High Street Stores & Other Businesses At Risk | Page 3 | Vital Football

High Street Stores & Other Businesses At Risk

New Look is a high street chain. Like many others they are suffering due to the changing buying patterns of the general public. One hell of a lot of people use the internet, Amazon, Ebay etc these days.

Sign of the times I'm afraid.

 
I read somewhere that Claire’s accessories is up against it, head office in Erdington. That’s a few hundred jobs gone from the local economy :21:
 
Austerity has hit far too hard. Hammond hinting it might be lifted, sadly it might be a little bit too late from the man in the grey suit.
 
Body Shop has been struggling for years too.

The government implementing a rise in business rates hasn't helped.
 
All of them unless they are betting, estate agents, booze or charity related. The High Street is doomed due to technology, pedestrianisation, taxation. The diversity offered by independent shops has sadly gone. I could go on and on but what's the point. It's all so sad but called progress where people see it as a day out at the local out of town shopping centah
 
The high street will be gone as we know in 30 years maybe less. It will all be apartments, muses and flats. Our eldest told me that a few years ago. He works in the tech industry developing websites.

What will be left on the high street are things they can't provide on the internet: they are

Pubs and nice bars that serve food
Cafe's
Hairdressers, beauty salons and barbers
Spa salons
Banks (in the very large cities)
Post offices (though that is questionable too)
Supermarkets
In places like York where we live there will probably still be some tourist shops and the like as we are a tourist city. Shops on the shambles and the like will probably survive.
A few shops though which is anyone guess. I suspect the more high end designer shops will stay because they provide experience and bridal/hire and groom shops which are specialist.

Already in York places which are shutting down are being turned into apartments, flats and muses. The council offices which have moved have all been sold off and turned into luxury apartments

Feel free to add if there is anything else that may survive
Maybe some a n other shops however very few
 
It appears that no buyer has been found for Toys R Us so all of their outlets (100) will be shut with the loss of 3,000 jobs nationwide.

https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/whats-on/shopping/toys-r-shut-100-uk-14409840

Sad days indeed.

 
It’s sad in some ways, but survival of the fittest and all that. Smyths and Hamleys look like they’re doing pretty well albeit financials are hard to get hold of being private.

I remember at school reading and being told how the high street was changing and would result in empty shop after empty shop due to the appeal of out of town shopping centres. But what you can never really forecast is the upside for someone else - casual dining outlets and coffee shops have expanded with the trend now to spend between £5-£40 on either a coffee or a Nando’s with the Saturday Clothes shop.

On the other end of the scale, you have the pound shops and the B&M winners. When I used to get dragged shopping in my school years, it was C&A and Woolworths, now it’s H&M, Uniqlo, pit stop at costa, a few more shops and a Nando’s to end the day - probably spending double my parents would have.

There are winners and losers, personally I love family owned restaurants and if we lose a few bigger players in the high street I hope it opens up opportunities for some more bespoke shops and restaurants. Tastes and trends change.

The other big hit to the likes of toys r us would’ve been the grocers. Toy week sales practically gave the stuff away at little-to-no margin, which is fine for a grocer making a net profit from food to cover the cost, but more difficult for a one market company like toys r us to compete.
 
I've noticed that here. The shopping centres are having less shops and more restaurants and entertainment thingies.
 
YEah, they're knocking down some of the shops and building a 10 screen cinema complex.

To be fair, it was a bit of an eyesore, so hopefully the new building will fit in better. I just can't get over how so many people pay the prices they charge to go and watch films. Part of the deal is the relocation of many of the shops to new units, including Iceland and Lidls.

Mind you, 12 miles south we have Brighton, which has more independent shops than you've ever seen in your life. I suppose as a tourist destination, the town centre is safer there than anywhere else.
 
Restaurants are next sector to suffer just ask Jamie Oliver! Rent and rates are too high and if the high street is ever to recover landlords and councils are going to have to get real.
 
Wurzel - 16/3/2018 09:25

Restaurants are next sector to suffer just ask Jamie Oliver! Rent and rates are too high and if the high street is ever to recover landlords and councils are going to have to get real.

Jamie’s Italian for me is stuck in no mans land. I’ve only been twice, and both times to the bullring so maybe I haven’t given it a fair chance as some people think it’s ok, but it’s neither cheap nor that good quality.
 
Certainly think a lot of shopping centres are backward thinking. I was in the Kingfisher yesterday, car park half empty, but when I suggested they give the first 30 - 45 mins free so people can just nip for a cuppa, or buy something quickly, they were very patronising
 
Parking has been something they've got completely wrong for decades. Pay £5 an hour in Brighton, or go to the out of town centre and park for free. No choice at all, is there.
 
Too many see parking itself as a business and the £££'s.

A nicer middle ground would be a section of 30mins free BUT then don't fine people who go over, just charge them normal rates instead.