High Street chain collapse sweepstake

Philip · Wed 01 Apr, 2015 20.03

I had no idea B&Q was in any trouble. My local one is always busy. And it apparently doesn't have a clear idea of what it's for? It's for DIY and gardening.

Finn · Wed 01 Apr, 2015 20.25

Both the huge one at Trafford Park and the small Trafford one both seem busy, even though they're only a couple of miles apart.

Alexia · Thu 02 Apr, 2015 00.55

Featurette in the Times shows how the number of British directors has fallen compared with the rise in French directors of Kingfisher. B&Q possibly to do a Jif/Cif and be rebranded Castorama.

AJ · Fri 03 Apr, 2015 15.00

Alexia wrote:Featurette in the Times shows how the number of British directors has fallen compared with the rise in French directors of Kingfisher. B&Q possibly to do a Jif/Cif and be rebranded Castorama.

I can't see a rebrand working. Jif/Cif are similar names, which is why it worked in the end - and Cif is arguably easier to say than Jif.

Castorama has zero brand awareness amongst the general public, so to ditch such a well known brand would be a silly move in my opinion. B&Q seems to be one of those companies which has just trundled along for the last few years. Store closures and a bit more focus on their product range will do it some good.

bilky asko · Fri 03 Apr, 2015 17.00

You can do it if you Castorama it.

No, I'm not a fan.

Martin Phillp · Fri 03 Apr, 2015 17.30

It has a whiff of Royal Mail into Consignia about it.

Alexia · Fri 03 Apr, 2015 19.10

I only used Jif/Cif as an example of a British brand being changed to tie in with foreign equivalent. No real thoughts on semantics or aesthetics of Jif/Cif.

Philip · Fri 03 Apr, 2015 21.19

No real opinion on Jif/Cif, but at least they can now differentiate themselves from Jif (cream), Jif (lemon) and Jif (graphics interchange format)

bilky asko · Fri 03 Apr, 2015 23.53

Philip wrote:Jif (graphics interchange format)

Well, GIF. And the pronunciation is pretty split with that anyway (though I do pronounce it like Jif myself).

Philip · Sat 04 Apr, 2015 00.12

bilky asko wrote:
Philip wrote:Jif (graphics interchange format)
Well, GIF. And the pronunciation is pretty split with that anyway (though I do pronounce it like Jif myself).

Strangely enough I've always pronounced it like Jif even before the whole debate last year or so when the inventor of the format said it should be pronounced like that - although I don't think I've actually said the word 'GIF' out loud before, only in my head. Okay, now I've said it out loud.

(Also I was trying to be jokey about Jif/GIF in my post but I guess I failed again, sorry!)

Alexia · Sat 04 Apr, 2015 04.03

GIF is hard G for me, as in garden gate.

Just like chipotle is chip-pottle, not ship-oht-lay.