Another High Street Rebrand

[gottago]

The weird WHSmith/M&S Food hybrid on Tottenham Court Road remains WHS branded. I think it's technically a hospital shop within hospital property, despite it very much presenting as part of the high street, which probably explains why it continues.

[cwathen]

I've seen better temporary signs, if I'm honest...

the former John Menzies in Glasgow's Argyle Street:

The banner outside is barmy: "We're not WHSmith! But we still stock all the WHSmith stock you're loooking for in the not-WHSmith"

Those banners seem to be relatively new. Took a piccie of one in Taunton a few weeks ago as it was the first I'd seen but now they seem to be everywhere. Would've thought they should've been out in the summer when the sale and rebrand first happened...unless it's not quite working out that well and it is felt that some clarification is necessary.

Although this was raised and discussed before, I'm not sure exactly why a licence to use the WHSmith brand name on the Modello acquisitions in the UK couldn't have gone with it to avoid the rather rubbish rebrand. No one cares that a railway station has a small shop branded as WHSmith, nor that they are using that brand in other markets. In the UK high street, it was an incredibly long lived and recognisable name...so surely Smiths would be happy to make some dollar on licencing the branding out, and Modello would be happy to not have to rebrand an entire store estate whilst also get to trade off an existing name without customers feeling much of anything had changed. If it's about 'but what about damage to our brand image if it goes bust?'...well WHSmith literally went from ubiquitous to non existent on the high street in the space of about a month, and just 1 year ago no one knew this would happen. Unsure how it would be any different if TJ Jones didn't happen and a Modella-run WHSmith retail chain collapsed in a few years.

And does anyone else somehow get TJ Hughes vibes from TG Jones as a brand?

[WillPS]

The weird WHSmith/M&S Food hybrid on Tottenham Court Road remains WHS branded. I think it's technically a hospital shop within hospital property, despite it very much presenting as part of the high street, which probably explains why it continues.

None of the 'travel' locations, including hospitals, were sold.

Although this was raised and discussed before, I'm not sure exactly why a licence to use the WHSmith brand name on the Modello acquisitions in the UK couldn't have gone with it to avoid the rather rubbish rebrand. No one cares that a railway station has a small shop branded as WHSmith, nor that they are using that brand in other markets. In the UK high street, it was an incredibly long lived and recognisable name...so surely Smiths would be happy to make some dollar on licencing the branding out, and Modello would be happy to not have to rebrand an entire store estate whilst also get to trade off an existing name without customers feeling much of anything had changed. If it's about 'but what about damage to our brand image if it goes bust?'...well WHSmith literally went from ubiquitous to non existent on the high street in the space of about a month, and just 1 year ago no one knew this would happen. Unsure how it would be any different if TJ Jones didn't happen and a Modella-run WHSmith retail chain collapsed in a few years.

The chain is moribund and WHSmith don't want the brand on it when, not if, it sinks. Simple as that. The fact that there is a lockout period of 1 year built in to the contract essentially confirms all parties understand that at the very least a wide sweeping restructure absolutely will happen.

Similar thing happened when Virgin Megastores was sold and rebranded as Zavvi. Management wanted to continue licensing the brand but Branson didn't want the risk. (Although ironically even though that venture was very short-lived the way things are going the hastily made up Zavvi brand might end up being around longer than Virgin Megastores were.)

I imagine it's going to be a messy affair when the TG Jones closures bite as it'll no doubt impact a number of communities where they operate the only Post Office for miles. I wonder if Post Office might end up propping up part of the operation if the whole thing is sent to the administrators (as Claire's and TOFS just have been).

[Martin Phillp]

I imagine it's going to be a messy affair when the TG Jones closures bite as it'll no doubt impact a number of communities where they operate the only Post Office for miles. I wonder if Post Office might end up propping up part of the operation if the whole thing is sent to the administrators (as Claire's and TOFS just have been).

That is one of my concerns over the proposal to move the PO out of their owned building into TGJones in Croydon. Not only because TGJones is on the slow decline which will rapidly grow once the 12 month grace period for mass closures ends, but it's also in part of the Whitgift Centre which is due to be demolished at some point in the next 2-3 years in a town which has seen a massive decline in retail since the 2010s over the uncertainty over the future of the site. It was originally planned to be another Westfield.

[WillPS]

I imagine it's going to be a messy affair when the TG Jones closures bite as it'll no doubt impact a number of communities where they operate the only Post Office for miles. I wonder if Post Office might end up propping up part of the operation if the whole thing is sent to the administrators (as Claire's and TOFS just have been).

That is one of my concerns over the proposal to move the PO out of their owned building into TGJones in Croydon. Not only because TGJones is on the slow decline which will rapidly grow once the 12 month grace period for mass closures ends, but it's also in part of the Whitgift Centre which is due to be demolished at some point in the next 2-3 years in a town which has seen a massive decline in retail since the 2010s over the uncertainty over the future of the site. It was originally planned to be another Westfield.

Planned closures are relatively common and Post Office can deal with them, so I wouldn't worry about the potential demise of the shop.

Sudden branch closures can and do leave communities with no Post Office provision, which is a problem, particularly in areas where they also serve as the last vestige of a banking provision too.

Several communities in Merseyside found themselves in this position recently: https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/li ... s-32847596

[Martin Phillp]

I imagine it's going to be a messy affair when the TG Jones closures bite as it'll no doubt impact a number of communities where they operate the only Post Office for miles. I wonder if Post Office might end up propping up part of the operation if the whole thing is sent to the administrators (as Claire's and TOFS just have been).

That is one of my concerns over the proposal to move the PO out of their owned building into TGJones in Croydon. Not only because TGJones is on the slow decline which will rapidly grow once the 12 month grace period for mass closures ends, but it's also in part of the Whitgift Centre which is due to be demolished at some point in the next 2-3 years in a town which has seen a massive decline in retail since the 2010s over the uncertainty over the future of the site. It was originally planned to be another Westfield.

Planned closures are relatively common and Post Office can deal with them, so I wouldn't worry about the potential demise of the shop.

Sudden branch closures can and do leave communities with no Post Office provision, which is a problem, particularly in areas where they also serve as the last vestige of a banking provision too.

Several communities in Merseyside found themselves in this position recently: https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/li ... s-32847596

Just before the sale to Modella Capital, WHSmith closed the shop and PO in Woolwich last April. Luckily they found a retailer who was able to take it on which opens on January 30th, but it's left the town without a PO since then.

[ph2o]

Every little helps...

Has anyone else noticed a slight change to the Tesco slogan since Christmas?




Eagle-eyed Graphics Geek

[Jamesypoo]

You're going to have to help me out here because I'm seeing no difference (other than colour - is it the colour?) to this posted by Tesco 3 years ago