The death of the high street.
Discussion
Carrot said:
powerstroke said:
HOGEPH said:
I went into the local town to get some photo frames needed for Xmas eve.
1st shop didn't have the size I wanted.
2nd shop didn't have any.
3rd shop didn't have them in the price range I wanted.
Sat back in car, ordered them from Amazon for delivery tomorrow, admittedly not as cheap as the ones the first shop didn't have, but then they didn't have them, did they.
Just reminded me of my resolution to avoid high street shopping in 2019.
This , same sort of time wasting disappointment for me , sorry high street we have invented something better !!!..1st shop didn't have the size I wanted.
2nd shop didn't have any.
3rd shop didn't have them in the price range I wanted.
Sat back in car, ordered them from Amazon for delivery tomorrow, admittedly not as cheap as the ones the first shop didn't have, but then they didn't have them, did they.
Just reminded me of my resolution to avoid high street shopping in 2019.
Next to go the massive glass palace car dealerships !! with car sales down across Europe , wonder which of the white goods marques will be first to bail out to go online,
Vauxhall perhaps ???
kyWaxShieldGuard, decline on GAP, decline on servicing plans, decline on extended warranties (and double decline on Warranty Direct ones at the moment).Salespeeps are there for the manufacturer to suss out how much they can lowball us on Part-exchanges and control discounts on new cars. They are also there because of THE BRAND. It's surprising how much of the British public fall for THE BRAND mentality.
But put simply, it's a low low percentage of us that want to Purple Brick it. The British public overwhelmingly want their hand held and their scrotums tickled. It's almost a form of snobbery to engage and build a relationship with a salesperson rather then a computer transaction.
gizlaroc said:
Exactly, it just annoys customers.
Too many stores look at online and in store as separate entities, you can't do that without annoy your customers, you need to look at over all operating costs and aim for a margin across the two.
The online side should allow you to bring down prices in store.
We don't even sell online anymore, we use it more as a blog to show product and things we like. If you sell online you are just competing with the cheapest out there, with competition such as Amazon you will never compete so why bother trying?
With that book I bet if it was £15 you would have just bought it? Thinking, it is hear now. I know I could order somewhere and get it £5 less but....I'm lazy and want it now.
What's your shop called ?Too many stores look at online and in store as separate entities, you can't do that without annoy your customers, you need to look at over all operating costs and aim for a margin across the two.
The online side should allow you to bring down prices in store.
We don't even sell online anymore, we use it more as a blog to show product and things we like. If you sell online you are just competing with the cheapest out there, with competition such as Amazon you will never compete so why bother trying?
With that book I bet if it was £15 you would have just bought it? Thinking, it is hear now. I know I could order somewhere and get it £5 less but....I'm lazy and want it now.
eldar said:
Fittster said:
Where in Rugby did you go? Town Center of Elliott's field.
Elliott’s field. M&S was packed but not much sign of like in Debenhams (Would you want a Debenhams gift voucher for Christmas)?
Edited by Fittster on Sunday 23 December 11:16
hyphen said:
Halfords on the other hand will happily price match their online once asked 
Y'know, you're right !In fact I started a thread about the very same issue several days ago on GG !
They will also price match anyone apart from Amazon and EBay sellers.
It seems there is much love for Halfords in these parts.
Other retailers should take note.
Edited by Red 4 on Sunday 23 December 12:10
Using a service like Amazon cuts down the cost and agro to get the presents to the kids on time, so for someone like me and my family that got on our bikes for work and scattered around the UK, it can make a big difference.
I've been watching the delivery of some parcels to my nieces and nephews online, and they must be stupidly busy. The delivery van has been within 10 minutes walking distance of their house for about 2 hours now, its going down every single street with multiple stops on each street.
I've been watching the delivery of some parcels to my nieces and nephews online, and they must be stupidly busy. The delivery van has been within 10 minutes walking distance of their house for about 2 hours now, its going down every single street with multiple stops on each street.
This was interesting. BBC Wales country focus on Pembroke high street, part of the save our rural high street series
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p06vzgct/p06vytv3
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p06vzgct/p06vytv3
vikingaero said:
Because if car dealerships were a McDonalds menu ordering board, most of us would click decline on tyre insurance, decline on SupawkyWaxShieldGuard, decline on GAP, decline on servicing plans, decline on extended warranties (and double decline on Warranty Direct ones at the moment).
Salespeeps are there for the manufacturer to suss out how much they can lowball us on Part-exchanges and control discounts on new cars. They are also there because of THE BRAND. It's surprising how much of the British public fall for THE BRAND mentality.
But put simply, it's a low low percentage of us that want to Purple Brick it. The British public overwhelmingly want their hand held and their scrotums tickled. It's almost a form of snobbery to engage and build a relationship with a salesperson rather then a computer transaction.
kyWaxShieldGuard, decline on GAP, decline on servicing plans, decline on extended warranties (and double decline on Warranty Direct ones at the moment).Salespeeps are there for the manufacturer to suss out how much they can lowball us on Part-exchanges and control discounts on new cars. They are also there because of THE BRAND. It's surprising how much of the British public fall for THE BRAND mentality.
