[Closed] High Street january dead pool...

Priceless shoes has just gone, Thomas Cook is closing shops, a major electrical retailer is a possible, arcadia group also closing shops,we can only hope most of thre mobile phone shops go, along with all the ones who feed fat people fried burgers and shakes.

There should be quite a bit of space for new entrants, or Tesco metros then.

Sometimes it's not because they're unprofitable though. An independent outdoor stuff shop closed in 'Nam in October and I was talking to the owner during the closing down sale. He was telling me that they were negotiating the rent, and the landlord refused to come down to a sensible level because then the rentable value of the property would be lower than he needed for the bank to continue the commercial loan that it was securing. It was better for the landlord to have an empty premises with a notional rentable value of, say £3000pm, than an occupied premises bringing in £2000pm.

So the guy decided that although the shop was doing okay, the rent being asked was too high, and closed the shop (it was one of a small chain).

Crazy situation, and all too common I'd imagine.

I got me some cheap Oakleys from Blacks at the weekend... very happy indeed.

Everything that can go online will do. That leaves, broadly, cafés and hairdressers.

Empty retail units are going to need a new purpose (commercial or residential) somehow.

I love the outdoors yet I never shop at Millets or Blacks. I once walked into Blacks with my dog and was asked to leave by the Manager. I said 'is this an outdoors shop'? To which he replied 'its a retailer Sir'.

Fine (that branch shut).

On Thomas Cook, crackers. Nowadays lots of sites have arisen and people book flights/hotels seperately/tailor their holidays and have you seen the pricing of Thomas Cook etc holidays if you book in advance! Overpriced tat.

Bad retailers always go bust. Its happened eternally. Both Woolies and Habitat (who I worked for in their head offices went bust for good reason). Years ago when I was there there was a consensus internally that their way of working was barking.

The massive expansion of coffee shops chains should be due for a cull. Ridiculous on the amount thats sprung up.

who I worked for in their head offices went bust for good reason

I've just had an epiphany.

(who I worked for in their head offices went bust for good reason).

Becasue you worked for them...? 😉

**Hi fives TSY!** 😀

I went into Blacks yesterday, they were having a 50% off sale, with an extra 25% off for 1 day only!

Other than rucksacks, they had nothing in a size that would fit 95% of the population 👿

edit: go outdoors will price match -10%.... ummm... going shopping now!

hora - Member
I love the outdoors yet I never shop at Millets or Blacks. I once walked into Blacks with my dog and was asked to leave by the Manager.

the dog was allowed to stay, presumably?

From memory Woolies had 24 promotional periods each year where stock was put on the shelves, taken off and replaced, constantly. Burnt alot of staff out planning those.

Then there was the buyer-led Habitat..best sellers were rebought/cancelled.

the dog was allowed to stay, presumably?

I've just had an epiphany.

I've just had a custard cream. (not a euphemism)

HMV?

HMV will survive. I think he means Comet.

Are you working at Comet then Hora?

I left well before they went bust. Don't attempt stand up comedy, it'd be a short career.

A friend's brother was an assistant manager in a HMV. He saw the way they were heading and left. They'll not be around on the High Street for long, but I think it'll be a tactical withdrawal to the internet, rather than a death.

Every time I go into WHSmiths, it reminds me more and more of what Woolies was like. No real focus to what they're selling and too much stock crammed into too small a space. I'd not be surprised if they went or scaled back.

WHSMiths- Good call. When you see shops with older shop fittings, not been updated for a while you know somethings not right.

Sadly (we've had great service from them) I've seen a few Comet stores with tired carpet etc etc in their stores 🙁

WHSmiths a couple of years back at the height of the first recession were doing pretty well I believe (I went for an interview at their Head Office).

Pretty much had a monopoloy on all airport and rail news outlets. Cramming the shops with crap was part of the strategy at the time and their FD was sure it was working.

I'm sat here working for the administrators at Barratts Priceless Head Office waiting to know our fate ......

It ain't much fun .... I made it through the last admin ... no idea about this time though 🙁

I think there will be a shock retailer fail. One we don't know about (no warnings etc).

Bookshops next, sadly.

As for Blacks, they've been way too expensive for far too long:
I would imagine Decathlon have taken an awful lot of their business.

I think there will be a shock retailer fail.

Fox?

Rockshox?

DT Swiss?

HMV have just cancelled our order from a couple of weeks ago. Brilliant. With service like that they don't deserve to be in business.

We've just ordered the same item from Tesco and it will be available for in-store collection in a couple of days.

One of these companies is a retail Panzer Division and the other is going down the tubes. I wonder why. 🙄

"Best Buy" electrical retailers shuts up shop in January online and stores. Not around that long a joint venture with Carphone Warehouse iirc. Got my sons present from them this year as they were much cheaper than the other usual suspects, then an email stating they are to be no more , shame.

