I would love to be able to get all my stuff locally produced, have fresh bread by someone who is a skilled baker or meat from a good farm and a skilled butcher and my veg from a green grocer.
I think there's an opening for a local supermarket. A one-stop-shop selling produce from local butchers, bakers and greengrocers but all under one roof. With home delivery and online shopping too.
I think there's an opening for a local supermarket. A one-stop-shop selling produce from local butchers, bakers and greengrocers but all under one roof.
[url= http://www.booths.co.uk/ ]A bit like this[/url]
Soon available darn saaaaaaaarf apparently. Or south-er anyway
Booths is still very supermarket-y. I mean a shop selling meat from that butcher and bread from that baker. Basically, just replicating local shops but with longer opening hours.
I still don't get why shops close at 5pm on a weekday.
As miketually says, most people work in the day so have to get things in the evening. If Tesco is open and the local bakers isn't guess where I go. There are even some stores that close at lunch time which is just plain stupid.
It's something that infuriates me with LBS's as well. I need some chain lube before I go for my next ride tomorrow night. I don't have an LBS within walking distance of the office. I do however have one near to my house which will not be open at 7:30pm tonight. Halford is open though. I'll let you work out the rest...
Surely though it is not all doom and gloom, there are some retailers doing well
Thats a very valid point, good retailers are doing well. Maybe we are more descerning consumers during a recesion.
Maybe we are more discerning consumers during a recession.
We are indeedy. This place is booming:
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as is:
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[i]I still don't get why shops close at 5pm on a weekday[/i]
Thing is, I was in Germany a bit over the summer. Shops there all close at 5-ish and, get this, they are all closed on a Sunday! I mean, can you imagine? Plus, loads of people knock off at lunchtime on a Friday.
And they all still manage to buy everything that they need to and indeed have the strongest economy in Europe (if not the world).
How do they do it? Answers on a postcard please...
Binners, you are correct yet I still agree with itnava.
When times are heard we will either buy cheap (Primark, Matalan) or buy premium to treat ourselves (M&S, John Lewis) and/or feel like we are getting a nicer shopping experience. What we won't do is buy Ok stuff at near to premium prices.
I still don't get why shops close at 5pm on a weekday.
Partly because they could be self-sustaining on those hours. Partly because communities weren't so fragmented, and there was a period when women didn't work as much. Partly because that was the expectation. Partly because customers didn't *need* something that night.
Napolean famously described us as a nation of shopkeepers. And he'd be right. We like to have a little shop selling us little things.
Then, when we weren't all looking, some people got so good at that we found ourselves with big shops selling us lots of stuff and we thought we had "choice".
How wrong we were.
IHN, that is Germany, in the UK we have a culture of working long hours and not taking lunch. We also have a pile of out of town stores that are open all hours. If the High Street wants to compete they need to look at why people go else where and I am sure opening hours are one of those.
I agree with you lunge. It seems to be either end of the spectrum doing well.
I'd be interested to see how Tesco's and Sainsbury's "Best/Taste the Difference" ranges are selling nowadays? Their sales must have nose-dived
Thing is, I was in Germany a bit over the summer. Shops there all close at 5-ish and, get this, they are all closed on a Sunday!
German is an odd one because, unlike Britain, the consumers don't actually consume that much.
All the talk of the German economy is because it's parsimonious public don't spend, and so its manufacturers are forced to export.
Brits like to spend, but are apparently less choosy.
EDIT:
If the High Street wants to compete they need to look at why people go else where and I am sure opening hours are one of those.
It's slightly wrong end of the telescope, as we need to recall the reasons for late night opening - largely because of the planning concessions granted to enable these places to be built to begin with (opening hours being one of them).
Surely there are enough people on this thread to remember the political and local battles over Sunday opening hours? Many of the naysayers have been proved right.
So, leaving aside how we got here, we need to decide where to go next: we could ask the high street to behave like a large out of town retailer, but unless everyone on a high street can offer everything we value in a shopping centre/retail park and still run a business, how will that get better?
I fear that, as a nation, we have got exactly what we deserve.
Binners, that range is doing well apparently. Same principle as the shops in general, we are either buying the value range or the premium range, just not the standard middle of the road products.
Aaaaaah. All becomes clear. I did see that the biggest increase in sales in supermarkets is branded products that are on offer
[i]IHN, that is Germany, in the UK we have a culture of working long hours and not taking lunch[/i]
That's kind of my point. They don't have that culture, yet they have a much stronger economy than ours and the time to enjoy the fruits of their labour.
And because we work such ridiculous hours, we feel that other time must be kept to a minimum, so we want all our stuff in one out-of-town place so we have time to get it on a Sunday, because that's the only day free to do it, but that means that a lot of people actually work Sunday too to man those places, so they want late openings so they can get their stuff, etc etc...
I liked Germany.
