Many many businesses DEAD (2 Viewers)

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I could do with some news on HMV...the fact they can get very little by way of new stock is already having an impact and it's not sustainable.
 
If Paperchase is in trouble how come the much shoddier Cards Galore is opening up new sites left right and centre?
 
Indie said:
That's a bit like asking how Primark or Lidl exist.
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Well I get how they're surviving, but three new ones have opened up on my walk to work in the last year! In the current climate I can't see how they think that's a good idea.
 
Paperchase is such a weird one. They were really unique 8 years ago but they’ve just STOOD STILL and their schtick has been emulated by pretty much every other stationer.
 
I've just read a bit more. Paperchase is still turning an annual profit (albeit a small one), and as I say this isn't administration. I think the death knell is a bit early for this one.
 
The big Paperchase here has a branch of (decent local coffee chain) Tinderbox inside. When they first opened, you got one free hot drink per week with one of their stupid points cards - they stopped all that some time ago, so they can ROT as far as I'm concerned.

The points card also conferred some sort of percentage discount on your birthday week, which I used precisely once because the twee wicker basket of a shopgirl kept going WOO and YAY which made me feel slightly unwell. Not worth the bother, quite frankly.
 
Slave said:
Paperchase is such a weird one. They were really unique 8 years ago but they’ve just STOOD STILL and their schtick has been emulated by pretty much every other stationer.
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Yes, I don't really get it. It's like they wheel the same thing out year after year.

They aren't really on my radar any more even for cards. If I want something cheap, Card Factory will do, and if I want something more humorous or special we've got a few other shops that do it better.

I think the only time Paperchase would be my go to would be if I was after a pink glittery reindeer or some sparkly pens.
 
Oh I like Paperchase. They’re my current go to place for cards along with John Lewis. Scribbler are good but far too racy for anyone other than friends. Clinton’s is the one that I don’t understand as they rarely have anything suitable or any kind of variety. They’re far too busy trying to sell mugs and candles instead.
 
COB said:
The big Paperchase here has a branch of (decent local coffee chain) Tinderbox inside. When they first opened, you got one free hot drink per week with one of their stupid points cards - they stopped all that some time ago, so they can ROT as far as I'm concerned.
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Comparatively small company ends opening offer as its not sustainable over a long period so can JUST GO ROT for not giving people LOTS OF FREE STUFF?

What a time to be alive.
 
Ellie said:
Oh I like Paperchase. They’re my current go to place for cards along with John Lewis. Scribbler are good but far too racy for anyone other than friends. Clinton’s is the one that I don’t understand as they rarely have anything suitable or any kind of variety. They’re far too busy trying to sell mugs and candles instead.
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Clinton’s has long been my favourite to be the “next dead”. The stores are SO nineties it hurts.
 
Sheena said:
Comparatively small company ends opening offer as its not sustainable over a long period so can JUST GO ROT for not giving people LOTS OF FREE STUFF?

What a time to be alive.
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I was going for a Shirley/Zu tone thing there, but I seem to get a message like this every single time I try it (not from you specifically) so I'm clearly very bad at it :basil:
 
COB said:
I was going for a Shirley/Zu tone thing there, but I seem to get a message like this every single time I try it (not from you specifically) so I'm clearly very bad at it :basil:
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DON’T GIVE UP YOUR DAY JOB, LOVE :D
 
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Sheena said:
Clinton’s has long been my favourite to be the “next dead”. The stores are SO nineties it hurts.
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I understand their endurance a little more. Whether it’s sustainable and turns a significant profit is another matter.

I think they’ve had one notable re-brand in my living memory where they changed the font of their logo slightly. But their stores, as you say, have changed little, if at all.

But they definitely do the “I need a card and a generic last minute gift” thing well. Their cuddly toys are priced just about the right side of “aw, that’s cute, I’ll stick that in with the gift as well” and no-one else really does what they do in such a mainstream way.

Card Factory is where I’d go to get a card for someone if it really was an afterthought. But there’s little in there to up-sell (except the WALL OF PENS piled onto the cash desk, requiring one to navigate the perimeter searching for a gap to reach the cashier).
 
Did Hallmark cards go under? Or their stores, at least.
 
I don't think I've bought anything in Clinton's for well over a decade. Card Factory is my go to if I want a cheap card (and when I'm getting a niece or nephew one for a kid, that's exactly what I do want), and if I want a more special one, it just isn't on my radar. And as for everything else they sell, isn't all utterly generic gift stuff that is cheaper elsewhere?
 
