Tough UK retail market claims high street stores

Herzlos

Thrugelmir wrote: »

"Big sheds" are an outmoded way of selling product. You only have to look at the size of the distibution centres built and run Tritax Big Box. Stores have little need to carry large quantities of stock.

I could be a luddite but I love big box stores; you can see stiff, it's in stock, you can take it home now.
Nothing annoys me more than going to a shop that can order stuff in; I may as well just buy it online.

That said, I spent about £200 in the toys r us store closure sales.

Out,_Vile_Jelly

In other news, a Lidl opened near me recently and was absolutely rammed on the opening weekend. So there is profit to be made from selling what people actually want to buy at a good price.

bobbymotors

And it seems that Prezzo are next.....

bobbymotors

followed by carpetright.....

spadoosh

I emailed game about 5 years kicking off about them charging a few quid more in their stores than they do on their website. They responded saying it was the busniess model as shops are more expensive to run and they offer a different service.

I responded stating the only additional service they offer is the ability to get a plush toy with a game, one which is also cheaper online. I pointed out that the current business model was doomed to fail as the additional services didnt offer value for money. And its been sales falls year on year since.

Its the same with most retailers. Maplin amazes me, theres a huge maker community in the UK and they did nothing about it. Massively marking up the raspberry pi using cheap add ons of which you could always find much cheaper. Its a busniess model that is reliant on affluence and laziness on the consumers part. Theyre failing to react to markets. And failed to look for alternative opportunities.

Maplin shouldve opened up to becoming a makerspace/fab lab. Give people a reason to visit the store, play with the products and interact with their customers. Instead theyve relied on them paying over the odds and actually be willing to do that.

Clothes retailers could take the risk of holding fashion events and trials in order to increase footfall in an ever falling high street. Offer superior training so staff can advise beyond generic tips, encourage the customer to trust and want to use that advice.

High street retailers keep blaiming the internet like everyone needs encouraging to not use it. Its the exact opposite. Youve got a threat you react to it. The internet can not offer people personal advice. It can not offer personal interaction of local communities.

Most of the retailers have streamlined their management and processes to save money. This has led to most stores unable to make decisions. They dont have the ability to engage with local institutions (universities, community events etc) in order to diversify and scrape in every last penny.

I worked for B&Q, we used to get loads spent on training. We could advise what people needed, it stopped to save money and suddenly the staff became product locators rather than customer assistants. People didnt need me to tell them they can find the item on amazon 20% cheaper, they needed me to tell them how to wire the light they where buying. When that advice stopped coming so did the customers.

I recently started shopping at a local independent record store. I dont listen to records it was for a gift. I couldve gone to HMV but then i wouldnt have had the recommendation of a single that the guy suggested my dad would love. He did. I now regularly go in and pick up a record as it offers something generics dont. I have to as i wouldnt want to risk losing that place and the additional service it offers. Its almost certainly cheaper to buy any of the records he sells online. Yet i wouldnt know what records i should be looking for.

They need to find their added value. Its business 1.01. Eye off the ball and a woe is me attitude with regards to the internet.

I would say its a shame for the staff but i dont think it is. Theyve got the opportunity now to go and find an employer that can adapt and encourage growth rather than accept complacency.

Pennywise

Backbiter wrote: »

The people who will lose their jobs are pleased that you're happy .

Don't forget that lots of people lots their jobs and businesses, those previously working in and running small independent toy shops, which had to close down when the likes of Toys R Us came along and took their business. What goes around comes around.

Sir_Robin

Retail needs to evolve or it will die.

The experience these days consists of either being served by a gormless teenager that seems put out by any form of social interaction or being pressure sold to by some obnoxious salesmen in one of those big bland furniture/bed warehouses with perpetual fake sales.

Frankly the retail experience is horrible and ironically the only edge brick n mortar have over the likes of Amazon is the ability to offer an experience.

westernpromise

Crashy_Time wrote: »

Yep, that is why so many want property prices to crash

Only the really dumb ones need them to, and only the really really dumb ones by as much as you need them to.

Thrugelmir

Sir_Robin wrote: »

Frankly the retail experience is horrible and ironically the only edge brick n mortar have over the likes of Amazon is the ability to offer an experience.

When did going shopping need to become an experience........

Gwendo40

Thrugelmir wrote: »

When did going shopping need to become an experience........

When did ''sales'' instead become ''events''??



Anyway none of this bad news for high street retailers matters, nor does any other form of economic bad news matter... house prices are still going up and that's all that counts.:beer:



Right?