For wanting to play 'administration' bingo?

[TheSeriousSanta]

I am.. I know I am.. It's mean..

But I have compiled a list of high street stores that will go bust before 31st January and now feel compelled to see if I can shout HOUSE before anyone else...

I did read somewhere that Tesco food chains may be getting curbed in their expansion shortly, however as they've recently opened a Homestore near my mums place, I doubt this will affect them much.
The Debenhams in Derbys Westfield was being very badly run the other day when I went in, thus I ended up dumping my clothes on the chaning room attendant as I couldn't wait any longer for somewhere to try on (2 cubicles, 4 person que went nowhere in 10 mins) the time I'd spent waiting,my friend had spent in the till que (only one person on again) so at least she brought something, whilst I just gave up

Spicemonster, WHSmiths Retail was seperated a while ago from Smiths Distribution, so they're unrelated now, so they may well go.

I have a Retailing degree and after reading the comments left i can now see that everyone is panicking due to the recession. Here's what i think of some of the companies mentioned:
LA SENZA- SAFE, if any of you have been researching into this you will know that sales of underwear have actually INCREASED due to the recession
M&S- SAFE, huge company operating in countries all over the world, loss of profit a few yars ago but back on steady ground
MONSOON/ACCESSORIZE- SAFE,again, quite a huge company, still opening stores in Europe, I actually work in Accessorize part time and i know that the company is doing well
NEXT- SAFE, another big company reporting increased sales....and look at how many people queued at 7am on Boxing Day for the sale?!
DOROTHY PERKINS- SAFE, as are all of Acradia
JJB- NOT SAFE, I used to work for Qube and i got out before it got sold to JJB now they are in trouble and closing all Original Shoe stores and Qube stores. Might even have to sell their health clubs, its all down to huge debt and Trading Standard investigations
HMV- SAFE, most people would rather shop in HMV than Zavvi due to better environment and customer service, better product selection etc, its the most reliable place to go and the most competitive
ZAVVI- NOT SAFE, why on earth due you think Virgin got rid of them?
DEBENHAMS- SAFE, even though they have huge amounts of debt, they will still be around

What you have got to understand is that most of the stuff that the press prints is just speculation, until it actually happens. Most large companies like M&S and Debenhams will be safe, aswell as Arcadia. They might report loss of profit or debt, but they will still be safe.

Hell I hope whs doesn't go as I have loads of friends that work there since Katie (or is is Kate) Swan (or is it Swann) too over they were doing well, last xmas they had a load of special sales (mate gave me a heads up)!

Can't see next or boots or M&S going....

But Moonsoon & Accessorize the quality isn't there anymore, its no better than primark and 3 or 4 times the price! I bought a necklace and earing set for my ikkle bros wedding and I wore them from 12pm till 2am on the day of the wedding and the metal covering had started to go bad so not impressed a friend used to work there staff get 70% of most stuff made in 3rd world countries..

Zavvi has gone as they where part of Woolies there online trading was covered by woolies so when Woolies went they lost a load...

Laura Ashley I don't think I have ever bought anything in but maybe its the homeware is too "flowering" and the clothes are shockingly bad whittards been in trouble for years would it really be a bad thing for them for them to go???

Thortons should go save hotel chocolate they rock

Hi Fairycake- Zavvi have already gone.

Agree with most of your comments esp re m+s and Next but one or two you have mentioned have had credit taken away from them recently (I work on supply side) which does not bode well, we saw this with Morgan, Select, Mark One, Ethel Austin, Internacionale before they went into administration or put up for sale. Some do come back in a slightly different form (eg Intenacionale from above) but generally its only a matter of time before they are closed one by one.

Re your point about Arcadia, yes the Arcardia group could bail out struggling brands eg Dotty P due to strength of Top Shop etc but if they don't believe the brand can sustain they are not going to throw good money after bad and may well sell off the brand, esp in the current climate.

Boden????

Fairycake what are your views on ELC?

Just back from shopping in town and our Hawkins Bazaar is gone

It has only been open for a couple of months...unless they only rented shop for the Xmas period...

Simpson, I was jsut coming on to say the same thing, ours was only there for about 2 months and it's gone already I noticed this afternoon. Hadn't even had chance to actually go in there, I love their website.

Unless as you say they were temporary?

Hawkins have always opened extra stores just for the run up to Christmas.

I don't think Blooming Marvellous will disappear,
probably taken over, though.

So it seems any retailer backed by Icelandic money or rather credit could be in trouble.

I've heard that Jigsaw are in trouble and they had their sale BEFORE January which, to my knowledge has never happened before! In Bluewater they were ALWAYS the last to start their sale, but not this time. I really hope Monsoon doesn't go. I've got a 3 month old baby girl and after years of buying boys clothes am relishing the oppotunity to buy some pretty girlie things!

not sure Game will go.

This was the only store heaving in our city centre - both stores and the concession!

WHSmith, Homebase, La Senza, Jane Norman, House of Fraser, Dixons/Curry/Comet, Wickes, Blacks, Claires accessories would all be on my list

I also think Game will be ok as they will take some of Woolies market share now. I wonder which other stores will benefit from the demise of Woolies, maybe Wilkinsons?

I'm a bit worried about the mutterings about Hotel Chocolat, DP signed me up for their chocolate tasting club for Xmas ( I know, I know!) and I haven't yet sent the form off - if they're likely to go bust this year then I'll just ask for a refund instead of DP paying for chocolate I'm not going to get throughout the year.

Anyone got any insider info on that one?

Blooming Marvellous are about to go - it's in the Daily Telegraph.

Hotel Chocolat have teamed up with Lands End and you can get their chocs via their website and catalogue as well.

As for Boden, given what I've spent this year - they should be fine!

companies need to make internet shopping easier & post overseas

Conniedecending - Dixons and Currys are the same company, and PC World belong in their group, Comet is separate - used to be part o the same group as B&Q.

It is interesting to see the lists growing, and I can only foresee more as the months go by, but the way people were spending over Christmas as silly considering we are in dire straits as a country - or maybe they dont believe it!

Waterford Wedgewood

What about WHSmith? The last few times I was in there - trying to spend gift vouchers - I found nothing. They seem to have vast amounts of rubbish hardback biographies and a few cds and dvds.

What would happen to all the Post Offices that have moved into WH Smith if they did go?

Blooming Marvellous in trouble

I know nothing - but my hunches would be - Phase Eight (75% reductions before christmas), Laura Ashley, JJB Sports

I am not surprised to hear this about Blooming Marvellous, because their clothes are now crap. They are all black and grey for a start, and the cut is absolutely terrible.

also link on the side of the Blooming Marvelous link says that Passion for Perfum has gone too....

We had one in our shopping centre (which is already very small)

Our JJB sports has a closing down sale this week.