Another chain close to closure

[BouncingTinsel]

Whittard 'close to administration'

Guess there is no room for posh tea and coffee during the credit crunch.

Actually I must confess that I very occasionally buy coffee and tea from them - I go to the store at the Outlet centre near where I live, they usually have lots of special offers on!

All the chickens are coming home to roost. It's facinating stuff. But I do feel sorry for the staff who will be the ones who lose out from this. No doubt all the head office managers will live to fight another day with not a hair out of place. GRRR.

Never heard of Zavvi before. I'm in the sticks. What did they sell?

I'd never heard of Zavvi either. Apparently they used to be Virgin Records before a management buyout last year. That completely passed me by (but then I didn't have a Virgin store within 200 miles).

I bought some stuff from the Pier just before Christmas, lovely cushions at a knock down price. Again I'd never heard of them but its been a while since I've shopped in a city. They must have been a newish shop?

I think Debenhams will be OK as they have marked there place very clearly.

Someone said Laura Ashley was in its way out, Austin Reed I could see going.

I think the internet and supermarkets could be harming smiths.

I only go into Whittard to get a free drink of flavoured tea when I'm gasping

Wasn't at all surprised about The Pier either. What did they sell that anyone needed? I have collected lots of their xmas decorations over teh years though

Tinker - me too!!!

Without wanting to sound harsh to all the people affected by this, the chains that are going are the ones which were overpriced or outdated anyway. Woolies were great but no parking, everything else mentioned has been undercut by other stores.

The Pier looked like a slightly better class 'Au Natureal' which sold total crap then went under. My cushions were very nice but cost a fraction of the usual price.

I think you are right anotherfinemes still hard for those involved.

On the other hand we are so lucky in our area. We have high class, individual shops. tbh I got sick of going to every town and seeing the same shops, in the same distribution. Every high street looked the same. It was bound to go wrong, and it has.

yes but what instead?
charity shops ad nauseum?

and what boutiques are going to afford the high street?

what independants i mean

It's sad, and is another sign that Mr Tesco/Walmart/Sainsbos are yet again running roughshod over every smaller chain.

Yet I really can't see the very small, independent shops going under. For example, my local butcher is less likely to close than the Lloyds TSB next door, there would be anarchy! Ditto the bakers and grocers, because they are NEEDED in our area.

I think we'll see a paradox where thte huge chains and very small shops do well, and the middling, non-descript chains lose their place.

That is what is happening in my town AnotherfineMess.

We moved to a market town because in part of the thriving town. We have lost two gift shops, are loosing a woolies and are about to loose a card shop and a shoe shop both of which were in a chain. I am not worried about loosing those shops as I never went in them but am worried what will replace them. Luckily we also have a lot of small nice independent shops, a few booksellers (interestingly our discount book shop is closing) 2 butchers, fishmonger and a range of posh clothes and gift shops.

We were thinking of buying here but I am not sure if I want to buy into a town that seems in part to be dying.

2 if our pubs are closing as well, both old established pubs as well.

I heard the stat that 5 pubs are closing per day!

Now that DOES upset me

Theres an Au Naturale in Glasgow.

We just had letters through the door saying that they are opening a bookies across the road from us!

One of the pubs that is closing is the venue of the twinset family's weekly steak night. My dd has written about how upset she is at the pub closing in her book at school.

Paperchase? NOOOOOOOOO! Where will I indulge my stationery fetish?

Awww! That's sweet, twinset.