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?

Agree, WH Smith must make a lot from stations and airports.

@Medicinalgin at smelling girls embellished tops.
M&S have finally buckedtheir ideas up after hitting rock bottom with that pink dress, plenty of silk and cashmere, cheap basic t shirts and the like, bargain cashmere socks, the Rosie underwear etc.
Ann Summers. How many vibrators can anyone buy?
Clairs Accessories is always swarming with little girls so i doubt they are in trouble.

Claires is in trouble in usa with huge hole in finances

This drives me mad. When the shops are gone, and we have derelict high streets and lots of people left without jobs, it'll be too late. And I fucking HATE buying clothes online. You can't see them properly; you can't go out with a friend and have fun shopping; you have no idea what they are going to feel like or how they'll hang, and it's a ballache to return them.

This depresses me

I think the only saving grace of WH Smith is that they have a captured audience in hospitals and train stations. They're so expensive and full of tat. Then they started allowing chuggers to set up stall inside so customers were hassled for signing up to direct debits. Terrible shop.
I think Primark continued to go from strength to strength as they have a vast choice of inexpensive clothes. People don't go to Primark looking for quality items but I've found their quality to be no worse than other high street retailers.
Clothes on the high street seem to be complicated now. I pick up what appears to be a nice top or dress. But no. On closer inspection it has an unnecessary ruffle attached to the bottom, shoulders missing and a cutaway bit in the back that makes it look like the dog had a go at it.

granny woops, bloody autocorrect!
If anyone sees a slightly haggard woman sniffing at the girls clothing, that will be me then

Didn't mean to write that much! I tend to shop in charity shops these days.

When I had my DS I looked in Morhercare and was appalled by the offer.

My then local store which was Brixton was so dirty, no prices on anything. Sizes always missing in core products such as plain white vests (ALWAYS the sizes i needed). Awful prints for boys, tractors and 'cheeky monkey' boring graphics. Nothing directional.

I also remember going to their flag ship oxford street store, shelves covered in dust. Asked for help and was just bemused by total lack of knowledge or keenness to help.

As a young professional mother I am their target customer but have absolutely zero desire to shop there again.

New Look is over-extended because they have an enormous physical footprint, so they're paying through the nose on rent, whilst selling cheap tat.

In the ten years I’ve been a mother I’ve shopped on the high street very little as my children hate shopping. I used to love it before but I never get the chance now so it’s far easier to buy online from places with good websites. I buy a lot of clothes from supermarkets too as they are the only shops I get a chance to go to.

We have a brand new new look opened in the last year or so. I'm surprised they'd do this if they're in trouble.

I like WHSmiths as do my dc. Ours is always rammed.

Huge range of magazines( set out better than supermarkets and there are more), huge range of stationary you can actually see and always get what you want. Really not bothered about style.

Claire's is extortionate and Primark sells a lot the same but vastly cheaper. Debenhams always looks a bit shaky to me.

Claires, Mothercare, Laura Ashley, Homebase, Millets/Blacks

Yes in fact new look is where home base used to be

House of Fraser. They're trying to downsize some of their stores from 3 floors to 1... Only a matter of time before they fold.

“Peacocks. It's no mans land.”
Don’t they have the contract with the NHS for making orthopaedic shoes tho?

Agree re m WHSmiths, was my first thought when I saw thread title, now I think of it I can’t think of a branch that hasn’t been pure grotty

I can’t see a future for Thornton’s, does anyone like the chocolate?!

Funnily enough my towns WH Smith’s has just had a make over and it is actually so much nicer. But it’s still a weird combination of not quite being a stationery/book/toy/craft/media shop with a post office.

Poundland are in a very bad way with their credit insurance withdrawn from a lot of suppliers. They need to find a buyer quickly.

Thorntons have been bought, no money worries there now.

I live abroad and rely on Next for things like trousers, jeans and underwear. They do free delivery and I don’t pay VAT so cheaper than Next in the UK. Their website is great.

I never buy stuff at Claire’s really as I actually find it a bit expensive. Most of the stuff they sell can be found in the pound shop.

I’m not surprised by ToysRUs either. I can almost always find toys they are selling much cheaper on Amazon.

I'm surprised there are any Thorntons stores left , ours closed several years ago and now see their brand in supermarkets. Body Shop always looks empty and overpriced.

WH Smith's
Superdrug, I don't know why anyone shops there when everything can be bought in b and ms or home bargains for half the price

Yes it's the airports etc keeping whs going. There's one in my local hospital to which is a pile of shite but as it's the only shop there people use it.

Our local peacocks is always dead no idea how it manages

WHSmith
HMV
Game

All like a jumble when you go in and don't quite know what they are any more.

Boots - just can't compete with the cheaper poundstores and supermarkets on toiletries or online retailers on cosmetics and fragrances.

I think the saving grace for Next is the home wares. The clothes are bloody awful and have noticeably gone downhill in terms of quality.

I've never been in a new look or a primark but they always seem to be very busy.

I think shops in the band of white stuff, fat face, joules, cath kidson, monsoon etc will struggle because they're very overpriced for what they are and the quality is on a par with much cheaper high street alternatives.

I think the UK branches of Hollister will close. They have already changed their designers to fit in with places like Zara better and reduced their prices.