To not give two hoots about the demise of BHS?

[LunaLoveg00d]

(Disclaimer: obviously very sad for anyone employed there who is now facing losing their jobs).

Couldn't really care less if BHS ceases to exist. They're not a patch on Debenhams or John Lewis, and are beaten by places like M&S in the market for knickers and school uniform. Haven't bought anything in there for about three years - and even then it was in a Wallis concession rather than in BHS itself.

All this harping on about 88 years of tradition on the UK high street is ridiculous - it's a company which has failed to move with the times, has no defined core shopper and which sells tat.

It sounded like Sports Direct were going to be making a move for some of the premises, which makes my heart sink because they're such a crap company.

I do pop into BHS occasionally but can't remember the last time I bought anything in a store. I got some towels from them online in the sale a couple of years back and they were decent quality and value. I'm someone that is happy to pay a bit extra for nice soft furnishings but they rarely had anything that nice - it was mostly M&S or Next prices with more of a Primark feel.

I do however have fond memories as a child in the 90s of their incredible Christmas displays with all kinds of weird and wonderful gimmicky gifts that I used to spend absolutely ages playing with.

I'm sad for the people who will lose their jobs, and that there will be more empty shops.

But I won't miss it as I don't shop there, I think it's overpriced and I could never see anything I liked.

I got a nice regatta kids coat half price, but could get that in other shops.

I really miss woolies and regularly shopped there, Wilkos is fine but not a replacement.

I didn't realize 99p shops had been taken over by poundland. We now have 2 poundlands both on the same street! So that will be another empty shop soon I imagine.

I suppose that's the same for a lot of major retailers, but it seems bonkers not to be able to sell the items your customers want to buy.

Ah, yes. The oft heard:

Customer: "Have you got 'whatever' ?"
Manager: "I'm afraid not, there's not much demand for them."
Customer: "Oh, dear. Thank you anyway."
Manager: " Funny, you're the fourth person today to ask."

Things we have only been able to get online:

1. Metal chain coat-loops (Hobbycraft didn't know what they were, let alone sell them)
2. Proper pizza peel ("a what mate ?" - specialist kitchen shop)
3. Milk frothing jug and thermometer. (John Lewis sell the machines, but not the accessories)
4. Sugar free Vanilla and salted caramel syrups for lattes

and people ask "is Amazon Prime worth it ?"

I'm currently trying to source rainbow sugar crystals (my Mum used to buy them).

www.amazon.com/Rainbow-Sugar-Crystals-4-oz/dp/B000FA1HC0

Notice it's Amazon US - no EU suppliers I can find ...

Just remembered that BHS muslins were the best I bought. Damn. Might have to stock up

Not sure how it will work in Wolverhampton
The BHS store is right next to the old Woolworths and that has been hit and miss over the last few years, businesses in and out all the time
Both in the main shopping street
The WH Smith store closed earlier in the year

Lurking they ship to the uk

The only person I know who shopped in BHS is my stepmil. All our Christmas presents are from there. They go straight to the charity shop. Tacky nylon novelty shite.

I feel sorry for the staff but won't miss the shop.

I wish WH Smith would neaten up their stores. I get a headache going in there, but their magazine range is excellent, and the building houses the post office in my town. As they are now, I wouldn't miss them, but if they stopped flogging crappy sweets and giving me a tree's worth of receipt and coupons I might be more inclined to shop there.

Clintons is similar. I can't physically get my pushchair around the store because of all the displays of shite.

Just been doing some reading, and multi billionaire(tax avoiding) Phillip Green really should have to answer questions on what he did to that company.
It makes me v angry that for the sake of personal profit, someone can come along and ruin peoples livelihoods and pensions and just saunter off.

This is why I refuse to buy from shops owned by Arcadia. (Not hard tbh....hate their clothes anyway!)

Sugar free Vanilla and salted caramel syrups for lattes

Ooh, TKMaxx often do these in 1L bottles for £3.99, I've had the sugar-free vanilla and hazelnut ones but I've seen loads of other flavours too. Just FYI!

The one in my town centre has only been open for a couple of years and always seems fairly busy. They closed our Evans store and added an Evans department in BHS... Which doesn't sell underwear!

It would be a massive blow to our shopping centre if they closed. We lost m&s a little while ago (now being replaced by a h&m which I'm not sure if it is going to be popular). I really like BHS's cafe!

Yes Peace who impulse buys a bar of galaxy the size of a surfboard at WHSmith? Yet still they keep pushing them.

The Rainbow sugar crystals are probably not available in the EU because one or some of the colours are banned.

Usual I think you live in my town is it also hotter than the gates of hell?

WHSmith do really well with their shops in railway stations and airports (when you do want to buy a book, a magazine, lots of chocolate and a last minute gift) and this might be propping up the others.

I find their bigger branches are considerably better than the medium/small ones that always seem to be tatty and often don't carry the range of stock you might be expecting. Once you've been in somewhere a couple of times for different items and are told, sorry, you'll have to try , it's very easy to just cross somewhere off the list of places that have things you want to buy.

AndNowItsSeven

Lurking they ship to the uk

Tx for that, but it's a last resort, as I've not had a great experience of B2C orders from the US. I wouldn't want to rely on it for timeliness (3 month holdup last time).

Funny, with the increased interest in baking, there's no UK source .

Their clothing has always been really frumpy and I haven't bought in there for at least twenty years and I don't remember buying there before that so possibly never.

Some of their home stuff is lovely though and they do good sales.

Not surprised. They are not in the 21st century.

I wish WH Smith would neaten up their stores

Actually, since our local WH Smiths installed a self-service counter I'm more likely to pop in (bought a specialist magazine in there a few weeks ago).

I hope my local BHS Home has a massive sale now. Shallow, I know. Though to be honest I've always found the staff great, so I'm genuinely sad for them.

MackerelOfFact

Thanks for the heads up re:TK Maxx. We're not often near one (although with tiresome inevitability, we were in the same park as one on Friday) so it wouldn't have been a immediate thought. Although that said, their website doesn't seem to do their range justice ...

Our local BHS became a Primark in 2010 and before BHS was there it was a C&A. The retail unit is a big awkward shape that really suits that type of shop but they are becoming more and more diluted and losing direction.

Our local Debenhams has a BHS lighting concession, which is quite nice (although I have a feeling Debenhams will be going the same way before long). It's such a shame because BHS seemed to be really getting the hang of their homewares department and interiors magazines, interior stylists etc sang the praises of their lighting range.

11,000 people losing their jobs is truly dreadful.

Sad about job losses. Won't miss the store. I've not been in one in years. I still miss Woolworths though. It was far better than Wilkos.

Hopefully a lot of the laid off staff can get a job with whatever shop takes the units.

Mind you, the old Woolies on Lothian Road (Edinburgh) is now empty again, having briefly been a Poundstretcher.