But put simply, it's a low low percentage of us that want to Purple Brick it. The British public overwhelmingly want their hand held and their scrotums tickled. It's almost a form of snobbery to engage and build a relationship with a salesperson rather then a computer transaction.
Maybe 10 years ago when people bought cars and traded ones in they own , not now !! people are renting sorry PCPing
and see a car as a monthly bill the only thing that will save it is if interest rates jump or the economy tanks , volume cars are a throwaway item just like a washing machine just stand at the gates of any scrap yard and see perfectly useable cars with minor faults being binned ....
gizlaroc said:
We had a record week this time last year, up over 10% on our best ever previous week, this year we are down but not by much, just under 3%.
I'm more than happy with that as I was expecting a bigger dip simply based on the fact Saturday was the last day for us last year, where as we still have Monday this year and we tend to take a lot of money on Xmas Eve.
Oh, and we have not gone to sale, even though lots of the big stores have. Once again they are panicking.
If I had reduced everything by 25%, would I have sold 25% more items? I doubt it.
But the reality is I need to sell 50% more in real terms, unless I am just trying to improve cash flow and don't care about margin, and as we all know, margin is everything for most retailers.
The problem the big stores have is once one of them goes to sale they all have to or they will do bugger all business.
House Of Fraser and Debenhams went first.....again.
tts.
Yesterday I paid my first visit to the Reading Oracle HoF since Mike Ashley took over. I'm more than happy with that as I was expecting a bigger dip simply based on the fact Saturday was the last day for us last year, where as we still have Monday this year and we tend to take a lot of money on Xmas Eve.
Oh, and we have not gone to sale, even though lots of the big stores have. Once again they are panicking.
If I had reduced everything by 25%, would I have sold 25% more items? I doubt it.
But the reality is I need to sell 50% more in real terms, unless I am just trying to improve cash flow and don't care about margin, and as we all know, margin is everything for most retailers.
The problem the big stores have is once one of them goes to sale they all have to or they will do bugger all business.
House Of Fraser and Debenhams went first.....again.
t
ts. Fully ‘Sports Direct’ in the stock piled (literally) high on the shopfloor, stuff falling out of boxes, untidy, unfolded clothes strewn everywhere and massive discounting going on in some of their premium brands (Ted Baker, Simon Carter suits etc).
It was a mess to be honest, and if I was one of the suppliers I wouldn’t be happy as to how they were presenting my product. It wasn’t particularly busy either.
John Lewis, on the other hand, was pretty rammed.
Interested to see how HoF fares under Ashley - he’s the billionaire not me.
powerstroke said:
vikingaero said:
Because if car dealerships were a McDonalds menu ordering board, most of us would click decline on tyre insurance, decline on SupawkyWaxShieldGuard, decline on GAP, decline on servicing plans, decline on extended warranties (and double decline on Warranty Direct ones at the moment).
Salespeeps are there for the manufacturer to suss out how much they can lowball us on Part-exchanges and control discounts on new cars. They are also there because of THE BRAND. It's surprising how much of the British public fall for THE BRAND mentality.
But put simply, it's a low low percentage of us that want to Purple Brick it. The British public overwhelmingly want their hand held and their scrotums tickled. It's almost a form of snobbery to engage and build a relationship with a salesperson rather then a computer transaction.
kyWaxShieldGuard, decline on GAP, decline on servicing plans, decline on extended warranties (and double decline on Warranty Direct ones at the moment).Salespeeps are there for the manufacturer to suss out how much they can lowball us on Part-exchanges and control discounts on new cars. They are also there because of THE BRAND. It's surprising how much of the British public fall for THE BRAND mentality.
But put simply, it's a low low percentage of us that want to Purple Brick it. The British public overwhelmingly want their hand held and their scrotums tickled. It's almost a form of snobbery to engage and build a relationship with a salesperson rather then a computer transaction.
Maybe 10 years ago when people bought cars and traded ones in they own , not now !! people are renting sorry PCPing
and see a car as a monthly bill the only thing that will save it is if interest rates jump or the economy tanks , volume cars are a throwaway item just like a washing machine just stand at the gates of any scrap yard and see perfectly useable cars with minor faults being binned ....
gizlaroc said:
Lemming Train said:
His business is on his profile. I've just had a nosey around it .
Don't hold it against me!!! Haha .Haha, thanks.
We tend to rely on people being able to park outside.
Our conversion rate is around 65%, which is high, however, as said, we tend to get people coming to see us.
Having parking spaces right outside is far more important that being in the centre of the town as our business would never reply on passing trade.
We tend to rely on people being able to park outside.
Our conversion rate is around 65%, which is high, however, as said, we tend to get people coming to see us.
Having parking spaces right outside is far more important that being in the centre of the town as our business would never reply on passing trade.
gizlaroc said:
Haha, thanks.
