High Street chain collapse sweepstake

[WillPS]

https://www.retailgazette.co.uk/blog/20 ... -bailiffs/

I feel sorry for any manager who now has the job of dealing with bailiffs trying to seize overpriced teddies and hair bands.

[AGuyFromUpNorth]

This probably belongs in the other thread, but the Claire's shop in Chesterfield is seriously stuck in the late 90's.

But seriously though, it just seems like they sell overpriced tat to me. I understand they are targeting a certain demographic but I am not exactly sure whom. I highly doubt kids these days over a certain age want to walk around with colourful plastic clip-on earrings in, nevermind their parents paying a ridiculous price for them. And surely it's not adults buying their stuff. It's the same problem as WHSmith had - you can get the same (or better) quality products elsewhere for half the price.

[cdd]

The logo is terrible giving zero indication as to what they sell. I would probably have guessed greeting cards or women's fashion.

However, I have enquired with the relevant demographic and I am assured that in fact claire's remains quite popular with younger kids so I wonder if it might get saved. Smiggle on the other hand (who were wildly popular a few years ago and did manage to enter my consciousness) is now considered 'cringe' and nobody buys that anymore.

Thus my prediction is additionally Smiggle.

[Martin Phillp]

This thread on X is excellent at explaining why Claire's is in trouble.

[Dr Lobster*]

This probably belongs in the other thread, but the Claire's shop in Chesterfield is seriously stuck in the late 90's.

But seriously though, it just seems like they sell overpriced tat to me. I understand they are targeting a certain demographic but I am not exactly sure whom. I highly doubt kids these days over a certain age want to walk around with colourful plastic clip-on earrings in, nevermind their parents paying a ridiculous price for them. And surely it's not adults buying their stuff. It's the same problem as WHSmith had - you can get the same (or better) quality products elsewhere for half the price.

My daughter says it’s too expensive, she gets stuff from primark, shein, TikTok shop and vinted think young people just changed how they shop.

Also noticed Hobby Craft closing a few stores…. Funny how this recent spike in big name closures or restructures are, like Woolworths, stores that don’t sell anything in particular. WH Smith’s now it’s rebranded , not sure that is long for this earth either - it’s a tat shop with a few books. Hadn’t been in one for years can’t believe how full of crud it is. Just like nothing useful there at all,

[Zimba]

I haven't seen it mentioned anywhere but Bodycare seems to be in trouble aswell. I seen that they've been trying to get funding but the stores have no stock in and there's a lot of gap filling.

The stores remind me of Wilko in its death days.

Don't know whether it's temporary but it's been like it for awhile (few month) now.

[thegeek]

Pizza Hut have closed their 'flagship' restaurant in Argyle Street in Glasgow City Centre - meaning you'll no longer be able to stand outside Tim Horton's and sing the Fast Food Rockers song.

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/pizza-hut-sud ... ccounter=1

(I find it kind of depressing that of all the news stories about it, only the Sun could be arsed mentioning it had been there for 'decades', given it took me about a minute on the Evening Times archive to find out that it opened in 1987.)

[Martin Phillp]

Poundland was set to go in administration on Friday if a restructuring plan wasn't approved today by the High Court.

It seems the plan includes closing stores, reducing rents and going back to having fixed prices of which 60% will be £1.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cdd3j3g0e5no

[cdd]

The plan includes ... going back to having fixed prices of which 60% will be £1.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cdd3j3g0e5no

Given that the article ID in the URL starts with my name I wouldn't put a lot of trust in the article ;)

Selling things for £1 is clearly the only viable way to run the business (as their willingness to produce weirdly small versions of products to maintain this price point shows) - but that just confirms that it is condemned in the long term.

[Martin Phillp]

I haven't seen it mentioned anywhere but Bodycare seems to be in trouble aswell. I seen that they've been trying to get funding but the stores have no stock in and there's a lot of gap filling.

The stores remind me of Wilko in its death days.

Don't know whether it's temporary but it's been like it for awhile (few month) now.

And as predicted, Bodycare are now in administration.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/money/breaking ... r-35855586

[BBC TV Centre]

The logo is terrible giving zero indication as to what they sell. I would probably have guessed greeting cards or women's fashion.

However, I have enquired with the relevant demographic and I am assured that in fact claire's remains quite popular with younger kids so I wonder if it might get saved. Smiggle on the other hand (who were wildly popular a few years ago and did manage to enter my consciousness) is now considered 'cringe' and nobody buys that anymore.

Thus my prediction is additionally Smiggle.

I don't think I've ever seen a shopper in a Smiggle store.

I put TG Jones on the endangered list, just down to the fact that it's the not particularly profitable part of what was WH Smith and the fact the rebrand as a result of the divestment was just so naff.

WH Smith had some provenance in the name, this was just made up by a bunch of people in a meeting room in a branding agency...