What retailer do you think will go bust next?

[good96]

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…

M&S I think have really lost their way when it comes to kids clothes. They are trying to emulate other brands but can't do it. I think their food department is their saving grace.
WHSmith, I can see them ending up just keeping the airport and train station stores and losing the high street presence. They are massively overpriced.
Dr Martens prices are ridiculous now and have risen astronomically in the last five years or so, whilst quality has declined. Wouldn't be shocked to see them struggling.
Clarks I think will be gone soon. They are so overpriced. They're very nearly charging the same as the quality European made children's brands you find in independent shoe shops but the quality and fitting service is not comparable (at least not to our local independent).

Lakeland seem to be closing stores at a fair pace. No idea if they are badly off or just moving to a more online model.

Edited to say: apparently they are losing money each year.

my local Asda is grim, I used to think that the empty shelves were something to fo with Brexit and while I am sure it hasn't helped it must be something else as well. I rarely go there now as I often can't get what I want, I was in there on Friday and some ot the chiller display cabinets were filled with tinned veg in an attempt to conceal the lack of stock, Freezers with massive gaps, hardly any oven chips for example and very little sea food I know it is January but I could not get all the stuff on my pretty basic list

Why?!

Claire’s

I buy a lot online at Lakeland as they often have 20% off vouchers, also they give a 3 year guarantee so I bought my Panasonic bread maker from there

@snowmichael is it always that much cheaper?
B+M have an Addis washing up bowl for £1.69.
What looks like the same one on Amazon is £5.49.

I get those from SilkFred.

Timpson's? As if!

About bloody time given the years and years of massive threads on here saying endlessly “I’m in my 30s and 40s, why don’t they do well priced basics?”

MN was like one huge focus group for M&S for ages and they just seemed to ignore it 😆

I think it’s a shame that places like WHSmith and Boots are mentioned. We need shops like them, as they sell quality stuff. Same with Clinton’s. They have lovely cards and other gifts but before Xmas Card Factory was heaving, whilst Clinton’s were plodding on quietly. I don’t want us to be left with the cheap and cheerful stores selling tat, like B&M, Poundland and Card Factory.

I would have thought lots of 13 /14 year olds would enjoy listening to the records in the record shops, browsing the posters of famous people before going to the cinema to see them on the big screen. Meeting their friends in the eating places. Spending the afternoon in the bookshops reading before selecting a purchase. The shops weren't our whole social lives (yes I know what I said) but they were quite central to alot of activities and other hobbies. There always used to be a good buzz that isn't there now.

Even things like shopping for a new beads or lip gloss were a big deal prior to going out with friends or going on an innocent date or off to the teenyboppers disco. Buying these things online just isn't the same for youngsters.

Well I don't think so anyway.

Interested to know what these 'real' social lives not driven by consumerism are that today's 13/14 years old have. Not being sarcastic. I don't have kids so have no idea what they spend their weekends doing.

M&S seem to forget that they're a high street store, the prices of some of their clothes is shocking..I saw a plain knitted jumper (not cashmere) the price was not far from £50, there was nothing special about it at all.

New Look, River Island or Body Shop properly going.

@snowmichael also a washing up bowl isn't what I would call a "plastic tat" item - it's just an ordinary household item.
I was meaning there's a certain demographic snobs that say things like "urrgh B+M it's all cheap plastic crap" when it's just normal everyday household products.

This is always such a weird business model as people know they don't need to pay full price. You don't even have to wait for the sale period for White Stuff.

@CosySwan what 'local motorist shop'? None near where I work. I can walk into a Halfords up till 8pm, and get the bulb fitted for £14. Don't know where you're getting £20 from. Staff always helpful. Happy Halfords customer here.

Waterstones. I can’t see how they can continue to compete with the likes of Amazon and Kindle, Audible etc. Definitely HMV.

I do like a proper book though, there must be loads of us!

@LuluBlakey1 must be??

www.drapersonline.com/news/seasalt-enjoys-record-christmas-sales

@CosySwan you're a real delight aren't you?

Do you buy all your household goods at Harrods then? And look down your nose at anything else?

Just off to sit on my tat furniture with a cup of tea made in my tat kettle.

Yes but you can usually get them cheaper on Amazon and delivered next day with Amazon Prime.

But a card is a card. One is hardly better quality than another and it'll be chucked in a bin a week later anyway so why pay £3 at Clinton's when £1 at Card Factory reaches the same conclusion. Same goes for Boots. Why pay £1 for paracetamol when the same thing is 36p somewhere else?
That's what's killing a lot of shops.