We tend to rely on people being able to park outside.
Our conversion rate is around 65%, which is high, however, as said, we tend to get people coming to see us.
Having parking spaces right outside is far more important that being in the centre of the town as our business would never reply on passing trade.
Where is the new business "coming to see us" originating from? Is this all from your website presence as you've said you don't do any online sales?We tend to rely on people being able to park outside.
Our conversion rate is around 65%, which is high, however, as said, we tend to get people coming to see us.
Having parking spaces right outside is far more important that being in the centre of the town as our business would never reply on passing trade.
Feel free to tell me mind my own business but where do you see your business in a year, 5 years and 10 years time with the way High Street retail is eroding away? You seem like a nice bloke with a good business head on you but aside from being the local dealer for Barbour I'm not seeing you offering anything that I can't get from hundreds of other retailers around the country and/or online. What do you offer that would make me get in my car and drive 10, 20+ miles to come to buy from your shop specifically? I'm just interested to know how you think your business can continue to survive in its current form in the future. Is this something you've thought about? Interested to hear your thoughts!
We get most of our business through facebook advertising and we have a large mailing list too.
The website we have now is very new, we did have an online store till very recently.
Where do I see us in 10 years?
In all honesty as long as we are here it doesn't really matter.
In 10 years I will have the mortgage paid and I can then decide what to do.
I reckon that in 10 years time we will probably have converted the upstairs into part of the store as well, with somewhere to eat, and the different rooms up there each carrying some stuff that is different and a bit more exclusive.
Or on the street.
Who knows?
The website we have now is very new, we did have an online store till very recently.
Where do I see us in 10 years?
In all honesty as long as we are here it doesn't really matter.
In 10 years I will have the mortgage paid and I can then decide what to do.
I reckon that in 10 years time we will probably have converted the upstairs into part of the store as well, with somewhere to eat, and the different rooms up there each carrying some stuff that is different and a bit more exclusive.
Or on the street.
Who knows?
gizlaroc said:
We get most of our business through facebook advertising and we have a large mailing list too.
The website we have now is very new, we did have an online store till very recently.
Where do I see us in 10 years?
In all honesty as long as we are here it doesn't really matter.
In 10 years I will have the mortgage paid and I can then decide what to do.
I reckon that in 10 years time we will probably have converted the upstairs into part of the store as well, with somewhere to eat, and the different rooms up there each carrying some stuff that is different and a bit more exclusive.
Or on the street.
Who knows?
Thanks The website we have now is very new, we did have an online store till very recently.
Where do I see us in 10 years?
In all honesty as long as we are here it doesn't really matter.
In 10 years I will have the mortgage paid and I can then decide what to do.
I reckon that in 10 years time we will probably have converted the upstairs into part of the store as well, with somewhere to eat, and the different rooms up there each carrying some stuff that is different and a bit more exclusive.
Or on the street.
Who knows?
. I am surprised at your lack of concern if I'm honest, but I guess if you are already making healthy profits from the (presumably) considerable mark-up on your branded items then you don't have any worries as things stand right now. With the rapidly changing ways that people shop I do wonder for how long your 'High Street only' business model is sustainable though. Of course I fully understand your reasons for not selling online as you've already highlighted in your posts above, but relying on passing trade and people actually travelling to you is a risky strategy and you are limiting your market by the distance people are prepared to travel. I could understand that if you were selling a niche product with very limited competition AND also a product that doesn't lend itself well to being sold online but from what I can see none of those elements apply to your business. I genuinely hope that your local Facebook advertising and your mailing list generates enough business to 'see' you through to your retirement but my arse would be starting to nip a bit if I were in your position.powerstroke said:
Maybe 10 years ago when people bought cars and traded ones in they own , not now !! people are renting sorry PCPing
and see a car as a monthly bill the only thing that will save it is if interest rates jump or the economy tanks , volume cars are a throwaway item just like a washing machine just stand at the gates of any scrap yard and see perfectly useable cars with minor faults being binned ....
completely o/t but i can never understand that attitude from blokes. surely the majority of blokes have an interest in engines and engineering,at least at some point? anyone that has seen an engine in pieces surely has to grasp the sheer effort that goes into producing it. from the raw material production to the design,engineering and manufacture. maybe just me but when i look at something like a crankcase ,crank or valve train it looks like a work of art. i think it is a horrific waste of resources, both human and raw material wise, the ease in which it is discarded these days.and see a car as a monthly bill the only thing that will save it is if interest rates jump or the economy tanks , volume cars are a throwaway item just like a washing machine just stand at the gates of any scrap yard and see perfectly useable cars with minor faults being binned ....
when i was younger i thought by now we would be close to being able to buy a car for life. it would appear the watermelon greenwash brigade has knocked that idea on the head for good. would bet a pound to a penny it could be done where the lifetime carbon footprint would piss all over the current rent,recycle, rent trend as well.
Gassing Station | News, Politics & Economics | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff