High Street chain collapse sweepstake

james2001
Posts: 718
Joined: Sat 04 Jun, 2005 23.10

Children's World has existed after 1996?
thegeek
Posts: 861
Joined: Sat 04 Jun, 2005 12.35

WillPS wrote: Tue 05 Jun, 2018 09.02
thegeek wrote: Mon 04 Jun, 2018 19.33 House of Fraser: Rumours of my death, etc...
More like 'crisis? what crisis?'. I'd be surprised if they made it to Christmas.
31 stores, including Oxford Street to close. Jenners of Edinburgh and Frasers in Glasgow will remain - they're both beautiful buildings and I can't see them remaining quite as grand if they were anything other than a department store.

There's a quite comprehensive history of the business at their archive site. I didn't realise that they once owned Harrod's, or once owned a business which was both an undertaker and fitted out state rooms on ships.
g67bbx
Posts: 59
Joined: Sat 06 Jan, 2018 08.18

WillPS wrote: Sat 02 Jun, 2018 20.06
thegeek wrote: Sat 02 Jun, 2018 11.30
thegeek wrote: Thu 31 May, 2018 18.54
Speaking of which, is Maplin still clinging on? I went past one on the bus the other day with some "last few days" signs on the window.
Answering my own question:
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Not a lot left - mostly components (reels of 100 resistors, RJ11 connectors, that sort of thing), plenty of odd USB cables that you probably don't need, and drums of Cat5 cable for a tenner. Oh, and all the fixtures and fittings. If I wasn't on my bike I might have bought a basket. The most expensive thing I found was a smart home TRV for £25. I bought some rechargable AAA batteries and a USB-C cig lighter adaper, for a quid each.
The one on the outskirts of the city centre in Nottingham shut a few weeks ago. The one on the retail park shows no sign of being close to the end, loads of stock today, mostly 60-80% off.
Isle of Wight is still going but they expect to be out of stock and closed by the weekend.
g67bbx
Posts: 59
Joined: Sat 06 Jan, 2018 08.18

Poundworld very much on thin ice now.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-44398352
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WillPS
Posts: 2463
Joined: Tue 22 Apr, 2008 18.32
Location: Carlton
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g67bbx wrote: Thu 07 Jun, 2018 12.03 Poundworld very much on thin ice now.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-44398352
Administrators appointed: https://www.theguardian.com/business/20 ... t-collapse
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JAS84
Posts: 589
Joined: Fri 12 Aug, 2011 10.23
Location: Hull, UK

thegeek wrote: Thu 07 Jun, 2018 08.58
WillPS wrote: Tue 05 Jun, 2018 09.02
thegeek wrote: Mon 04 Jun, 2018 19.33 House of Fraser: Rumours of my death, etc...
More like 'crisis? what crisis?'. I'd be surprised if they made it to Christmas.
31 stores, including Oxford Street to close. Jenners of Edinburgh and Frasers in Glasgow will remain - they're both beautiful buildings and I can't see them remaining quite as grand if they were anything other than a department store.

There's a quite comprehensive history of the business at their archive site. I didn't realise that they once owned Harrod's, or once owned a business which was both an undertaker and fitted out state rooms on ships.
Bye bye Hammonds.... that'll leave a big hole in Hull City Centre.
cwathen
Posts: 1312
Joined: Fri 15 Aug, 2003 17.28

thegeek wrote: Thu 07 Jun, 2018 08.58
WillPS wrote: Tue 05 Jun, 2018 09.02
thegeek wrote: Mon 04 Jun, 2018 19.33 House of Fraser: Rumours of my death, etc...
More like 'crisis? what crisis?'. I'd be surprised if they made it to Christmas.
31 stores, including Oxford Street to close. Jenners of Edinburgh and Frasers in Glasgow will remain - they're both beautiful buildings and I can't see them remaining quite as grand if they were anything other than a department store.

There's a quite comprehensive history of the business at their archive site. I didn't realise that they once owned Harrod's, or once owned a business which was both an undertaker and fitted out state rooms on ships.
Rather sad to see the Plymouth store on this list. Opened as Dingles in 1951 and had the dubious honour of being the first post-war department store built in the UK. It eventually expanded into a small chain with additional stores at Exeter and Bournemouth before being sold to House of Fraser in the 70's, however the Dingles name survived on all 3 stores for a very long time, only finally being rebranded about 10 years ago (and to this day the cafe still uses the Dingles name).

It also survived a huge fire in 1988 (a terrorist attack targeting 5 House of Fraser owned stores), being largely gutted inside, only to be refitted, have an extra floor added and reopen bigger and better than ever.

Once it's gone I can't imagine that anything of similar stature will replace it. It's a huge building in what must be one of the top 2 or 3 prime locations in the city centre and being left empty will cause a far worse blot on the landscape than anything else so far to close. Sadly it's fate is likely to be years of standing empty followed by redevelopment into yet more student flats with yet more coffee shops and charity shops on the ground floor.

As with all these closures though, it ultimately comes down to using it or losing it - I can't remember the last time I bought anything from House of Fraser.
Martin Phillp
Posts: 1473
Joined: Wed 11 May, 2011 01.28

The Strand Maplin has closed in London.

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TVF's London Lite.
Martin Phillp
Posts: 1473
Joined: Wed 11 May, 2011 01.28

cwathen wrote: Thu 07 Jun, 2018 20.25 Once it's gone I can't imagine that anything of similar stature will replace it. It's a huge building in what must be one of the top 2 or 3 prime locations in the city centre and being left empty will cause a far worse blot on the landscape than anything else so far to close. Sadly it's fate is likely to be years of standing empty followed by redevelopment into yet more student flats with yet more coffee shops and charity shops on the ground floor.
When Allders in Croydon closed, it became the 'Croydon Village Outlet' on the ground floor only. You can see the empty floors in various lift videos.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LQcm_ipCs0

However, the good news is as part of the redevelopment of the Whitgift Centre as Westfield Croydon, it'll be redeveloped into a John Lewis and Waitrose.
TVF's London Lite.
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WillPS
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Location: Carlton
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Martin Phillp wrote: Thu 07 Jun, 2018 22.15 The Strand Maplin has closed in London.

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Why have they dumped all their shit on the street rather than leave it inside for the landlord to sort out?
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james2001
Posts: 718
Joined: Sat 04 Jun, 2005 23.10

Probably just out of spite.

I went to my local branch today and got a portable TV for £40, so I'm quite happy. They still seem to have quite a bit of stuff left, though mostly odds and ends. All either 70 or 80% off now.
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