RMweb Premium ELTEL Posted February 2, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 2, 2013 So what's the talk about Milletts? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted February 2, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 2, 2013 As well as constantly moving things around, plugging endless amounts of alledgedly cheap chocolate and having a category filing system for magazines that would have caused Einstein himself to give up trying to figure out, WH Smiths don't help themselves by having some of the worst laid out, cramped, tatty and generally badly designed shops on the high street and especially at stations. How on earth they are still trading is a complete mystery as they have looked like a Woolworths closing down sale in an earthquake (with some of the most useless staff in modern retail - and there is some pretty stiff competition for that honour I can tell you) for years now. While the local branch of WHS is piled pretty high with all sorts of stuff the staff are generally excellent. The chap in charge of the magazine stock will always ask me which one I'm looking for if he's handy when I'm looking at the railway/modelling mags and if it's not there he will tell me when it should be arriving if that is within the next few days (and he's usually right - even with MRJ!). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium melmerby Posted February 2, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 2, 2013 So what's the talk about Milletts?Something the budgie eats? Keith Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium PhilJ W Posted February 2, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 2, 2013 So what's the talk about Milletts? They were taken over by another company a few years ago, I can't remember the name now. Many of the High Street branches were shut in favour of large shopping centres such as Lakeside but AFAIK are still operating. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rugd1022 Posted February 2, 2013 Share Posted February 2, 2013 While the local branch of WHS is piled pretty high with all sorts of stuff the staff are generally excellent. The chap in charge of the magazine stock will always ask me which one I'm looking for if he's handy when I'm looking at the railway/modelling mags and if it's not there he will tell me when it should be arriving if that is within the next few days (and he's usually right - even with MRJ!). Is your Smiths chappie clairvoyant Mike...? Sounds like he miust be if he knows when MRJ is about to appear from the ether.... next time you see him, ask him for my winning lottery numbers would you...? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kev_Lewis Posted February 2, 2013 Share Posted February 2, 2013 They were taken over by another company a few years ago, I can't remember the name now. Many of the High Street branches were shut in favour of large shopping centres such as Lakeside but AFAIK are still operating. It was Blacks, I believe. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold DaveF Posted February 2, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 2, 2013 While the local branch of WHS is piled pretty high with all sorts of stuff the staff are generally excellent. The chap in charge of the magazine stock will always ask me which one I'm looking for if he's handy when I'm looking at the railway/modelling mags and if it's not there he will tell me when it should be arriving if that is within the next few days (and he's usually right - even with MRJ!). Mine is another helpful branch of Smiths. I was in there this morning looking at Railway mags, I managed to find over 30 magazine and bookazine railway and model railway titles. But I agree with the general comments about the shop layout. David Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
c2c Posted February 2, 2013 Share Posted February 2, 2013 I wonder if this meat supplier will go out of business after losing their contract! http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2013/feb/01/traces-pork-prison-food-halal Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Belsay Lad Posted February 2, 2013 Share Posted February 2, 2013 Birmingham traditionally has had large, thriving, suburban shopping areas and a relatively small city centre shopping area (compared with it's population). This had much to do with the way it expanded, by taking over already established surrounding towns & villages, (Aston, Handsworth, King's Norton etc.) rather than incremental expansion from the centre. However many of these suburban areas have now lost their individual shops, many being replaced by chains, charity shops and down-market fast food shops. The chances of finding a decent model or camera shop nowadays is a bit remote! The occasional butcher or greengrocer hangs on, but not much else. Keith In my 'second (UK) home', on the outskirts of Edinburgh, the city centre is mostly as above, chain stores, charity shops and downmarket pound shops/fast burger joints. But go a few miles East to the likes of Portobello and the 'high street' still has independant shops. I must admit it reminds me of my childhood in a smallish town North of the Forth (and that is not meant in a negative way) . As always you might pay a bit more than shopping online or in one of the 'chains' but you are more than likely dealing with the owner of the business, or at the very least a direct employee who knows what they are talking about, and who has an interest in ensuring you get what you want and isn't being timed on each sale. As an example, I have a HiFi amplifier (bought from Tandy in the mid 80's and which was/is still good quality kit in my opinion) and which recently decided to fry an output power transistor! (Lots of magic smoke...) Looked around for a replacement amp but most domestic music kit these days is MP3/iPod quality! I found a backstreet traditional TV/Wireless type shop above and the owner said 'yes bring it in, I think have a circuit diagram somewhere for that but it might take me a couple of weeks - is that OK?' No problem. Amp is now back in full working order - cost under £30... For me - local shops every time. We have a greengrocer/butcher etc. a couple for streets away. Why would I choose to drive 3 or 4 miles each way to the nearest supermarket? