Re: High Street chain collapse sweepstake
Posted: Tue 01 Dec, 2020 21.56
The new one in Eldon Square was also really nice. It just seems to be the normal toxic lease issue https://www.theguardian.com/business/ni ... n-its-rent
Red Herring is more similar to Burtons quality than Primark in my experience!woah wrote: ↑Tue 01 Dec, 2020 21.11 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.
I guess that once you reach a certain number of store closures, your redundancy costs start costing more than what you'd get from the good bits of the business - so it's cheaper all round to cut and run, and let the whole lot fail.woah wrote: ↑Tue 01 Dec, 2020 21.11 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?
Their Shepherd's Bush one, which they announced wasn't reopening in April, ended up being a bit of a desperate case and had resorted to renting out large chunks of their stores to eateries, presumably offering much cheaper rent than if they'd have taken a unit in the actual shopping centre. At one point they had a Costa, Franco Manca, Ed's Diner and I think some dessert shop or something all stinking out the adjacent frocks while making it clear they weren't otherwise able to make that part of the shop profitable.woah wrote: ↑Tue 01 Dec, 2020 21.11 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?
Really highlights the folly of mass closures of crown POs in city/town centres. It is understandable when sub post offices are put into shops (as has already been done for decades) but this is different to closing main post offices in favour of a concession in Smiths. Of course the business case will be argued but the business case will always be there because it will always be cheaper vs maintaining a dedicated Post Office. That is entirely different to a PO being unviable to operate.Martin Phillp wrote: ↑Fri 04 Dec, 2020 21.08 The Post Office model didn't work for WHSmith in Blackpool, it's closing in January, along with the store in Chorley.
https://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/busi ... re-3056272