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Re: High Street chain collapse sweepstake

Posted: Sat 07 Nov, 2020 15.55
by Charlie Wells
EWM have now been placed into administration: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-54841435

Re: High Street chain collapse sweepstake

Posted: Fri 13 Nov, 2020 18.02
by gottago
Wow, John Hays of Hays Travel has died.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-54933410

Very sad, him and his wife came across as really decent people when the Thomas Cook collapse happened. I wonder if the company will be able to recover from this and Covid.

Re: High Street chain collapse sweepstake

Posted: Thu 19 Nov, 2020 15.58
by g67bbx
EWM has now put both Peacocks and Jaeger into administration.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-55004019

Re: High Street chain collapse sweepstake

Posted: Fri 27 Nov, 2020 12.29
by thegeek
Arcadia on the brink of collapse.

I feel sorry for the 15000 staff, but less so for Sir and Lady Green.

Re: High Street chain collapse sweepstake

Posted: Fri 27 Nov, 2020 22.48
by gottago
Is it just me or has the demise of Topshop/Man felt incredibly quick? I'm sure it was only two years ago the stores (in London at least) were still regularly very busy. Come this summer and with capacity restrained it was pretty much the only clothes shop in Westfield that didn't have a queue outside it. I hadn't really appreciated until today that I've never used their online store while I have at least browsed the other main high street/online clothes store websites.

Re: High Street chain collapse sweepstake

Posted: Mon 30 Nov, 2020 20.25
by Martin Phillp

Re: High Street chain collapse sweepstake

Posted: Mon 30 Nov, 2020 21.05
by GeekyJames
gottago wrote: Fri 27 Nov, 2020 22.48 Is it just me or has the demise of Topshop/Man felt incredibly quick? I'm sure it was only two years ago the stores (in London at least) were still regularly very busy. Come this summer and with capacity restrained it was pretty much the only clothes shop in Westfield that didn't have a queue outside it. I hadn't really appreciated until today that I've never used their online store while I have at least browsed the other main high street/online clothes store websites.
Well Topman/Shop in Southampton closed early March just before lockdown due to the landlord increasing the rent. Burtons/Dorothy Perkins/Wallis etc all left about 5 years ago.

Re: High Street chain collapse sweepstake

Posted: Mon 30 Nov, 2020 22.12
by Martin Phillp
Caffe Nero rejected a takeover bid from EG Group, who own Asda. They plan to continue with their CVA instead.

EG Group planned to pay all of their landlord debts in full if they acquired the business.

https://news.sky.com/story/ailing-coffe ... sf-twitter

Re: High Street chain collapse sweepstake

Posted: Tue 01 Dec, 2020 01.00
by JAS84
JD Sports have pulled out of their Debenhams takeover due to the Arcadia news.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-55139713

Re: High Street chain collapse sweepstake

Posted: Tue 01 Dec, 2020 09.45
by g67bbx
And just like that, the business trading since 1778, was gone...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-55142724

Re: High Street chain collapse sweepstake

Posted: Tue 01 Dec, 2020 21.11
by woah
I do wonder how Debenhams let it get to this point. We don't know all the details of course, but you have to wonder how many of their stores were loss making and falling to bits - and dragging the whole brand down as a result. Why not focus on the stores that do make a profit, invest in the ones with potential, and cut the dead wood?

They refurbished the Meadowhall one recently and (apart from the usual Debenhams gift tat selection and blue cross events) it is genuinely a modern and pleasant shopping experience. It's a shame they couldn't roll it out further. The one nearby in Sheffield is more typical of the Debenhams shopping experience - dingy and dated with decor straight out of the 1990s.

I think the clothing range has also improved a bit in recent years, but lots of it is very middle aged - and some of their own brand stuff (like Red Herring) is cheap Primark quality stuff at more premium prices. Probably nowhere near enough to change people's perceptions of Debenhams as a bit old hat.