General discussion for (Tottenham) riots

vivatifosi

I can't understand what makes people loot independent stores fc. I don't know a single truly wealthy indie shopkeeper. Some I've met are comfortably well off, but none are loaded and its such a risk keeping that market, year in, year out, without the marketing budget of the majors. The looting of indies gets me more than anything else.

The thought of people looting an 89 year old barber though. Well that's sick beyond words. The community must have known he was a frail old man. That's what I like about the collection. He's an old man who's had life's stepladder kicked from under him and he really needs a hand to get back up again. It's all very well to think the government will pay out, but at 89 I'd be too weary to jump through the hoops and fill out all the paperwork.

fc123

vivatifosi wrote: »

I can't understand what makes people loot independent stores fc. I don't know a single truly wealthy indie shopkeeper. Some I've met are comfortably well off, but none are loaded and its such a risk keeping that market, year in, year out, without the marketing budget of the majors. The looting of indies gets me more than anything else.

The thought of people looting an 89 year old barber though. Well that's sick beyond words. The community must have known he was a frail old man. That's what I like about the collection. He's an old man who's had life's stepladder kicked from under him and he really needs a hand to get back up again. It's all very well to think the government will pay out, but at 89 I'd be too weary to jump through the hoops and fill out all the paperwork.

I would imagine that the 'govt insurance' is very difficult to get post event and is just bla bla in the press to make people think they'll be OK.
Who would nick a used kettle fgs? I hope he gets support via the blog....I am sure he will.

There are some pics and stories in the trade press but I can't link as it's subscriber only. I'll find some quotes.
Vans in Manchester was boarded up with the sprayed the message 'No stock inside. Vans says looters are losers'.

fc123

Here is a bit from Drapers.

Businesses are picking up the pieces after fashion stores across the country were damaged and looted by worst rioting in living memory.


Retailers across England have been left counting the cost of this week’s rioting and looting, with the total cost expected to top more than £100m.

The disturbances, which started in Tottenham, north London, spread across the capital, with outbreaks of rioting in Enfield, Wimbledon, Hackney, Croydon, Clapham Junction, Ealing and Kensington. At the time of going to press, other affected cities included Leicester, Liverpool, Manchester and Birmingham.

According to the Local Data Company, 48,404 businesses were affected nationally. Of these, stores owned by JD Sports, Foot Locker, Debenhams, Miss Selfridge, TK Maxx and Peacocks were among those attacked, plus numerous indies.

“We’ve been inundated and our site traffic has increased 20-fold in the past few days,” said Nigel Rothband, chief executive of the Retail Trust charity. “It’s not just the financial cost, it’s the human cost. These businesses are some people’s lives.”

Retailer JD Sports Fashion in particular seems to have been targeted, with 15 of its JD stores affected. Its chief executive Peter Cowgill estimated the repair bill would run into the millions. “It’s damage, lost stock and lost profits, plus the impact on long-term trade.”


Independent retailers were also damaged. Ash Pabari, owner of womenswear retailer Ash in St John’s Road, Clapham Junction, first saw his store being attacked on YouTube. Looters smashed windows to steal footwear, jewellery and clothing.
“I’ve owned this shop for 21 years and we’re the only indie left in this street,” he said. Pabari added that opening for business was near-impossible as looters took all that was left of his summer stock.
Even where retailers weren’t directly hit, they pointed to a drop-off in trade as a result of anxiety among consumers. Colin Temple, managing director of footwear chain Schuh, said: “Trading in some areas has been very quiet, as people have been a bit reticent to go out shopping.
“The shine has definitely come off trade in the last couple of days though and who knows how long that will last.”


Outdoor retailer Blacks in Clapham Junction was at the centre of rioting. “We had two members of staff on site in the office upstairs, so it was very frightening,” said Blacks Leisure regional director Caroline Langridge. “They broke the glass and came in. More than 40% of our stock is gone, particularly high-value clothing by performance brands The North Face and Berghaus. They were stealing to order. It was incredible.”

fc123

......everywhere is very quiet around here in the day now too.

OH went to premiere of Cowboys and Aliens down the O2 last night and it was half empty depsite H Ford and D Craig, the director plus a pretty woman (who he didn't know the name of) being there to intro the movie. Normally an event like that would have been chocca with slebs coming down but would seem that loads didn't want to risk coming into S E london.


I read a bit of a knee jerk in the DM today that some London suburbs would become like Detroit as all that can leave will do so one day ..that's businesses and individuals. I won't quote the article as it was too sensationalist but the bones of it were sort of right.

I notice in my local area there is a huge chunk of a type of person who no longer live/commute here. We were talking about it today with someone who had noticed it too.....we were thinking the change is over the past decade. Unfortunately, an area needs this particular type in it to keep it reasonably prosperous.

pqrdef

CLAPTON wrote: »

casual work... like the dockers in the 50/60 who turned up outside the gates and hoped to be choosen for one days work at a time

Not a suitable mode of employment for everybody's circumstances, but at least it provided some part-time work for people who were only part-time sober. It takes all sorts, and not everybody was suited when these things went away.

CLAPTON wrote: »

2. people who maybe work in low paid work, who can use that to improve themselves and improve their lot in life

I think a lot of people would like to know how to do that on less than minimum wage.

pqrdef

Before I tie myself in knots, I should say that I don't think the minimum wage was a good idea. But I'm not the one claiming that people live on benefits because it's not worth their while to work.

michaels

Do you think so? - I always think of London always being a melting pot, different areas are up and coming, a few even make it. Cheap areas attract immigrants as well as the low waged/unemployed of whom some are creative and some make it and move on. I can't see it going the way of Detroit because there are the jobs there for those who want to work and the population continues to grow, with out the edginess there wouldn't be the creativity.

fc123 wrote: »

......everywhere is very quiet around here in the day now too.

OH went to premiere of Cowboys and Aliens down the O2 last night and it was half empty depsite H Ford and D Craig, the director plus a pretty woman (who he didn't know the name of) being there to intro the movie. Normally an event like that would have been chocca with slebs coming down but would seem that loads didn't want to risk coming into S E london.


I read a bit of a knee jerk in the DM today that some London suburbs would become like Detroit as all that can leave will do so one day ..that's businesses and individuals. I won't quote the article as it was too sensationalist but the bones of it were sort of right.

I notice in my local area there is a huge chunk of a type of person who no longer live/commute here. We were talking about it today with someone who had noticed it too.....we were thinking the change is over the past decade. Unfortunately, an area needs this particular type in it to keep it reasonably prosperous.

pqrdef

fc123 wrote: »

Retailer JD Sports Fashion in particular seems to have been targeted, with 15 of its JD stores affected.

Oscar Wilde comes to mind. In some retail sectors, the one thing worse than being looted would be if the looters went straight past and didn't bother.

StevieJ

pqrdef wrote: »

Oscar Wilde comes to mind. In some retail sectors, the one thing worse than being looted would be if the looters went straight past and didn't bother.

Classic

StevieJ

pqrdef wrote: »

Not a suitable mode of employment for everybody's circumstances, but at least it provided some part-time work for people who were only part-time sober. It takes all sorts, and not everybody was suited when these things went away.


I think a lot of people would like to know how to do that on less than minimum wage.

Apparently they are working that 'on the waterfront' routine round here on the bins, it can only get worse as this govt tries to push the bottom levels deeper into the mire