2020 Retailers in trouble thread

[soxboy]

stu67 said:

Not surprised that the high street is screwed if my trip out Saturday is anything to go by.

Only went out Saturday to buy a new pair of motorcycle boots at the local bike clothing store. Grabbed at front door after having to ring bell to get in, put on face mask, sanitise hands, lead upstairs to be told that the boots that they said were in stock weren't actually in stock and would take 2 weeks to get in although they have similar? all explained in a conversation through steamed up glasses and facemasks.

Went home, ordered on line the ones I wanted, arrived the next day £15 cheaper. Won't be repeating any shopping trips until it has all gone away, all terribly depressing and I feel for these smaller stores but I can't see them surviving without a competitive on line portal.

Other than the face mask and sanitiser that's no different to a pre-Covid situation and one that has been happening to independents for years.

Yes the High Street is in the mire, but be aware that the middle aged bores of PH are not the best barometer of the health of an activity which many on here would do their best to actively avoid if possible.

Shopping is viewed as a pastime by many (vast majority female), a leisure activity which involves browsing, having a coffee, more browsing, buying a bit here, a bit there, more coffee, perhaps a nice bit of cake, more browsing, back to that first one you saw etc etc etc.

[PF62]

stu67 said:

to be told that the boots that they said were in stock weren't actually in stock and would take 2 weeks to get in although they have similar?

So nothing to do with COVID-19 but is just the usual crap service you get from bricks & mortar retailers which is why they are facing extinction.

[Crippo]

joshcowin said:

jammy-git said:

Crippo said:

Footfall was down 56% on Super Saturday.
I’m not surprised, shopping is an experience and when the experience is queuing to get into every shop, then not allowed to try clothes on, not being able to sit down for a coffee, served by the Mujahudeen in face masks and generally bossed about by store Staff, one might think, never again!

I think a lot of people are showing themselves to be drama queens.

Completely, shopping is fine, yes its different but if you actually consider the workers and other shoppers it all makes sense and is easy to stick to!

That’s not the point. The point is these businesses won’t hit break even. They will lose money being open and they will lose money by closing. Not enough people will go shopping. That is proven in the footfall figures. These are Zombie business and a lot of our economy which is so heavily based on service and the consumer may be in danger of going the same way.

[Carrot]

PF62 said:

So nothing to do with COVID-19 but is just the usual crap service you get from bricks & mortar retailers which is why they are facing extinction.

[joshcowin]

Crippo said:

That’s not the point. The point is these businesses won’t hit break even. They will lose money being open and they will lose money by closing. Not enough people will go shopping. That is proven in the footfall figures. These are Zombie business and a lot of our economy which is so heavily based on service and the consumer may be in danger of going the same way.

I think shopping patterns have changed, I only go shopping when I have an item or items to buy, not just looking around aimless!

So yes footfall may be down however that doesn't mean spend will be down the same amount!

[Jamescrs]

stu67 said:

Not surprised that the high street is screwed if my trip out Saturday is anything to go by.

Only went out Saturday to buy a new pair of motorcycle boots at the local bike clothing store. Grabbed at front door after having to ring bell to get in, put on face mask, sanitise hands, lead upstairs to be told that the boots that they said were in stock weren't actually in stock and would take 2 weeks to get in although they have similar? all explained in a conversation through steamed up glasses and facemasks.

Went home, ordered on line the ones I wanted, arrived the next day £15 cheaper. Won't be repeating any shopping trips until it has all gone away, all terribly depressing and I feel for these smaller stores but I can't see them surviving without a competitive on line portal.

Your shopping trip experience is the whole reason I have visited my local city centre once for shopping since the whole pandemic started and have no plans to repeat the experience going forward. I realised I'm now at that point in my life where I do the middle aged male thing (am I middle aged at 39?) of standing outside shops waiting while the wife and two daughters go in and do whatever they have to do. I'm hoping to quickly progress to the even better position of staying at home alone while they go out alone and do whatever they need to do.