I think there will be a shock retailer fail

Wiggle.......Merlin?

Be interesting to see what happens when amazon sort out their online grocery business.

I can't see any high street product retailer that you can't but online having an easy ride in next few years. Maybe fashion will survive?

I'll chuck my chips on Debenham saying bye bye as the shocker.

was in HMV recently for the first time in a couple of years and was a bit shocked by how little music they had. It was never my favourite music shop but was happy enough to in and have a browse of the music and dvds and would usually purchase something...but what little they had was just a mess and not much better than the shitty, narrow selection you'd get in a large tesco with a music section.

I still go to physical shops for clothes and shoes since fit is so important. Where you can see as much online as you can in a shop I think the shop will struggle.

Wasn't wiggle recently bought/sold?

Some retail analysts believed Sports Direct, which has challenged Blacks in recent months with its[i] discount outdoor brands Karrimor[/i] and Field & Trek
😥

What about one of the chemists/cosmetic stores to go? Lloyds, Boots, Superdrug...

Or an opticians...

Thorntons.

Loads of very high % sales, and a luxury good that is now in quite a crowded market.

Or an opticians...

I imagine, we would see that coming.....

let's hope it's all the greeting card shops

Thortons won't fail.

HMV worries me with their constant sales. I like HMV 🙁 by default they now own Fopps who I really like 🙁

A lot of online bikeshops are offering 15-20% off at the moment but one is naughtily offering 'cheap' prices fraudulently. They recently raised their prices then went into sale. No not merlin,crc or wiggle. Its not a traditional onliner but its bloody rude.

Hora - Is that not quite common? I am sure tesco/comet etc all practise a similar "sale" ploy.

I think as long as you have the price higher for a week, you can then discount it again and splatter sale all over it.

Could we see an end of chemists? Get drugs online, but wait a day for delivery - is that easier or not?

So the point about everything that can go online will is broadly true but all of us sometimes want stuff right now rather than in 24 hours

Look and feel items - clothes (bikes?) also probably have a niche - but how many of us go in take a butchers and then buy it cheaper online?

Back to chemists - do we value advice? If you want a chat happy to do that online ?

Think we will see a mix of retail highstreet and online but probably much less physical retailers than we have now

Who's dead - Game - superfast broadband pay as you go downloads plus online discounts will leave them with very little reason to exist

I'm utterly amazed Blockbusters is still in business.

I personally think CycleSurgery/Snow n Rock are one to watch.

Think its google who are bringing out an app, so yu scan the product instore, and the app tells you where its cheaper on the net.

Shop owners are not happy, as they say they will just be showrooms.

one is naughtily offering 'cheap' prices fraudulently. They recently raised their prices then went into sale. No not merlin,crc or wiggle. Its not a traditional onliner but its bloody rude.

I personally think CycleSurgery/Snow n Rock are one to watch.

I know quite how wrong you are, Hora. 😉

you'll get same day delivery by amazon soon in "selected cities" (read London). They already do it in certain cities in USA, it will come here no doubt about it. Just a matter of time.

Game these days make 30% of biz by the 2nd hand market, so I suppose that's one advantage they currently have. Aint bought a game there in ages mind you, just too easy to pre-order online and have it delivered.

It worries me what will become of our city centres

It worries me what will become of our city centres

Retail's having a torrid time at the moment and not likely to improve in a hurry.

The danger for us, the buying public, is that the more retailers go under the less choice there is in the market and the more power the remaining operators gain.

The end result will be once the choice is gone the control of pricing will pass to a (relatively) small number of larger players who will then be in a much better position to move pricing upwards (should they choose to do so).

It's also bad for those of us with pensions. A lot of pensions have (directly or indirectly) substantial exposure to property markets as well as listed shares (which most of the high street multiples are). Bust retailer could = reduced pension.

but how many of us go in take a butchers and then buy it cheaper online?

My dad is a butcher, growing up there where 6 butchers in town, now there is just one. Supermarkets have completely changed the game. Watch out for Tesco and Asda, if they can sell your product better/cheaper they will.

It worries me what will become of our city centres

Why?

A lot of interdependent relaters just can't afford the rents of Blue Water/Lakeside/The Traffard Center.

Watch out for Tesco and Asda, if they can sell your product better/cheaper they will.

supermarket meat is utter shit, only muppets buy it

It worries me what will become of our city centres

Why?

For a starter for 10....

Because there will be loads of empty shop units, lots of people out of work, no choice for those of us that have still have any money to spend, they'll fall into disrepair and be an eyesore thereby turning off investors from doing anything to rebuild our broken economy, people will cease going into town centres because they're miserable and whatever good businesses are left will suffer as a result, those left in work will have to fund the benefits needs of those who've lost their jobs, our pensions will be worth less leaving more people in old age poverty.

