Metropol

M&S's new font is Avenir.

Meanwhile, *YOU* of all people have the cheek to accuse the co-operative's branding of being verbose?

Rob Del Monte wrote: A bit out of date, but what do metropolers make of the standardisation of the various Co-operative movement's ventures' logos (though I suppose the Co-op isn't High Street)?

There's both a Co-Op Bank and a Co-Op Travel on my high street, so there.

As for standardisation, I'm fairly sure that the Co-Op has had a fairly consistent branding evolution over the years:

Alexia wrote:

Rob Del Monte wrote: A bit out of date, but what do metropolers make of the standardisation of the various Co-operative movement's ventures' logos (though I suppose the Co-op isn't High Street)?

There's both a Co-Op Bank and a Co-Op Travel on my high street, so there.

As for standardisation, I'm fairly sure that the Co-Op has had a fairly consistent branding evolution over the years:

the manchester based co-op has yes, but whilst many co-operatives used the logo above, it was not adopted universally. many societies used different brand names for different divisions such as pioneer (somewhere down south?), while central/midlands used 'extra' and 'supermarket'.

i have no idea of the uptake of the current branding on shop fronts/pos, i'm presuming its wider than the previous attempt? scotmid have retained shop front branding haven't they?

Alexia wrote:

Rob Del Monte wrote: A bit out of date, but what do metropolers make of the standardisation of the various Co-operative movement's ventures' logos (though I suppose the Co-op isn't High Street)?

There's both a Co-Op Bank and a Co-Op Travel on my high street, so there.

They've really cut back in Warrington town centre as Co-Op Bank and Travel now both share the same store, but they are all up to date and what have you outside. And from what I have seen 'The Co-Operative Food' is being rolled out slowly but surely, but considering they've changed looks and names so many times I doubt some people would noitce, ie Co-Op -> Late Shop -> Co-Op Late Shop -> Co-Operative -> The Co-Operative Food

Anyone know when Somerfield's due to disappear into the whole Co-Op branding?

tvmercia wrote:i have no idea of the uptake of the current branding on shop fronts/pos, i'm presuming its wider than the previous attempt? scotmid have retained shop front branding haven't they?

Northern Ireland Co-Ops (including my local one which is bloody awful as it's far too small for the stock it carries) now have this style of branding:



While looking for that I learned something I did not know, that Semi-Chem is owned by Scotmid. There are quite a few Semi-Chems over on this side of the North Channel.

nwtv2003 wrote:Anyone know when Somerfield's due to disappear into the whole Co-Op branding?

Apparently the whole conversion's going to take up to 2 years according to this.

I've noticed that my local existing Co-op store has started replacing its Co-op 'Basics' range with Somerfield's 'Simply Value' range, albeit with the Co-op logo on instead (in the same way that Morrisons adopted the branding of Safeway's 'The Best' and 'Eat Smart' ranges).

marksi wrote:While looking for that I learned something I did not know, that Semi-Chem is owned by Scotmid. There are quite a few Semi-Chems over on this side of the North Channel.

Ah that makes sense. Scotmid's "flagship" store, where they shoot their ads, has a Semi Chem concession inside.

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&sourc ... 9.67,,0,-4

Oh, and it has the CoOp logo too. I know it doesn't look much from this entrance, but the main door faces a car park, so no street view.

(I notice some of the London branches of Woolworths with old style neon signage outside, still have the signs illuminated. Who's paying the bill for that?)

Same here with the Woolies in Basingstoke (which co-incidentally is right next to a Poundland)

Regarding Woolworths, I've noticed in a lot of places I've visited, the old Woolworths stores have been replaced by new stores such as 'SaverCentre' and 'Bargain World' - and even the famous Wellworths.

Woolworths can't have had that much of a flawed business model, if all these new companies can afford to start up and replicate Woolworths, especially during a recession.

There's also a lot of stores doing really well like poundland and £stretcher and instore - all selling the same tat as Woolworths. In fact £stretcher are showing all Woolworths' old show material! They have signs up all over their stores saying "Woolworths: WORTH IT!".

(I notice some of the London branches of Woolworths with old style neon signage outside, still have the signs illuminated. Who's paying the bill for that?)

Woolworth had some pretty impressively large prime city sites, so not a surprise that others can make some money from them.

The difference I guess is that Woolies had hundreds of branches and thousands of staff (and a company pension scheme?). Doesn't take much of a dent in your cashflow to ruin all that, whereas a single outlet or minimal branch chain doesn't have the same overheads to cover.

The Leith Woolworths now has posters up over the windows of the "I love Leith" campaign - lots of large close ups of well known (erm, notorious) "Leithers" like Irvine Welsh and Mary Moriarty.

If you don't know Mary, don't ask!

I notice some of the London branches of Woolworths with old style neon signage outside, still have the signs illuminated. Who's paying the bill for that?

It'll be the electricity companies in the long run, which means they'll probably use the bad debt as yet another reason to increase the cost of my units.

Some ex-member of the Woolworths staff will have either forgotton to switch the sign off on the last day, or, more probably, simply couldn't be bothered. Ever since then, the signs have been on, the meters have been whizzing round at amazing speed and the bills have been landing on the doormat, never to be paid.

In these wonderful Labour days of "don't cut anyone off till the last possible moment, they might be a little old lady who'll die if she can't boil her kettle", the electricity company probably won't cut the supply off for about a year.

The administrators will then offer the electricity company a penny in the pound, or whatever the going rate is for Woolworths debts and the electricity company will have to absorb the rest.