High Street chain collapse sweepstake

[Pete]

I could see purchases up to 12pm being made available by 4pm at these Amazon locker thingies. Saw one at Lakeside for the first time a couple of months ago.

One thing I've never quite got is why nobody has ever started a "royal mail sorting office for couriers" type thing. Basically rent a unit on an industrial estate and then people sign up for a box at £x a month / £x a parcel and it they use your address therefore avoiding having to wait in for cretinous HDNL / DHL muppets

[m-in-m]

A number of different methods have been tried but never seen any massively take off.

The locker idea isn't new. My local petrol station has some - I have no idea how you arrange for stuff to be delivered to them. Not sure if they are tied to one courier firm. In fact I have no idea if they are even still useable.

[lukey]

I could see purchases up to 12pm being made available by 4pm at these Amazon locker thingies. Saw one at Lakeside for the first time a couple of months ago.

One thing I've never quite got is why nobody has ever started a "royal mail sorting office for couriers" type thing. Basically rent a unit on an industrial estate and then people sign up for a box at £x a month / £x a parcel and it they use your address therefore avoiding having to wait in for cretinous HDNL / DHL muppets

To be fair there is that 'Parcel Office' thing on the uni campus which for some cut per parcel will take in your packages.

But going back to an earlier point, I actually think strangely enough the Argos format may basically represent a sort of high street of the future (forgive the Tomorrowlandness of that). The two unique points of the high street are tactility and immediacy (and within that, impulse) and I can imagine some years down the line Amazon buying units inviting you to poke iPads, stare at walls of TVs then ordering to deliver to yourself, the store (well, showroom), some intermediary, etc. I think this might be the year where we finally realise that the likes of HMV - caves full of piled high, nicely packaged data - seem absurd.

[Whataday]

1. Peacocks/Bon Marche
2. Poundstretcher
3. Comet

With regards to Peacocks, i think it all hinges on whether or not they can offload BonMarche. Aparently the rent for the latter was not paid for the last quarter, and no new stock has been ordered. Both operations have been kept very separately even though there are obvious cost savings they could have made. They even have completely separate head offices, warehouses etc.

HMV have got a lot of assets they could offload before going under. Theyve been quite canny in branching out not only online but to live music venues (HMV Institutes, Barfly, G-A-Y) where it is generally agreed the main chunk of the music industry's income is now made.

I also have a feeling that Currys/PC World are gearing up for a rebrand to KnowHow, judging by the way theyve been pushing it in stores. This could lead to some closures.

[WillPS]

Knowhow is just a rebranded version of "The Tech Guys" isn't it?

[DJDave]

1. Peacocks/Bon Marche

With regards to Peacocks, i think it all hinges on whether or not they can offload BonMarche. Aparently the rent for the latter was not paid for the last quarter, and no new stock has been ordered. Both operations have been kept very separately even though there are obvious cost savings they could have made. They even have completely separate head offices, warehouses etc.

Can I just ask where you heard the rent was not paid and no new stock has been ordered? and did you mean that for both or just Bon Marche?

not having a go by the way Also Peacocks have been trying to get rid of Bon Marche for a few years now, I think if anything does happen Bon March will go before Peacocks as Peacocks makes money where was Bon Marche makes very little.

My friend always says the last 2 shops on the high street with be TESCO and Santander

[wells]

I also have a feeling that Currys/PC World are gearing up for a rebrand to KnowHow.

I doubt that very much, why kill the Currys brand and start from scratch? The brand and the familiarity to the consumer is one of the few things stores like that have going for them. I can see them dropping the PC World brand, but I think 'Currys PC World' works well as it would add a greater sense of value to a store which is essentially a Currys with a larger computer section. So I think it will stay as it is for now.

As for Peacocks I find it a bizarre move that the Peacocks brand adorns all their clothing now.

I also find it odd that Selfridges in Brum and the Trafford Centre now have male Primark section. I mean you don't go to Selfridges to buy Primark clothes, do you?

[bilky asko]

Knowhow is just a rebranded version of "The Tech Guys" isn't it?

Yes - I highly doubt after spending money completely refurbishing some stores to nearly double their size and create a Currys PC World megabrand for these flagship stores they would drop both names and fall into the Consignia Trap.

[DJDave]

As for Peacocks I find it a bizarre move that the Peacocks brand adorns all their clothing now.

Sounds better now tbh then Urban Spirit and Evie and looks a better too, as for Currys I'm shocked to see pur Currys.Digital still open there is a big PC World down the road so it would not shock me if that became a Currys/PC World at some point.

[Whataday]

I also have a feeling that Currys/PC World are gearing up for a rebrand to KnowHow.

I doubt that very much, why kill the Currys brand and start from scratch? The brand and the familiarity to the consumer is one of the few things stores like that have going for them. I can see them dropping the PC World brand, but I think 'Currys PC World' works well as it would add a greater sense of value to a store which is essentially a Currys with a larger computer section. So I think it will stay as it is for now.

As for Peacocks I find it a bizarre move that the Peacocks brand adorns all their clothing now.

Currys doesnt exactly have a great customer service record does it? Also its worth noting that they are currently trialling stores without the Currys brand, with Knowhow signage (altho the stores are officially known as 'Blacks'. Also, if you order an item to be delivered, it comes plastered with the Knowhow branding, and it even says something like "Delivered by Knowhow for Dixons.co.uk/Currys etc".

As for Currys being unlikely to rebrand so soon after the last time, DSG have a history of chopping and changing their brandong. Look at the recent history of the PC World logo. There are about 4 different versions of the logo on different stores around the country because they can never seem to make up their mind.

I wouldnt mind anyway, I think the Knowhow brand is slick and shouts about experience and product knowledge. It would make perfect sense.

Peacocks decided to end Urban Spirit etc as their research found people had a total lack of awareness of the sub brands, so they felt they might as well have 1 core brand. Although the Peacocks logo they use on their clothing is different to their current logo which is just stupid.

[Whataday]

You can see a photo of one of the new concept stores here:

http://www.dixonsretail.com/dixons/uplo ... store3.jpg