I always buy my notebooks from Paperchase and their thing is that you can get a very plain, hardback one or you can get a cute patterned one but I *must* have it A5 and ringbound for easy page removal and that is where Rymans etc all fail.
 
Zu-Klara said:
Presumably the same is (inevitably) also true of Fopp?
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Yes. They had the new Bring Me The Horizon album yesterday (:gross:) but they didn't get The Twilight Sad which would have been a big seller for them in Glasgow for sure...also, no Buzzcocks reissues which is something they'd turn a good few copies of as well. They usually get a good bunch of overstocks around this time of year too but all they have are some rather grey-area "box" sets of old jazz albums.
 
COB said:
I was going for a Shirley/Zu tone thing there, but I seem to get a message like this every single time I try it (not from you specifically) so I'm clearly very bad at it :basil:
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Sheena said:
DON’T GIVE UP YOUR DAY JOB, LOVE :D
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If only one could make a living out of being BAD-TEMPERED and SNARKY :(

Anyway card shops are ALL SHIT. I've been sending people HOME-MADE ARTWORKS instead of buying cards. They take ages to do with my coloured pencils and generally come out AWFUL but IT'S THE THOUGHT THAT COUNTS :evil:
 
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At work if it’s someone we really like, we make a huge card and print our own personalised graphics. If it’s someone we don’t care about we go from the stash of generic ones from Card Factory.

Clinton’s are particularly shit as if you are unfortunate enough to have to buy a birthday card for someone whose day clashes in the same month as Valentines/Easter/Mother’s Day/Christmas, there’s not much on offer. I mean who actually buys Easter cards? But they sell them in droves.

Dad ones are the worst. Nothing but golf, cars, beer and football themes.
 
Ellie said:
At work if it’s someone we really like, we make a huge card and print our own personalised graphics. If it’s someone we don’t care about we go from the stash of generic ones from Card Factory.

Clinton’s are particularly shit as if you are unfortunate enough to have to buy a birthday card for someone whose day clashes in the same month as Valentines/Easter/Mother’s Day/Christmas, there’s not much on offer. I mean who actually buys Easter cards? But they sell them in droves.

Dad ones are the worst. Nothing but golf, cars, beer and football themes.
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At least dad cards are amusing. Mum cards are boring as fuck.
 
octophone said:
I could do with some news on HMV...the fact they can get very little by way of new stock is already having an impact and it's not sustainable.
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It is quite depressing going in there at the moment. Completely dead, no new releases, the same displays they've had for the last month.

Surely some kind of announcement must be imminent, for good or bad.
 
Ellie said:
At work if it’s someone we really like, we make a huge card and print our own personalised graphics. If it’s someone we don’t care about we go from the stash of generic ones from Card Factory.
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:D But doesn’t that make it kind of OBVIOUS?
 
FetchFugly said:
It is quite depressing going in there at the moment. Completely dead, no new releases, the same displays they've had for the last month.

Surely some kind of announcement must be imminent, for good or bad.
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Surely the latter, all things considered, no? NO NEWS ain't GOOD NEWS in this case.
 
Sheena said:
Surely the latter, all things considered, no? NO NEWS ain't GOOD NEWS in this case.
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I know. It'll be two weeks on Tuesday since the interested parties bid deadline. When you are pinning your hopes on Mike Ashley it is fair to say things are bleak.
 
I went into HMV yesterday (being quite surprised it was still open in the first place) and whilst it IS weird and the new releases are certainly looking a little bereft, ironically it was a MUCH more pleasant shopping experience.

The aisles were clear of CLUTTER and TAT so it was much easier to browse than it normally is and the deals were entirely reasonable (20% off of Marvel/Disney products, for example - making it at least as competitive as Amazon). They even had some really nice collectible calendar prints displayed, which again were nowhere to be seen BEFORE Christmas when I would almost certainly have bought one as a gift.
 
Did Ashley not wait until House Of Fraser had actually been declared bust so that he could step in with a low bid? Or did I misread that timeline...?
 
Have Officers Club gone into administration? My local one suddenly closed before Christmas and another in Leeds has closed but there isn't any information about it.
 
Rhythmbarbican said:
Have Officers Club gone into administration? My local one suddenly closed before Christmas and another in Leeds has closed but there isn't any information about it.
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Went into administration mid December. No-one gave a shit because it had already happened to them two or three times before.
 
I don't remember seeing an Oddbins for ages. Where were they?!
 
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