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Original poster

Companies you can't see ever going under.

205 replies

PollyPepper · 20/04/2021 14:29

Yesterday DH and I got a McDonald's. What an absolute treat. Grin

And I started wondering if McDonald's will ever go bust.

It seems so unlikely, though of course it is possible as with any other business.

Mcdonalsa are in 120 countries around the world and serve 68 million customers each day!!

I honestly think it could be exposed that they use human meat and people would still go there. Grin

I suppose Amazon as well?

All it takes though is a better and bigger competitor to take them down, but at this stage I just don't see it ever happening.

AIBU?

OP posts:
vannyy · 21/04/2021 07:29

I suppose it all depends on your location but around here there are multiple places closer. I also couldn't justify the prices in WH Smiths even our local corner shop sells things like staplers and cards cheaper.

Without a doubt. I'm in London & have a big high street 5 mins walk so for me WHSmith works - plus it's the PO. I could probably get it cheaper online but I would have to wait for delivery & can't be bothered.

Whinge · 21/04/2021 07:33

I'm in London & have a big high street 5 mins walk so for me WHSmith works

With a big high street i'm surprised that you don't have anywhere that sells books, cards, wrapping paper and stationery cheaper than WH Smiths. I guess it really is area dependant.

PuppyMonkey · 21/04/2021 07:33

Apple.

Dyson.

W H Smith

The big three.Grin

vannyy · 21/04/2021 07:35

The food delivery services are interesting as it's a growing sector but I'm not sure who will "make it". Just Eat has had a big boost with the ending of the McDonalds/Uber eats exclusive partnership - apparently worth 15m deliveries a yr! Plus they have Greggs on board.

Bul21ia · 21/04/2021 07:35

@PegPeople

WH Smiths!! I'm not conspiracy nut but they must have good dirt on someone because by all accounts they should have died a death decades ago. I know they have a good airport and train station presence and they are common in hospitals but I simply don't comprehend how they are still operating on the high street. Confused

When the apocalypse comes I predict all that will be left is a McDonald's hamburger, roaches and bloody WH Smiths. Grin

Good spot I like the store I don’t go often and I have no idea who buys Birthday/occasion cards from WHSmiths.
PegPeople · 21/04/2021 07:37

Without a doubt. I'm in London & have a big high street 5 mins walk so for me WHSmith works

I'm actually amazed being in London and having a big high street so close you don't have a cheaper just as convenient store than WH Smiths.

We're not in the capital and we have so much more choice locally. It's genuinely blowing my tiny mind that in London of all places WH Smiths is the most logical place for someone to buy essentials like tape, cards and a stapler. Grin

vannyy · 21/04/2021 07:39

With a big high street i'm surprised that you don't have anywhere that sells books, cards, wrapping paper and stationery cheaper than WH Smiths. I guess it really is area dependant.

Independent book shop closed a decade ago, no waterstones.
Ryman's closed yrs ago.
There is an independent card shop that I love & use regularly but when I'm buying for dc's friends birthdays I don't want to spend £6 on a card & sheet of wrap.
That's why my smiths survives, no direct competition.

vannyy · 21/04/2021 07:41

I'm actually amazed being in London and having a big high street so close you don't have a cheaper just as convenient store than WH Smiths.

Are they independents or other chains?

I'm sure if I drove or got a bus somewhere I could find cheaper but the extra travel & time would negate my savings.

RedRec · 21/04/2021 07:45

I was a loyal WH Smith customer until I found I could get brilliant stationery from Wilko at about half the price. Game changer.

PegPeople · 21/04/2021 07:49

@vannyy

I'm actually amazed being in London and having a big high street so close you don't have a cheaper just as convenient store than WH Smiths.

Are they independents or other chains?

I'm sure if I drove or got a bus somewhere I could find cheaper but the extra travel & time would negate my savings.

A mixture of both. We have card factory, the works, waterstones, some small indie shops selling gifts, cards and balloons, a Morrisons and a large tesco. Not to mention several charity shops which also sell cards and have huge stacks of books.

I don't think our high street is that unusual we still have some shops that are empty and the standard b&m plus vape shops like many other hence my surprise that in parts of London WH Smith is unrivaled.

vannyy · 21/04/2021 07:50

I love Wilko particularly the pick n mix which I still miss from Woolworths however my closest one is not close enough & parking near is a nightmare.

jay55 · 21/04/2021 07:53

WHSmiths being in so many train stations helps.

