Many many businesses DEAD

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AGinAg (37)

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Wow we've not had a cull like this since Woolworths and assorted others went under at the tail end of 2008.

I will SERIOUSLY miss Habitat. Even if I can't afford it mostly, it's always a joy for a BROWSE.
 
And TJ Hughes. I can't recall the last time I set foot in one of their stores so no big loss there.
 
At the time the cuts were first announced, a list of companies wrote to the government saying that they supported them. Does anyone have this list? I know they included LK Bennett and a company that make condoms. I wanted to see if any of these were on it.

I don't shop in any of these places but it's a bad thing for UK PLC
 
Poor Habitat. They were ALWAYS my go-to for a housewarming gift.
 
At my school, Jane Norman carrier bags were the must have accessory for slutty middle class girls. R.I.P. Jane

And i'm sad for the people that work there, but Thornton's dying is clearly belated karma for them ceasing to sell FIZZY FISH, which i loved as a kid (until Thorntons took them from me :().
 
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I can understand Habitat the more I think about it. They've still got lovely small bits but their furniture really hasn't been very stylish for a long time. Places like BoConcept, Heals and Dwell do it much better.

Thorntons is no huge loss really. It's not like there's a shortage of chocolate shops. Godiva and Hotel Chocolat will fill the void.
 
A lot of these places probably would have survived if they'd not made debt-ladened acquisitions in recent years and had been able to move on.

Habitat is the one that surprises me most really. It occupied a niche between Heal's (really much more expensive than most people will have the cash for) and IKEA and I'd have thought it would have been able to adapt and survive. Having said that, I haven't bought anything there for YEARS and it used to be my premier fallback for wedding presents for people you don't like all that much.
 
Is there any news on WATERSTONES? I can cope with many a loss as long as Waterstones is alright.

I will wheep when/if they slip into the abyss. Even though it's shits like me with our fucking kindles who have stuck the knife in.
 
JD Sports bags were ESSENTIAL for swimming days at PE. Although I preferred the silver Sports Connection ones :disco:
 
Christian said:
Habitat is the one that surprises me most really. It occupied a niche between Heal's (really much more expensive than most people will have the cash for) and IKEA and I'd have thought it would have been able to adapt and survive. Having said that, I haven't bought anything there for YEARS and it used to be my premier fallback for wedding presents for people you don't like all that much.
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I feel like Dwell really stuck the boot into Habitat. It's so much cheaper and it's of pretty much the same quality. I still think the Habitat brand can survive selling crockery and stuff like that. They still do all of that pretty well, although I was reading that the reason they closed their Regent Street store was to focus on furniture.

Even the small items though must be selling less than they used to. Debenhams have gone after that market with all the Designers at Debenhams homeware, Zara Home sprung up and places like John Lewis and House Of Fraser constantly have homeware sales on. It's a pretty crowded market.

TurnerPrize said:
Is there any news on WATERSTONES? I can cope with many a loss as long as Waterstones is alright.

I will wheep when/if they slip into the abyss. Even though it's shits like me with our fucking kindles who have stuck the knife in.
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HMV are trying to sell it off as we speak. :(
 
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TurnerPrize said:
Is there any news on WATERSTONES? I can cope with many a loss as long as Waterstones is alright.

I will wheep when/if they slip into the abyss. Even though it's shits like me with our fucking kindles who have stuck the knife in.
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Waterstones is being sold to the original owner of the business and to Russian billionaire Alexander Mamut for c.£50m. The deal is going through legal due diligence etc. Even despite all of HMV's struggles, it was the strongest part of the business, so should be able to survive. It wants to refocus as a local bookseller, as per its origins.

The curious thing is that, despite all the publicity surrounding HMV/Waterstones, it has remained profitable (ableit debt laden and in need of massive restructuring) whereas truly doomed retailers have clearly flown under the radar.
 
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Zara Home - of course! They really must have stuck the KNIFE into Habitat's back. Dwell I'm not even aware of...
 
Oh that's good news. The Waterstones in Chiswick is fantastic. The staff are amazing and there's a real local focus. There's always some local nobody in there signing something.
 
Oh HOORAY

I feel at such utter peace when walking round a waterstones, or any bookshop really (not second hand). I'm not even much of a reader.
 
Zara Home felt so much more current than Habitat when it sprung up too. For years you couldn't buy anything but LINEAR MODULAR furniture, and Zara completely nailed the aspirational shabby chic look of the last decade or so.

