Is it farewell for TGJones?

[MN2025]

Just read an article online that the future of TGJones (former WHSmith High Street) business is to be decided in the coming days. It’s not surprising if the business does collapse into administration.

It is a massive shame - as someone who has been in the education profession for nearly 40 years - I always shopped there until the convenience of online shopping came in.

TGJ/WHS priced themselves out and failed to adapt with the times.

i do think that the post office is the only reason stores have managed to survive..

Feel sorry for all the staff who work there.

Cha

It used to be a really nice shop to go into many years ago, recently I've only been in with a friend who wanted a newspaper.

Dingy, expensive and the usual ask of do you want any chocolate (whatever brand they had at the till) every time. It was like being in Poundland as they always asked this.

Last time I went in i thought they hadn't paid their electric bill, it was so dark I could hardly see. I went to the back where the post office is. Nobody on the counter. I waited and waited but nobody came. I went back to the main counter and asked. I was informed that it wasnt oped and hadn't I seen the notice on the front door? I went and had a look and found a scruffy piece of paper about 4×4 inches square with a hastily written and poorly spelt note that the post office counter is shut.
Never bothered going in again 😡

Our Post Office was in Wilko and then moved to a large chemist so the POs may hopefully find another home. A lot of people use the PO for banking, DH has to use ours to pay in money for the club he is on the committee for.

They still charge double or even triple the cost of other station shops though. It’s cheaper to buy a bottle of water in Costa or wherever than it is in Smiths and I’d argue Costa has much greater overheads.

Thanks, we do look at the ones available on our Kindles from Libby, usually they are not the top quality ones though. 2nd Division!

Used to be the go to for books, records, videos, later dvds, but online competition and an inability to change has led to its demise and it’s not alone. Online shopping has destroyed much of the highstreet and it’s not going to change

Ours (as WHS) was the scruffiest and worst laid out shop in our High Street and it's not a lot better under the new name.

The only 2 reasons for going in there are the Post Office and the excellent air conditioning.

Thinking back over the last five year.

I have brought one bar of chocolate because it was reduced.
And 3 x books for my daughter because they were on their special offers.
I would happily use the store if it wasn't so ridiculously expensive.
In the airport then wanted £8.75 (or just £8) for three bottles of coke. Went to boots and got snacks and sandwhiches and same drink for much more reasonable cost.
They have nice stationary too expensive imo.
Obviously shops have to make a profit and it's hard out there but consumers only have so many £££.

Years ago, when you went shopping in any town centre, you could pretty much guarantee that everyone would go into (and buy something from) Woolworths, WH Smith and Boots. They were the generic go-to shops for so many things.
Also Littlewoods, British Home Stores, C&A and Marks & Spencer. Judging by what happened to so many others, I can't see Boots or M&S lasting much longer.

Our Boots isn’t bad. I always have a quick mooch when I’m collecting a prescription. I think that’s what keeps them going - the pharmacy, given so many small and independents have closed over the last few years.

Yeah. DS1 enjoys Buses magazine from time to time. Thankfully our big Tesco stocks that, now. I have to go up to the Newcastle TGJones for magazines like Burda and Threads as our small one doesn't stock them.

@PickAChew , We have a Big Tesco nearby, good fo5r trains and aircraft. The TGJones in Oxford is good for Interior Designs mags that I don't see anywhere else and motorbikes for DH. Occasional treats.

Where will people go and stand in store and read magazines now?

I can’t see Boots disappearing altogether as people are always going to need the pharmacy - but maybe they’ll get rid of a lot of stock and just do medical stuff.

I remember every year going to WHSmiths to buy new stationary for school. Will be a shame if it goes, I still go there for pens and pencils etc.

This!
Weird how customers who stop using the high street blame the shops for closing

Maybe if TGJones moved with the times they wouldn’t be struggling - there are loads of brick and mortar shops that do what they do and who don’t seem to be struggling, so it’s not a case of online shopping being the issue.

It’s not the responsibility of the public to pay inflated prices just to keep shops open.

Boots seem to be thriving round here, our local (smallish) one has just had a major refurb and stocks far more lines than it used to, well lit, well laid out, friendly and helpful staff. The bigger branches round her similarly are well lit, busy, fully stocked, new brands being added all the time, and always busy.

They didn’t future proof themselves and they were not competitively priced. The stores have no atmosphere. Places like the Card Shop and The Works are way better in terms of price and product range.

I thought they only really sold magazines and newspapers. Print media is dead so no surprise nobody uses it. I remember they sell extortionate bottles of coke and chocolate at train stations but it's hardly an inspiring modern business model.

I loved it growing up in the 80s. They had nice stuff. It doesn't hold the same appeal for me now unfortunately.

I'm mostly surprised it's taken this long! Previously worked for WHS for 5 years and had a colleague who would describe them as 'the cockroach of the High St' because they seemed indestructible even when sales were plummeting and the shops were (sometimes literally) falling apart around us 😂

It used to be a decent shop for a browse, now it's a 'needs must' kind of place. I'm not surprised they're considering its viability, I think they wasted time and money rebranding - nothing changed but the sign outside!

I wouldn’t put Boots into the same category. They’ve modernised most of their stores and seem to have gone down the route of appealing to the social media / influencer/ love island generation. So they are obviously moving with the times. Plus their advantage card scheme is really good

Fair enough! The ones near me are dreary and grubby and short-staffed, so I was basing on that.