High Street chain collapse sweepstake

Jonwo · Mon 17 Jul, 2023 14.19

Zimba wrote: ↑Wed 12 Jul, 2023 11.43 Empire were finished then they sold a chunk of the chain off to Cineworld in 2016/17. They were left with some very poor sites after that sale, the Chairman at the time boasted about having shares in Cineworld aswell, very bizarre transaction. Without stuff like the flagship site on Leicester Square, Hemel Hempstead and The Gate, Newcastle they were never going to survive - surprised they lasted as long as they did.

That transaction aged poorly for Empire since those shares are now worthless.

Martin Phillp · Tue 18 Jul, 2023 03.22

The Boots that I mentioned that is being transferred to another pharmacy chain has been card only since last Thursday. Their final day trading as Boots is on Saturday.

Charlie Wells · Thu 20 Jul, 2023 15.29

Wilko are in the news again.

Wilko owners explore sale in race to salvage chain's future
The Wilkinson family is weighing the sale of a controlling stake in the retail chain it founded in 1930 as it races to raise tens of millions of pounds in new funding, Sky News learns.

Full article: https://news.sky.com/story/wilko-owners ... e-12924086

Jonwo · Sat 22 Jul, 2023 20.14

I bet it really stings for Empire that Barbenheimer happened two weeks after they went into administration, it might have helped things for a bit longer.

I find it interesting that while the multiplexes are having issues, the smaller cinemas like Everyman are thriving.

all new Phil · Sun 23 Jul, 2023 09.27

Jonwo wrote: ↑Sat 22 Jul, 2023 20.14 I bet it really stings for Empire that Barbenheimer happened two weeks after they went into administration, it might have helped things for a bit longer.

I find it interesting that while the multiplexes are having issues, the smaller cinemas like Everyman are thriving.

Everyman (similarly The Light) do an excellent job of integrating into the community. And they are passionate about films. Some of the bigger chains seem more interested in being a food and drink outlet.

BBC TV Centre · Sun 23 Jul, 2023 20.24

It's probably also that old adage of location, location, location.

Quite a lot of Everyman and The Light locations are in affluent areas (and therefore likely to spend more on the extras), and the offering is different to what the multiplexes have. You can get alcoholic drinks and hot pizza served at your seat which is a sofa/armchair type thing. They are also new or have invested money in updating the cinema's internals, from the screens to the seating.

Whereas I have found that the multiplexes ae very much avoid the overpriced bag of sweets at the counter, and mind the chewing gum left on the seat by the previous occupant...

Jonwo · Mon 24 Jul, 2023 13.36

I do think the boutique cinemas do a good job of keeping revenue within one building so if it has a restaurant or a good food offering then you're more likely to stay there for longer.

Martin Phillp · Mon 24 Jul, 2023 18.09

I went past the Boots which is now part of an small chain of London chemists today. The signs were being switched today, although there's still lots of Boots font stuff in the store, especially the big Prescriptions sign.

There's a new legal sign outside the shop informing customers that Boots UK are still providing pharmacy services on behalf of the new owner under a management contract.

My guess is Boots still owns the freehold of the shop and are still paying the pharmacy team to operate that part of the shop, leaving the new owner to earn revenue from the stock in the store and pay the shop assistants.

Martin Phillp · Tue 25 Jul, 2023 13.08

Amazon Fresh have closed three stores in Ealing, Wandsworth and East Sheen.

https://www.retailsector.co.uk/644060-a ... two-years/

Charlie Wells · Tue 25 Jul, 2023 16.38

Martin Phillp wrote: ↑Tue 25 Jul, 2023 13.08 Amazon Fresh have closed three stores in Ealing, Wandsworth and East Sheen.

https://www.retailsector.co.uk/644060-a ... two-years/

Been into a few of the Amazon Fresh stores whilst visiting London (on different occasions). The biggest problem my wife encountered was that the app wouldn't let her in, on multiple attempts on two separate stores/days, despite removing & re-adding the payment card. Ended up adding one of my cards onto her app to get her in the last time.

By contrast the Tesco GetGo app once set up worked fine in at their High Holborn branch. It's interesting to note that in the past year they've announced three new 'hydrid' GetGo stores, which have the additional option of using a self-checkout machine or a manned till. I suspect this gives the best of both worlds, as the self-checkout & manned till gives familiarity to some people.

I think Amazon Fresh may have very recently changed the payment options at at least one of their stores, based on a notification I got earlier this week. Notably their FAQs page mentions you can exit the store by "scanning either the in-store QR code in the Amazon App or tapping your payment card at the exit gate". This sounds like a change from having to scan a QR code on your phone to get in. Maybe they've realised that other people have had problems getting in, and by supporting tapping a payment card on exit gives a backup for their app/QR code issues.

BBC TV Centre · Sat 29 Jul, 2023 18.57

Charlie Wells wrote: ↑Tue 25 Jul, 2023 16.38
Martin Phillp wrote: ↑Tue 25 Jul, 2023 13.08 Amazon Fresh have closed three stores in Ealing, Wandsworth and East Sheen.

https://www.retailsector.co.uk/644060-a ... two-years/
Been into a few of the Amazon Fresh stores whilst visiting London (on different occasions). The biggest problem my wife encountered was that the app wouldn't let her in, on multiple attempts on two separate stores/days, despite removing & re-adding the payment card. Ended up adding one of my cards onto her app to get her in the last time.

By contrast the Tesco GetGo app once set up worked fine in at their High Holborn branch. It's interesting to note that in the past year they've announced three new 'hydrid' GetGo stores, which have the additional option of using a self-checkout machine or a manned till. I suspect this gives the best of both worlds, as the self-checkout & manned till gives familiarity to some people.

I think Amazon Fresh may have very recently changed the payment options at at least one of their stores, based on a notification I got earlier this week. Notably their FAQs page mentions you can exit the store by "scanning either the in-store QR code in the Amazon App or tapping your payment card at the exit gate". This sounds like a change from having to scan a QR code on your phone to get in. Maybe they've realised that other people have had problems getting in, and by supporting tapping a payment card on exit gives a backup for their app/QR code issues.

That does sound like a load of faff when it goes wrong. I wouldn't have bothered if it didn't work first time, and just go would have gone to the other stores in the vicinity.

I've used the now-closed Amazon Fresh in Ealing a few times, the pricing of the items is very much at the premium end.

There is also this as well in one of the other Amazon Fresh stores that I pass on the way home:

"If you shop using a payment card that is not associated with an Amazon account, learn how to get a receipt for your purchase by visiting Amazon Fresh Receipts. If you are served by an associate at a checkout, you will be given a paper receipt."

I guess there's a barcode or something you scan at the gate to let yourself out like in Sainsbury's self checkouts?