Metropol

I'm guessing that the NewsPlus newsagent chain has gone out of business, because both branches at Hull's North Point Shopping Centre closed down without warning at some point last week. A few days beforehand, they'd had no morning papers in, and blamed it on a technical problem. More like the suppliers refused to send any stock because they weren't getting paid for the goods!

Critique wrote:I question how long QD will last now, as last week one of the two local stores here closed down, literally within a couple of days. I think it was announced on Monday, with everything being 50% off, and by Friday it was closed. Walking past you can see all the lights still on, even the tills still turned on, but the shelves completely empty. Apparently the other QD will remain open, but it was a very sudden close and perhaps a sign of things to come?

Article from the local paper about it: http://www.ipswichstar.co.uk/news/ipswi ... _1_2422045

It seems that the landlords kicked them out because they had another tenant lined up!

QD do own Buy Right. http://www.diyweek.net/news/news.asp?id ... ng+channel

Despite being off the High Street, Habitat are still trading as a brand of the Argos / Homebase Home Shopping Group.

And they sell Metropol lamps.

Doesn't someone here like lamp?

http://www.habitat.co.uk/metropol-metal ... uct/142142

Alexia wrote:Despite being off the High Street, Habitat are still trading as a brand of the Argos / Homebase Home Shopping Group.

And they sell Metropol lamps.

Doesn't someone here like lamp?

http://www.habitat.co.uk/metropol-metal ... uct/142142

I'm sure they have Habitat branded areas within Homebase stores too.

HRG kept a handful of Habitat stores open - I think it was two or three in London, but looking at their store locator, it seems that they've got a couple more on the way, plus about ten in Homebase stores.

I've not been down that way for a while, but I'll have to go and have a look at what became of their Regent Street store - it was architecturally quite interesting, because it used to be a cinema, and still had lots of original features. There's some pictures of it here.

So, the US owners of the brand won't let the UK version go into online rentals. If a company like this can't transfer it's business to the Internet, it's doomed. Blockbuster UK is effectively finished.

JAS84 wrote:So, the US owners of the brand won't let the UK version go into online rentals. If a company like this can't transfer it's business to the Internet, it's doomed. Blockbuster UK is effectively finished.

I'm sure Blockbuster UK used to have a mail order DVD rental service?

WillPS wrote:

JAS84 wrote:So, the US owners of the brand won't let the UK version go into online rentals. If a company like this can't transfer it's business to the Internet, it's doomed. Blockbuster UK is effectively finished.

I'm sure Blockbuster UK used to have a mail order DVD rental service?

Indeed, they did have a Lovefilm-like service. It had an excellent "Top Ticket" function where you could choose the exact title that would be sent next from your rental list, and they also sent vouchers for popcorn and similar stuff that could be picked up for free from their bricks and mortar stores. They'd also occasionally send you an extra disc from your list, above the number you were entitled to have at home at any one time, as a "treat".

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-24799513

Not quite a collapse (yet), but The Co-Operative bank is in a bit of doo doo and will undergo restructuring which will see 15% of branches closed and co-op losing control of the bank, with their share being reduced to only 30% in the process.

At the top of the list of failures being used to blame this situation on is the takeover of Britannia in 2009 - which I note co-op have only just finished rebranding.

My main bank account is with smile, I have an another account with the Co-op bank, and I'm a member of the group. And I've heard nothing from any of them about this rather significant change to the group. They really need to go on a PR offensive, otherwise they'll start hemorrhaging customers, which will only put the bank in more danger of collapse.

cwathen wrote:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-24799513

Not quite a collapse (yet), but The Co-Operative bank is in a bit of doo doo and will undergo restructuring which will see 15% of branches closed and co-op losing control of the bank, with their share being reduced to only 30% in the process.

At the top of the list of failures being used to blame this situation on is the takeover of Britannia in 2009 - which I note co-op have only just finished rebranding.

Or closing. My nearest branch of Britannia closed down recently. The signage was removed, and you can make out where the older lettering had been, before Britannia's final logo change.