Major Retailers Closing

mvengemvenge

I don't think it's just stores that didn't move with the times, like Woolies, I think there are many groups where the demand just won't be there anymore. You can only go on for so long in that situation.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/jan/01/unhappy-new-year

codger

LittleTinker wrote: »

They do deserve all they get to be honest as I feel they have ripped off the public for long enough. Yes, someone might argue that the public have been happy to pay the prices but they havent had a choice really.

Now, with the coming of internet and ebay consumers DO have a choice and will not put up with outragous prices anymore.

Only problem with that notion is, the Internet has been around for a lo-o-nn-g time now, as has eBay. And consumers are as likely (if not more so) to get ripped-off online -- Pricerunner's retailer reviews have painted anything but a rosy picture, these past three or four years -- or downright defrauded on ScamBay.

The issue isn't one of choice but of informed choice, and too many UK consumers seem incapable of informing themselves about, well, anything: they've no idea of what goes on behind the retail scene in terms of avaricious landlords jacking up rents / Business Rates going sky-high, and higher, every year / punitively expensive labour costs caused by ZanuLabour's maternity-benefits-for-all-including-fathers etc etc.

If consumers actually appreciated the margins many businesses are having to operate with, they'd realise that "rip-off Britain" hasn't been a reality for many a year -- the opposite, in fact, because lethally cheap credit drove demand upwards and that demand enabled high volume supply from cheap labour markets in the Far East to deliver low unit retail costs.

With that Far Eastern economy now in a far worse state than, for example, the Chinese dictatorship dare ever admit, all imports are going to rise in price, thus ending the crazy electronics binge-partying of recent years involving everything from LCD TVs to camera phones to games consoles.

None of the above is to say that every UK retailer has been, or is, perfect, nor is it to under-estimate the power of the 'Net. Enough anecdotal evidence exists to indict both Currys and PC World of retailing at its worst; conversely, enough exists to acknowledge the genuine strides Comet has made, or the little gem that Richer Sounds truly is.

Amazon UK has been another success story though you have to wonder how many British consumers still think it's a big river, somewhere foreign: hundreds of purchases are made every day on eBay UK by idiots who don't even price-check Amazon, or understand the value of, say, John Lewis's 5-year warranties, or appreciate the VAT differences between here and The Channel Islands.

The era we're now entering surely has little to do with the ending of something which hasn't existed for a long time ("rip off Britain") or the dawn of something that actually has existed for a long time (the Net.)

It's more likely to be an era which, as nzmegs said, will see the customer as queen and king again, because those retail businesses which do appreciate that should do as well as might be expected in the circumstances.

But the circumstances -- for the next 18 months at least in the UK -- are going to be anything but good. And meanwhile, in a sub-text which, sadly, this thread too often fails to chronicle, more and more jobs are being lost; more and more families are being pushed to the brink; and more and more home-owners face repossession.

Much as I intensely dislike Currys, far rather that it stays in business and pays its taxes, its Business Rates, its employer National Insurance costs and its employee pension fund contributions than me and every other beleaguered British taxpayer on this thread having to pick up the bill for yet more State benefits as another thousand of our fellow-citizens find themselves, through no fault of their own, jobless, helpless, and increasingly without hope.

bo_drinker

Never went near Woolies to pick over the dregs. Just noticed a huge skip has been dropped off at rear of the shop, also went past River Island see the shelves are full of tat but we are not suppose to realise that it has been shipped in, it's a con.

silverchair

Do you think that a Supermarket chain might close?

rach83

silverchair wrote: »

Do you think that a Supermarket chain might close?

Im curious now! Which chain did you have in mind?

opaque

I'd say all the main supermarkets are going to be fine. They are all making nice big profits and really you can't do without them.

I think everyone knows that the sale tat is shipped in specially to the shops but it still sells. I think if you're not in a store within the first hour of them opening for the sales you're not going to get 'true' bargains.

Interesting about the National Lottery outlets closing down but then theres approximately 25,500 outlets still out there. (http://www.natlotcomm.gov.uk/client/content.ASP?ContentId=20)

StevieJ

mvengemvenge wrote: »

I don't think it's just stores that didn't move with the times, like Woolies, I think there are many groups where the demand just won't be there anymore. You can only go on for so long in that situation.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/jan/01/unhappy-new-year

avid Kern, chief economist at the BCC, added that UK prospects had worsened significantly since the group's last forecast at the end of 2008. The BCC was now predicting bigger declines in economic output, higher unemployment and larger government borrowing than envisaged in November.

Not very good at predicting are they?

StevieJ

opaque wrote: »

I'd say all the main supermarkets are going to be fine. They are all making nice big profits and really you can't do without them.

I think everyone knows that the sale tat is shipped in specially to the shops but it still sells. I think if you're not in a store within the first hour of them opening for the sales you're not going to get 'true' bargains.

Interesting about the National Lottery outlets closing down but then theres approximately 25,500 outlets still out there. (http://www.natlotcomm.gov.uk/client/content.ASP?ContentId=20)

Interesting about the National Lottery outlets closing down but then theres approximately 25,500 outlets still out there

Makes more sense to enter the Lotto on their web site, you cannot lose your ticket and they inform you if you have won.

bo_drinker

Are Lotto feeling the pinch as well then ?? Hope so.

codger

StevieJ wrote: »

avid Kern, chief economist at the BCC, added that UK prospects had worsened significantly since the group's last forecast at the end of 2008. The BCC was now predicting bigger declines in economic output, higher unemployment and larger government borrowing than envisaged in November.

Not very good at predicting are they?

We're all doomed. . . it's only the first day of 2009 and if they're saying all those things occurred since their last forecast at the end of 2008, o-mi-gawd, wot's going to happen tonight then????