M&S I can see ending up being mostly their simply food stores, with a few that do underwear/tights/socks too.

lollipoprainbow · 21/04/2021 07:56

I don't get how Boots haven't gone under, there are much cheaper pharmacy's out there and I think the make up counters are dated ! The Christmas presents they stock are so overpriced too.

vannyy · 21/04/2021 07:57

I would say my high street was quite typical of the others close by. Most have independent card/gift shops but they wouldn't be cheaper then smiths & wouldn't sell stationary or mags, maybe a few books.

I've never been to a B&M or Works shop & don't know where the closest one is. The large supermarkets wouldn't be the size of the huge supermarkets, you would have to drive to one of those.

Whinge · 21/04/2021 07:59

I've never been to a B&M or Works shop & don't know where the closest one is

Shock Wow I couldn't imagine not having a B&M / home bargain type shop nearby, it's so useful.

PegPeople · 21/04/2021 08:03

Most have independent card/gift shops but they wouldn't be cheaper then smiths

I would honestly imagine any shop selling cards would be cheaper than the cards from Smiths.

I've never been to a B&M or Works shop

Now my mind is officially exploding. I genuinely didn't think there were any high streets in England that didn't have a b&m or home bargain type shop in them. Grin

StillCoughingandLaughing · 21/04/2021 08:39

@lollipoprainbow

I don't get how Boots haven't gone under, there are much cheaper pharmacy's out there and I think the make up counters are dated ! The Christmas presents they stock are so overpriced too.
I think for certain generations, Boots is very much a trusted name. You’d either go to Boots or your small local pharmacy where you knew the staff. Boots is also often one of the few ‘name’ shops in smaller or more rural shopping areas; you have the element of trust and a lack of competition.

Boots also bought out quite a few smaller rival chains about 15-20 years ago if I remember rightly. This led to a glut of Boots stores where I lived for a while, as they simply rebranded the other chain’s stores as Boots, but over time they closed the excess stores and were left as the main option in the area.

It would also be interesting to know how split the wider business is between retail and pharmaceutical manufacturing. They make quite a lot of products for the NHS - and have been criticised for overcharging them in the past.

lemonsyellow · 21/04/2021 08:48

I have never, ever heard of B&M or Home Bargains. They don’t exist where I am.

Raxer26A · 21/04/2021 08:52

Where are you ? Not in the UK ?

PegPeople · 21/04/2021 08:55

@lemonsyellow

I have never, ever heard of B&M or Home Bargains. They don’t exist where I am.
I've just Googled out of curiosity and they have over 600 stores in the UK and 90 in France.

So surely the reason you have not heard of them is because you don't live in the UK, just like people in the UK are not likely to have heard of stores which are popular in other counties.

sunflowersandbuttercups · 21/04/2021 08:59

I'm surprised about people saying ASDA - I think lockdown did them a big favour tbh!

I used to work there and they were constantly struggling to hit targets, were often letting management roles go (there are lots of section leaders and very few managers as it's cheaper to employ a section leader), and they were forever "saving money" by letting people go early or telling them they didn't need to come in if they didn't want to Hmm

lemonsyellow · 21/04/2021 09:11

@Raxer26A

Where are you ? Not in the UK ?
I live in the U.K and always have. I’ve never heard of them. Are they a high street shop? Off to google.
PegPeople · 21/04/2021 09:14

I live in the U.K and always have. I’ve never heard of them. Are they a high street shop? Off to google.

If you live in the UK how on earth have you never heard of them, both b&ms and home bargains are a staple of almost every high street.

Interesting Google fact but apparently there are more home bargain and b&m stores than wilko stores in the UK.

Whinge · 21/04/2021 09:14

lemonsyellow

You live in the UK and have never heard of B&M or home bargains?

I understand you might not have them near you, but you've never travelled around the UK or heard others mention them? Confused

eaglejulesk · 21/04/2021 09:25

Think about Kodak back in the 90s - you never would have imagined that they would be gone, would you? But they didn't keep up with the change to digital photography, and therefore they became obsolete.

Kodak may not be the force they once were but I'm pretty sure they are still in business!

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