The next store to close is....

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  • What, you think M&S is under threat?

    Yes, every year they announce less profits and are currently are under a massive restructuring with store closures. Their clothing range is too expensive whilst the likes of Primark prosper and their do called quality food has lost it's edge as the likes of Lidl and Aldi grow (same with Waitrose, they are at risk too)

  • Department store chain Beales has gone into administration, putting 23 stores and 1,052 jobs at risk.

    The drastic move follows failed efforts to find a buyer amid poor Christmas trading and sky high rents.

    KPMG has been appointed as administrator to the Bournemouth-headquartered chain.

    Founded in 1881, Beales operates 23 department stores in market towns across the UK selling a range of furniture, fashion, toys and cosmetics. It employs circa 1,052 members of staff.

    Will Wright, partner at KPMG and joint administrator, said: “For over a hundred years, Beales has been a stalwart of the high street in market towns up and down the UK, but like countless similar retailers, has found trading in recent times to be incredibly tough.

    This is a big store in our main High Street, four floors I think. Only just up the road from Debenhams that is also teetering.

  • The days of these big stores are clearly over

    15 years ago we used to visit Plymouth close to Christmas to look at the shops and have a Christmas dinner in Derrys, aka the Co-op. Very popular huge plateful for a few pound

    But in the rest of the store the stuff was so expensive, returning in January for the sale I bought a shorty coat reduced to £60 which has become my funeral coat.Same time visiting the House of Fraser sale I found a Crombie coat with a scarf draped round it, reduce £150

    Wanted one for ages do I tool it to the till and offered my card to be asked if I wanted the scarf as well, and I said no. He said that would be £750 "sir", it was the scarf that was £150

    Gathering my dignity I left without purchasing anything

  • This high st is dead. B&Q not far from me has closed down and Homebase over the road from it has hardly any stock or staff. The only thing we have left in most high streets is coffee shops and anything food and drink related. Then there's the charity shops, hairdressing and nail bars. Anything that can not be done online is basically gone or is hanging on by a thread. Unemployment is massive though figures may not show it. The majority of jobs now are mostly part time on minimum wage working silly hours. I would love to have weekends, especially Sundays like back like the old days. A day of peace. Now everything is 24/7, even pubs and bars in cities are closing at later times like 12.00 or 1.00 with extended licenses.

  • This high st is dead. B&Q not far from me has closed down and Homebase over the road from it has hardly any stock or staff. The only thing we have left in most high streets is coffee shops and anything food and drink related. Then there's the charity shops, hairdressing and nail bars. Anything that can not be done online is basically gone or is hanging on by a thread. Unemployment is massive though figures may not show it. The majority of jobs now are mostly part time on minimum wage working silly hours. I would love to have weekends, especially Sundays like back like the old days. A day of peace. Now everything is 24/7, even pubs and bars in cities are closing at later times like 12.00 or 1.00 with extended licenses.

    I don't where you are, but I'm surprised you've lost the B&Q, as they're usually very popular, but perhaps there is another one in a nearby town?

    My immediate local town is the same as yours. Takeaways, charity shops, betting shops, tanning salons... dominate.

  • Rationalising the outlets, no point in having a specific shop for Carphone Warehouse if there's a local PC world or Curry's.

  • Rationalising the outlets, no point in having a specific shop for Carphone Warehouse if there's a local PC world or Curry's.

    I'm not sure if PC World/Currys sold mobile phones.Was in there recently buying a new laptop but didn't notice any phones, but then I wasn't looking for them

    Seems sensible to have all their stuff under one roof but sad for the staff who will lose their jobs. They seem to specialise in youngsters for staff, either they are techie savvy or cheaper

  • I'm not sure if PC World/Currys sold mobile phones.Was in there recently buying a new laptop but didn't notice any phones, but then I wasn't looking for them

    According to the link not all stores have a Carphone Warehouse outlet in them though that will probably change.

    Pop goes another one:

    If the country is closed down like France is now then this is only the start. With so many businesses teetering on the brink having to close, even for a short period, will be the end of them.

  • It's a sensible move for the Dixons group. Mobile phone purchases have changed quite considerably, and will continue to change further. Paying £1k for a phone that is marginally better than a £100 is bonkers, and people are starting to realise this. I predict the price of top end phones will fall, and will fall quite soon. OK, a top end phone plays high speed games more smoothly than a cheaper model, and the camera will be a little better. However, most people now use their phones for calls, texts, browsing the interweb, and possibly watching the occasional video and YouTube clip. Purchasing a separate sim and phone is becoming the norm, whilst locking yourself in to a two year contract whilst you pay off the purchase of a phone is becoming rarer. Dixons will be able to dedicate some space into their existing stores to accommodate the high street shopper, so their decision makes perfect sense.

    The intelligent are being oppressed so the stupid don't get offended

  • It's a sensible move for the Dixons group. Mobile phone purchases have changed quite considerably, and will continue to change further. Paying £1k for a phone that is marginally better than a £100 is bonkers, and people are starting to realise this. I predict the price of top end phones will fall, and will fall quite soon. OK, a top end phone plays high speed games more smoothly than a cheaper model, and the camera will be a little better. However, most people now use their phones for calls, texts, browsing the interweb, and possibly watching the occasional video and YouTube clip. Purchasing a separate sim and phone is becoming the norm, whilst locking yourself in to a two year contract whilst you pay off the purchase of a phone is becoming rarer. Dixons will be able to dedicate some space into their existing stores to accommodate the high street shopper, so their decision makes perfect sense.

    Carphone Warehouse had a great run, lasted around 30 years but they have run their course. The problem is in their name, it is from another time. The problem is that they leached off all the networks, they were nothing more than a reseller so their value was undercutting. They were always in a race to the bottom because that is the market they operated in, cheaper and cheaper to stay competitive, until they could take no more. Often having their competitors as neighbours on the high street they were easy to overlook. The deal with Dixons bought them a few more time but this has been on the cards for years.

    Celebrate it, Anticipate it, Yesterday's faded, Nothing can change it, Life's what you make it

  • According to the link not all stores have a Carphone Warehouse outlet in them though that will probably change.


    Pop goes another one:

    These were both weak business' anyway and the virus just finished them off, like it will do with other weak firms. Ultimately, and assuming this virus doesn't go on for too long, strong business' will survive and with less competition.

    Jonh Menzies is currently getting heavily shorted...

  • This is a big store in our main High Street, four floors I think. Only just up the road from Debenhams that is also teetering.

    Talking of which, this article from last week gives a list of recent high st casualties and Debenhams is in trouble again:

    Debenhams goes bust with 39 stores to close

    (new member reminder: click the orange "Quote" lettering above to read the full article)

    Will Debenhams finally die now? We've been talking about this one for ages now? (their useless perfume islands etc)

    I see M&S is struggling, but I think it will pull through. Their food operations still make them a nice profit.

    Pizza Express in trouble. I always liked them. Anyone here even been in one of there restaurants?

    I see Jamie Oliver's restaurants have closed. All together now, ahh....;) Perhaps if he served up some decent food for a decent price, he'd still be in business.

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