Upvote
0
K
kevin.m.
i have just read this morning that george whites have called in receivers they are the largest group in the uk to sell both motorbikes and motorcycle related clothing, they stated as a family firm and grew and grew and now gone bust,
when will people realise bigger is not always best, this firm has lost so many jobs but also has caused many family firms so much grief over the last few years and has led to many localised motorcycle shops to close. i always support my local shops as much as possible and thats what we all need to do. if their prices are too high tell them and give them the chance to compete but also leave them with their profit and next time you want something hopefully they will still be there.
when will people realise bigger is not always best, this firm has lost so many jobs but also has caused many family firms so much grief over the last few years and has led to many localised motorcycle shops to close. i always support my local shops as much as possible and thats what we all need to do. if their prices are too high tell them and give them the chance to compete but also leave them with their profit and next time you want something hopefully they will still be there.
Upvote
0
Upvote
0
Upvote
0
9
90DC
I'd be shocked to see HMV survive until the end of the year.
Can see Mothercare surviving, especially considering Jamie Oliver's missus is designing a range of children's clothes for them, people seem to go mad on anything endorsed by celebrities, you only need to look at those minging Range Rovers.
Can see Mothercare surviving, especially considering Jamie Oliver's missus is designing a range of children's clothes for them, people seem to go mad on anything endorsed by celebrities, you only need to look at those minging Range Rovers.
Upvote
0
I hope this thread's gone by the end of 2012.!
Of course it will be gone, it will be replaced with what chains will be gone by the end of 2013
Upvote
0
ill say thorntons..... think theyll close their shops and just sell through supermarkets .... our local store has just closed and the nearest one to us now looks to follow the same suit... Its a real shame, beacause at one time Thorntons choccies were something to look forward to... i think the brand has cheapened itself alot over the past few years
Upvote
0
I doubt if that is the complete truth.
And the idea that we have a free market is ridiculous.
Earl
Last edited:
Upvote
0
Yes, I've been negative on Thorntons for a long time now. Previously slow and plodding but upper middle market and dependable. Then expansion utilising brand dilution to the point where their once premium ranges are no longer trusted at full price and the web is full of 12 month a year discounting which simply further erodes the brand.
Not cheap enough to fight off supermarket own but not good enough to play in the premier division. A brand ruined by idiots.
Upvote
0
Have you tried their toffee latley? Nothing to rave about AT ALL ! I used to love it, but thorntons made their focus on chocolates, when so many other people were competing in the market, the should of stayed with their USP Toffee and built on and around that!
Upvote
0
Upvote
0
Steady on!! Now I agree that Thorntons management sold themselves down the river when they stopped selling exclusively through their own and franchised stores, but you CAN'T criticise them on quality
They have a wonderful core product but they lack the imagination to take the brand forward. Given the anti-Cadbury sentiment since their US takeover surely someone at Thornton HQ has gone "Hang on a mo, couldn't we position ourselves as THE British choccy choice!>>" :|
Upvote
0
E
Esk247
In my experience. Head Office and Store Fronts are two separate worlds. Head Office are thinking about playing golf this weekend or going to Monaco, they certainly don't seem to have any passion to get down on ground level and see what is happening to their shops and peoples perception of the brand.
They sold out when they allowed any old franchisee to set up shop. We had one locally, they were dreadful, rude, arrogant and the shop lasted less than a year before they legged it..literally just hopped off and left the shop closed, took all the stock from what i saw in the papers.
Didn't they start selling Thorntons stuff in supermarkets recently?
Upvote
0
They did, and what a mistake. Supermarkets are like the Borg (sorry, Star Trek reference), they simply take what is unique about a suppliers product and replicate it, selling it as own-brand alongside at a cheaper price.
It's an easy mistake to make for a small eager business desperate for growth, but for a seasoned well established business it just shows the depth of ineptitude in Thornton's management.
It's an easy mistake to make for a small eager business desperate for growth, but for a seasoned well established business it just shows the depth of ineptitude in Thornton's management.
Upvote
0
T
thebiznizdotcom
I think that I have to agree with Clintons. They are in pretty expensive areas for rent and their under pressure on-line from the likes of Moonpig etc. Shame tho'
As for Curry's I think their under pressure also. They were taken over only a couple of months ago and word has it that they'll won't be opening any new stores or re-fitting any of the old ones.
That might seem all well and good but the price of maintainance will rise considerably so I expect them to still struggle.
I suppose we have lived in really fast moving times. The high street was not only a place to shop but a place to meet other people and socialise. All of this seems to be dying off now with the advent of the large shopping centres and on-line retailing. I'm not sure the High Street will remain (I'm not sure I have an answer on what to do with them) but I think that Councils have a lot to answer for. They don't make the experience good at all. What I mean is not enough parking, expensive parking, parking wardens that look for just one inch over the line etc etc. You get to the point where you just think, oh I can't be bothered I'll just either get it on line of I'll try the shopping centres where I can get parked no bother.
I realise there's people on here that will say "park and ride" or get the bike etc. but I really think I'm in the majority and convenience is what the new business era is all about.
