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…

Oh gawd, I hope not re Waterstones. And bookshops in general tbh. I'm being a hypocrite here, as I buy loads off Amazon, but I'd be really sad if the bookshop as an institution died out.

What a hideous post. Hope you feel better for mocking older women and those with bladder problems.

Hope not!
I discovered Home Bargains when visiting a friend in Bristol, I'd never heard of them before, but they do branded groceries &c at much reduced prices.

I couldn't believe how cheap their prices were.

This thread makes me so sad. Majority of people on here are complaining that you can get everything cheaper on Amazon, who have no bricks and mortar overheads, and screw over the end supplier. If people continue to buy everything off Amazon, then the highstreet will cease to exist. It'll just be barbershops, nail shops and charity shops. But on the upside Jeff Bezoz can afford his next superyacht.

Please support our highstreets.

@CosySwan I definitely don't want Bon Marche to go anywhere. It's hanging on by a thread but I really don't want it to go.
Their tops actually fit me.
(your description of their customers is disgusting by the way)

I was coming on to say similar about Boots. You get the tiny little high street ones that effectively act like little franchised independent pharmacies where they can't always afford to switch the lights on, the flooring hasn't been changed in 30 years and everyone looks very sad - there's usually a weighing machine and one chair. There's one till and always a queue. The pharmacy keeps it alive in places where there's not much competition.

But meanwhile they have some very nice, spacious branches and have substantially expanded their high end beauty ranges including some exclusives, and have a million self service tills. Their stocker checker is very accurate too. Its like two completely separate companies.

@ZiggyZowie I've never been in a Home Bargains that isn't busy. They are always heaving with customers. Queues going down the aisles, customers with trolley loads.
I don't think they will be going bust for a while.
They are popular.

My local Morrisons is looking dire .

Not a shop but it's phenomenal how Butlins have moved with the times and Pontins gone to the wall, the Bognor Regis one is the place to be seen, lots of trendy stuff going on for young and old alike, poor Pontins though it never moved away from the1950s "Hi-De Hi" business model.

Completely agree. My MIL really likes the clothing in there and struggles to find anything in other shops. She definitely wouldn't shop online. Would be a real shame for her.

I'm surprised to hear it still goes on but yes there was definately pushing, shoving, arguing and fighting over the food especially the turkeys.

I remember trying to get into the door of the shop at 7am (to stock shelves) and there was a huge crowd of people waiting outside for the shop to open at 8am. I literally had to push myself through a crowd like at a concert to get in the door which of course was only being opened for staff. It did give it a very christmassy atmosphere though.

The food shoppers were maniac at christmas back then in M&S.

We also had the regular shoppers who would come in and buy lots of cheap but bulky stuff so they could go out with their 4 giant stuffed carrier bags from M&S. They would buy crisps, bread and the likes but never much real food. It was literally a status symbol to have an M&S carrier bag back then.

We also used to get the lonely old people who would come in for a packet of biscuits just so they could chat to staff. I always used to feel really sorry for them and try and make as much conversation with them as my queue would allow.

Anyhow kind of got off topic really but interesting memories for me

@CosySwan your comments are getting more and more rude.
When was the last time you went in Bon Marche and saw what they ACTUALLY sell.

sorry just realised you were talking about 'back then' and not nowadays

River Island.

B&m their share price and gone down alot. They didn't do as well as they expected over the christmas period

Dunelm and Hobbycraft.

It's more probable that they negotiated a good price for the stock, which is why they brought it in...

I have to agree it definitely has a ‘tat’ section. However, the kitchen stuff is great (perfect for kids going away to university) and I got a beautiful set of made to measure blackout curtains that are still going strong 8 years later and which cost less than half the price I was quoted in John Lewis.

I also bought loads of storage boxes for on top of my kitchen cabinets and Dunelm is really good for things like extension cords which I won’t buy off Amazon for safety reasons.

@Newyr123 yes B+M seemed to sell out of their Christmas stock really quickly and it wasn't replenish.
Which means they either lowered their order levels (thinking they didn't want too much left over) or for some reason they couldn't get the stock 🙁

Dunelms Christmas offering wasn't great this year.

Went in wanting cheap cheerful Christmas stuff and was bitterly disappointed. Would have thought it would be the go to place for tinsel and that it would be full in Christmas grotto and it wasn't

That's so sad about the lonely older ones..and so lovely that you were able to give a few words to them. Brings tears to my eyes.

Strangely , we were at a major rail station recently, and there had been a tragic fatality -
Rail companies have trained staff on platforms especially to help prevent these often spur of the moment impulsive fatalities..

Simply asking someone who looks as if they are vulnerable a question , or exchanging a few words can {according to their research} be enough to 'snap back' someone out of their mindset.

Sometimes a little kindness goes a long way.

Leaving this link here as even fellow passengers can sometimes help..

www.networkrail.co.uk/communities/safety-in-the-community/suicide-prevention-on-the-railway/

asda is in the shit. They bought it with loads of debt then the interest rates spiked and they are paying a bomb to service the debt. I don’t think they will go bust, more likely another takeover.

whsmiths i think they will close more and more high street shops and just be a travel shop in time.

Fat face is owned by next, they are safe.

Debenhams is only an online brand now, owned by boho i think.

New look don’t look good, agree on pound stretcher too.

National insurance will kill a couple of chains this year.

Few points - I love my local small Co-Op. The staff are friendly, they support local causes and charities, we are in there at least 3 or 4 times a week for bread/milk.

Halfords - needed a back windscreen wiper in a hurry recently. Ordered in 2 seconds on the Halfords website which told me what part I needed when I entered the reg number. By the time I'd driven to the store it was sitting waiting for me and the staff member fitted it quickly. So much better than dealing with eye-rolling, misogynistic mechanics at car part wholesalers or in a garage.

Next is not struggling. Asda has recognised its difficulties and recruited a new CEO - I have noticed things in my local store are improved on 4 months ago. There are lots of people (like me) who would prefer to actively avoid Amazon and Argos is a brilliant alternative - again I can order things and pick up sometimes the same day from the local store.

.Niche clothing stores like Phase Eight, Monsoon, Crew, Quiz ARE struggling because of compettion from online fast fashion and Vinted. Zara and Mango have large overseas presence and won't "go bust" but may decide UK just isn't worth the effort any more, a bit like Gap did.

Never ceases to amaze me that people can't see further than their own local store - just because your local Boots is shit doesn't mean every other store in the chain is shit.

That is true of my local Asda.The management are crap and turn a blind eye to it all.I have seen it going on, especially at the self service tills.Te security are paid shit wages so they look the other way.It hikes the prices up to cover their losses, and the shelves are bare.