The changing face of the high street

jamescredmond

Gorgeous_George wrote: »

Yuk!!!!!!!!!!!!!:rotfl:

Every Lolita helps?

GG

ye gods man!

steady on over there!!

people have got all beat up about dud's OP!

deathwish or what?!

bo_drinker

Word is there are 40 empty shops here. We lost a Dept store earlier in the year and no one has taken it on. Rates are the killer round here, some businesses have started and folded in no time. Talk of building a new lot as well, ridiculous. B and Q got bigger and no one has taken on the old unit now split in two. Charity shops everywhere as others mentioned. Mind you when you can go to Asda and buy a good pair of Jeans for 6 quid what chance do the others have /

fc123

epz wrote: »

what will likely happen is eventually rental prices will drop to a level that small specialist shops will find it worth while to have a high-street presence.

When it costs much less to rent people can operate lower margin and specialist shops.

Last time it took many years for the rents to reduce....the shops were left empty or with a 'genuine' charity shop occupying it for free. Most charity shops now pay market rent (some have caused problems in our area as they don't pay full business rates....so pay higher rent than they should....so increasing the rent of their neighbours.....who eventually shut down).

This time it is going to happen a lot quicker BUT all the niche, interesting stuff seems to be online now.....The Long Tail in action.

epz has got it spot on but it will come too late for moi.

Was in touch with a trade journalist last week about the same issue....reallly made us focus....well even more than normal.....

In fact, I have total burn out at the moment, my brain is seizing up as I try to type.
I don't know how long I can keep up with the hours TBH. The e-tail thing is a huge ammount of extra work but is the only thing that will pay the bills.
The shop absorbs 98 man hours pwk (8 hrs staff and 90 shared between me and OH) and is now just covering it's costs...just.....it never earnt us a fortune when it was kicking! It was just a good living.

I have just finished writing a (long) letter to our multi-billionaire Landlord (in Tall Glass Tower Land) requesting a suspension of our rent review (an increase from £32,500pa to £52,000pa effective from June 08....errr.... so we are going into debt right now and not a pair of shoes or new telly in sight).

We could then put the shop up for reassignment.....but it's impossible with an outstanding rent review....they take around 18 months to settle.

I have listed various options but as we have full liability on the lease, I don't think they will be very reasonable.......

Sorry to be so miserable on the thread....as it is funny...Tesco Taste the difference etc...

naughty


My take on it is worse...because of on-line sales etc, many won't be shops ever again...they won't be needed.
The EA's business will be the next thing to go massively online in the next decade...there will always be room for a few real life EA's...but the whole way of selling houses will change...just like lots of other types of shops and services.

jamescredmond

fc123 wrote: »

Last time it took many years for the rents to reduce....the shops were left empty or with a 'genuine' charity shop occupying it for free. Most charity shops now pay market rent (some have caused problems in our area as they don't pay full business rates....so pay higher rent than they should....so increasing the rent of their neighbours.....who eventually shut down).

This time it is going to happen a lot quicker BUT all the niche, interesting stuff seems to be online now.....The Long Tail in action.

epz has got it spot on but it will come too late for moi.

Was in touch with a trade journalist last week about the same issue....reallly made us focus....well even more than normal.....

In fact, I have total burn out at the moment, my brain is seizing up as I try to type.
I don't know how long I can keep up with the hours TBH. The e-tail thing is a huge ammount of extra work but is the only thing that will pay the bills.
The shop absorbs 98 man hours pwk (8 hrs staff and 90 shared between me and OH) and is now just covering it's costs...just.....it never earnt us a fortune when it was kicking! It was just a good living.

I have just finished writing a (long) letter to our multi-billionaire Landlord (in Tall Glass Tower Land) requesting a suspension of our rent review (an increase from £32,500pa to £52,000pa effective from June 08....errr.... so we are going into debt right now and not a pair of shoes or new telly in sight).

We could then put the shop up for reassignment.....but it's impossible with an outstanding rent review....they take around 18 months to settle.

I have listed various options but as we have full liability on the lease, I don't think they will be very reasonable.......

Sorry to be so miserable on the thread....as it is funny...Tesco Taste the difference etc...

naughty


My take on it is worse...because of on-line sales etc, many won't be shops ever again...they won't be needed.
The EA's business will be the next thing to go massively online in the next decade...there will always be room for a few real life EA's...but the whole way of selling houses will change...just like lots of other types of shops and services.

I'm not always sympathetic, but in your case I'm sorry to hear this.

yet another independent struggling.

brilliant..................

amcluesent

>many won't be shops ever again...they won't be needed.<

True. The only impediment to massive increase in on-line sales in England is our hopeless Post Office/ParcelFarce and the hassle of deliveries if all in the house work.

Generali

amcluesent wrote: »

>many won't be shops ever again...they won't be needed.<

True. The only impediment to massive increase in on-line sales in England is our hopeless Post Office/ParcelFarce and the hassle of deliveries if all in the house work.

If you're quick and get them before they disappear, there could be money to be made turning milkmen into a delivery service for online stuff.

fc123

Aaaaagh...just typed out an upbeat, positive reply......and it disapeared.

Just a quicky...my neighbours may be writing to the LL soon too.......

Icelandic investment firm Stodir, controlled by Baugur executive chairman Jon Asgeir Johanesson, has filed for administration.

The move follows the nationalisation of Icelandic bank Glitnir, in which Stodir was a major shareholder.
Stodir was understood to be in the process of securing a 39% stake in Baugur, which has investments in UK retailers including House of Fraser, Oasis and Warehouse.
It is unclear what impact the administration may have on any of these businesses.

.....and Moanymoany popped in and I didn't have time to chat either! I hope I was upbeat and perky.....flogging a frock or 2.

BYALPHAINDIA

The good old High St has gone now.

Carboot sales seem to be in fashion now.

I do 2 a week, York Racecourse - Sat and Leeds Bradford Airport - Sun.

There's about 8 on in our area on a sunday.

Plus the markets during the week.

There were 600 cars at the carboot on sunday, people come from everywhere.

York is on of the biggest.

2nd hand goods are what people can afford now.

Gorgeous_George

As a nation, we know the price of everything but the value of nothing.

I'll pray that those who suffer most have the strongest minds.

GG

ps. At the moment, the popular shares page shows a sea of red . There is one hint of blue and yes, it is Tesco.

carolt

BYALPHAINDIA wrote: »

The good old High St has gone now.

Carboot sales seem to be in fashion now.

I do 2 a week, York Racecourse - Sat and Leeds Bradford Airport - Sun.

There's about 8 on in our area on a sunday.

Plus the markets during the week.

There were 600 cars at the carboot on sunday, people come from everywhere.

York is on of the biggest.

2nd hand goods are what people can afford now.

Interesting. Maybe it's different around the country.

We've been to a couple of carboots recently, with a view to selling some of our stuff, and was shocked by the number of sellers v buyers; loads of the former, but very few buyers, compared to a couple of years ago.