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!

Sports Direct! Who’d be seen dead in Slazenger?

Yes very good for when you need something that day

I think it's more to do with the fact that they usually only sell what's on the shelves

I don’t think it is

I get my trainers from Sports Direct. I love my Sketchers. So comfy!

WH Smith make 90% of their profit, in High street shops, subscription magazines (the ones where you can build a plane in 168 years), Pepsi, Fry's chocolate and diaries. There's a breakdown somewhere They have the monopoly on Pepsi and no other shop in a 10 mile radius can sell Pepsi. They are also one of the only shops that still sell Fry's Chocolate crème bars.

Actually did use Matalan this week for a hoard of cotton basics. Used to use H&M but they seem to only be selling polyester junk with film titles on.

100% on Boots, Clinton's, Next and WHSmith. They cost a fortune. Maybe they think folks haven't realised?

I worked at WHSmiths as a teeenager 25 years ago. Every store still has exactly the same smell today. It's bizarre

Teenagers love the stationary at paper chase ... totally on trend with highlighters, gel pens , stickers etc .

@neonjumper I think you've just described Paperchase very well. It's Smiggles for teens.

Boots - my menopause supplements are cheaper there than anywhere else, including online.
WH Smith - specialist magazines you cant get anywhere else without a subscription. FIL loves one about tractors.

Keeping stores fully stocked ties up a lot of working capital. It’s much more efficient to manage stock predominantly from central warehouses and encourage customers to do click and collect. They also have a lot of distribution contacts which use the Next website and distribution network. This has kept a lot of brands in business.

The stores do look tatty as anything now though.

Bensons for beds.

Good few snobs with too much surplus cash on this one. Nothing wrong with peacocks. When I was JUST starting to recover from my debt, I used to order bits and bobs for my work look etc. I still buy from them and New Look.
Now - how are rip off's like Coast and Mango surviving?!

The issue is the main alternative is Superdrug…

Yes they still exist as I had to pop into our nearest shop today to pick up a ring my DH bought me for Christmas. To be fair, despite the ornaments, their jewellery was good.

DH had scoured the jewellery shops for the above, but said that he looked at rings in Ernest Jones (which is opposite) and you couldn't get a ring for less than £2k.

Seasalt - I agree it's expensive and rubbish, even the outlet which is near me (in Cornwall) is expensive!

Lakeland - very expensive, no wonder our local shop is closing down.

The WH Smith in our town had a make over last year. It's a lot brighter in there now, but still overpriced. I think it benefits from a prime spot next to an M&S food shop, which is usually heaving.

I do often wonder how Boots keeps going. I often buy their own-brand sun cream and I like their own-brand silicone ear plugs though, so would be gutted if I couldn't get those anymore! <also makes mental note to check out the menopause supplements>

Large online offerings like Amazon and Next Directory are more for convenience than cheapness, I use both a lot as it is very easy to buy stuff, you click and buy and it appears the next day.

We have lots of sketchers stores in our area with good sales. The only time I ever go into sports direct is for a rash vest - about once every 5 years 😂

Matalan used to be great value for office basics and some nice subtle designs but it’s all lurid and nasty now and nobody dresses for the office any more! There are three large stores near us and never anyone in them - it’s quite eerie, staff just standing around in these big warehouse type places with no customers.

@SheilaWilde I buy Pepsi and Fry's chocolate from Poundland, One Below, B+M, Home Bargains etc which are usually right next door to a WHSmith.
What are you on about with them having a monopoly over Pepsi and Fry's?

Whittards. surely people only ever go in at Christmas to buy a gift for someone that they barely know?

Next. I used to LOVE Next in the 80s-90s, but now it M&S prices for Primark quality.

A little out the box but:
Tui
Hays & Jarvis
Thomas Cook

My mum works at WHSmith and she is always telling me how the store is falling apart and management won't pay for things to be fixed

I do like that they pay their staff properly, with decent contracts, no zero hours crap. My mum loves working there.

Our one and only WH Smith closed years ago. Fry’s - go to Poundland. Pepsi - god knows, Iceland?

Next make all of their money from the Directory, the stores are just an expensive click and collect place