Major Retailers Closing

Geenie

vivatifosi wrote: »

Viyella used to be part of Coats Viyella and was a big manufacturer of clothing and soft furnishings, supplying companies such as M&S in their buy British days.

It has since split from Coats Viyella and has focused more on retail. Its a shame really, it used to be one of those good, reliable British brands.

I remember when Viyella used to manufacture for M&S. The days when things were well made, designed and lasted for years....take note M&S! Their material was second to none when it came to cloth manufacturing over here at one time. If 25 years ago, you were silly enough to buy a black watch tartan skirt from the likes of Laura Ashley, the material was made by Viyella if my memory is right!

Not sure when they went into designing and selling their own stuff, but it was quite expensive and seemed to cater for the older market.

This news explains though, when I went into my local House of Fraser 2 days ago, the Viyella concession in there was almost completely bare, and just empty racks with odd items looking forlorn!! It looked very strange, but I thought they must have had some amazing discount in the sales and were wiped out by frantic buyers!! Made all the other concessions with full racks look a bit sad at the time, but now I see they were already folding and not restocking.

debbiedevon

marvin wrote: »

1Yes and maybe no 2 no and 3 no.

1.The shares are currently valued at 0p and have been delisted from the London Stock Exchange as of the 24th Dec 2008. They can be relisted in the future if the board of Woolworths Group PLC decide it is within the rules and it is worthwhile doing so and not a better option to wind up the company. They can also be relisted on a different market even in a different country. None of this can be decided until all of the dust has settled from the colapse of the two business's that went into administration.

2.If the shares are as old as you say they are then they are probably no longer shares in Woolworths as they have been through a few owners since then. I would suggest some serious research on them and find out what they are in reality and what you actually own shares in if anything.

From what I unserstand until 1982 the company was owned by the american company FW Woolworth before the separation and sale. In 1982 Woolworths was purchased by Paternoster Stores Ltd which later became Kingfisher and in 2001 Woolworths Group PLC was demerged from Kingfisher (robbed of any true value which probably ultimately meant they would never survive and did well to get to this point).

The American branch closed up shop a long time ago as woolworths became a very nondecript cash holding company before taking the name of its largest business Foot Locker.

So the shares could now be in Kingfisher and if so you would have got so many shares in Woolworths Group PLC when demerged as well as keeping the Kingfisher shares. However due to age and as the stores were sold not relisted on their own I suspect you may actually hold shares in Foot Locker instead.

However some expert research needs to be done to ascertain what the real situation is.

3. If you stillhold share certs in Woolworths that are that old get them framed put them on Ebay they will fetch a fortune! (Theory not fact)

Hi Marvin - Thank you for all the info. I have Woolworths Group Plc shares and they are dated October 2007 when they were transfered over to my name. However the shareholder reference number has remained the same and I assume this will show the date they were originally bought. I do also have Kingfisher shares but these are separate. I shall do a little research. Many thanks. Debs

marvin

debbiedevon wrote: »

Hi Marvin - Thank you for all the info. I have Woolworths Group Plc shares and they are dated October 2007 when they were transfered over to my name. However the shareholder reference number has remained the same and I assume this will show the date they were originally bought. I do also have Kingfisher shares but these are separate. I shall do a little research. Many thanks. Debs

Sounds to me like they were bought post 1982 then but I could be wrong as not done a lot of research on the deal that took Woolies from US to UK ownership.

When woolies was demerged from Kingfisher shareholders were given 1 woolies shares for so many Kingfisher ones held (I think but don't quote me on it, it was 1 woolies for every 1 Kingfisher)

so yes you would have kingfisher shares and woolworth group plc shares the company in admin that owned the stores is woolworths plc and the sole shareholder in that company was woolworths group plc but they did have other business interests one of which went in admin at the same time.

I was slightly out on the delist date it was 30th December not 24th but until dust has settled no-one know if or what they are worth.

If all else fails and they turn up to have no montay value then my suggestion stands have them framed and you have a nice little reminder of your nan. Hand them down and 50 -100 years from now may be worth some money to a collector.

bo_drinker

debbiedevon wrote: »

Hi Marvin - Thank you for all the info. I have Woolworths Group Plc shares and they are dated October 2007 when they were transfered over to my name. However the shareholder reference number has remained the same and I assume this will show the date they were originally bought. I do also have Kingfisher shares but these are separate. I shall do a little research. Many thanks. Debs

Unless you have been in the skips these last few days I reckon you can wave goodbye to those worthless shares. You may not realise it but Woolies are no longer. Finished, Gone and not before time :T

marvin

bo_drinker wrote: »

Unless you have been in the skips these last few days I reckon you can wave goodbye to those worthless shares. You may not realise it but Woolies are no longer. Finished, Gone and not before time :T

Wrong may I point you to a song from Spamalot Not dead yet read a bit of the thread and you may learn something.

They may be but I don't know the chairman of Woolworths Group PLC does not know how do you?

I will point out something from one of my posts above

The quoted company was Woolworths Group PLC the one that was put into admin is Woolworths PLC they are separate entities. Woolworths Group PLC still has valuable assets not in admin.

moneymare

savvykaz wrote: »

I think 2009 is going to be a very sobering year on the high street.
I think probably 10-20 retailers (mostly smaller ones) will go eg.
BHS
JJB
Barker & Stonehouse
Evans
Lush
Clintons cards

I would put someone like WHSmith into that category as well - the stuff they sell can be bought much cheaper elsewhere.

robin_banks

WH Smith as a high street presence may well disappear, they do however have a reasonably strong wholesale arm.

itsnever2lateisit?

Walking through my local town high street I see that Celebrations Group Ltd T/A Card Fair are in administration Thats 3 stores now in a very small street

zarazara

i think Debenhams, Topps Tiles ,Carpetright and more M&S stores will go.

Yorkshireparkin

Carpetright are in a better financial state than Allied and will benefit from others going into administration. If any carpet firm will go it will be Allied imo.

Definitely going to be the survival of the fittest (financially and service based!)