WH Smith is still a house hold name people go there because its WH Smith. However, that might change when the new generation grows up
New Look on the rocks
- Thread starter Diddums
- Start date
Soldato
Kinda missing my point. They're not just a shop selling Biros and Birthday cards. They're supplying nearly every local newsagent in the land... 
Caporegime
The street where I work has lots of independents, Indian takeaway, random tatt shop, clairvoyant, fishing tackle shop, spots/running shop, another random tatt shop, computer shop, trophy shop, dog groomers, hair dressers, appliance center, another tatt shop and finally a newsagent.
I think we'll see a lot more leisure complexes and a lot less high street shops.
Town I used to live in is thriving one end with boutiques, coffee shops etc
The other, older end is a ghost town. I believe the owners are waiting to sell the land for a big development and have hiked rates to drive out the shop owners.
They'll probably develop that end to have a big cinema, more posh resteraunts and bistro/bars and other money sinks. It costs so much to socialise out of your house, so glad I don't drink!
I don't think M&S are going anywhere, at least the ones near me are always packed, as is Waitrose etc
To be honest I think that Tesco may struggle, though I'm sure someone will be along shortly to tell me how wrong I am. It's just they are the bottom of the end in quality and cost, and I'd imagine they are one of the hardest hit by Aldi and Lidl. And whilst they have a good range of stuff it's all overpriced tat.
Town I used to live in is thriving one end with boutiques, coffee shops etc
The other, older end is a ghost town. I believe the owners are waiting to sell the land for a big development and have hiked rates to drive out the shop owners.
They'll probably develop that end to have a big cinema, more posh resteraunts and bistro/bars and other money sinks. It costs so much to socialise out of your house, so glad I don't drink!
I don't think M&S are going anywhere, at least the ones near me are always packed, as is Waitrose etc
To be honest I think that Tesco may struggle, though I'm sure someone will be along shortly to tell me how wrong I am. It's just they are the bottom of the end in quality and cost, and I'd imagine they are one of the hardest hit by Aldi and Lidl. And whilst they have a good range of stuff it's all overpriced tat.
Soldato
Our local M&S is busy enough, but they've just announced the closure. Bit odd, as they own the building - it's an anchor store and predates the rest of the late 60's shopping centre by 20+ years. A new cinema and leisure complex has opened a stones throw away (fully let) which has regenerated that area of the town centre.
Man of Honour
Every airport has several WH Smith's and most hospital's have a WH Smith's selling food, drinks, chocolate, sweets etc.
Soldato
I only ever use JL online to purchase electrical goods, with delivery to the local Waitrose. When I went in last week to collect my Oculus Rift the place was absolutely heaving, so I can't see it going anywhere. I suppose it's area dependent on how each store is doing, I live in what is possibly considered a wealthy area.
The local Maplins has more staff than customers though and their prices are just lol so I can see why they are in trouble.
The local Maplins has more staff than customers though and their prices are just lol so I can see why they are in trouble.
Associate
I work for an internet fashion retailer, I can see why new look are struggling, they just can't compete. NDD for the UK & Ireland, super quick product developtment and social media saturation means their target market are buying their outfits on Wednesday/Thursday nights for their weekend out and not the week before. Bricks and Mortar has a lot of consolidation to do.
Soldato
They've adapted, if you want to call it that, by removing every high quality/expensive item from their site? I always though these items were provided directly to them at no extra cost by the manufacturers themselves, at the same price as everywhere else? Now they only sell tat.
Soldato
In my town centre even the charity shops and phone shops are closing down that's how dire it is. Like everywhere else it's just all cheap shops like Poundland and Savers, and betting shops and pawn shops. Even the coffee shops are crappy unbranded places with poor consistency in their product. When all the big shops like department stores and Woolworths closed down, the premises got carved up into smaller units which makes it difficult for any new major retailer to come as the units are now only suitable for more betting shops and charity shops.
It would appear that way, especially in and around university areas, as they know it'd be easy to build some crappy student accommodation with Shops on the ground floor (if it's on a major road).
