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Original poster

What retailer do you think will go bust next?

1000 replies

good96 · 12/01/2025 17:17

My money is on Poundstretcher. Went into my local one today. Shelves empty, looking old and dirty and prices aren’t really cheap for a discount retailer…

OP posts:
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9
snowmichael · 12/01/2025 19:27

YampyYamYam · 12/01/2025 18:09

That's not true. In our rural area, the co-op deliberately maintain a monopoly. They have bought up sites in towns where they're the only supermarket to prevent other supermarkets from opening there, and they routinely object to other supermarkets' planning applications. Locals really resent them for it.

Show quote history

Labour organisation = monopolies & 'closed shop' union mentality

snowmichael · 12/01/2025 19:28

Needmorelego · 12/01/2025 18:09

@CosySwan yes and B+M etc sell perfectly ordinary household items too.
The branded products they sell will be exactly the same ones as sold in John Lewis or even Harrods 😂
Their "own brand" products are just normal everyday products.
Where do you buy things like washing up bowls, mops, felt tip pens or batteries from?

Amazon

erihskreb · 12/01/2025 19:28

AmberZebra · 12/01/2025 19:20

Back in the real world the majority of people don’t boycott places.
Nobody is going to Argos to get something you can get cheaper and more conveniently from Amazon.
And more fool you if you are.

Show quote history

We pay for the kind of society we want. I like having shops in my town, so I shop at them, even if I could have saved a few pounds by putting them in Jeff Bezos’s pocket instead.

DerekFaker · 12/01/2025 19:28

wasn’t allowed to buy cold&flu tablets because I had no symptoms (

What on EARTH.

Badbadbunny · 12/01/2025 19:28

CeeJay81 · 12/01/2025 19:23

Wh smith are newspaper/magezine suppliers to other shops too.

Nope, they sold off their wholesale division about 20 years ago (from memory).

snowmichael · 12/01/2025 19:30

Poppasocks · 12/01/2025 18:10

Body shop. A member of staff told me they effectively couldn't afford to bring out a new Christmas range this year (i.e Christmas just gone)

And i've never understood how HMV are still going...

How much eggnog were you and your 'member of staff' knocking back?
Body Shop went bust and closed their stores in February

tailinthejam · 12/01/2025 19:30

I'm surprised that there have been a few posts saying that X store is profitable, yada yada. Perhaps they don't realise that some of us know our way round the Companies House website, and can interpret what we find.
😂😂😂😂😂

jolies1 · 12/01/2025 19:30

Midlifecrisisxamillion · 12/01/2025 17:51

Is it? I'm surprised. Crazy overpriced.

Show quote history

They are but the locations of their stores are pretty clever - they have Co-op / Lakes and Dales & Scotmid under the Co Op umbrella and in a lot of smaller towns and villages (especially in Scotland) it’s the only big shop. My town is growing massively, there’s no supermarket in walking distance, so Co Op is always heaving despite the higher prices.

Choccyscofffy · 12/01/2025 19:31

New Look

MyDeepZebra · 12/01/2025 19:32

snowmichael · 12/01/2025 19:30

How much eggnog were you and your 'member of staff' knocking back?
Body Shop went bust and closed their stores in February

Show quote history

Not true for me. My local Body Shop (England) is still open and I went to one in Scotland last month.

ETA they have 113 open stores according to their website.

Bulkypeepants · 12/01/2025 19:32

A few people have said hotel Chocolat but since Cadburys are getting shitter by the day, I think there is a gap to fill. If they started making a normal sized chocolate bar (like one you'd buy in a newsagent) and a tub of chocolate in wrappers (equiv to Roses or Quality Street), they'd make and even bigger profit.

Sevenwondersofthewoo · 12/01/2025 19:33

Argos are all inside Sainsbury’s here.

WHSmith is crap here and very very cluttered and shabby looking.

asda won’t close theyll just stop it being 24 hours like Tesco’s.

round here we’ve a huge new B&M and the teeny tiny poundstretchers beside it so it does get missed. I love the wee tiny balls of wool they sell.

snowmichael · 12/01/2025 19:33

Finetoday · 12/01/2025 18:14

Thornton’s

The perfume shop

Curries

Halfords

WHS

Argos

To be honest, most shops around here are empty and full of sales stuff and sad people.

All Thornton's shops closed in 2021
The parent company was bought by Ferrero in 2015 and has struggled until last year

Chesterdrawswalla · 12/01/2025 19:35

tailinthejam · 12/01/2025 19:30

I'm surprised that there have been a few posts saying that X store is profitable, yada yada. Perhaps they don't realise that some of us know our way round the Companies House website, and can interpret what we find.
😂😂😂😂😂

Great - can you interpret for us?

who do you think are struggling?

snowmichael · 12/01/2025 19:35

Midlifecrisisxamillion · 12/01/2025 18:15

My Boots is dark too. It's weird.

Show quote history

It's so you can't see the empty gaps, or the inflated prices on the shelves

CeeJay81 · 12/01/2025 19:36

Badbadbunny · 12/01/2025 19:28

Nope, they sold off their wholesale division about 20 years ago (from memory).

Show quote history

Well I work in a coop and we get our papers supplied from wh smiths. I think they supply our local spar too.

littlemisssunshine247 · 12/01/2025 19:36

HamHand · 12/01/2025 17:45

I think the White Company and White Stuff. Both send out way more emails they they used to and offer huge discounts throughout the year which sort of devalues the clothes in my eyes. White Stuff have had a few 40% off weekends. The quality just doesn’t justify the high prices they’re now charging, they’e be better off to lower it across the board then relying on so many sales to entice people to buy.

I've noticed this about the White Company recently. Loads of 50% off emails, though never for the items I like.

Needmorelego · 12/01/2025 19:37

@snowmichael buying a washing up bowl from Amazon - fine if you can't get to any shops. But it's likely to be from exactly the same factory as ones in shops like B+M so there isn't really any difference.
I was curious from people like @CosySwan buys them?
If you are someone that can easily get to a regular ordinary high st/shopping centre - where do you buy boring everyday things like a washing up bowl from?

CrushingOnRubies · 12/01/2025 19:38

How much eggnog were you and your 'member of staff' knocking back?
Body Shop went bust and closed their stores in February

My local body shop store is still open and very busy. When I pop in

DoloresODonovan · 12/01/2025 19:39

worcesterpear · 12/01/2025 17:52

I also think Boots and WH Smith. Our local Boots has no heating and has looked tatty for years, even though it is a fairly big branch. Our WH Smith has looked in decline for years, and now they have maybe one member of staff for the whole thing. Interested to know why people think the Co-op might go bust -is it that they have expanded too rapidly?

I always believed that Coop stores were franchised?

thenightsky · 12/01/2025 19:39

CrushingOnRubies · 12/01/2025 19:38

How much eggnog were you and your 'member of staff' knocking back?
Body Shop went bust and closed their stores in February

My local body shop store is still open and very busy. When I pop in

Our Body Shop is still in its prime high street location.

snowmichael · 12/01/2025 19:39

DogInATent · 12/01/2025 18:25

Argos - no idea how they're still going in the face of next-day-everything from Amazon.

Pizza Express - keeps on surviving despite the huge debt mountain. It's fundamentally a good business but the level of debt has to eventually overwhelm it.

> PIzza Express

What, even with the Royal endorsement?

4pawdrive · 12/01/2025 19:39

gidsquame · 12/01/2025 18:55

My son in law works for Asda. He said they're being crippled by shoplifting. Over the Christmas quarter, his store had eye watering losses.

I’m not surprised to hear this. We go monthly to the large branch in our city. During the summer I was standing at the entrance waiting for DH and watched as several young men swaggered out with boxes of beer that hadn’t been paid for. The security guard was literally watching them and doing nothing. I was v close and asked why (after they’d gone) and he said it’s not worth the hassle/his safety.

so what's the point of the security guards then? I mean if they do nothing when they see people nicking stuff then what is the point of the shop paying them. They may as well save their salaries.

Absolutely disgusting about the shoplifting though. Skint mother stealing nappies and babyfood I have some compassion for but blokes nicking beer I have non for.

blacktreacles · 12/01/2025 19:40

LegoBingo · 12/01/2025 17:40

LUSH?
whsmiths will never close. It just keeps going and going fueled by hospital and train station branches

they’ve a cult fan base, was shocked to see queues outside on boxing day when I was out in town taking my baby for a walk.

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 12/01/2025 19:40

I am also thinking Hotel Chocolat

Their products are so ££ .
Their iconic Velvetiser for example .

I bought some chocolate for Hallowe'en for my ( adult) DC but I am not a fan of the flavoured chocolates . Even the Selectors are so pricey now .

They were so much nicer than Thorntons but recently gone downhill.

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