Shops you are surprised are still going

[fajitaaaa]

WHSMITHS - who is buying from them? Anything other than a emergency magazine for the train and maybe a bottle of water? But some of their stores are HUGE!

FAT FACE - always a massive sale on!

I used to buy my cleaning products from there, but over time prices have crept to 1.50 then 2 and I find asda can be cheaper. I can imagine there’s good bargains, but i can see it eventually heading like pound stretcher and the likes, a last resort not a first choice.

I did not know that. I'll have a google

I do find Timpsons quite expensive but I always make sure I shop there if I need any keys cut or dry cleaning done because of how well their staff are treated. There aren’t many, or possibly any, other big companies that prioritise their staff welfare to the extent Timpsons do.

Article about Paperchase (May 2022, The Guardian)

That's so bad!! I shall boycott them too

It goes some way to explain why there was a different vibe to Paperchase when I visited pre-Christmas. There were a lot of gaps on the Christmas and birthday card display shelving which struck me as being very unusual, not something I'd previously witnessed when shopping in-store.

Thanks for the article about Paperchase @LouisCatorze, I had no idea these had happened to their small suppliers while the venture capitalists (Permira) get even richer. I won’t be buying from them anymore either. I see the article is from May last year, I wonder [very optimistically] if there was any kind of resolution for suppliers?

I know that Joe Lycett tried to get money back for three of them owed but got nowhere sadly which is unlike his show.

The venture capital culture should be cancelled!

What do you mean by ‘the venture capital culture’? I don’t think that private equity as a method of acquiring, funding and growing businesses is going anywhere, and nor should it. Do you mean that you would like to abolish pre-pack administrations? Have you thought about the alternatives?

What alternative forms of capital would you prefer to see?

The way it used to be done before vulture capitalists perhaps?

How about banks actually lending to business again?

Or businesses raising capital by selling shares directly to the public on the Stock Exchange?

Or business owners using their own (or family) money to start/grow businesses?

We had a vibrant economy for a couple of centuries through "traditional" capital routes before the vulture capitalists took over the financial markets.

There was a time when people would invest in a business based solely on their hopes/expectations of how successful the business would be and how much dividend and return they were likely to get from the profits it made. Now the entire market is just gambling - institutional investors gambling not on how profitable a business will be, but on how much they are likely to be able to sell the business to other investors in the future, whether it makes profit or not. The entire financial market system has been bastardised into gambling!

😂

A lot of vegans/vegetarians like shoezone. As a pp said, there are companies charging ££ for 'vegan shoes' which are actually just plastic shoes, like shoezone ones.
I am not particularly poor but I always look round a shoezone if I am in town (rare, mind) because I know they won't be leather or rarely. And they do have some nice ones! Yes the quality isn't brilliant but it isn't 'bad'. I;ve had worse quality from elsewhere. Yes they don't last forever but apart from trainers for running and good quality waterproof winter boots,I don't like to wear the same shoes year in year out anyway. Shoezone also have a lot of quirky, fun styles which unless you want to pay a lot of money for something that may be dubious quality (I'm looking at you, irregular choice!) is unusual, especially on the high street.

I will also boycott paperchase now, interesting but infuriating article, thanks for that.
I so rarely shop on the high street. I just don't like traipsing round shops. I cant think of a particular shop that I am surprised is still going.

I cut a lot of keys (landlord) more often than most and I do usually go to an independent one in a neighbouring town to me but I've found Timpsons great for car keys. I snapped my car key in the door not so long ago and the guy could have charged me more than £100. He said he was sorry but it may cost that much but then he noticed that my key had a 'flap' in it which he could use to access its chip, so it was very little in the end. He was also aware that I didn't know anything about this kind of thing and could have charged me much more if he was so inclined, I'd have never known. But he didn't.

@Patienceisntvirtuous

He was also aware that I didn't know anything about this kind of thing and could have charged me much more if he was so inclined, I'd have never known. But he didn't.

Same with our local guy. He got DS's ipad repaired for a tenner, when the authorised Apple repair firm wanted £150 + VAT just to look at it and diagnose the problem (payable in advance with no refund if a quick/simple job!). Just replaced an old iphone battery for £20 (they cost a minimum of a tenner on ebay! and that's without fitting). Because we trust him (and his staff who are also good), we keep going back just for peace of mind more than anything. Knowing he's not going to rip you off is a big thing these days and keeps us going back. So what if a house key costs a pound more than the guy on the market - sometimes reputation/quality etc is worth paying a little more, and I'd rather help keep the Timpsons shop open by giving it business as we've used it for all kinds of things that the market key man doesn't do, such as belt/handbag adjustments, signs, shoe repairs, etc. He also has a much better range of keys and give you the right one, not "one that will do".

@Patienceisntvirtuous I popped into Shoezone as my son (primary) needs some new school shoes. £10 for cheap things that weigh nothing or £40 for kickers or similar. Nothing in between price/quality wise and most of them were more like trainers. Im not spending £40 on shoes that he'll wear out or grow out of. A trip to Asda a bit further away is needed I think.

About New Look-I didn't like it as a teen as there were cheaper shops of similar quality, and I'd never have entered a store as an adult.

My partner has insisted for ages that I should have a warm winter coat just for that sole purpose. I didn't see the need. If I go out in the cold I'd put my other coats on, I have one 'posh' (expensive designer one) for going out and another cheaper but nice, smart one I'd just wear to walk to the shop or whatever. Partner bought me a New Look coat for xmas and honestly, I didn't know coats could be this warm! It's just amazing-I actually get too hot in it! It's not the most attractive thing (puffy, hooded) compared to my others but I did need one and didn't know it. So if you're on a budget/don't want to spend a lot and need a warm waterproof coat, NL has a purpose!

I agree re new look, some of their things are really nice quality. Maternity jeans used to be ace. They used to win loads of award for shoes, and although they’ve gone downhill of late they’re still good for beaded ethnic summer sandals with real leather soles , good for summer events.

SpaceNK on Grafton Street Dublin.
Very high rent area and never a lot of people in store.
LK Bennett in a shopping centre in my city. So rarely has customers when I go in to window shop.

Another vote for Paperchase. Prompted by going past the one in the city centre. Empty of customers, even stock looking sparse, with lots of reduced stuff on tables. It's the same any time of year. The rest is mostly overpriced tat.

Agree with Space NK. It's cheaper to buy from Cult Beauty online, or somewhere like that.

Online you can't see or test before you buy though. It's a different experience.

Agreed. If I’m going to spend ££ on Jo Loves perfume, or Laura Mercier eyeshadow, or fancy skincare, or a Diptyque candle, you get I want to sniff it or test it in store. That’s Space NK’s USP surely? They sell the posh stuff and constantly refresh their range so they have the latest things.

You BET, not you get!

Yes that's absolutely true.
But you'd need a lot of customers to pay the huge rents demanded in Dublin's Grafton Street.

Online you can't see or test before you buy though. It's a different experience.

A lot is repeat buys for me, so fine. Perfume I often blind buy if it sounds right, but will also check it in a department store first, on occasion. I'm happy to take a punt on the sort of niche brands Space NK sometimes stocks, even lipstick. I know which shades and types suit me and there are so many online reviews to check first.

But, yes, if you want the experience and to buy it there and then, then it might suit.