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium melmerby Posted February 2, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 2, 2013 I found a backstreet traditional TV/Wireless type shop above and the owner said 'yes bring it in, I think have a circuit diagram somewhere for that but it might take me a couple of weeks - is that OK?' No problem. Amp is now back in full working order - cost under £30... For me - local shops every time. We have a greengrocer/butcher etc. a couple for streets away. Why would I choose to drive 3 or 4 miles each way to the nearest supermarket? When I lived in Keswick there used to be a chap just like that, unfortunately he gave up as there was more money driving a minicab than repairing alectrical/electronic kit (I had some of his spares when he closed!) Keith Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kev_Lewis Posted February 7, 2013 Share Posted February 7, 2013 I've just seen that it was announced today that the admistrators for HMV are to close 66 stores with the loss of 930 jobs. Full details and list of stores to close here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-21366009 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
APOLLO Posted February 7, 2013 Share Posted February 7, 2013 I see HMV Wigan is on the closure list. It's the first shop you see in our 5 year old £100 million shopping centre. Not the first shop to close, and indeed the owner of the centre recently went into receivership. Bad news all round. Funny thing is, Wigan HMV was allways a popular shop, allways plenty in especially on Saturday. Some prices were reasonable also, but on new releases etc they just could not compete with the likes of Amazon. It's when Tesco, Asda, Sainsburys etc tank that we should start to worry. Second dip recession ? - I don't think we ever came out of the first one. Up a bit, down a bit more, repeat, etc. I fear the days of constant growth are now history. Brit15 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium skipepsi Posted February 7, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 7, 2013 I think it depends on what you define as growth ever rising house prices are not growth neither in my opinion is the churning of money. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenton Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 It was Blacks, I believe.Milletts - Blacks - Sports Direct - are they not all history? Now owned by some private equity (buy the debt and offset against tax as you asset strip type of arrangement) ... and wasn't Sears Group in the mix there somewhere? I see the HMV in Bracknell is for the chop along with the one in Camberley - Huh - Bracknell - there is a town center badly in need of complete closure. About 10 years ago I was negotiating to rent an office space there from the local council. That town has been talking about regenerating the town center for at least 15 years and meanwhile offering shops and offices on short let with no prospects. I believe that there is now over 50% vacancy - why would anyone want to move there now. I doubt if anyone will notice the HMV closure. Still building houses though, in big new slum estates. Just nowhere to shop as everything is allowed to run down. As long as the blight doesn't spread westwards. Recession what recession? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bernard Lamb Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 I see that Trevor Moore, ex Jessops is now also ex HMV, having been removed by Deloitte. To quote another former Jessops/HMV man, David Adams. "the new management adopted an ill-fated combative approach with suppliers, chiefly Nikon and Canon". Now I might not know much about business, but I do know that two companies of that size and reputation will not take too kindly to being messed about with. The local HMV is not on the list for closure. (yet) Bernard Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Belsay Lad Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 So it looks like all the HMV stores in or around Edinburgh are being closed! My immediate thoughts are with the staff affected. As far as HMV were concerned one at each end of Princes Street was maybe a bit much but to pull the plug on all 5 in 'greater Edinburgh' is a bit extreme IMHO. Surely there should be enough trade in Scotland's Capital city to have maintained at least one? Certainly whenever I have visited the West End branch I have usually had to queue up at the till to pay so not everyone wants to buy online. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium melmerby Posted March 28, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 28, 2013 Jessops in Birmingham has re-opened today. It looks exactly the same as it did on the day it closed, if you had been away you wouldn't have known it had been shut for a while! Keith EDIT A London store also opened today, I see that between 30 and 40 branches are to re-open in the near future. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
A_S Posted March 30, 2013 Share Posted March 30, 2013 which one? the one on temple row? I have to say, when i was buying a new lowe pro bag on the internet a few months ago I missed having Jessops there to compare the volume/size before I went and bought it online..! (calumet on hagley rd didnt have it in stock to check there). Says it all about the state of high street shopping. I could buy the bag inc shipping and tax from hong kong for less than I could in the UK. The same goes for bodies and lenses, although I did buy new EOS 7D from jessops on their intrest free credit deal for peace of mind even though I could get £200 off on ebay etc. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium melmerby Posted March 30, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 30, 2013 which one? the one on temple row?The one that was there before (The only one!) It just looks like it "hath been sleeping" Keith Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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