Eating out is a waste of expense and like a lot of things people did in the past, current generation isn't having it anymore, just like with drinking yourself stupid before you even exit your home, people won't be going out and spending £30 on a meal that's probably made from trash ingredients.
Going to agree with Tesco and potentially Asda more for this reason, big American style markets out of city centres was always a stupid idea in Britain (certainly becoming dumb in America too). Tesco can weather it a bit more as they actually have presence in cities proper, but they always seem to be staffed by morons and the shelves are randomly stocked and barely cared for.
Soldato
Next to go?
BrightHouse
Next
Pets at Home
Boots
BrightHouse
Next
Pets at Home
Boots
House of Fraser and (shockingly) M&S are the ones to watch IMO.
And I don’t think today’s headlines are going to help Zizzis...
Soldato
Tesco are actually doing very well, Dave Lewis (ex Unilever) has really turned that ship around by getting back to basics.
Asda were the hardest hit by the rise of Aldi & Lidl due to similarities in demographics that are their core shoppers. Yet the last three quarters have been positive for Asda in terms of turnover and Asda did have the best OP % of any of the traditional top 5 (something like 4%, rather then 2% the others make).
The market is really shifting and consolidating. You've got Tesco & Co-Op entering wholesale with the respective acquisitions of Booker & NISA and then JS bolstering it's nonfood business by acquiring Argos. People are doing smaller and more frequent shops which is why the convenience channel is really growing.
Homebase is in big trouble, Bunnings have tried to replicate their Australian store format and it just hasn't worked - they've made a big loss on the purchase and rebranding.
Asda were the hardest hit by the rise of Aldi & Lidl due to similarities in demographics that are their core shoppers. Yet the last three quarters have been positive for Asda in terms of turnover and Asda did have the best OP % of any of the traditional top 5 (something like 4%, rather then 2% the others make).
The market is really shifting and consolidating. You've got Tesco & Co-Op entering wholesale with the respective acquisitions of Booker & NISA and then JS bolstering it's nonfood business by acquiring Argos. People are doing smaller and more frequent shops which is why the convenience channel is really growing.
Homebase is in big trouble, Bunnings have tried to replicate their Australian store format and it just hasn't worked - they've made a big loss on the purchase and rebranding.
Soldato
Dont say that, my mum loves that store & she will be upset if it goes.
Soldato
- Joined
- 30 Sep 2005
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- 16,553
M&S have recently opened a food hall near where I live. I was expecting something pretty decent but left very disappointed.
It's small, dark and dingy.
Think the food part of the business is what's holding them together. Oh dear!
anyway, yesterday we took the kids swimming. I threw my swim shorts out yonks ago as they were years old. The swimming place didn't have any, nor did the list of local shops (m&s, next, gap, sportsdirect.....yep, sportdirect only had slazenger and not size medium).
Amazon sold loads though! good old Amazon. Just goes to show why the high street is failing. If you can't find a medium pair of swim shorts in a damn sports shop what's the point!
It's small, dark and dingy.
Think the food part of the business is what's holding them together. Oh dear!
anyway, yesterday we took the kids swimming. I threw my swim shorts out yonks ago as they were years old. The swimming place didn't have any, nor did the list of local shops (m&s, next, gap, sportsdirect.....yep, sportdirect only had slazenger and not size medium).
Amazon sold loads though! good old Amazon. Just goes to show why the high street is failing. If you can't find a medium pair of swim shorts in a damn sports shop what's the point!
Tesco doesn't inspire me - aside from a conversation with a couple of former managers awhile back the amount of dressing up applied to their financials just doesn't sit well with me - previous experience has taught me that is hiding something. Maybe it is just a smoothing of the bumps in a transitional period if they have a strong recovery plan. My local one seems busier than ever though and seems to have got past some of the issues from awhile back.
Retailers absolutely have to do things like some of those acquisitions to survive though these days - even sometimes avenues which rub against the traditions of the company.
EDIT: On a related note saw Argos's John Rogers quizzed recently on what he thought was the next threat after Amazon - a tough question - his future outlook is about ultra-convenience for customers. IIRC one of his slides was literally something like "Ultimately, convenience wins".
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