2020 Retailers in trouble thread

[BrabusMog]

Paddymcc said:

Calender club

Visited my local shopping centre last night for the first time in months to see that a calender club shop had opened.

Who buys calenders year round? Who even buys enough novelty calenders anyway?

Surely the took a Nov-end of Jan lease for an empty unit like Menkind etc do do flog stuff in the run up to Xmas that would struggle during the rest of the year?

[king arthur]

I went into a 5 Guys for the first time, in Watford on the Saturday before Christmas. It wasn't busy at all. Paid over £15 for a simple burger, fries and milkshake. I liked the concept but the food didn't strike me as anything special and certainly not at that price. I won't be going back.

I think these higher priced fast food chains need to understand the market in this country - burgers and fries tends to be eaten at the value end of the market and those of us who want to pay more for our convenience food are just not massively into burgers.

[David87]

I really like Five Guys and would always go there over a McDonald’s (which I don’t mind, but happy to pay the extra for something better). Only ever had a Shake Shack meal in the US, but agree that it was very nice. Have only had Byron a few times, but each has been good.

Favourite out of everything is without a doubt In-N-Out, as it’s delicious and genuinely not much more expensive than the cheaper options. Just a bit of a shame the closest one is quite far away.

Had never been to a Wagamama before until a couple of weeks back and I can see why they’re seemingly doing well. Quick service, a good setting, loads of healthy, tasty options and a great range of vegetarian stuff too. Will certainly go back.

[anonymous-user]

List of Debenhams store closures
The Guardian reports that the following locations are set to close later this month.
Altrincham, Greater Manchester – January 11
Birmingham The Fort – January 11
Kirkcaldy, Fife – January 11
Walton-on-Thames, Surrey – January 11
Wandsworth, London – January 11
Wolverhampton – January 11
Chatham, Kent – January 15
Great Yarmouth, Norfolk – January 15
Slough, Berkshire – January 15
Stockton-on-Tees, Co Durham – January 15
Welwyn, Herfordshire – January 15
Witney, Oxfordshire – January 15
Ashford, Kent – January 19
Canterbury, Kent – January 19
Eastbourne, East Sussex – January 19
Folkestone, Kent – January 19
Southport, Merseyside – January 19
Southsea, Portsmouth – January 19
Wimbledon, London – January 19

[lampchair]

Not a surprise.

They sell crap and haven’t discovered merchandising yet.

[Robertj21a]

techiedave said:

List of Debenhams store closures
The Guardian reports that the following locations are set to close later this month.
Altrincham, Greater Manchester – January 11
Birmingham The Fort – January 11
Kirkcaldy, Fife – January 11
Walton-on-Thames, Surrey – January 11
Wandsworth, London – January 11
Wolverhampton – January 11
Chatham, Kent – January 15
Great Yarmouth, Norfolk – January 15
Slough, Berkshire – January 15
Stockton-on-Tees, Co Durham – January 15
Welwyn, Herfordshire – January 15
Witney, Oxfordshire – January 15
Ashford, Kent – January 19
Canterbury, Kent – January 19
Eastbourne, East Sussex – January 19
Folkestone, Kent – January 19
Southport, Merseyside – January 19
Southsea, Portsmouth – January 19
Wimbledon, London – January 19

I could suggest a few more.

[anonymous-user]

David87 said:

I really like Five Guys and would always go there over a McDonald’s (which I don’t mind, but happy to pay the extra for something better). Only ever had a Shake Shack meal in the US, but agree that it was very nice. Have only had Byron a few times, but each has been good.

Favourite out of everything is without a doubt In-N-Out, as it’s delicious and genuinely not much more expensive than the cheaper options. Just a bit of a shame the closest one is quite far away.

Had never been to a Wagamama before until a couple of weeks back and I can see why they’re seemingly doing well. Quick service, a good setting, loads of healthy, tasty options and a great range of vegetarian stuff too. Will certainly go back.

The irony is that Wagamama is probably in a more precarious medium term financial position than Five Guys.

Despite its apparent incongruity in the UK market it is a huge global success and has become a $1bn dollar plus business in a remarkably short period of time. Unit by unit exposure is increasingly towards franchisees rather than than the corporate mothership. It may well retrench / slow down expansion in the UK but it isn’t going pop. Will be interesting to see the effect Wendy’s has if its mooted UK return to the UK comes to pass.