[i]I'd be interested to see how Tesco's and Sainsbury's "Best/Taste the Difference" ranges are selling nowadays? Their sales must have nose-dived [/i]
I bet they're doing okay, especially the 'Two Courses for a Tenner' type stuff. I know I've had a few of those with the little lady instead of going out for a meal.
I still don't get why shops close at 5pm on a weekday
This.
My wife's from Brazil. After 2 years in the UK she still can't understand why the majority of businesses don't open until 9 & are closed by 5/5:30. She thinks the British are just lazy 🙂 ... in Brazil, stuff generally opens 7:7:30 and stays open 'til late evening.
Perhaps UK businesses need to re-think things like opening hours to encourage custome (although they'll never be as convenient as sitting on your sofa clicking a mouse).
The other thing my wife has noticed is the general level of customer service in the UK - i.e. pretty poor overall.
Businesses here generally seem to want to get away with the bare minimum, almost like we should feel privileged enough just to be consdered a customer.
E.g. the greetings card shop we used a few months back: nobody else in the shop, assistant sat behind the counter doing ab-so-lut-ely nothing, we bought some wrapping paper & my wife asks the ASSistant if she can wrap the present - "sorry we don't do wrapping" 🙄 .. well, thanks for your help ... they closed down shortly after. not at all surprised. blimmin useless.
I've been shopping in Brazil where places have re-opened their doors if they spot you arriving after 'closing time', and people actually seem to want to help rather than making you feel like you're inconveniencing them by daring to use their shop ...
The Value and Premium thing is something I have found myself doing. I now do my main shop in Aldi for about 60% of the cost if I were to do it in Sainsbury's/Tesco. This means I have a bit spare in the pot for a nice bottle of wine and some good meat rather than supermarket stuff.
Booths is great, especially the beer selection, wish they would open one in Shrewsbury, nearest is Knutsford.
She thinks the British are just lazy
I think she's right. Although we'll instantly start bleating about how much time we have to spend at work (not where I am - place is deserted by 5.05).
Or, as my father in law (a Sunderland-er - similar to Sao Paolo..) would put it: self-entitlement.
And I think he's right too.
Support your local shop. Busy villages are good for your house price.
Anyone who loves supermarkets are welcome to go to my local Tesco and say how much you enjoy the experience. Inbred chavs stocking up on crisps and swearing at each other while they do it.
That's after they have had a bust up in the carpark as they couldn't park right next to the door and have had to walk 30 yards.
Soon the big boys will own everything and YOU will work there for minimum wage. Sure their stuff may be cheap but just how do you think you can buy a pair of jeans for £4.
Pay more keep your right to have a choice.
She thinks the British are just lazy
I think she's right.
I agree.
I include myself in that too. The British approach to the working day is "what's the least that I can get away with before I can go home?". The Germans' seems to be "what can we get done in the time?"
lol @ hora
I saw a broken light fitting in Tesco. 100% guarenteed they'll be bust tomorrow.
good for your house price.
TBH looking at news feeds the top 3 for the crunch next year if not sooner are:
HMV - Game - Comet
All 3 have heavy losses and have made poor business decisions and have not moved with the times, although HMV Online has made some profit, HMV or whatever the top company is called for them is considering selling off the Online business as its the most profitable of the company.
Game went under before between the after the original PS and N64 era died and we have a lull between consoles this killed Game off in the UK, current age of digital download will eventually see these 2 dinosaurs off the highstreet.
As for the british being lazy, i don't think its that its more we want to spend time with family and friends, i work in retail and its not easy, we have to work to high targets and put in 12 hrs a day but only paid for 7.5, i know time management and all that, but its tough it really is, we have waste targets, availability, sales etc, try doing that in an ethnic built up area and we have a supermarket in the middle, i can't remember the last time work was as tough as it is now.
I do think we are open too much, the store i work in only shuts for 18hrs a week the rest of the week its open, thats only due to sunday trading law. Its crap and thats the only word for it, someone should have the balls to go actually we are going to shut all shops over 3,000 sq ft on a sunday, give these sunday workers time at home.
My dad has a theory that the online shopping will kill of the high street, there'll be a crap couple of years and then small, local shops will start to reappear in town centres. I hope he's right.
Anotherdeadhero try a better analogy. Visit some comet stores and sadly the carpet etc abit tired.
Remember hmv used to have listening stations so you could listen/try before buying. Removed them so your in there, notice a CD...would you take the risk or would you go home, listen samples online then click order?
How many of us have bought a 12quid CD and thought 'this is shit'? You tend to get stung only once...
So did the likes of hmv help condition buyers out of their stores? Those that grazed, increasing valuable footfall?
Plus why should I pay circa 4quid for a brief parking window in central Manchester 8-8 7days a week. Bye!
I've bought a couple of times from amazon but do they pay UK taxes? I stopped shopping with moonpig and play.com for this reason.
La Senza look to have gone tits-up first!
[url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-16322404 ]La Senza[/url]
Hawkins bazaar...
who?
