High Street Stores & Other Businesses At Risk | Page 2 | Vital Football

High Street Stores & Other Businesses At Risk

These companies either get stuck in a time warp or get into the hands of private equity owners who chase the profit without any long term marketing strategy.

The carpetright by me looks like it’s stuck in the early 90’s with hardly any customers in the shop - we were pounced on by an annoying sales man so left it a week and discovered Tapi carpets. An up to date modern shop with a relaxed sales team who simply told us to shout if we needed any help.

Curry’s PC World - ordered a new washing machine, notification after ordering was a two week delay due to out of stocks. Had to remove and dispose of the old one. FFS. WaIted two weeks, still no confirmation of delivery from Germany. Cancelled the order, went onto AO.com, next day delivery on a Sunday, took out the old one and put in the new one.

The traditional bricks and mortar companies have a real problem with the online game, some companies have great websites such as AO or ASOS yet go onto the Tesco website and there is one for food and one for goods. The Sainsbury’s website is poor to navigate and takes an age to put through an online shop.

The high street winners will be the cost efficient and most aggressive with their suppliers fighting off inflation. I think Tesco will do well in the grocery world and keep an eye out for B&M moving into frozen.
 
Fulford - 3/3/2018 21:33

Same here MD.

With 10 cats and a labrador the food bill is massive.

10 cats!!!!!!!! The most I look after is 3. How do you cope? Just throw it all in a trough?

I have to watch all three to make sure one doesn't steal all the food before the others have eaten.

Respect.
 
If shops stop providing what we want, they deserve to go. I would much rather see what I'm buying before I get it, but most of the time nobody stocks it.

Take PC World. Most of their stuff isn't in store, so I might as well get it off ebay or Amazon for less. I would pay a bit more for it, if they had it, but they never do. I buy stuff all the time for clients. Ebay will deliver to Argos, and Amazon have their lockers, so I can pick it up when it's convenient as well. I don't even have to stay in and wait for a delivery.

Clothes are a bit different, but even their, I've bought coast and boots online. If you know teh product, and their sizing, then it's worth a go.

Finally, and Fear will get this, I hope, it's the people. If I order online, I haven't got to fight through traffic, argue over a parking space and walk behind people in shops who just stop, suddenly, for no reason!!
 
Must admit I like to get out, purely because of the way my life is. I work from home, I train at home, I live on my own. All 'sort of' my choice, health and operations also pushed things that way.

So getting out to do my grocery shopping or whatever does at least push me out on a day that otherwise I could quite easily just sit in front of my computer working.

I also find grocery shopping online time consuming and un edifying. Not only that but the last time I tried they came with ridiculous replacements where even the delivery guy said I'd send them all back if I was you!

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But clothes shopping. I'd have to be minted now to go out to the shops to buy clothes, you can get them so much cheaper online. I use m&m direct a lot, you buy an annual pass, you get free delivery and free returns.

Then I look out for bargains from Under Armour (and have been lucky enough to be supplied with some over the last few years as well) .. even Jack Wills, I was going to go and look at their store the other week whilst in Stratford, was tired so didn't! Bought the stuff online.

Doesn't help the shops that does it?!

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I do get what you mean having to mix with the commoners though Heath!

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Dan sums it up brilliantly as to how some companies just haven't / won't keep up. The AO illustrated the point perfectly.

I do wonder about some shopping centres. We have already seen the end of many high streets for shopping, but now the centres aren't keeping up. The Kingfisher certainly isn't and with M&S leaving, it will be a major blow unless they can get someone else in to sell food (they have failed to get all the major supermarkets interested, not sure why one won't open a local store in there, that's what is needed)

And if debenhams goes, it's a massive store that always looks empty, then they'll really struggle.

BUT the main point with them is, like some stores in trouble/gone bust, they won't listen to what the customer wants.

It's an indoor shopping centre, the parking is £1.50 minimum. I've suggested to them make it free for 30 - 45 mins for those who just want to nip in to grab a cd or whatever. Got condescending answer back.

I've mentioned to them its fecking freezing up there half the time, they didn't care.

Go to the Bullring or Touchwood, they aren't cold, you don't have to walk around in your outdoor coats and hats in the winter.

So as others have said, if you don't adapt, you kind of deserve to go.

 
How many local specialist toy shops did toysrus put out of business in the 80's and 90's? These huge retail parks destroyed the high street. Anyone who is over 40 will remember how vibrant towns such as Dudley were before Merry Hell opened.

There is an opportunity here, but only if landlords and councils get real with their charges, for the independent specialist to return to the high street. Will government and councils take it?
 
Silhillvilla - 4/3/2018 12:43

Wait til amazon get into core mainstream grocery sales , that will be a game changer

Wait till Amazon actually buys out the Royal Mail to deliver the parcels and packages, currently the Royal Mail does not have the capacity to deliver half the stuff ordered on Amazon.......