You should check out Dwell Christian. It's Heal's for people that can't afford it. LIKE ME.
 
I was in Foyles on Charing Cross Road last week. MY MY how they've turned that around. And now that Saint Martin's is moving to King's Cross they're getting control over that whole block again and the plans for the redevelopment are amazing.
 
Waterstones is a genuinely fantastic store. One of my closest friends is head of customer services for the whole chain and the effort they put into the service they provide is second to none on the High Street - as a result they consistently top customer satisfaction surveys. I reckon the idea of refocusing locally is good - I've always thought one of the best things about Waterstones is reading the little recommendations that fellow customers write.
 
Incidentally when I finally start earning a crust as a lawyer in September, it will be in Corporate Restructuring - I can't think of a more interesting time to be doing it.
 
The Foyles is Westfield is terrible and it's always dead. They got it so wrong when they opened that store. Give the space to Waterstones instead.

I love the Waterstones where Simpsons of Piccaddilly used to be. It's so vast that it's like being in a national library and it's just a genuine joy to shop in. Such a great selection.
 
RobotBoy said:
I love the Waterstones where Simpsons of Piccaddilly used to be. It's so vast that it's like being in a national library and it's just a genuine joy to shop in. Such a great selection.
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Agreed. There's never anyone in there though and certainly nobody buying. That space must be worth a fortune too.

The worrying thing about all these chains going bust is the knock on effect it will have on the businesses which own the properties. No tenants = no income.
 
With any luck, it could start sending rent rates down and therefore make it possible for new local businesses to start trading on high streets.
 
I am quite sad about Jane Norman :(

The Habitat I go past on my way to work has big CLOSING DOWN SALE signs up, I may pop in for a look on my way home :disco:
 
It was 20% off on Saturday. It was fucking rammed. Should close more often.
 
RobotBoy said:
With any luck, it could start sending rent rates down and therefore make it possible for new local businesses to start trading on high streets.
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I doubt it. A decline in rent rates will probably just result in a new Sainsburys Local right next to a major supermarket - just like we have in Clapham. With a Tesco Metro in between :zombie:.
 
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I loved it when Woolworths closed down in Plumstead and there were people effing and blinding at how little had been taken off the prices. And that store was pretty much like a jumble sale anyway.
 
Christian said:
I doubt it. A decline in rent rates will probably just result in a new Sainsburys Local right next to a major supermarket - just like we have in Clapham. With a Tesco Metro in between :zombie:.
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I think that's true of London but most high streets around the UK have so many empty shops now that's something's going to have to give eventually.
 
RobotBoy said:
I think that's true of London but most high streets around the UK have so many empty shops now that's something's going to have to give eventually.
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But who do you think is going to be first to take advantage of lowered rents? There will be conditions attached for sure - and you can bet that they won't encourage small independent retailers.
 
I used to buy all sorts of POSSIBLY KNOCK-OFF DESIGNER TAT in TJ HUGHES when I was YOUNG and FRESHLY MINTED

HAPPY DAYS
 
monsta said:
JD Sports bags were ESSENTIAL for swimming days at PE. Although I preferred the silver Sports Connection ones :disco:
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Oh WOW, around the mid-nineties, kids at my school were willing their parents to buy them something for Sports Connection just so they could get one of the bags. Incredibly DEPRESSING in retrospect.

Regarding Jane Norman, there was a huge BOOM on their bags in third and fourth year of high school... because of the bag design, Jane Norman is forever registered in my brain as "JANE NOR."
 
Tetris-Rock said:
Regarding Jane Norman, there was a huge BOOM on their bags in third and fourth year of high school... because of the bag design, Jane Norman is forever registered in my brain as "JANE NOR."
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Oh god yes. Bright pink or orange plastic bags too :D
 
wendy the goat said:
There was a carrier bag HIERACHY amongst the girls at my school:
  1. paper carrier bags (Burberry, Chanel etc)
  2. Jane Norman
  3. Morgan
  4. JD Sports
  5. Body Shop
  6. Gippos with bootbags
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I had a bootbag :(

It was for my football boots though, if that makes it better. It would only get brought in once a term TOPS to show some p.e. willing.
 
Boot bags for boys was FINE (Unless it was a shit one like Hi-Tec)
For girls it was on a par with bringing your PE kit in in an OXFAM BAG
 
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