Metropol

People keep insisting on buying me HMV vouchers for Christmas and things like that, despite telling absolutely everyone that I have no intention of shopping there, ever. Might pop in and look and some new headphones, but it's seriously disappointing to find out that vouchers aren't accepted online.

It used to be the case that you could spend Waterstones and HMV vouchers interchangeably. I wonder if this is still the case.

Which reminds me -

• Waterstones.

I went into one a few days before Christmas, when you'd expect it to be teeming with Christmas-present buyers, to get a book I needed at short notice. It was almost deserted, and I couldn't find the book I needed.

Will this be the proverbial straw for Comet - Comet 'sold 94,000 pirate Windows CDs', claims Microsoft

Do I have to do 3?
Can't I do 4:
1) HMV
2) Waterstones
3) WH Smiths
4) Comet

HMV is awful, the ones at Chesterfield and Meadowhall are tiny and cramped and the one at Sheffield is kinda badly organised.
I go into the Apple Store at Meadowhall frequently at it is what a 'packed' shop looks in my mind. HMV seems packed whenever I go in it as of late because of the sales, but on the usual days I'm sure it only feels packed because it's got horribly narrow corridors.

Waterstones seems to have some shoppers but I never actually see these 'shoppers' actually buy anything.
I recall the time when I went upstairs in Waterstones and saw about 100 or so 'Steve Jobs' biographies everywhere.
Most people probably bought that book from WH Smiths as it was cheaper there around launch or bought it for their Kindle/iPad.

WH Smiths should probably become smaller. More a GT News size thing.
How well is GT News doing anyway.

Comet is probably not going to get away with that thing Microsoft is accusing them of, if it turns out to be the case.

Waterstones was purchased last year by a rich Russian. I'm sure he's aware of the short term implications of the purchase and able to get it through 2012 at least - same with Comet.

The convenience sector is buoyant generally, I'd be surprised to see a whole chain of them like GT topple at once. I see more and more Nisas popping up now - really dislike Nisa and their poor 'Heritage' tat.

Waterstone's has definitely improved since it was bought by the deep pocketed Russian. Far more like the store it used to be before HMV got their grubby mitts on it.

Pete wrote:Waterstone's has definitely improved since it was bought by the deep pocketed Russian. Far more like the store it used to be before HMV got their grubby mitts on it.

HMV have owned it since 1998 - I'm not sure I can even remember it before then (other than being bored there).

if I'm not mistaken, WHSmith owned it, and then flogged it so it could become their biggest rival.

They also owned a significant state in ourprice, which they then flogged, and it became their biggest rival...

Been hanging around like a creep for a while, decided I would actually join and post.

Waterstone's is not going anywhere soon, the Russian owner has deep pockets and a love of literature. The company is basically a pet project. It has also vastly improved since HMV sold it. It's now a bit like the Ottaker's chain that Waterstone's under HMV ownership bought and swallowed up. It's also about to launch the UK-franchised version of the Barnes & Noble Nook.

I heard recently that HMV have stopped accepting customer orders. I don't have a clue what this means, but I wouldn't take that as a good sign.

I actually think alot of the major retailers will weather the storm this year.

One thing that has always annoyed me is the people who constantly moan about prices in bookstores or music shops being higher than Amazon. Well, of course they are. Where I live, without a HMV and Waterstone's, there would be no other book or music shops. Losing them would be a crying shame.

Pete wrote:if I'm not mistaken, WHSmith owned it, and then flogged it so it could become their biggest rival.

They also owned a significant state in ourprice, which they then flogged, and it became their biggest rival...

But you must have been, like, 10 then? Unless I've got your age outrageously wrong...

WillPS wrote:But you must have been, like, 10 then? Unless I've got your age outrageously wrong...

11, and I have a good memory.