Remember years ago when you wanted something looking in the catalogues Argos or Index?
Well Argos will be closing their high street stores soon I reckon, we have been able to order on line and pick up in the local Sainsburys now for a while..... they are in the process of actually putting in a "Small Argos" in the store now they have removed nearly all the electrical items from the shelves in the store. No need to keep big expensive stores open when people can order on line and pick up the same day or the following morning....


 
HeathfieldRoad1874 - 3/3/2018 22:29

Fulford - 3/3/2018 21:33

Same here MD.

With 10 cats and a labrador the food bill is massive.

10 cats!!!!!!!! The most I look after is 3. How do you cope? Just throw it all in a trough?

I have to watch all three to make sure one doesn't steal all the food before the others have eaten.

Respect.

They are Maine Coons and Ragdolls that I breed.

I feed them twice a day and it's funny how they take their turn knowing who's first.
 
Fulford - 5/3/2018 06:59

HeathfieldRoad1874 - 3/3/2018 22:29

Fulford - 3/3/2018 21:33

Same here MD.

With 10 cats and a labrador the food bill is massive.

10 cats!!!!!!!! The most I look after is 3. How do you cope? Just throw it all in a trough?

I have to watch all three to make sure one doesn't steal all the food before the others have eaten.

Respect.

They are Maine Coons and Ragdolls that I breed.

I feed them twice a day and it's funny how they take their turn knowing who's first.

Bit racist :3:
 
Fulford - 4/3/2018 21:59

HeathfieldRoad1874 - 3/3/2018 22:29

Fulford - 3/3/2018 21:33

Same here MD.

With 10 cats and a labrador the food bill is massive.

10 cats!!!!!!!! The most I look after is 3. How do you cope? Just throw it all in a trough?

I have to watch all three to make sure one doesn't steal all the food before the others have eaten.

Respect.

They are Maine Coons and Ragdolls that I breed.

I feed them twice a day and it's funny how they take their turn knowing who's first.

That explains it. :7: :7:

I had a friend that bred Burmese, and they weren't running riot through the whole house, so assume you also have cages and run?
 
I have to agree with much that is said here. Shops have to evolve. The internet has been with us long enough now, so they've had time. If you can't offer something over and above, then it is just more convenient to shop online.

Parking charges are too high. Traffic is just a nightmare. They never have my size in stock. Prices are too high. Staff haven't got a clue, if you can get their attention. Items tend not to be in stock.

And yes, Fear. I shudder at the thought of mixing with the great unwashed!!! :19: :19:

Wurzel has hit the nail on the head as well. The Business rates and rents on the High Street were just too high. Who thought that would help? Council's got greedy, and killed it as we know it.

As for grocery shopping, I do actually go to the store, but I know many that order online. As I understand it, you can save your core shopping, and then just add or subtract a few items each time. My problem has been use by dates, which I like to select myself to last the week. Can anyone say whether the people picking the stock do the same?

All in all, the internet has given us a massive choice, and more information, such as customer reviews, that the physical shop will struggle to match.
 
That was another issue for me with online grocery shopping they seem to give you the close to the sell by date stuff. Totally un- fulfilling experience
 
I had a friend that bred Burmese, and they weren't running riot through the whole house, so assume you also have cages and run?

We do have cages but they only go in there when they are due to give birth.

Down to 9 cats today as one of my Ragdolls had to be put to sleep.
 
The one thing I sometimes do on way home from work is pop in m&s or Waitrose and pick off heavily reduced items
Can get some massive bargains as long as happy to eat on day or day after
Can't get a buzz like that online .
 
Silhillvilla - 5/3/2018 22:23

as long as happy to eat on day or day after

To be honest Silhill, the use by/best before dates on stuff are ultra-conservative - many things can be safely eaten 3, maybe 4 days later (often longer if it's not higher risk).

I often buy the heavily discounted stuff and stick it in the freezer for a later date. Would be rude not to!
 
Gone

BHS
Woolworths
Threshers
JJB
Borders
Blockbusters
Zavvi
Comet
MFI
Phones 4 U
Dixons
Littlewoods (on the high street)
Jessops
Jacksons
Kwik Save
John Mensies
Adams clothing for children

(the main one's)

Toys R Us administration

Probably to go

Debenhams
Carpetright
M & S (only thing holding it on is the food store. Clothing has been haemorrhaging money for years)
Homebase
Argos

Plus a n others

Besides the supermarkets the only other large store I see has safe is John Lewis, Primark and TK Max. The last two are much newer to our high street than the others. I am sure there was a large mens retailer who went bus too. Was it Burtons?
 
New Look considering closing 60 stores with 1000 jobs in jeopardy.

Thought everything was going to go wrong after Brexit?
 
Not that I want to get into a brexit argument here, but market uncertainty doesn't help. Then again, neither does the austerity policy we are currently being subjected to.
 
Considering that most of the goods in our high street shops are manufactured in the far east, actually Brexit could be very good for the high street. It is EU protectionism that has kept prices high.
 
We will see my fine badgered friend. Hope so. Doubt it. Big companies keep their money. Sick of the debate to be honest, it's ruined the politics shows that I usually enjoy watching! :3: