High Street Stores & Other Businesses At Risk | Page 13 | Vital Football

High Street Stores & Other Businesses At Risk

I've had an ongoing battle with Argos over a delivery that had gone on for a month now. I will never buy anything from Argos ever again, Why I didn't pay a little bit more and get it from Amazon I really don't know.
I've spent 1000's with Amazon on hundreds of deliveries that have rarely let me down. Two things via Argos and they couldn't have messed up more if they'd tried. An hour and 10 minutes on Hold really pissed me off

Bricks and mortar just can’t do it slick enough online. I had a pretty full Sainsburys shonline once that somehow emptied the basket and I couldn’t be arsed to start again.

Not long ago I ordered a click and collect from WH Smith which took a few days, got to the store on the Saturday and it wasn’t on the lorry in so had to come back next week. If I had ordered from amazon it would’ve been at my door by 11am the next day, instead I waited nearly two weeks for bloody diary. The stock systems I imagine are but independently over the years and then they try and bolt them together.

It’s a shame when these firms go bust but they’re shit at making it work for time precious consumers.
 
Not a high street one, but BA might not return to Gatwick

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-52489013

BA want to get the high paid high perk old contracts off their books and get the youngsters in on 20k a year, small redundancy cost if they have to restructure and no perks.

There’s probably a couple of thousand out there praying for redundancy because they get a decent payout, pension and cheap flight allowance for 20 years.
 
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Deano posted in covid thread (we were talking about landlords and the problems restaurants are about to face so was valid in there)

I see Debenhams in the Bullring is closing down for good, due to their Landlord not agreeing to reduce rates.

Always amazes me that landlords would rather have empty space than help a business out.

That Debenhams is HUGE too. 4 floors of huge space. They will find it difficult to find anyone else to take that after Debenhams have gone, especially in the current climate.

Madness isn't it?
 
Deano posted in covid thread (we were talking about landlords and the problems restaurants are about to face so was valid in there)



Madness isn't it?

One way or another, retail rents are coming down.

I know the retail lot owners are under pressure too but either they come to agreement on reduced rent with the tenant in place or they wait months to find another tenant at reduced rent.
 
So much is going to change, it has to, and there are now illustrations that some of the changes at work can work. Landlords will have to wake up to a new reality, you would imagine a store like Debenhams would be crucial to The Bullring because as Deano says, it is a large store. It will look horrendous, if not filled.
 
One way or another, retail rents are coming down.

I know the retail lot owners are under pressure too but either they come to agreement on reduced rent with the tenant in place or they wait months to find another tenant at reduced rent.

I can only think that this was Mike Ashley’s strategy because there we no synergies in the businesses he bought. The only thing he could
do to reduce costs was hold landlords and even try the government with business rates to ransom.
 
6000 more jobs on the line

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-52713791

The owner of High Street restaurant chains Cafe Rouge and Bella Italia has filed intent to appoint administrators at the High Court.
Yes not surprised by that. They have been struggling for a while now and are king of the vouchers - always offering huge discounts just to get people in the doors.

And the quality has gone downhill over the years. Our local branches are appalling. Shame really, but as restaurants will be among the last places to reopen in whatever capacity, a bad situation has been made all but unsustainable for the likes of these.
 
Yes, agreed, Cafe Rouge was quite upper end when it became popular 20 or so years back wasn't it? But not been to one in years, last one was in Stratford and it wasn't up to much at all.
 
Yes, agreed, Cafe Rouge was quite upper end when it became popular 20 or so years back wasn't it? But not been to one in years, last one was in Stratford and it wasn't up to much at all.

Used to be owned by Whitbread and since they sold it off it's just gone downhill.
 
I think I have Cafe Rouge vouchers somewhere.
I say 'think' because I vaguely remember that they were an xmas gift. And unless it's the kids opening presents I switch off such is my apathy towards xmas gifts to me (sooner they spend it on the kids).
 
Yes, was reading about Sheering. Sadly that means 2500 jobs under threat.

Hertz is USA only at the moment

Hertz's international operations in Europe, Australia and New Zealand as well as its franchised locations in the US are not affected.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-52780841
Expect to see more of this unfortunately. So many companies will just not make it through the next 3, 6 or 12 months whilst being unable to bring in anywhere near enough revenues to sustain the business regardless of whatever government support there might be
 
Expect to see more of this unfortunately. So many companies will just not make it through the next 3, 6 or 12 months whilst being unable to bring in anywhere near enough revenues to sustain the business regardless of whatever government support there might be

My company took my company car back yesterday as they only rent it. I saw that as an indication they are really struggling. Under the terms of my contract they couldn't do it but if it helps them I'm in agreement.
 
My company took my company car back yesterday as they only rent it. I saw that as an indication they are really struggling. Under the terms of my contract they couldn't do it but if it helps them I'm in agreement.

I imagine car finance is a bubble about to burst big time. I wouldn’t mind being a second hand car dealer, the influx of used petrol and diesels will be cheap and consumers and companies who can’t afford big leases will have to give them up.

Car finance was on steroids anyway, will be a lot of job losses unless they can roll out more “never own, rent for life” type agreements. But monthly payments will go up 2 or 3 fold
 
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Agree danvilla, neighbour of mine buys and sells cars, he loved the last recession, he was selling far more than the 'good times' when people often opt for new