It's not that difficult to see why a broken high-street in a consumer/service based economy is not a good thing!

supermarket meat is utter shit, only muppets buy it

Same with supermarket bikes, but Asda don't seem to have trouble shifting them.

[A lot of [b]interdependent relaters[/b] just can't afford the rents of Blue Water/Lakeside/[b]The Traffard Center[/b]

The one who sold dictionaries also must have closed down

Think its google who are bringing out an app, so yu scan the product instore, and the app tells you where its cheaper on the net.

it's already out there, I have it on my android phone...

what's annoyed me recently is Mary Portas' analysis that's completely missed the issue of rents and the government assistance to out of town planning, however I will give her credit for the nailing the parking issue - it's what the majority of shoppers react to.

although the high street really could rebuild if the rents issue is sorted (not easy I know but if there is a will, a way can be found) but the result would be different,

If we all just bought everything online then the city centre as we know it would implode, we'd lose our cultural heritage and we'd just become gimps within a network of distribution centres.

I understand that a lot of people work hard for their money, but if we all shop hard for a bargain on the internet we'll all end up living in characterless housing estates with less soul than Milton Keynes and our real ale / coffee / fine wine delivered by Ocado / tesco / Asda

edhornby has hit the nail on the head. Also as mentioned earlier about the outdoor shop's rent versus his mortgage. Retail property in high streets - and therefore rents - are massively overvalued. And that pushes up the price of goods to us. It will level out eventually I guess.

Sadly a disproportionate amount are owned by pension funds.

My best guess for new year failures are: Ann Summers (does anyone know anyone that buys from them 😉 ), Homebase- must be on the radar, Staples,....

We've learnt the hard way - buy your Christmas vouchers with a credit card.

We've learnt the hard way - buy your Christmas vouchers with a credit card.

yes why waste youre time with pesky money that can only be spent in every shop in the country..never got gift vouchers,

yes why waste youre time with pesky money that can only be spent in every shop in the country..never got gift vouchers,

Because some folk like being thoughtful, or at least pretending they are aware of your interests rather than not giving a shit and just doling out cash?

Because some folk like being thoughtful, or at least pretending they are aware of your interest rather than not giving a shit?

Then why not buy them a gift? id much rather have the cash, for my last birthday my mum paid my council tax..very nice present.

#Nice Edit BTW.

##Edit 2 - that edit just leaves me dangling.

jumpupanddown- I suspect we wouldnt get along in real life and that your mum is a really lovely woman. You and me just wont get each other at all.

So back to the high street......

#Nice Edit BTW.

##Edit 2 - that edit just leaves me dangling.

just as im super nice ill give you a gift voucher, go to graze and put in 8jz5xy and you can get two free boxes of food.

and you can still have it even though you said

jumpupanddown- I suspect we wouldnt get along in real life and that your mum is a really lovely woman. You and me just wont get each other at all.

jumpupanddown-

you edit your posts after the event so we cant have a discussion online.

In a pub over a beer - it might be otherwise.

I wont retort to insults.

jumpupanddown-

you edit your posts after the event so we cant have a discussion online.

In a pub over a beer - it might be otherwise.

I wont retort to insults.

youre taking the whole gift voucher thing very seriously.

although the high street really could rebuild if the rents issue is sorted (not easy I know but if there is a will, a way can be found) but the result would be different,

I think that rent is often used as an excuse by retailers who are in fact closing down for other reasons. Its easier to say "its the landlords fault" than "we didn't have enough customers"

It is very expensive to have an empty building, rates have to be paid and insurance triples, so it is in a landlords interest to see it occupied.

Rents, incentives and conditions are much more in favour of the retailer now than in the 80's. Only problem is that bricks and mortar shops seem to be becoming obsolete.

It was better for the landlord to have an empty premises with a notional rentable value of, say £3000pm, than an occupied premises bringing in £2000pm.

It was better for the landlord to have an empty premises with a notional rentable value of, say £3000pm, than an occupied premises bringing in £2000pm.

Can someone explain this?

I personally would rather have £24K a year coming in than spend £10K maintaining an empty property.

supermarket meat is utter shit, only muppets buy it

And farm shop meat is overpriced and no better

The lack of parking in towns and cities annoys me. A number of the car parks in the towns near to where i live have been replaced with shops, restaurants etc. You can spend ages searching for a parking space now and when you do find one it can cost up to £10 to park.

The councils thought that by reducing the number of car parking spaces people and telling people how great public transport is they would start to use public transport more.

I have not been to any of the nearby town centres in years. All my shopping is done from the comfort of my own home or at a retail park where parking is free and there are plenty of car parking spaces.

