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…

A lot more people are having their medication dispensed online & sent via post now.

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.

Never thought Jaeger or Austin Reed would disappear, but they did. So my money is on LK Bennett

@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?

I reccon their food halls keep them going and with an aging population the clothes will probably continue to sell.

I'd be devastated if Boots closed. No other shop is as good, even Superdrug.

WHSmiths on the High Streets are doomed. Dingy, no staff, overpriced, old stock. They moved our Post Office into Smiths and now Smiths is closing so the PO has to find somewhere new to employ the two staff (if you're lucky) for six counter positions.

Boots seem to have forgotten to pay their electric bill and had to turn all the lights down. It was so dark I literally couldn't read the prices on the shelves. Maybe they thought it would appease the tree huggers but it just made them look stupid.

Agree Argos is a waste of time now when your there in person standing in front of the screens looking for something specific hardly anything is in stock that you can buy there and then may as well just order from amazon and get it delivered next day. I think furniture shops like oak furniture land or something

I think it has quite a following of loyal customers.
I actually think it’s one of the biggest goldmines on the high street- it’s just very unassuming.

Their promotions are great if you regularly take supplements. So many older people take cod liver oil etc. then it has health food for vegans, coeliacs etc, as well as supplements. And then there’s the menopause customers!

I trust the stuff is good quality. Obviously lots of competitors on insta, but at least you know everything sold there has gone through some quality control

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...

The clothes have got miles better in the last few years though. There are loads of acceptable items these days, unlike a few years ago where you could fine nothing that didn't electrocute you with static.

Ah you edited to mention older people liking it. That must be me now.

Always people in ours

Our doctor's surgery has a pharmacy actually in the building.

The Body Shop went bust a while ago

That’s what happened here. Post Office is now in a newsagents - much smaller, longer queues, etc

Matalan

Boots and Robert Dyas

so many Boots stores look really run down and there are so many little shops that sell almost everything that Robert Dyas does for a fraction of the price

WH Smiths is safe because of posts offices and airports

it'll be WHSmith, I've said this for years though and they seem to have found a bit if a niche in terms of service stations/airports and train stations so possibly not.

Maybe Waterstones - death by Amazon.

I'm not sure of many others that aren't massive shops in big retail parks, the ones that are just on the high street... :-/

Also - LK Bennett

Its SO expensive now, and yet every sale seems to be 50% off.

I don’t think they’re doing well.

Asda. There are regular posts on my local spotted fb page complaining about the shelves being empty, no fresh produce etc. I understand the new owners are struggling with credit and have fallen out. It used to be the busiest supermarket in my town at one time, now it’s usually very quiet.

Haven't both of those gone into special measures in the past?

@Poppasocks have you been in HMV lately?
They've changed so much in the last couple of year now. They are a fantastic shop.
Every branch I go in is always busy.

Fuck no. Not Boots. That would be my 13th reason why. Also boots in my city is always rammed?

I was going to say WH Smiths. The one in my town is always empty and looks a bit scruffy. It's so expensive and it's right next door to Card Factory which sells perfectly nice cards for less than half the price.
Same with Holland and Barrett, so expensive and always empty looking but it's been there for years so must be doing something right I guess.

Hotel Chocolat has just opened a big new store and cafe in the next town along.
Co-op is always busy in my town and the post office is in there so it's doing well here. It's more expensive but it's right in the middle of the town square and it's convenient.