[jammy-git]

Welshbeef said:

If this shopping style continues then late Autumn Winter and early spring will be horrific. Standing in a queue getting saturated possibly with bags of shopping from a previous store isn’t fun.

I think this Winter is going to be an absolute stshow. Furlough tapering off and coming to an end leading to more redundancies. Businesses that have soldiered on for a few months will finally give up the ghost. Probably a spike in seasonal flu leading to more problems along with a resurgence of Covid. All in all, it points to a very, very bleak Christmas for retail businesses and consumers.

Then we have hard Brexit in January.

Welshbeef said:

Those moving out of the city to say Kent - problem is who are you selling your current pad to?

All the people I know who have moved were either renting or in house-shares. Like anyone on normal wages could afford a high six-figure or low seven-figure mortgage!!

[Welshbeef]

jammy-git said:

Welshbeef said:

If this shopping style continues then late Autumn Winter and early spring will be horrific. Standing in a queue getting saturated possibly with bags of shopping from a previous store isn’t fun.

I think this Winter is going to be an absolute stshow. Furlough tapering off and coming to an end leading to more redundancies. Businesses that have soldiered on for a few months will finally give up the ghost. Probably a spike in seasonal flu leading to more problems along with a resurgence of Covid. All in all, it points to a very, very bleak Christmas for retail businesses and consumers.

Then we have hard Brexit in January.

Welshbeef said:

Those moving out of the city to say Kent - problem is who are you selling your current pad to?

All the people I know who have moved were either renting or in house-shares. Like anyone on normal wages could afford a high six-figure or low seven-figure mortgage!!

I’ve a couple of Friends who would at Airbus in broughton I feel so sorry for them (& the countless others). They live more West Wales so a fair old commute to get there. If they do lose their jobs there are none where they live so they will have to look much further east say Birmingham Liverpool etc. Massive commutes but even then that’s IF there are jobs.

Airbus is massive in North Wales a good paying employer in an area with frankly only public sector and Tourism/extreme outdoor sports.

I did ask them before that situation was announced if they had booked any overseas holidays both replied no way would we fly currently and not for some time/until it’s safe. Cannot blame them or anyone for that position.

[bad company]

Mrs BC and I have ventured out shopping for the first time today. We’re at Westfield in Stratford, London.

What a bloody miserable experience it is. We started off following signs to an open car park only to find it closed, many shops still closed, most not allowing trying on or touching merchandise. Worst of all nowhere in the centre open for lunch. Take away only but they’ve blocked off most of the seats so standing only.

We’re stopped for lunch now in a nearby hotel.

No wonder people shop online.

[snuffy]

bad company said:

Mrs BC and I have ventured out shopping for the first time today. We’re at Westfield in Stratford, London.

What a bloody miserable experience it is. We started off following signs to an open car park only to find it closed, many shops still closed, most not allowing trying on or touching merchandise. Worst of all nowhere in the centre open for lunch. Take away only but they’ve blocked off most of the seats so standing only.

We’re stopped for lunch now in a nearby hotel.

No wonder people shop online.

I've stayed in the Holiday Inn in the shopping centre. Quite odd really, especially leaving for work in the morning via a shopping centre !

[eldar]

I had to go to my bank branch today, for the first time in months. Not only a huge queue of elderly people wanting to cash a cheque for £30, because cash machines will give you Covid, but the only people Shopping were again elderly, mostly in mobility scooters.

Very strange experience.

[survivalist]

fiatpower said:

Frimley111R said:

It's a guess but I doubt many would want to work 5 days from the office if they do not have to. For most, going in 2-3 days and WFH gives them the best of both worlds.

That would be ideal for me. I work in a job where I have to be onsite but i'm tempted to find something different so I can work from home with a day or 2 in the office.

That's pretty much what I did before lockdown (well, technically before as our company requested that we only travel to offices/meetings if it was business critical). It enables a good work life balance.

