High street braced for Christmas sales carnage

amcluesent

UP to 15 national retail chains are predicted to go bust before the middle of January, forcing thousands more shopworkers onto the dole.

This weekend it emerged that The Officers Club, a 150-strong national menswear chain, had been put up for distressed sale through KPMG, while the specialist tea retailer, Whittards, and music store Zavvi remained on the critical list.

Nick Bubb, analyst at Pali International, said: “In January, there will be big downgrades and soon retailers will start to lose money. “The scale of the crisis will have an impact on consumer confidence. The sobering thing is that this downturn has only just begun. We have another two years of this.” Marks & Spencer is rumoured to be among the many high-street chains having a torrid time.

I predict a riot!

Generali

amcluesent wrote: »

Whittards

I predict a riot!

Really? Because the English can't get a decent cuppa! Crickey!!!!

lynzpower

M&S having a torrid time? they better not go anywhere!

Officers club have been having a permanent closing down type sale since they started & always look vulnerable. Think we might have bought something in tjhere once. Whittards is only acceptable when they have a nice sale on- ( come january...)
very expensive otherwise & not even fairtrade.

To prove the point Im wearing my M&S undies eating M&S bacon & egg sandwiches and an M&S cup of fairtrade tea and going to have M&S pie for tea. Nice. I sent M&S Xmas cards this year. I hope I get M&S vouchers for christmas, its one of the only retailers I can consistently spend vouchers in easily. ( as opposed to debenhams vouchers which I better use up cos im not convinced they are going to stick around through till 2010)

neas

i wear/live/eat/breath tesco :P

Broken_hearted

Don't worry linz, they will wait till we've cleared the debt we owe them before they go under so you have months yet,:rotfl:
I'm upset at Wittards being in trouble they are such a big part of our lives, waking up without making one of their coffees will be a sad time.

Generali

Broken_hearted wrote: »

Don't worry linz, they will wait till we've cleared the debt we owe them before they go under so you have months yet,:rotfl:
I'm upset at Wittards being in trouble they are such a big part of our lives, waking up without making one of their coffees will be a sad time.

Wittards were always good for prezzies to bring to Aus. Also for little tasters of tea and coffee when shopping (usually awful it should be said).

Broken_hearted

My boys love tasteing the samples they have out.

neverdespairgirl

lynzpower wrote: »

To prove the point Im wearing my M&S undies eating M&S bacon & egg sandwiches and an M&S cup of fairtrade tea and going to have M&S pie for tea. Nice. I sent M&S Xmas cards this year.

Not quite as comprehensive, here, no M & S grub. I am drinking M & S tea, and wearing M & S undies and a long-sleeved T-shirt, though.

bo_drinker

Officers Club, T K Max = glorified jumble sales on the High Street really. M & S go in peaks and troughs (depends on your age of course) My O H goes there but they seem to be in a trough at the moment .I get to sample some M & S grub when I visit my mother, we did buy a Lasagne there last week, it was good. Primark is here to stay and ride the storm, some of it is not too bad if the crowds are at home. Post Jan sales will be the real tester. Oh Next is another, they along with others fill the shelves with tat in sales and hope folk don't realise, many don't realise as they must go round with their eyes shut through the year.

lilac_lady

Wonder when the charity shops will go bust as their goods are becoming more expensive than retail shops.

amcluesent

John Lewis the worst offender for January Sale 'specials' of tat shipped in for the occasion.

So far the M&S 20% off everything days have been the best genuine sales IMHO. Peeps have commented favourably on a suit I got, discounted by £100. Been online for Jaeger today, but the stock is very limited.