Hawkins Bizar sells novelty toys to fools and kids,
A big jeans company has gone bust as well,
Yep, am expecting Mrs S to have a short term rush of buying some more of their cheap sh1te, then that'll fade into oblivion!
Can we work on candle makers and places like Lush next? 8)
Small local shops - opening hours and working patterns. This.
When I was a lad, mum stayed at home. And shopped locally. The local bakers was really good, and the bread was really nice.
Fast forward a few years, and I find myself back living in town. A few local shops survive (a pale shadow of what I remember from childhood though). One survivor is the local bakers.
While first and then second child were still little(r) we were regularly treated to the locally made, and really quite yummy, bread from said bakery.
Kids are now a little bigger. Mrs edlong is now at work most of the week. The bread now comes from Sainsburys, because they are open when we are available to buy bread, and the local shop isn't. Bummer.
My two penneth worth on this topic.
I really dont like shopping anyway so on line is very easy when you know you need. I assume it is cheaper but I don't really compare with the high street as I try not to venture to them.
The long term problem could be that a lot (possibly the majority) of the large shopping centres are owned by pension funds. So fast forward ten years and the Trafford centre is empty of retailers. Do you just go there for the cinema shoes and coffee? Unlikely and that won't support the place so that investment risk hasn't paid off so the fund takes a hit felt by the private pension holders, me n thee. Gloomy times indeed.
On the flip side, it was packed near work in birstall this week with the cinema, various chain restaurants and a few big retailers. I expect it will quieten off by the end of jan tho.
The trend towards the out-of-town retail parks (all controlled by one of the big supermarkets) is the main issue for me. I'd actually like to shop in a proper butchers but I'm not driving 5 miles to one when I'm doing the rest of my shopping in the local Tesco retail park - and ofc Tesco won't allow a butcher's there even if one wanted to set up.
I'd second Game failing soon to, not that I'll lose any sleep over it as the staff I've come across are pretty useless and arrogant. I'd guess a big name jewellers can't be far off failing either. Although I noticed a new shop opened up for those Pandora things, how can enough people afford that stuff to warrant a dedicated shop?
crappy mouse button :p
I prefer online shopping for most of my consumerism, i really don't want to pay £4-£6 to park the car (couldn't leave my bike it'd get nicked) and then be ignored or spoken to rudely by a shop assistant on minimum wage who doesn't give a crap.
I use supermarkets but i'm fortunate enought to live in a smallish village with good thriving shops such and have a good butchers, green grocers and deli and also farms selling eggs and other bits.
I have the best of both worlds really, and i don't see me missing many of the high street retailers that are going under, most of the ones that are going under are going under for a reason, i.e. they're crap.
did all our christmass shopping ( 2 adults 2 kids full complement of grand parents aunts uncles etc) online with the exception of food and mrs tts fav perfume.. why would i PAY to drive into Rochdale. PAY to park the car in a carpark ( derelict former mill) negotiate the abandoned highstreet avoiding the telephone and second shops (even the mac donalds has closed!1) then run the guantlet of pickpockets muggers and fone and sky salesmen.. hand over a cash premium for stuff that we didnt want because they didnt have what we did want..
when the alternative is answering the door to a nice man in a van with a brown box under his arm..
Will disagree with one of the above statements that Tesco don't allow butchers on there sites, big retail parks etc..
Inner city Birmingham stores, Hodge Hill, Aston Lane and Springhill, all built in the last 5 years have a separate company runnning the butchers counter, unfortantley they are ran by the National Halal guys, but they have a great reputation and are taking over meat counters across the country in both Tesco and Asda, not your local butchers and no pork, and there methods may disagree with our western ethics but they are successful for all types of customers.
I had to queue out of the door and down the road a bit for our local butchers on Friday before Christmas. It is very good though.
High street looked gloomy amid the supposed post Christmas sales - many people, few with bags and not much tempting me to part with cash while I was out and about.
Did buy a present for a friends birthday from an indie retailer though, wasn't cheap though so maybe I should have looked for it online!
I actively avoid going into town to shop and buy things. I used to hate going shopping and trying on clothes etc. I enjoy shopping now with my feet up, beer in hand and one click and my goods arrive the next day. Once the next generation grow up ingrained with shopping online, high street is dead. All the spare space will be handy for the housing problem.
But I expect the prepack admin is just debt and unprofitable site dumping for a new owner. Whoever the new owner is, they are going to have a job getting Blacks/Millets back on their feet.
Clinton cards supposedly had a rough x**s, and how the hell is Superdrug still going?
I went into Blacks on Sat, none of the expensive stuff is there anymore. I nearly bought a GPS just before xmas;funnily enough they are all gone now, along with decent boots,tents,sleeping bags;anything worth more than £200 it would seem
I think the expensive stuff was moved out and sold on.
Ive still got a blacks gift card from about a year ago, think its got about a tenner on it.
Do you think they will honour it and what's worth getting for a tenner?