Sorry if I offend but there just my thoughts and I feel gutted for shops that are working their buts off to make a living when all around them is decay due to councils not bothering to care but only for themselves.
As for Curry's I think their under pressure also. They were taken over only a couple of months ago and word has it that they'll won't be opening any new stores or re-fitting any of the old ones.
That might seem all well and good but the price of maintainance will rise considerably so I expect them to still struggle.
I suppose we have lived in really fast moving times. The high street was not only a place to shop but a place to meet other people and socialise. All of this seems to be dying off now with the advent of the large shopping centres and on-line retailing. I'm not sure the High Street will remain (I'm not sure I have an answer on what to do with them) but I think that Councils have a lot to answer for. They don't make the experience good at all. What I mean is not enough parking, expensive parking, parking wardens that look for just one inch over the line etc etc. You get to the point where you just think, oh I can't be bothered I'll just either get it on line of I'll try the shopping centres where I can get parked no bother.
I realise there's people on here that will say "park and ride" or get the bike etc. but I really think I'm in the majority and convenience is what the new business era is all about.
Sorry if I offend but there just my thoughts and I feel gutted for shops that are working their buts off to make a living when all around them is decay due to councils not bothering to care but only for themselves.
Upvote
0
I
Indivijewelistic
Mothercare, I definately back up that one I think they are on a slippery slope. MacDonalds seem to morphing into one sort of fast food to another, could it be that they are grasping at staying on the high street with so much competition from Nandos etc.? All the fast food chains really if the planning law comes in that they have to be a certain distance away from schools.
Upvote
0
I'm not so sure about that; they've recruited a new boss to help them focus more on distance selling, and their International operations are growing ahead of plan... it's just their UK business which has faltered. It'll depend on the new management but they have such a trusted brand in a niche market, they must be able to preserve a smaller more focused high street presence to compliment their online push.
Last edited:
Upvote
0
I wanted to buy a camera, around £200. Looked around online, went to Jessops for the touchy feely side and tried to get staff to explain it to me. They didn't know and it was little more than a point and shoot Canon. Then their price was around 30% more than Amazon. Bought it from M&S online with discount code in the end as they offered a longer guarantee and were cheaper than Amazon. End price was near 60% of Jessops (and I did ask for a discount).
In the modern world of digital cameras we just don't need Jessops. Some high end suppliers may survive but with fairly decent cameras now down to £20 in some cases and perfectly adequate Canons for £100, it is all price driven now.
Upvote
0
I think Mothercare are shaky. In their shop you cannot see where their focus is. It is amateur, often overpriced and there is no standard level of quality across all products. Thus some trust has evaporated and that is gone forever, at least for my time as a parent.
I don't even rate it as a recovery stock. They had a niche but others have taken that away in a large part of their business.
Upvote
0
Steady on!! Now I agree that Thorntons management sold themselves down the river when they stopped selling exclusively through their own and franchised stores, but you CAN'T criticise them on quality
They have a wonderful core product but they lack the imagination to take the brand forward. Given the anti-Cadbury sentiment since their US takeover surely someone at Thornton HQ has gone "Hang on a mo, couldn't we position ourselves as THE British choccy choice!>>" :|
Surely they must have been desperate to even try the supermarket route. Perhaps on the edge. The huge discounting must have been foreseen and simply shrugged off but the implications for their full price shops means that no-one wants to pay full price anymore.
Upvote
0
A
aussiecameras
There is a bit more than that to it. Is it really ethical to walk into a store and ask them advice and then buy online. Maybe it would be better to either buy from them or not. If they are not there next time, who are you going to ask for advice.
Now I know you are going to say that their advice wasn't any good or something like that, but in the end asking for advice and the choosing to buy elsewhere on price is wrong!
Now I know you are going to say that their advice wasn't any good or something like that, but in the end asking for advice and the choosing to buy elsewhere on price is wrong!
Upvote
0
Do you mean would I rather get the car out drive for miles ,try to find parking to be told by an employee of Comet or Curry that the bloke who deals with cameras is on holiday.?
Quite agree that one has to find a reliable source for information on the internet.
Earl
Upvote
0
Latest Articles
-
The Most Dangerous Moment in Business Is When Everything Is Going WellThey Saw It Coming. They Did Nothing. The Lessons Every Business Owner...- Ozzy
- Updated:
-
AI and Your Business: Useful Tool, Not a Magic WandThere is no shortage of noise around artificial intelligence right now...
- Ozzy
- Updated:
-
Companies House WebFiling security incident: what happened, what to check, and what to do nextCompanies House has confirmed that its WebFiling service suffered a...
- Ozzy
- Updated:
-
Spring Budget 2026: A Quiet Update for UK BusinessesChancellor Rachel Reeves delivered the UK’s Spring Statement on 3 March...
- Ozzy
- Updated:
-
Practical Ways to Make Your Small Business More Resilient (Especially When the Unexpected Happens)Running a business means juggling plenty of things you can plan for and...- UKBF Editor
- Updated: