Who's for the chop?

[nidave]

I really think this Jeremy Vine call-in today is counter-productive too. It's got relentless cheapskates who get 95% off clothes from horrible sports shops ringing in to brag which is only going to reduce profits further! Incidentally I expect at least one horrid scally sports shop to close down.

I take it you mean JJB - which the head office is across the road from our office and seems they are in trouble - sold off the soccer dome's and are apparently looking for a buyer for the heath clubs.
There are some stores I am surprised have lasted even in the good times.. like carpet right... Amazed that are still going. (And why do the insist on squashing their logo to fit the sign and not keep it in proportion - that has always annoyed me).
We were taking on staff at our various offices but that seems to have stopped.
We are going to be taking on 15 Temp staff for 3-4 months in Feb to cover Tax year end.

[Mr Q]

I honestly don't know of any british car companies. Please tell me, ideally not using wikipedia because, as we've seen, it tends to mislead the ignorant.

Well, if you want to define it that way, I believe the British car industry today consists entirely of people with long beards toiling away in backyard sheds. Which - to be fair - is more than the Australian car industry when applying the same standard. Our car companies are either American or Japanese.

Woolworths employs 30,000. How many are involved in the car industry? I can appreciate why banking may be considered differently, but why should the government bail out a car manufacturer and not a high street store? They may both be unsustainable in the long run.

That's exactly right. And I've got to say, I'm not wild about the idea of this financial crisis being used to justify nationalising a whole range of underperforming industries.

[Dr Lobster*]

yes, surely at least one of those card shops has to go.... all they sell is insipid vulgar trash. who is paying all that money for birthday teddies, fake silver plastic trinkets and personalised name mugs?

i think laura ashley has to be on the list too, went in there at the weekend to get a christmas pressie for my sister... i don't think there was an item in there for less than forty quid.... you didn't even to get anything that 'spectacular' for that sort of money either, maybe a single cushion or a lamp base (without a shade).

[steddenm]

In my opinion, just looking around Brighton today, I think that the following will dissappear from the high streets in the next 6 months...

- DSG Retail (PC World, Dixons, Curry's)
- New Look
- Birthdays
- Soccer Sports
- Foot Locker
- Laura Ashley
- KeyStores
- Netto
- Zavvi

[Nini]

If anything, Netto is in a fairly good position to actually increase market share and hold on. Seems odd everyone has it in for DSG, if they go it's not as if there's an equivalent electrical retailer to take its place or at least they're isn't right now.

I expect to see another home interiors chain to go down next.

[barcode]

In my opinion, just looking around Brighton today, I think that the following will dissappear from the high streets in the next 6 months...

- DSG Retail (PC World, Dixons, Curry's)
- New Look
- Birthdays
- Soccer Sports
- Foot Locker
- Laura Ashley
- KeyStores
- Netto
- Zavvi

most of those store I have never seen much up hear in scotland even Zavvil have cut back with shutting it princess street store.

and if New look goes bang then my local shopping central is fucked!

[all new Phil]

I wouldn't be surprised if British Home Stores was in trouble in the near future. I went into town today and popped in there, it was of the few places that was practically empty (despite half the store being given over the Christmas tat). Quite a few smaller chains and independent shops were pretty quiet as well. I think they'll be the hardest hit over the coming months.

Not sure I agree about HMV, they were by far the busiest shop I went in, and they didn't really have much of a sale on. I queued for a good half an hour for the till, going right around to the back of the shop.

I predict trouble for TK Maxx, purely because I think it's a horrible, horrible shop that claims to offer discounts but is then so stupidly overpriced it's untrue.

[Nini]

Ah yes, the old style department stores like BHS and House of Fraser have their days numbered and I can't see them holding on.

[Dr Lobster*]

I predict trouble for TK Maxx, purely because I think it's a horrible, horrible shop that claims to offer discounts but is then so stupidly overpriced it's untrue.

and what's worse is that most of the stuff in there is damaged, their silk ties look like a kitten has been let loose with them and the 'home' accessories like lamps and the like are all scratched to feck - do they offer you discounts on non-pristine items? (can't say i've ever really brought anything much from them, maybe the odd work shirt)

[Stuart*]

Seems odd everyone has it in for DSG, if they go it's not as if there's an equivalent electrical retailer to take its place or at least they're isn't right now.

I concur, Nini, it seems odd that many people view them as a lost cause. DSG, in previous guises, has survived recessions before. As much as I dislike their customer service and pricing, they are in a market which will recover, they just have to hold their nerve.

Ah yes, the old style department stores like BHS and House of Fraser have their days numbered and I can't see them holding on.

I don’t know about BHS or Debenhams, but don’t some of the old style department stores such as House of Fraser operate on a franchise basis within the store itself? Presumably if the ‘Homeware and Cookery’ franchise went bust, they would just replace it with a different franchisee after a while? Isn’t that the way most Shopping Centres (not Malls*) operate, until they reach a point where vacant retail outlets outweigh those paying rent?

Perhaps they will fall during this recession, but they will leave some VERY BIG empty spaces in most prime city centre locations.

*I intensely dislike the fact that British people have started calling shopping centres ‘Malls’(with a hideous trans-atlantic accent). My notion of a ‘maul’ is:
something that I would report to the police after a mugging
the result of a verbal debate with Sputty in person over a coffee in town, or
some other unpleasant event!

[barcode]

Did anyone have Officers Club??

If so give yourself ten points!