For wanting to play 'administration' bingo?

[TheSeriousSanta]

I am.. I know I am.. It's mean..

But I have compiled a list of high street stores that will go bust before 31st January and now feel compelled to see if I can shout HOUSE before anyone else...

[MaryMotherOfCheeses]

Am I being humourless for thinking, yes, that's mean.

Or am I the only one thinking "shit, what if i loose my job this year".

[SnowballsintheSky]

Oooooooohh . It feels wrong, so wrong. But if we're honest, a lot of us probably have a mental list of shops we expect to go. Then we'll come on here and post I told you so. Same thing really.

And it goes without saying that we have the utmost sympathy for everyone involved.

[TheSeriousSanta]

Oh sorry, Marymotherofcheeses.

I've already lost my job. I'm freelancing (with varying degrees of success) now.

[TheSeriousSanta]

It's just I'm alredy mentally thinking of shops I wouldn't buy gift cards / vouchers for now...

My mum just lost £100 (bought vouchers) at Zavvi this Christmas, I suppose that's what's prompted it.

[CrackopentheBaileys]

Oh what fun

I'm going for Matalan, ELC and Dorothy Perkins..... no? You don't think so? Well who would have guessed Woolworths 3 months ago??!

[MaryMotherOfCheeses]

Sorry, so far as i know, I'm not in any particular danger, I'm just feeling a bit sensitive about it.

And I guess it is funny to think of shouting "house". I guess it's fairly black, defensive humour if you've lost £100. That's bad news.

So go on, who's on your list????

[differentID]

quite a few actually. I'm sure I was discussing Woolies in the early part of the year.

[CrackopentheBaileys]

And yes, I know it's mean, but us Brits are best known for laughing in the face of adversity

[nancy75]

woolies has been in trouble for ages, elc and mothercare are same company, so they pretty much have their market covered, dorothy perkins part of arcadia - probably pretty safe. the kind of companies that go are more mid size, like the pier, whitards, usc - even woolies, none of these were part of a massive company

[SH27]

Just read USC have gone into administration and of course Adams. Don't think Dorothy Perkins will go. I reckon places like Hobbs, Jigsaw etc. will be struggling due to price.

Feel really bad for anyone out there about to lose their jobs.

[TheSeriousSanta]

Oh, good...

My top 5 are:

Laura Ashley
M&S (clothes, not food)
Next
HMV
ELC

Dotty Perkins has to be high up there (plus Burton for men) brabanto (SP?) shoes too...

Not so sure about Matalan...

[SnowballsintheSky]

Next??? Surely not!

I'm going for;

WH Smith
Superdrug
Matalan
Borders
Paperchase

[CrackopentheBaileys]

Good points Nancy, I'm clearly pissing in the wind with my guesses
How about Monsoon and Accessorise?
And Robert Dyas tickles my fancy too

[jojosmaman]

Its not funny but it is very likely to become like bingo! Internacionale, Select, Envy, A-Wear (mainly in Eire), La Senza, Quiz (have they already gone?) are my frontrunners but I would have BHs, Oasis, Jane Norman and Claires as my rank outsiders. Poss homebase too, oh and Littlewoods/ Shop Direct? And am I the only person who wasnt hugely surprised by Woolies, if anything I was surprised they lasted so long?

Just realised that I have turned it into a horse race!

[CrackopentheBaileys]

Superdrug is a good shout snowballs

[SnowballsintheSky]

If Next and Accessorise go then I'll have to go into hiding!

I'm not so sure about BHS. The likes of my mother and her ilk love their BHS and there are plenty of oldies in there when I pop in for a bacon sarnie sometimes.

[MsG]

Am fairly certain HMV won't go. I think they're in a much stronger position than Zavvis. Not sure about the others. It's awful for those who lose their jobs. I don't really remember the last recession too well.

[nancy75]

monsoon/accessorize in very good position, they own rather than rent alot of their shops, wh smiths have just let the post office take over half of their shop in my local town, tbh they deserve to close because their shops are bloody awful.
iirc laura ashley has been in administration before, some years ago and was saved, so not sure about them

[pippylongstockings]

Monsoon ????
Comet??

I think if a store is fairly specialist and has a large mark up they will be ok (how does athena stay in business?) - but expensive items will be out next year despite mortgage costs coming down.

[ilovelovemydog]

La Senza - I'll go with that too. Lingerie is the first to go in a recession!

BHS Homestores
Waterstones
Greggs

[SnowballsintheSky]

Phew. Was worried I'd be going about my business nekkid!

Someone mentioned Jessops before. One thing is for sure. If my local is anything to go by, it won't be Starbucks/Caffe Nero/Costa. They are constantly heaving.

[MsG]

Was also surprised Woolies lasted so long - I never really bought anything from there anymore. I couldn't really work out what sort of shop it was - I think it couldn't either and that was the problem.

I don't really understand how companies let it get to that stage, but then I don't know much about business or retail...but I would have thought chains would close some stores and focus on the rest... Is that naive?

[nancy75]

places like starbucks usually prosper, people cant treat themselves to a new £50 dress so they treat themselves to a £2 coffee!

[CrackopentheBaileys]

Greggs? NOOOOOOOOOO Where will I get my sausage rolls, 2 for £1.45 or or 75p each.... I kid you not

[angelene]

I think Athena went years and years ago Pippy.

I would go for

Mk One
Monsoon/Accessorise
WH Smiths
Laura Ashley
Past Times (are they still going??)
Jane Norman
Karen Millen
French Connection