Major Retailers Closing

zarazara

DC Cook, which sold cars, has gone bust.

byb3

Couldn't agree more about Maplins. Went in there to buy a simple analog aerial lead to hook up my Digibox, they were asking for £6.99. I went to ASDA which was literally next door and you could pick one up for 99p. I can't buy anything in there without thinking i'm being seriously ripped off.

*Vikki*

chickflick wrote: »

I think currys, dixons, game, hmv, pc world, homebase, new look, superdrug, miss selfridge, mothercare.

I totally agree! They are all over priced!

SingleSue

Halfords are looking dodgy, spoke to a friend who works for them this afternoon and he is not particularly hopeful that they will be in the high street for next Christmas. All staff are banned from overtime, they are not taking on new staff, some people have lost their jobs...he was a tiny bit worried to say the least.

mewbie_2

peachyprice wrote: »

Oh god yes, they always smell of geek, no-one else shops their by choice.

Beware a geek bearing gift vouchers.

skint-student-nurse

the works are shutting stores to avoid going into administration, my friend works for them and luckily the store she manages is staying open but the stores in the two cities near me are closing...not a good sign.

rach83

I think the following will go in 2009 -

Holland and Barrett, Superdrug, BHS, Pilot (clothes store bit like New Look), Body Shop, Bay Trading, Claires Accessories, La Senza.

Cheers

edgex

Ive never understood Maplins, can never quite 'get' what they sell.

Others to go:
anyone that is just a womens fashion retailer, especially the smaller, less established ones, & the non-brand sellers.


Boots, Holland & Barrett, Body Shop, Halfords, WHSmith, Debenhams, John Lewis etc etc will be pretty safe i would think.
They are all large enough, that any debts they do have, are more likely to be re-arranged, instead of called in.
As smaller competitors close-up, whether completely or just certain stores, the large retailers will pick up any of the remaining customers.

Woolworths was not a major retailer, & they havnt been for at least 10 years.

SingleSue

The non brand sellers are the ones that do better round here.....not so many pennies.

I still can't understand paying 10 times as much for a top as I would for a non branded item, just seems like waste to me.

Kez100

Why will Claires go? Are they having problems. I was in one of their pigeon hut stores this afternoon and it was full of youngsters spending their pocket money/saturday job earnings.

The margins must be massive (I paid £1 for 10 nail stickers and that was half price!) and if they pay rent per square foot it's nothing compared to a normal store.

Their staff must be close to minimum wage as they are all very young.

Shops I was suprised not to see many in .... Boots, Superdrug, B and Q.

Main shopping bags for purchases - Primark! (to be fair, Debenhams don't give out bags now so most use others for their purchases)

Also I noticed the lack of big discounts in Debenhams. A few years ago I had my eye in a J Rocha leather jacket at £260. In the sale it was straight away £130, 50% off. Two years ago I picked up a fake fur for 60% off during Christmas and New Year. Today these sort of items were 25% off. Only big 70% reductions were party dresses and a few childrens clothes (saw my daughter fave school trousers at 70% off and picked up 3 pairs in older sizes).

Husband reckons the stores know the sales are here to last and once they stop the barriers will come up and footfall virtually stop. So, to stop that happening - or delaying the agony - they will reduce prices a bit at a time or with special day blue cross reductions rather than doing 50%/70% now.