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Re: Who's for the chop?

Posted: Sun 28 Dec, 2008 22.28
by nwtv2003
Ben wrote:
Isonstine wrote:but was their relationship with the Post Office a shrewd move in terms of helping them out of a hole? Would they be allowed to fail when they now house 80 branches, with many in highly populated towns?
I remember where I used to live the Post Office was moved into a Martin's newsagent which about a year later closed down, leaving the post office at the back of an empty shop. This was in quite a big town too, the last time I was there the shop now houses a school uniform business, with the Post Office still at the back. So even if Smiths went out of business it doesn't mean the Post Office would close.
Similar thing happened here, there's a shopping centre on the outskirts of Warrington at a place called Birchwood and they had a Post Office in a Forbouys, anyway they closed down, but the Post Office most moved into another store, bundled up with a Newsagents that's located right opposite an Asda and that seems to be doing well.

Re: Who's for the chop?

Posted: Sun 28 Dec, 2008 23.01
by Whataday
Isonstine wrote:Mind you, the interesting thought is should they go under, who would take on the contracts for the Post Office in these locations where the crown offices have been closed? I doubt they'd just disappear, perhaps the government would consider funding to put them in town halls, like many wanted in the first place?
The town/city halls in all the main towns around me (Cardiff, Newport, Cwmbran) are not very conveniently located to house the main post office.. i'm not sure if this applies to a lot of other places. Housing them within a main shop in the city centre makes much more sense.

If WHSmith closes down more of its music/video departments, there is more than enough room for a post office to replace it in an average sized branch.

Re: Who's for the chop?

Posted: Sun 28 Dec, 2008 23.33
by Ben
nwtv2003 wrote:Similar thing happened here, there's a shopping centre on the outskirts of Warrington at a place called Birchwood and they had a Post Office in a Forbouys, anyway they closed down, but the Post Office most moved into another store, bundled up with a Newsagents that's located right opposite an Asda and that seems to be doing well.
Well exactly, it wouldn't be hard to find the Post Office a new home. My point though was that the Post Office itself didn't move and was located at the back of an empty shop unit for quite some time which was surreal, but not as surreal as having a Post Office located in a children's wear shop. But it does go to prove that the Post Office could fit in almost anywhere.

Re: Who's for the chop?

Posted: Mon 29 Dec, 2008 00.10
by Ebeneezer Scrooge
Whataday wrote:
Isonstine wrote:Mind you, the interesting thought is should they go under, who would take on the contracts for the Post Office in these locations where the crown offices have been closed? I doubt they'd just disappear, perhaps the government would consider funding to put them in town halls, like many wanted in the first place?
The town/city halls in all the main towns around me (Cardiff, Newport, Cwmbran) are not very conveniently located to house the main post office.. i'm not sure if this applies to a lot of other places. Housing them within a main shop in the city centre makes much more sense.

If WHSmith closes down more of its music/video departments, there is more than enough room for a post office to replace it in an average sized branch.
Doesn't Torfaen Council still have a building right in the centre of Cwmbran, where the library is?

Re: Who's for the chop?

Posted: Mon 29 Dec, 2008 00.51
by Whataday
Just offices, nowhere big enough to house a post office. The big county hall is well out of the centre.

Re: Who's for the chop?

Posted: Mon 29 Dec, 2008 07.33
by cwathen
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 work in electrical retail myself, and whilst I wouldn't wish a job loss on anyone, if it is apparently inevitable that one of the big name groups will go, I see a certain poetic justice in it being DSG.

The practices of the lesser-spotted high street electrical shopper can be truly fascinating...people will walk into an electrical retailer and (somehow with a straight face) start enquiring "is there a discount for cash", "what deal is there for buying two?", (in regards to any attachment such as leads or installation charges etc) "you'll throw that in won't you?", "I bought <item A> here 2 months ago, so will you do <item B> any cheaper"...and not forgetting the kingpin one..."What's your best price on that?".

