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Original poster

Shops you are surprised are still going

782 replies

fajitaaaa · 03/01/2023 21:59

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!

OP posts:
justcallmeJane · 03/01/2023 22:33

Shoe zone.

lollipoprainbow · 03/01/2023 22:33

Boots, ours is really tatty and savers and superdrug are way better.

penguims · 03/01/2023 22:33

What about The Works? Each time I walk past anytime it's always empty

User1785498 · 03/01/2023 22:34

Shoe Zone stinks when you walk past of cheap plastic

bibbif · 03/01/2023 22:34

Ours is rubbish though 2 floors. Nothing you can't buy in Waterstones paperchase or my new fave Ryman

But loads of places only have WHSmiths & not the above options. I use them to buy books & stationary as I'm a fairly impulsive shopper. I only quite like a magazine.

justcallmeJane · 03/01/2023 22:34

@bizzywiththefizzy my local hospital has a WHSmith and marks and Spencer's inside it. Both mobbed.

bibbif · 03/01/2023 22:34

also not only!

Pinkflipflop85 · 03/01/2023 22:34

penguims · 03/01/2023 22:33

What about The Works? Each time I walk past anytime it's always empty

Our local one is always busy.

I buy loads in there for the kids/for school.

LuluBlakey1 · 03/01/2023 22:34

supernova1234 · 03/01/2023 22:27

Pandora. It seems quite dated, but maybe that's just me.

Dated and naff. Can't believe it's still going.

Mylittlepea · 03/01/2023 22:34

Nakedornotnaked · 03/01/2023 22:28

I'm with you on this - particularly Seasalt. MNers seem to love both, but they're so frumpy, shapeless, ugly and ludicrously overpriced to look as unstylish as possible

I'm no fashion victim by any stretch, but I cannot fathom out who's happy to pay £65 for clothing like this unflattering knitted vest monstrosity....

Show quote history

🤣 so true. Sea salt stuff reminds me of that hideous brand ‘dash’ that luckily died a death a few years ago I think

Tamarindtree · 03/01/2023 22:34

Are Fatface still going? Hideous styles in hideous colours.

SouthwarkSwish · 03/01/2023 22:34

Volkswagenitalia · 03/01/2023 22:20

Yes, I had heard that it's because of their monopoly on stations, airports and hospitals that WH Smith is still going.

They operate - or at least used to - fairly independently from each other, there was a separate HQ for the 'Travel' business then the High Street arm (Swindon location). I've always wondered why they don't therefore just close the High Street arm and continue with Travel.

bibbif · 03/01/2023 22:34

And WHsmith often have POs in

gawditswindy · 03/01/2023 22:35

User1785498 · 03/01/2023 22:34

Shoe Zone stinks when you walk past of cheap plastic

Vegan leather.

Coffeetable123 · 03/01/2023 22:35

House of Fraser

picnicshicnic · 03/01/2023 22:35

catsonahottinroof · 03/01/2023 22:07

I've thought the same about WH Smith's for years but a lot of them are now housing Post Offices with not enough staff which they are no doubt getting massive payments for. Also I think they have some sort of monopoly on newspaper and magazine supplies.
One I'm surprised about is The Body Shop, there is hardly ever anyone in the one in our town and everything is expensive but I'm sure mostly not that special. For the natural angle, there is Lush (admittedly more expensive) basically, they should go back to their roots with all the perfume oils etc.

I used to buy make up in the body shop when I was a teenager.

Couldn't afford it now. Very overpriced.

BooksAndHooks · 03/01/2023 22:35

I went in WH Smith’s yesterday and I could not believe the prices. A mini pocket diary was £5-8, a maths set which is around £1.50 everywhere was over £5. I went in Clinton’s and got a better diary for £1.25. Who is paying these prices?

IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads · 03/01/2023 22:36

Tattyoldted · 03/01/2023 22:02

I was thinking of WHSmith as soon as I saw your thread title! Very overpriced.

Me too!

pigsinoodies · 03/01/2023 22:36

Adviceneeded200 · 03/01/2023 22:09

WHSmiths have a huge wholesale arm. They supply a lot of smaller shops with papers and magazines. Whether that will weather this storm as fewer buy print...who knows

They sold the wholesale newspaper and magazine distribution part off about 20 years ago.

Needmorelego · 03/01/2023 22:36

@penguims I have never been in a branch of The Works that's not busy. It's always packed in there.

SouthwarkSwish · 03/01/2023 22:36

WicketWoo · 03/01/2023 22:23

I think WHSmiths own their property so costs are low compared to other stores with rent. Well they used to at least. Also, the train station stores will be massively profitable.

The Travel stores do turn over a huge revenue, but the rental and operating costs at airports and the like are insane

Guiltypleasures001 · 03/01/2023 22:36

Clarkes so expensive

bibbif · 03/01/2023 22:36

H Samuel, cabinets of strange ornaments everywhere.

do they still exist?

SRS29 · 03/01/2023 22:37

Fat face is closing down in Southsea....only about 10 miles from where it was founded - Smiths I think it's mainly the older generation .....Waterstones I love so do my daughters (18 & 21)...I think the coffee shop book vibe thing they so very well

bibbif · 03/01/2023 22:37

Argos, there’s never anything in stock and you can’t see anything before you buy it.

I bloody love Argos!