Wagamamas by contrast was an opportunistic PE sell to a significantly struggling listed operator ( The Restaurant Group) looking to distract from mounting problems in its (dreadful) core estate most obviously Frankie & Benny’s Chiquito, and Garfunkel’s.

Edited by anonymous-user on Saturday 4th January 14:10

[anonymous-user]

Here is a close one to call: Who sold better? Cinven selling pizzaexpress or duke street selling wagamama...

[jakesmith]

SydneyBridge said:

lampchair said:

Not looking too bright for your local highstreet vultures BrightHouse.

Shame.

BrightHouse falls to £16m loss in latest quarter

Good. The high street does not need companies like that

Where do poor people with poor credit go to buy a telly then?

[anonymous-user]

jakesmith said:

SydneyBridge said:

lampchair said:

Not looking too bright for your local highstreet vultures BrightHouse.

Shame.

BrightHouse falls to £16m loss in latest quarter

Good. The high street does not need companies like that

Where do poor people with poor credit go to buy a telly then?

This is PH

Poor people either don’t exist or should not be encouraged

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

I wonder if the Post Office have a contingency plan re WH Smith's? They've moved the major town/city centre post offices into Smith's in many places. Could be a right royal ricket when WHS eventually close up shop.

[anonymous-user]

2 sMoKiN bArReLs said:

I wonder if the Post Office have a contingency plan re WH Smith's? They've moved the major town/city centre post offices into Smith's in many places. Could be a right royal ricket when WHS eventually close up shop.

Honestly doubt it

There will be a queue of operators lining up more than happy to absorb that opportunity should it ever arise not least of all the grocers all of whom have gone long on convenience formats.

[anonymous-user]

jakesmith said:

SydneyBridge said:

lampchair said:

Not looking too bright for your local highstreet vultures BrightHouse.

Shame.

BrightHouse falls to £16m loss in latest quarter

Good. The high street does not need companies like that

Where do poor people with poor credit go to buy a telly then?

Cash Converters

[lampchair]

jakesmith said:

SydneyBridge said:

lampchair said:

Not looking too bright for your local highstreet vultures BrightHouse.

Shame.

BrightHouse falls to £16m loss in latest quarter

Good. The high street does not need companies like that

Where do poor people with poor credit go to buy a telly then?

Maybe somewhere that isn’t being (quite rightly) bent over by the FCA for iffy business.

[Robertj21a]

jakesmith said:

SydneyBridge said:

lampchair said:

Not looking too bright for your local highstreet vultures BrightHouse.

Shame.

BrightHouse falls to £16m loss in latest quarter

Good. The high street does not need companies like that

Where do poor people with poor credit go to buy a telly then?

Saving up until they have enough will also save a lot of money otherwise wasted on intetest.

[anonymous-user]

jakesmith said:

Where do poor people with poor credit go to buy a telly then?

Second hand or scrape together a £130 to buy a Bush 32 incher from Argos.

Avoid the Bright House sharks at all costs.

( and I say that as a poor person with poor credit myself)

[Gecko1978]

Comstock said:

jakesmith said:

Where do poor people with poor credit go to buy a telly then?

Second hand or scrape together a £130 to buy a Bush 32 incher from Argos.

Avoid the Bright House sharks at all costs.

( and I say that as a poor person with poor credit myself)

Basically this - whebn I left uni WIde Screen TV's had just become affordable (no flat screens then out side of harrods etc) Safeway (now morrisons) had some £195 limited stock were by far cheapest on the market - that is what we got paid in cash had to go aat mid night to pick it up.

If it was more we could not have afforded it an we were not going to get credit for a TV

So save up an buy it when you can

[king arthur]

jakesmith said:

SydneyBridge said:

lampchair said:

Not looking too bright for your local highstreet vultures BrightHouse.

Shame.

BrightHouse falls to £16m loss in latest quarter

Good. The high street does not need companies like that

Where do poor people with poor credit go to buy a telly then?

Do what we used to do when we couldn't afford things. Go without.

[cuprabob]

Paddymcc said:

Calender club

Visited my local shopping centre last night for the first time in months to see that a calender club shop had opened.

Who buys calenders year round? Who even buys enough novelty calenders anyway?

Around here, Calendar Club just appear between Nov and Jan either occupying a vacant shop in the high street or a pop up in the shopping centre.

[joshcowin]

king arthur said:

Do what we used to do when we couldn't afford things. Go without.

I agree, I've never bought a tv, I have been given people's old ones!

I have no idea what my credit score is btw