I won't include those attempting (badly) to use psychology by walking around the shop proclaiming in a 'discreet' conversation with their partner (discreet meaning intending to be overheard by the shop staff) "I never pay full price for anything", "I can get that much cheaper on the internet", "This lot won't be around for much longer at that price" etc etc in an apparent attempt to break down the sales staff on price before moving in with the cliches in the paragraph above.

Yet the same apparently savvy people, wise to the apparently groundbreaking idea that a shop intends to make money out of selling goods, will then walk in to Tescos, Argos, Halfords, Smiths, Waterstones - in fact anyone who isn't an electrical retailer - and pay sticker price for everything, take only deals that are offered rather than asking for them, don't expect past custom to count for anything, and don't expect their chosen method of payment to have any effect on the price they pay.

</rant mode>

DSG (mainly Currys Digital actually) have IMO done more than any other electrical retailer to fuel this embarassing spectacle of the customer haggling on price as a matter of course - putting together ridiculous loss making 'deals' for their customers, 'throwing in' this and that, 'i can do it for <cheaper price>' etc etc. I understand that any business wants the trade over others and any tool which can give them the edge is worth persuing, but what DSG have done was frankly unnecessary. At the start of 2008 when it was clear that this wouldn't be the easiest of years DSG kicked off ridiculous price cuts on all TVs which pushed margins down even further. This forced everyone else to do the same, but no one can afford to - Comet have tried twice in the past year to quietly push prices back up again, and have also tried to increase margins on white goods to pay for the subsidies on browns. Given that most manufacturers will increase trade prices in, this just cannot continue, prices have to go up if electrical retail on the high street is to survive. Frankly, the best catalyst to do that will be the end of DSG, and I get the feeling that they've allready done themselves in - it's all very well having good public perception as being low priced, and having your stores packed out and shifting loads of stock, but if you're not making any money then you won't last.

Re: Who's for the chop?

Posted: Mon 29 Dec, 2008 08.02
by Mr Q
The reason people haggle at electrical stores is because they DO get discounts - it clearly works, because the retailers allow it to work. By contrast, if you went into a supermarket and started trying to haggle with the checkout operator, you'd get laughed out of the shop. Consequently you don't see people doing it there. What it indicates is a highly competitive market among electrical retailers - and that's a good thing.

For what it's worth, the phenomenon you're observing is not unique to the UK. I know that it's commonplace with electrical goods here in Australia, and I suspect in the US as well. So I wouldn't go blaming any one retailer for the practice.

Re: Who's for the chop?

Posted: Mon 29 Dec, 2008 15.56
by Sput
Anyone have USC? I was expecting ARK to go.

Re: Who's for the chop?

Posted: Mon 29 Dec, 2008 16.17
by Pete
Sput wrote:I was expecting ARK to go.
as in the car wash people? USC was a load of overpriced nonsense. Same stuff you got elsewhere for half as much.

Re: Who's for the chop?

Posted: Mon 29 Dec, 2008 16.29
by Nini
To those playing along at home, you may want to check this PDF for where those Love2shop vouchers can be used, tick them off as they go under, you already have four done for you.

http://www.love2reward.co.uk/media/Love ... eemers.pdf

Re: Who's for the chop?

Posted: Mon 29 Dec, 2008 18.31
by iSon
Nini wrote:To those playing along at home, you may want to check this PDF for where those Love2shop vouchers can be used, tick them off as they go under, you already have four done for you.

http://www.love2reward.co.uk/media/Love ... eemers.pdf
That's a good game. It wouldn't surprise if you could tick House of Fraser off that list soon. They've been on the ropes for years as well.

Interestingly whilst just doing a quick look up of them, it looks like the Icelandic government could step in to help their owners Baugur after getting caught up in the nationalisation of the banks over there. Interestingly it had a big holding in Woolworths and Mark One which of course both have gone to the wall.

So more than just an educated guess when it comes to Debenhams as well then!

Details here:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/news ... augur.html