll get my jeans.
Offer expires March 11 and I can't get into Leeds 'till Wednesday March 14, so I go online to order them. Not available in my size. Phone the store in Leeds to see if they've some in my size. Yes they have. Can I buy them today over the phone and pick them up Wednesday? No, they won't let me pay over the phone. Can I order a pair into store online today, in the wrong size, to get the discount, and then ask the store to exchange them for a pair that's the right size on Wednesday? No, they won't exchange them as that would constitute "extending the discount". They'll only give me a refund at the discount price by which time the pair in the right size in store will have gone back up to the non-discount price.
Articles everywhere saying House of Fraser is begging landlords to lower the rent due to tough trading conditions, that they're looking to downsize their stores to cut costs. It would help to put money in their tills if they made it possible for customers to actually do business with them!
Did they stop you doing business with them at the time you saw the jeans in the first place?A few weeks ago I was in House of Fraser in Leeds. I saw a nice pair of jeans but they were a bit on the expensive side. Anyway, I decided to get one of their recognition cards in the hope that there'd be an offer. Sure enough, a 20% spring recognition discount materialised. Cool, I'll get my jeans.
Offer expires March 11 and I can't get into Leeds 'till Wednesday March 14, so I go online to order them. Not available in my size. Phone the store in Leeds to see if they've some in my size. Yes they have. Can I buy them today over the phone and pick them up Wednesday? No, they won't let me pay over the phone. Can I order a pair into store online today, in the wrong size, to get the discount, and then ask the store to exchange them for a pair that's the right size on Wednesday? No, they won't exchange them as that would constitute "extending the discount". They'll only give me a refund at the discount price by which time the pair in the right size in store will have gone back up to the non-discount price.
Articles everywhere saying House of Fraser is begging landlords to lower the rent due to tough trading conditions, that they're looking to downsize their stores to cut costs. It would help to put money in their tills if they made it possible for customers to actually do business with them!
Damn, found out about Countrywide earlier today and was going to post it up. They'r ein administration, and have been before. I remember them as Midland Shires Farmers.
I called this one several years ago. I used to frequent the Gloucester store for animal feed, but they took a business decision to cater more for the rural urbanites and horsey set and frankly pissed off their core customer base.
Pretty much everything they do can be sourced cheaper elsewhere. You want a roll of 8/80/15 stock fence, posts and a gate you can get it from countrywide but it can be found slightly cheaper elsewhere. Stock feed is the same price bagged or by the ton. It ain't cheap. There's also a lot they could do - but don't. Domestic stock keeping is an untapped market they missed, for example.
It's a viable business model but they failed to retain their core customer base. My instinct is the store will be bought out but reorganised. Certain aspects are profitable, the fuel side, LPG and feed mill. Loss of the Defford feed mill would be disastrous but it's used solely in house and not wholesaled. But I did hear a rumour that it was the feed mill that caused the headache; they buggered up the corn futures and tied themselves to a loss making contract.
It's a decent business, a viable business and caters for an extensive rural market. Plus it's free parking in central Gloucester.
I called this one several years ago. I used to frequent the Gloucester store for animal feed, but they took a business decision to cater more for the rural urbanites and horsey set and frankly pissed off their core customer base.
Pretty much everything they do can be sourced cheaper elsewhere. You want a roll of 8/80/15 stock fence, posts and a gate you can get it from countrywide but it can be found slightly cheaper elsewhere. Stock feed is the same price bagged or by the ton. It ain't cheap. There's also a lot they could do - but don't. Domestic stock keeping is an untapped market they missed, for example.
It's a viable business model but they failed to retain their core customer base. My instinct is the store will be bought out but reorganised. Certain aspects are profitable, the fuel side, LPG and feed mill. Loss of the Defford feed mill would be disastrous but it's used solely in house and not wholesaled. But I did hear a rumour that it was the feed mill that caused the headache; they buggered up the corn futures and tied themselves to a loss making contract.
It's a decent business, a viable business and caters for an extensive rural market. Plus it's free parking in central Gloucester.
Gassing Station | News, Politics & Economics | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff