To be annoyed that everywhere except London gets forgotten about?

[BarbaraofSeville]

Prompted by another thread about the riveting subject of changing coins.

AIBU to be annoyed that many big businesses appear to forget that anywhere outside the south east even exists?

I live in a large city in northern England, and while we have plenty of facilities (shops, restaurants, parks, theatres, museums etc etc) there are a few businesses that have totally ignored us while opening dozens of Branches in or near London.

Eg Metro Bank, over a dozen branches within the M25, but nothing further away from London than Cambridge!

Uniqlo - Only one of their 10 UK branches is outside London (in Kent).

There are probably others, but that's all that I can think of right now.

AIBU to think that before they open multiple branches that are virtually on the same street in London, they should be opening up in Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle, Cardiff, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Bristol, Belfast, Nottingham etc instead?

If they did this most people would be within a reasonable distance of a branch, instead of them all being crammed in one tiny area of the country.

We have money, we would use these businesses. In fact, many of us probably have a lot more disposable income than people in the south east because we don't have to spend stupid money on housing!

[londonrach]

I know. I love the hot pret swedish meat ball wrap. In london theres a pret every corner. In fact dh and i have made it a joke re how far to the next pret. We moved to the midlands now and you get a pret occasionally if that.

[sparechange]

I'm guessing that huge multinational and companies that have grown strongly from nowhere to become successful businesses have got a pretty good idea of how to plan their store openings and know where they should put shops

It isn't just a case of renting a shop in a northern shopping centre. It is having a distribution centre, an area manager, a returns processing centre.

I don't work in retail but I'm pretty confident that those who do know what they are doing. They aren't a public service. They are looking for highly profitable stores, and there are most probably very good reasons they put stores where they do.

Equally, there are plenty of stores that don't open in London. There is a homewares place that frequently gets mentioned on here that only has stores in the north...

[Kerberos]

Think logistically. You are starting a new business. Would you want branches all over the place or would you concentrate on one area so you can monitor the branches and make sure the business is running well.

London has the largest population so it makes sense to start there.

[Bunbaker]

I agree. I live near Sheffield and we don't have so many of these places that everyone assumes we do. I won't buy clothes online because I need to try them on first - so no Uniqlo, no Boden, no Gap, we had a Pret a Manger in Meadowhall but that closed down, no Waitrose that is convenient for me, no Sainsburys that is convenient for me, plus many other retail outlets that don't spring to mind.

[Bloodybridget]

I would be pleased to be somewhere that wasn't full of the same old chain stores. Nothing more depressing than travelling 200 miles to find the exact same high street you left at home.

[FuckyNell]

I thought the country ended at the Watford gap

[Cotto]

Seriously you wont buy online ?
Well that's your choice but quite frankly ridiculous.
I live in a small village -Im not demanding that everything is on my doorstep.

[Lonecatwithkitten]

This is brand management and it is working for them. They use 'sentinel' towns and cities that build the brand so that when they open elsewhere people are aware of the brand and the store is more likely to be successful.
It's working you know the brands so when they do open in your area you are more likely to go in.

[SquirmOfEels]

The population of London is 8.5m or so. Then there's all those who commute in as well. Making the daytime population about the same as that of Austria or Switzerland.

Yes, I think you're right. London is another country and is frequently treated as such.

But that's not done as a result of a whim or laziness. It's done because of size, and the concentration of the population there (daytime, with commuters in, it's roughly one sixth of the country).

[Chippednailvarnish]

Over 10% of the UK's population live in London, and 22% of the UK's GDP is attributable to London.

As Kerberos and Spare have said why would anyone with a business go against general business sense?

[londonrach]

Cotto...think my hot pret swedish meat ball wrap would be cold if i ordered it online. . (Joking)

[OllyBJolly]

I would much rather see more local independent businesses that sustain decent local jobs and pay their taxes into our economy rather than more carbon copy tax avoiding chain stores and their zero hour, casual contracts.

[TheSconeOfStone]

If you think it's bad in the North try the Westcountry. We don't even feature in the North/South divide. No big infrastructure projects coming our way. Still, It's a lovely place to live despite the lack of shopping, gigs and career prospects.

[ArgyMargy]

We had a Uniqlo for a while (Midlands). We voted with our feet and it closed down.

[Bunbaker]

"Seriously you wont buy online ?
Well that's your choice but quite frankly ridiculous."

Only clothes. I am not a standard shape and size - anything from a 10 to a 14 depending on the shop and have to try several sizes on of anything before I buy anything. I really can't be doing with sending stuff back all the time. It is quicker and easier to go shopping rather than traipse backwards and forwards to the post office.

[x2boys]

we dont even have a waitrose in my town never been in one in my life.

[TheBestChocolateIsFree]

In fairness Bunbaker Londoners don't have Boden shops either; it's catalogue only apart from one outlet place in an industrial estate in Acton. Pret have special restrictions given that everything is fresh.

But I'm really surprised that a city the size of Sheffield doesn't have a GAP. And Uniqlo's stance of having ten stores in London and none anywhere else is a bit weird. You'd think that one in Birmingham Manchester and Glasgow would be worthwhile .

[BarbaraofSeville]

Over 10% of the UK's population live in London

Which means that nearly 90% don't .

Travelling anywhere in London takes fucking ages. If you count how many people live within an hour of Leeds, it's probably several million because you'd pick up the populations of Bradford, Wakefield, Manchester, Sheffield, Hull, and dozens of other surrounding towns and villages too.

I take on board the points about distribution and management and I do sometimes buy online from Uniqlo, but I have to order 2 or 3 times more than I end up buying because I need to try things on. This will also cost the shop because they pay for most or all of the postage and packing/distribution costs too.

It's all very well saying I will know the brand and use the shop when it opens up outside London, but often that will be never, not when. We are only getting a John Lewis this year FFS and it appears that for everyone else, they are ubiqutious.

[Flowerpower41]

No Tchibo either - although I hear they are only selling online - it was great back in the day when they would sell their merchandise and constantly change their stock every Tuesday. There used to be a good few of them in London.

Could do with a nice Watirose up here too (midlands). Nearest one a bit of a drive.

[StealthPolarBear]

It must make sense!. Very frustrating I agree.
We had a waitress briefly :(

[BarbaraofSeville]

Scone You are of course correct about the West Country. I have a friend who lives down there and always has to work away because there is literally no work in his profession within 50 miles of where he lives. He has only seen his DW and DD at weekends and holidays in years.

I tried to limit my examples to the biggest cities in the UK to avoid accusations of 'you can't expect Uniqlo to open up in Torquay'

[CombineBananaFister]

I know what you mean as I live in York but tbh I don't mind. I like that we have enough chains but some independents. I was actually quite shocked going down Oxford street and found it depressingly 'samey' and soulless. Love the rest of London though.
Between York, Leeds, Newcastle and Sheffield though, I think we've got some fantastic shopping and places of interest.

[sparechange]

Over 10% of the UK's population live in London
Which means that nearly 90% don't

I think the point the pp was actually making is that London accounts for 10% of the population and 22% of the national GDP.
So your point about northerners having more disposable income is probably incorrect, and London stores can be more profitable per sq foot that any northern counterparts.
It is probably worth noting that 2 of the Uniqlo stores are on main tourist streets (Regent St and High St Ken) which means they probably get a big boost from tourist spending. You wouldn't get that in Leeds...

[MyMoneyIsAllSpent]

Its not just the popular stores though is it? It's investment in other areas, or rather, lack of investment :( Lack of employment and opportunities.

I've just moved back up to the NE from the SE and I love it but I am so sad for the people who can't find work.