[survivalist]

eldar said:

I had to go to my bank branch today, for the first time in months. Not only a huge queue of elderly people wanting to cash a cheque for £30, because cash machines will give you Covid, but the only people Shopping were again elderly, mostly in mobility scooters.

Very strange experience.

Possibly because everyone else is using online banking. Can't remember the last time I went into a branch.

[steveo3002]

eldar said:

I had to go to my bank branch today, for the first time in months. Not only a huge queue of elderly people wanting to cash a cheque for £30, because cash machines will give you Covid, but the only people Shopping were again elderly, mostly in mobility scooters.

Very strange experience.

older people dont like computers /internet banking /internet shopping etc

[jammy-git]

Welshbeef said:

I’ve a couple of Friends who would at Airbus in broughton I feel so sorry for them (& the countless others). They live more West Wales so a fair old commute to get there. If they do lose their jobs there are none where they live so they will have to look much further east say Birmingham Liverpool etc. Massive commutes but even then that’s IF there are jobs.

Airbus is massive in North Wales a good paying employer in an area with frankly only public sector and Tourism/extreme outdoor sports.

I did ask them before that situation was announced if they had booked any overseas holidays both replied no way would we fly currently and not for some time/until it’s safe. Cannot blame them or anyone for that position.

Are they not in positions where they could look for remote work?

[bad company]

survivalist said:

Possibly because everyone else is using online banking. Can't remember the last time I went into a branch.

I’m the same but had to withdraw a large sum a few weeks ago so needed to go to the branch. I wasn’t impressed to have to explain how much I wanted and for what reason while still in the street. They had ‘clipboard Suzie’ blocking the door.

[Welshbeef]

jammy-git said:

Are they not in positions where they could look for remote work?

They are Engineers.

I suspect most of the 2k jobs going will mainly be operational staff too. All those people looking for work in those areas where salaries are aside from Airbus the lowest in the U.K.

Utterly depressing - I hope they are safe.

[snuffy]

bad company said:

survivalist said:

Possibly because everyone else is using online banking. Can't remember the last time I went into a branch.

I’m the same but had to withdraw a large sum a few weeks ago so needed to go to the branch. I wasn’t impressed to have to explain how much I wanted and for what reason while still in the street. They had ‘clipboard Suzie’ blocking the door.

Tell the nosey fker it's for a headstone - that should shut them up.

[Gecko1978]

jammy-git said:

I imagine there is a broad spectrum of people - I'd say probably 40-50% of people will want to go back to their pre-lockdown life. They enjoy the social aspects of office work and like you, enjoy the odd discretionary spend here and there, and if you have the disposable income, why not?! I'd say another 20-30% will want a bit of both, part time working from the office to get the above enjoyment and a couple of days WFH to save a bit of money and enjoy a slightly better work/life balance. Then the remainder will have decided to completely change their lifestyle. I personally know of several people that have, or are in the process of, moving to Kent coastal towns and out of the city because they can either WFH full time now or have been made redundant and want to enjoy a slightly slower pace of life.

Either way, I'd say there is a significant proportion of people that will no longer be commuting into big town and cities and working from an office 5+ days a week any more.

Basically ^this. If you loose 20% of your customers you dont loose 20% of your profit you go out of business the volumes an margins are just not there. An if as you say 50% continue to do some WFH then this is it for shops that rely on weekday workers trade. It will also kill transport forlondon which is not a bad thing.

[Welshbeef]

Gecko1978 said:

Basically ^this. If you loose 20% of your customers you dont loose 20% of your profit you go out of business the volumes an margins are just not there. An if as you say 50% continue to do some WFH then this is it for shops that rely on weekday workers trade. It will also kill transport forlondon which is not a bad thing.

As you say 20% could kill so many businesses and really that only needs those who can WFH to only WFH 4 days a week less than that it gets harder and harder and harder.


I wonder if now is seriously the time for genuine consideration of Universal income.