To ask which shops are on the verge of failure

[curiousbeak]

I'm so depressed with the uk high street. Specifically British companies. The likes of Arcadia group, new look (already on its way out), next, oasis , Debenhams etc etc

The clothes are just terrible quality and most stores and staff and just tired, uninspiring and lacking any kind of chicness.

The wave of European brands seem to be killing our home grown business with their beautiful stores and chic offerings.

Who do you think is on the way out?

M&S will be just a food store within four years.

limon it’s nothing to do with feeling too old to wear clothes etc it’s the fact that I don’t think I look good in crop tops and short shorts which is mainly what my local new look seems to stock, their jeans are also awful quality and poor fitting.

"I live in a NW town where the Poundstretcher actually closed down with a half price sale. I kid you not."
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Sorry that I missed that

Ditto that Zara is just a European Primark. The quality of the clothes is poor, the rapid style turnover and the uncovering of poor overseas working practices.

EWM are trying to recover the British clothing industry by buying Jaeger and Peacocks, amongst other shops. The fast fashion industry can't last forever, both fortunately and unfortunately.

Someone mentioned Esprit, there was one on Oxford street that was really good, not sure if it's still there. In mainland Europe they're very prominent but the sizing is all over the place as they are catering to a variety of body shapes, think Scandinavian all the way to petit Italian, French etc. I've gotten some good stuff from them tbh.
Another one is Benetton, yes they did have irresponsible marketing in the 90's (showing black kids with horns and white kids with halos - the numbskulls) but they have good clothes (within my budget) and now seem to have far better diversity in their advertising, manikins are black as well as brown and also white, shop windows show oriental and black and Asian models, in addition to fair and red headed models. Yes they are after money essentially, but it does appeal to shoppers, especially teenagers who have diverse heritage.

H&M just don't cut it for me, too much polyester, made to fit Scandinavian heights, too serious IMO.

Here's one no one has mentioned - Bonmarche

Who the feck shops there?!

Here's one no one has mentioned - Bonmarche

Who the feck shops there?!

My Mother

I don’t think boots will go anytime soon, the pharmaceutical side is so powerful and profitable, that it can maintain poor retail performance.

Ryman's? How is that managing to still be around? They seem to be heavily based around central London but there is more excitement on a slug's back than in those stores.

This thread is so interesting - one of my friends works in head office for a large high street shop, and they think that the British high street will pretty much disappear, and we will end up going to a more American style model, with large supermarkets offering concessions, strip malls with parking etc. Tbh I can believe it.

To be honest, I much prefer going to our retail park to shop than the high street. Easy free parking makes a massive difference.

I'm pretty sure my dm is keeping bon marche afloat by herself

Madison Me too. Then to try and be different once again they will make the malls look like little streets, like Bicester Village, and it will be full circle except it will be concessions and rented units.

Had totally forgotten about Bon Marche. Ours went many years ago.

Further down the same high street, Benetton is still chugging along. How did that happen? Its always empty and I don't know anyone who's bought anything there since the 80s.

Benetton! Forgotten all about them. Unfolding the jumpers! The perfume ... Sooo 80s.

Here's one no one has mentioned - Bonmarche Who the feck shops there?!

My mum and her mate.

Bon Marche was my late DM's favourite shop, I remember her raving about it and she ditched BHS for it , in fact Iirc I bought her gift vouchers for there

new look will be fine....dd works at their head office and isn't concerned at all.

bunnings/homebase yep, they are in trouble. Bunnings do well in Aus but can't expect same business model they use there will work here

wilkinsons feel like they must be struggling. JD sports shop, not sure how they are still around

", strip malls with parking etc. Tbh I can believe it."

....strip malls, what are those? Are they just malls or shopping centres?

Ooooh great thread.
Place marking to read later

I hope Wilko's doesn't go, I am always in there, it is often cheaper than Amazon or Ebay I often do a click and collect from there.

JD Sports apparently own Blacks and Millets I think, I always click and collect Millets stuff from our local JD

wilkinsons is always rammed in my local area!

I know of three Rymans and I'm not London! I was glad when Brantano shoes closed down, I could not get over the vile shoes in there.

How, in the name of all that is holy, do stores like DFS survive? Their sales tactics are appalling, permanent sales or half price sofas after having it on display for less than a week at full price. Ditto SCS.

strip malls, what are those?

Shit.

Think of "The Fort" in Birmingham.

The problem with the midrange shops is that prices always seem to go up and the quality goes down. You're better off either paying a bit more for something really good or paying much less for similar quality at a lower end shop.

Strip Mall is an american thing. Retail park would be similar but not exactly the same layout/design.

Agree with WH Smith's and Rymans, very over priced , most things are almost half the price in The works.

I'm not sure about other towns, but in the nearest ones to me there never seems to be any customers in the Holland and Barrett shops.

Debenhams is like being in 'Are you being served?' I went in for a look and felt like a little girl again shopping with my mum in the 70's