Patisserie Valerie

greenglide

It probably won't be too long before the zero-hours army will collect the stuff from your doorstep

The Hermes lady who delivers to us has given us her mobile number so we can call her to collect returns.


We haven't used this as dropping them off at the post office / filling station is more convenient for us.

Sapphire

AnotherJoe wrote: »

FWIW I bought shoes yesterday in an actual shop, but if I did buy online, I'd order multiple pairs of slightly different sizes rather than try them one ata time.

Regarding shoes (most clothing, in fact), I would only buy them online if I've already bought a pair or two of a particular brand from shops and found they always fit. My most recent three pairs of shoes (small boots) have all come from abroad and fit perfectly, but only because I know the brand and that they will fit (they are of quite good quality and well made).

I always had trouble buying comfortable shoes in shops, and would need to try multiple pairs to find ones that both fit well and look good.

Someone also mentioned books. My book purchasing has gone right down since so many bookshops closed. Used to buy several books at a time often, after browsing and checking what books I wanted (generally knew what books would suit me by flicking through them), but it's not possible to do that now, at least not nearly to the extent that it was before, when there were various specialized bookshops, as well as general ones, that one could drop into. So I'm limited to my home library, books by authors I know and trust (don't trust reviews), those by authors I know personally, and the odd purchase at an exhibition.

Apodemus

Sapphire, my own on-line buying sounds a bit like yours, with plenty of repeat purchases of products I already know and a hesitancy over risking new products. If everyone was like us there would be a barrier to entry and a concentration of production and sales in fewer hands. In fact, the evidence is contrary to this and the web has widened choice and assisted small players to sell on a bigger market. So I can only assume that my (current?) behaviour is transitional and that most people have already adopted a much more relaxed approach to the on-line market.

LHW99

In fact, the evidence is contrary to this and the web has widened choice and assisted small players to sell on a bigger market.

It has certainly done this which is a big positive.
However I feel the balancing negative is that it enables sellers supposedly "in the UK" to be basically order collecters, where the goods actually come direct from the Far East - nothing wrong with that per se, but it should be stated up front IMO, not indicated that the item "is located in the UK" which I have found happen on at least one well known site.

System

Returning to the actual topic of this thread, the FT has an article:
'Too smooth: the red flag at Patisserie Valerie which was missed'
https://ftalphaville.ft.com/2018/10/16/1539662400000/Too-smooth--the-red-flag-at-Patisserie-Valerie-which-was-missed/

Voyager2002

Malthusian wrote: »

Two minutes in the lunch hour in my case.

Surely you are joking!
I generally found that a trip to the Post Office (Aberdeen) would consume my entire lunch break. One of my frustrations was that while my office had mail-franking kit, there was no mechanism for staff to pay for personal mail to be franked and so no alternative to visiting the Post Office.

Thrugelmir

Malthusian wrote: »

It is compared to renting shops in prime locations and paying people to stand around in them for hours on end.

Or so I assume. I have no inside knowledge of the sector. I am simply assuming that the people who run online shops aren't completely moronic.

Cost saving for the online retailers is the business rates payable on their big box distribution centres. If Hammond addresses this in the forthcoming budget then the decline might start to be addressed.

We do have too many retail shops. Consumerism is rife in the UK. What's really required is more smaller independents. Family business where people can earn a reasonable living. Not be driven by returns for shareholders. Will foster a better community spirit. Where goods and services can be bartered as well.

Malthusian

Thrugelmir wrote: »

We do have too many retail shops. Consumerism is rife in the UK. What's really required is more smaller independents.

Make your mind up. Do you want fewer retail shops or more independents? If we demolish a big chain store it has to be replaced by multiple smaller independents, so more independents = even more too many shops, at greater expense due to economies of scale.

Most independent shops are rubbish. The median independent is not the artisan cafe that sophisticated urbanites like to imagine, it's a kebab restaurant or a greasy spoon. With a chain you at least get a consistent level of rubbish, at a lower price. If you want something better than this then you have plenty of options available. Most people don't want something better.

Family business where people can earn a reasonable living. Not be driven by returns for shareholders.

Make your mind up. Family businesses are owned by shareholders. If you expect families to toil all day on the uphill struggle of running a family business and then give all their profits away, it's not going to happen.

Thrugelmir

Malthusian wrote: »

Make your mind up. Do you want fewer retail shops or more independents? If we demolish a big chain store it has to be replaced by multiple smaller independents, so more independents = even more too many shops, at greater expense due to economies of scale.

No it doesn't. Return to High Streets of old. Mixed use. Living breathing communities that operate 24/7. Will save car journeys to large out of town centres as well.

Glen_Clark

Thrugelmir wrote: »

. What's really required is more smaller independents. .

I can remember the days before supermarkets when it was all small independents.
Shopping was a pretty miserable experience I can tell you.
Customers vote with their feet and most vote for the big chains.
So shoppers have never had it so good as it is now
PS: But don't expect the small independent retailers on the council to agree