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!

Always find it odd that Woolworths went but Wilko is so popular.

Yes! they are like the same shop 😆

WH Smith are surprisingly profitable and 2022 sales were higher than 2019 (before COVID). So they must be doing something right.

W h smiths. Surely only a matter of time?

Clinton‘s mentioned above - yes.

Card factory
What a load of tut

Me too 😁! I love my visits to Hobbycraft.

See I hate superdrug (hard sell at tills but love boots)

Agree about shoezone snobbery, especially when you need multiple pairs for school that kids grow out of in 2 minutes, shops like that can be a god send (ours sadly closed). Clarks survive on reputation I think as often quality not there

Coast is another one. Their styles are very dated and hugely overpriced

don't think Amazon is as cheap for books as used to be

yes & most toys I bought were cheaper in Argos & Smyths

I'm not puzzled by Shoezone. They serve a purpose selling an essential item at a low price, shoes are something people want to try on in various styles and sizes so are not well suited to online shopping, and I imagine their market is growing.

WHSmith must have an amazing deal on business rates. How else are these shabby shops rammed with hugely overpriced stationery and 'select' bestselling books managing to stay open? They're so unappealing.

Argos. You can get it all on Amazon for the same price or cheaper. and nobody can be arsed to look through their giant catalogues now you can type it into a search bar and order in one click

Hobbs. We have one on our high street. No one ever in there.

Agree with WH Smith and Boots. Also Edinburgh Woolen mill. I'd actually forgotten they still existed. I also wonder about superdrug as similar to Boots but our local one is even tattier and more random.

River Island! Awful

Holland & Barrett
Travel Agents
Edinburgh Woollen Mill

I shop at these 2 but I am old!

Totally agree with the below:

H Samuel
Fat Face
Sea Salt
Body Shop

I'd also say:

Claire's Accessories - full of cheap tatty shit that falls apart

Cook - the frozen meal store. I actually have nothing against Cook and like their food, but it's very expensive

Men Kind - more cheap tatty shit

Yankee Candle Store - how many candles are people buying? And most aren't even very nice!

Cafe Rouge - technically not a store I know, but it's really gone down hill in the past few years (I know it was never great btw)

I have only ever seen Edinburgh Woolen Mill in garden centres. I have always wondered who pops to a garden centre to get their clothing.

I think it's more to do with the fact that they usually only sell what's on the shelves. If you want a size other than what's on the shelves, they don't have it. Ever.

Argos. You can get it all on Amazon for the same price or cheaper. and nobody can be arsed to look through their giant catalogues now you can type it into a search bar and order in one click

You can do that on the argos website..

Clarks I reckon maje 50% of their profit in August.

Body shop. Now I actually like some products but I never go in the shop itself. Lost it's way.

Paperchase addict here, love it ...sorry! And Wilko

Agree on Clinton's. And H Samuel.

Claire’s Accessories

I love Argos. Same day delivery for £3.95 is just magic.

M & S.

And they now operate out of Sainsbury’s. Very handy.

The train and airport ones are a separate division. The High St division still makes a profit on its own.

I think a lot of shops can't survive in an Amazon universe. It's just so convenient.