Woolies. MFI. Who is next
- Thread starter MikeH
- Start date
Upvote
0
S
silvermusic
That's exactly what it is, a rumour, probably made by the local pub expert on every subject under the sun.
Care to name a few examples? It's a myth, no High street name can afford such luxury or stupidity in pricing, esspecially when they have thier own web sites too.
Let me clue you in on a few things. Media (DVDs, CDs, Games, etc.) was the only part of the Woolworths empire that was making money. EUK was doing OK.
Unfortunately, over the years that market had become too relient on less and less big players in the market. Good news for the music and film companies as there was less distribution costs involved. However, It went down like a row of dominoes when the top one failed. EUK has in turn taken out Pinnacle/Windsong and in turn many smaller dealers, wholesalers and retailers with them, me being one. There isn't a way forward for the smallers dealers and wholesalers as the only supply chain left for a lot of stuff is direct from the big 4 labels, and unless you're selling vast quantities they don't want to know.
If you really think having the market controlled by just a few very big players is great as it means some titles will be cheaper, you're wrong. What incentive is there for supermarkets to carry anything except the very big titles? none. Your choice will become limited, what you can buy will be dictated by large number shifters with no interest in the music or film business long term. How many different titles do Asda or Tesco carry in their stores compared to specialists? little more than a fraction.
Don't for one minute all this change is a good thing, it's bad for everyone. But like a lot of things people will only find that out once it's too late. Like the people the moan about the closure of the local shops yet these people never use them but instead add to Tecso's or Asda great fortunes.
It's yet another step to the total dominance of retail in this country by just a few mega companies.
Upvote
0
It is the time of the "internet"
While there still is obviously a place for certain high street shops a lot of things (and better) can now be found online... the web has opened up a whole new world to everyone and lots of great unique products.
People who work full time do not have to fight the high streets late at night/weekends ... they can sort all their groceries and Christmas shopping online!
However online shopping still has its problems and I think the future is a combination of on and off line.
For example: Woolworths - what unique products did they offer that can not be picked up online or at Tesco/Asda.
It is true Tesco seem to sell just about everything - however there is still the niche specialist market that they will never cover and which is open for all those lovely unique companies out there...
While there still is obviously a place for certain high street shops a lot of things (and better) can now be found online... the web has opened up a whole new world to everyone and lots of great unique products.
People who work full time do not have to fight the high streets late at night/weekends ... they can sort all their groceries and Christmas shopping online!
However online shopping still has its problems and I think the future is a combination of on and off line.
For example: Woolworths - what unique products did they offer that can not be picked up online or at Tesco/Asda.
It is true Tesco seem to sell just about everything - however there is still the niche specialist market that they will never cover and which is open for all those lovely unique companies out there...
Upvote
0
- Original Poster
- #47
Why do people still buy media from HMV, Zavvi or even Woolworths etc? I purchase all my music and films through downloads or bangcd, cdwow, etc. Normally about £6-7 per cd. It is very rare for me to use a high street store unless it is urgent. (But then there is always Tesco and Asda
)Take the previously mentioned Jessops. The staff are very helpful and knowledgeable, but I always find the same product cheaper through independent websites. My last online camera purchases saved around £50 and £20 inc delivery.
I agree with this in part. I am one of those that spend a lot of money with Tesco. The dominance of Tesco, Asda etc. is seriously affecting the high street and your corner shops. And yes it will impact specialist stores. There will be less choice and more mainstream products in your towns. However, I am sure that many specialist products will still be found on the internet. There must be a lot of niche market sites making good money thanks to Tesco and co.
Upvote
0
I will never understand why people criticise Tesco, Asda, et al - they are not the ones who cause local shops to close - we, the public, are the ones who choose it. If we really cared about local shops we would use them, but in general most people prefer getting everything at once. Life moves on, its tough for small retailers but its no use campaigns railing against the supermarkets (as they have in my local town) when there is a good chance the business model of a small grocer, butcher, etc. itself is at the end of its day.
Its not the end of 'cloned' high streets, and its not a return to 'local' shopping as is noted in another thread, its just a downturn and this is what happens in downturns. It doesn't mean turning the clock back to people trekking from small shop to small shop and buying locally, its just a bump on the road to huge mega-stores and internet shopping where people buy all their groceries in one place, and then the majority of their other stuff online. I'm not saying this is a good thing, or a bad thing, but its the way we are going and a short (relatively speaking) blip such as this will not change it.
On the retailers who have specifically gone so far, its not surprising which ones it has been. Woolies (once my favourite shop when I was a kid and where I had my first post-graduate job) have been peddling cheap and nasty looking shops, with cheap and nasty goods and there has been no real reason to go in there for a long time. MFI have been stuck in a bizzarely long delivery time and failed to move on - we wanted three sofas for the office and went to MFI and were told it would be an 8-week delivery, we went down the road to Ikea and picked them up that afternoon (or could have had them delivered the following day). Both Woolies and MFI were relics.
Whittards is a slightly different case imo as the shops always seem to have people in but presumably they aren't making money on it or their Icelandinc parent would be sucking cash out of them as fast as it could. The Pier are in administration, but if you look at their stuff they've stuck to what they were selling a few years ago at their peak but fashion has moved on.
