Barratts/Priceless Shoes in Administration

purpleducky

I'm not surprised they're in trouble; my friends who used to buy cheapy shoes in Barratts all get them in Primark now (along with everything else!)

jeppy

I ordered something from the website after the announcement and I am pleased to advise that it was delivered yesterday!!

ali54

Shelle wrote: »

I am devasted that theres a possibility Barratts may go

I am a size 2 in shoes, and hardly anywhere stock them. Barratts were my first port of call.

Aaaaagh!

i have the same problem were will get our shoes now

toca_me

jamie00353 wrote: »

Once again, another company tries to thump landlords into paying less money for premises.

Barratts should pay what it owes, or sell up to someone who can run the business in a professional manner.

I'm particularly sorry for Dolcis staff who managed to retain a job when Barratts was sniffing around the carcas of their business...only for Barratts to run their business into the ground too.

I work in the Priceless end of the company and I would just like to say I'm actually quite offended by this comment. The landlords are partially to blame for what has happened here. The simple fact of the matter is property just doesn't have the same value it used to have, especially retail property. The prices some of them are demanding are immense and competely unreasonalbe considering the downturn in retail. Obviously if landlords refuse to negotiate businesses aren't going to be able to pay up, especially when some are actually increasing rents.

Also the fact that the company is looking to enter this CVA now I think atleast shows a little bit of professionalism and forward thinking. Unlike Woolworths (and I mean no offense by this) who got stuck in a downward spiral and just continued getting worse and worse into debt to the point where there was no way out, atleast Stylo has looked at its current financial situation and it forecasts and realised now that we wont make it unless something changes.

But the one thing I will say against Stylo is its ability to make good business decisions at times. The Dolcis buy out was a mistake in my mind, from what I've seen and heard it basically did the company no good at all, were left now trying to sell of whats left of their stock in stores for £1/£2 a pop.
Barratts has turned out to be the company's down-bringing. Barratts makes a huge loss, and what loss it makes Priceless makes up for. Cheap shoes is obviously where the money is at the moment, why would people go into Barratts and pay £40 for a pair of shoes when they can walk down the road into a Priceless store and get exactly the same shoe just made of a different material say for £10?? Cutting out Barratts would go a long long way to saving the company but they refuse to do it because Barratts is their baby so to speak, Priceless is somewhat of the newcomer to the business.

Apologies for the rant, I just get a little annoyed at the topic and cant help myself! I just had to put in my 2 cents here because I just think there is a lot of misconception and it isn't helped by the way the press put things across. I'm just going on what I know, which even though I work for the company isn't much as they tell us very little at the best of times.

Minky2Slice

Shelle wrote: »

I am devasted that theres a possibility Barratts may go

I am a size 2 in shoes, and hardly anywhere stock them. Barratts were my first port of call.

Aaaaagh!

So is my friend!!!
she wears a size 2/3 and could only buy them at Barrats. Let me know if you find your size anywhere else!!

RHemmings

toca_me wrote: »

Barratts has turned out to be the company's down-bringing. Barratts makes a huge loss, and what loss it makes Priceless makes up for. Cheap shoes is obviously where the money is at the moment, why would people go into Barratts and pay £40 for a pair of shoes when they can walk down the road into a Priceless store and get exactly the same shoe just made of a different material say for £10??

I agree with almost everything you say in your article. Particularly where you say that commercial landlords are not being reasonable in insisting on boomtime rents during a bust.

However, £10 shoes are unlikely to be just as good as £40 shoes. The better quality materials on te £40 shoes should mean that they will last longer than the £10 shoes. And hence the pricing decisions may not be as simple as you suggest.

fairydust

I always get my daughters school shoes from Barretts.... Her £45 kanagaroos have lasted since september, where the shoes from Priceless only lasted her a week... Definately worth the extra spent and I'd never buy cheap school shoes again.

This will be a real shame if they close as there isn't really an alternative on the high street....