A IBU to predict which shops will close next?

[muttimalzwei]

I am pretty sure I won't be allowed to name them on here but it seems to me that the places where customer service is poor or resting on its laurels are the shops that will be closing down before those where staff actually try to engage with their customers and find out how they can help them. In my town it seems to be well established high street stores (going since at least the 80s) who are just not doing what they could to offer good customer service. And they.ll be next to close....

Belfast Smiths is probably a different case as Easons would be the main distributor/wholesaler there?

I love love love Easons

I am surprised at the number of people mentioning BHS when its got the whole Arcadia group behind it. Currys, Dixons and PC World are all part of the same group so I'd be surprised if the whole lot went. I thought Waterstones is now owned by a Russian Billionaire so he can probably afford for it not to make stellar profits.

One of the key things to look at is the amount of debt that these companies are carrying, interest rates are likely to go up and heavily indebted companies may start to struggle (e.g. Peacocks and infamous PIK note

i was going to say 'maybe' Muji now i say 'definitely' Muji as I needed to go there today...and...it's been replaced by a trendy / surfie type shop! (not Hollister). Now, this is Kingston and last time i looked , the Thames wasn't all that for surf...
Also...Austin Reed.
Esprit (maybe UK only though)
Kew

wh smith
bhs
tie rack
body shop
super drug
warehouse

I really liked Muji but ours disappeared about a year ago :-( Where to get stripey little t-shirts and neat gadgets I hadn't known I wanted now?

this Muji has only just gone and am gutted. Have they gone everywhere? Wanted to get some little plastic drawers for jewellery and bits & bobs. Can't find them anywhere...have looked in Tesco, Wilkos, Clas Ohlsen etc. Anyone know where i can find some? They (Muji) were also great for gifts eg slippers, paper fold out binoculars, ! etc

Muji do have shops left in London and they sell online

Olympia - our Boots still sells Minimode (which I quite like). However it is always on offer - buy one get one half price etc.

I vote for Monsoon, how many bridemaids dresses will they need to sell to keep afloat? Their children's range is outrageously expensive for what it is.

WH Smith is a great example of diworsification, where they are just flailing around in markets they shouldn't be in.

My big loss was Borders. I spent HOURS in there with ds. Ours had a little Brio train set and everything (til some horror nicked the Brio engines).

I used to be a Muji fan and have now moved on to Uniqlo which sells fantastic quality clothes for very low prices.

Matesnotdates, as I posted earlier monsoons profits tripled to 97million last year, if I had a company in that much trouble I would be quite happy

Mini mode is still in our boots I think
Gap went ages ago from our town
Laura Ashley closed it's clothes shop & just has an out if town furnishings shop

minimode in Boots was replaced by miniclub which is designed developed and sourced by mothercare

I went in warehouse for the first time in about 8 years. Not Pram Friendly... I don't really get a lot of the clothes about in any shops at the moment but that might just be me :o

Nancy - I forgot it's a private company now isn't it? Who is BUYING Monsoon stuff?? I take your point but am just wondering what the target market is nowadays - 50 plus? They did have a cute little range called Fusion, which seems to be aimed at 20 year olds.

Undercoverprincess - not just you. I used to be quite fashiony once upon a time and I don't get them now either. I am now a skinny jeans, boots and T shirt kind of girl as I can't be dealing with neon cropped tops and double denim.Though I think this may be part of the ageing process

Dorothy Perkins.

Matesnotdates, I was told (in my line of work) when we used Monsoon as an example on a training day..it IS aimed at 50somethings. Maybe not Fusion, but the rest. Middleclassed 50+

Miss Selfridges seems to be dropping like flies all over the place, which is sad as always liked them
Scribbler
Links Of London
Ann Summers

Monsoon is aimed at 30-55, and fusionis aimed at the younger Market as is accessorise, which they own

Wallis

I think personally Monsoon SHOULD aim at 50 plus more and also do a high street bridal range (ie more choice than they currently have). Accessorise is quite a useful shop. Maybe Monsoon should be more Bodeny?

And lololizzy - YES on Wallis. I used to adore that shop. It had a range in the 1990s that was a luxury breakaway that was just ace. And now it is awful. Horrid horrid horrid patterned tops, polyester everything.

Nancy75 - can i ask - the 97million pounds - is that an upward trend?

Links of London has always baffled me. Lots of expensive sq metres, and stock that doesn't seem to shift (though this could just be me seeing what I expect to see IYKWIM).