My nearest town is Rotherham and by all accounts there are more empty shops than occupied ones.

supermarket meat is utter shit, only muppets buy it

And farm shop meat is overpriced and no better

stuff you shoot you're self is best, ducks are yummy and so is rabbit 🙂

I always assumed the problem with HMV is that the stuff is not just a bit more expensive than online, but vastly so. I will always spend the extra 10-15% to buy in a high street store, but when you can get music / Blu-rays for less than half the price of HMV it's pointless buying there.

I personally would rather have £24K a year coming in than spend £10K maintaining an empty property.

Might have made sense in the past but now business rates due on empty premises (*slow clap*) it's a weird thing to do.

Blacks are going under because they're not very good. They're no cheaper than the better quality stores like Cotswold but the quality isn't as good and the staff know less. Simple.
High Streets are suffering in part because we, the customer, prefer the convenience and pricing of the supermarkets. Simple. Our choice too and if we don't like it we just have to stop shopping at the supermarket.

And actually there's a more important bigger picture. Most of the growth in UK retail over the last decade came from debt - the companies used debt to open new stores and we used debt to buy more stuff than we needed. All that's happening now is a correction back to something more sustainable and sensible. We're buying less stuff, getting a sense of perspective back about what's important and as a result, retailers will close down.
Personally I think that's good. We lost the plot getting so focussed on buying 'stuff'

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We had a large retail clothing shop up until 2000,and then sold the business.We'd had the business for about 23 years ,did very well,and employed people.
As soon as out of town shopping centres were up and running our Saturday trade was halved.Sunday openings on the run up to Christmas became a waste of time and you could tell the writing was on the wall.
Shops in the area became services,estate agents,building societies,hairdressers and sandwich shops.
The business rates were an absolute killer.Why were we paying the same square footage for a village as a unit in a shopping centre.
Government policy on shopping centres and local councils total disregard for small businesses completely changed our high street.
I don't see a way back as the retail giants have overwhelming power,and have only to mention job creation to get planning permission.
Our shop is now a pharmacy and i do miss dealing with customers and genuinely helping them ,but i think we got out at the right time.

Game/Gamestation are currently on very dodgy ground. After they (Game) bought GS from Blockbuster, they quickly forced the company to move away from the traditional GS ethos (which made money/profit else why buy them?) and basically tried to make them clones of the Game stores. Anyone who was a regular in either knows that they had completely different customer types, this has driven the typical GS customer (hardcore gamers) into buying online etc. The Game stores themselves are really struggling due to low demand on a product with tiny margins and a look into their financial stability reveals a sorry state.

GS always made huge margin on the trade in side of the business, once they no longer championed this customers deserted in droves to CEX etc.

If i had to put money on it Dead Pool style it would be on them, either going under or being taken over.

Will be interesting to see whether the very recent report to the Government by Mary Portas will have any effect.

Nobody wants the traditional High Street to disappear but this is the 21st century and it obviously isn't serving our needs.

One thing that puzzles me is with the boom in internet shopping are people getting their parcels delivered to their workplace? Actually, it could get worse with this new warehouse locker scheme that Amazon has been trialling in London.

I did wonder today where it's all going to end, finished off my present buying this morning and headed in at 9 with intention of being out by 10 when i thought it would get busy. All the shops are in mega price wars, I had in mind I'd probably have to spend £120 odd to get everything. Spent about £60 in the end, got everything and more, 4 shops had 50% off and were still empty. I had a list of 30, yes, 30 books that my sis in law wants for Christmas for us to chose from. Lots of reasonably mainstream I think ie architecture, make up/art stuff. Water stones didn't have any so I came home and got some from amazon. Can see waterstones being next tbf, I haven't managed to find one decent book in there for over 18 months and it's dead expensive.

Left at 11:30 and town was still dead, really sad

Went to town about 11 ish and we got parked!! walked round half emtpy shops like Em82.

sales everywhere

As above therre are to many charity shops , bookies and overpriced coffe cafes,and building societies.

Visit frodsham st in chester, or Brook street, or northgate st and see them all, theyre breeding fast.

Can see waterstones being next tbf

This. They used to be good (pre-HMV take over days) now they are crap.

The writing is on the wall for book and cd shops. The problem is that amazon is way cheaper and has masses more stock.

Which is a shame as I grew up with (if not in!) independent music shops.

emma/emsz - sounds as though the shops were like a normal Saturday then!

Didn't I read somewhere that Amazon staff walk around 4 miles a day in that huge warehouse? 😯

This. They used to be good (pre-HMV take over days) now they are crap.

How have they changed though? It could be my poor memory, but I can't think of anything that is different.

But, I agree the end is nigh, or at least there will be a significant contraction and closure of a lot of stores next year.