Halfords are an odd one (from the other thread) - they are reasonably unique in their market in terms of range and number of outlets, but they don't seem to be that busy - at least they weren't on Saturday when I popped in for some spark plugs. PC World have been pandering to the newbies and non-computer literate for ages, but as more and more people get more comforable with computers and the internet the reasons to submit yourself to a spotty ill-informed and frankly irritating youth in a purple shirt trying to sell you what you don't need are falling away.
Its not the end of 'cloned' high streets, and its not a return to 'local' shopping as is noted in another thread, its just a downturn and this is what happens in downturns. It doesn't mean turning the clock back to people trekking from small shop to small shop and buying locally, its just a bump on the road to huge mega-stores and internet shopping where people buy all their groceries in one place, and then the majority of their other stuff online. I'm not saying this is a good thing, or a bad thing, but its the way we are going and a short (relatively speaking) blip such as this will not change it.
On the retailers who have specifically gone so far, its not surprising which ones it has been. Woolies (once my favourite shop when I was a kid and where I had my first post-graduate job) have been peddling cheap and nasty looking shops, with cheap and nasty goods and there has been no real reason to go in there for a long time. MFI have been stuck in a bizzarely long delivery time and failed to move on - we wanted three sofas for the office and went to MFI and were told it would be an 8-week delivery, we went down the road to Ikea and picked them up that afternoon (or could have had them delivered the following day). Both Woolies and MFI were relics.
Whittards is a slightly different case imo as the shops always seem to have people in but presumably they aren't making money on it or their Icelandinc parent would be sucking cash out of them as fast as it could. The Pier are in administration, but if you look at their stuff they've stuck to what they were selling a few years ago at their peak but fashion has moved on.
Halfords are an odd one (from the other thread) - they are reasonably unique in their market in terms of range and number of outlets, but they don't seem to be that busy - at least they weren't on Saturday when I popped in for some spark plugs. PC World have been pandering to the newbies and non-computer literate for ages, but as more and more people get more comforable with computers and the internet the reasons to submit yourself to a spotty ill-informed and frankly irritating youth in a purple shirt trying to sell you what you don't need are falling away.
Last edited:
Upvote
0
I assume then, Adam, you have no financial or money concerns or problems and can afford to buy all your groceries in local shops.
Of course Tesco, et al. are helping to close local stores because they don't play on a level playing field. If the supermarkets charged the same prices that small local shops have to, because they cannot buy enough to get the discounts, then the supermarkets would have gone years ago.
People are too obsessed with trying to save every penny and don't consider quality, how the product was produced or cared for, etc. You cannot tell me that there is no child labour involved in the shirts that you can buy for £3.00 in supermarkets, or that the birds were well looked after when you can buy a whole chicken for £2.00.
My in-laws are perfect examples. They saw the programme on TV sometime back about the chickens etc., that are so poorly treated and thought this was deplorable. Yet we hear them say things like "We got this chicken for £2.50 at Tesco, wasn't that a good deal?" (and my in-laws are not short of money, they could easily buy meat from the butchers).
Let's have the supermarkets charging the same price for their stock as the other shops do and then see how long they last?
But also the local planning departments don't help, because they take payments from the supermarkets to move themselves into towns. For example, Lewes has a population size of 15,000, with a couple of surrounding villages. We already have a large Tesco and a (much smaller) Waitrose. In 2009 a largish Lidels will also be opening in the town.
Last edited:
Upvote
0
I'm a bit annoyed at the moment. Before we heard that Woollies were in trouble and going to be closing we got our Christmas tree lights from there. Unfortunately, they failed on Sunday. They have 8 different settings - we only used one - but suddenly it went to the most annoying setting and the button to change the settings now doesn't work.
Thankfully our store doesn't close until 5th Jan so we are going to take them back right after Christmas and get our money back.
Thankfully our store doesn't close until 5th Jan so we are going to take them back right after Christmas and get our money back.
Last edited:
Upvote
0
Eh? As it happens I'm right royally shafted at the moment. You misread my post - I didn't say it was a good or bad thing and was avoiding putting my own personal shopping preference on what I see as a general trend. However, as you ask, I pretty much only shop in Tesco as they are nearby and sell everything I need. Sometimes its Morrisons but its a bit too small. Shopping is a painful and interminable experience and is to be got over as quickly as possible and price is a huge factor. Also, I work away a lot and most of the time will find the local Tesco to buy some food as I know it will be the same wherever I am and will be affordable. I like chains - you know where you are - I stay in Premier Inns rather than B&Bs as I know when I turn up that it will be the same as the last one and at a reasonable price.
I absolutely don't support the 'buy local' campaigns either. Firstly, my business is reliant on national sales therefore if someone in Aberdeen or Plymouth decides to only buy local we lose out. And secondly, I've worked on farms in Indonesia and Venezuela where the person employed at the farm was often the only one in a huge extended family with a job and was supporting them all. Buying a locally raised (and more expensive) chicken versus a cheaper one from Indonesia potentially puts the Indonesian farmer out of work and the impact of that will be far greater there than it is here. There is no welfare support to speak of, an entire family loses its bread winner, etc.
Supermarkets should price at whatever point they want, that's business. As a consumer I don't want to have them charge me more just so they're pricing around the same level as local shops. I want to make that choice of price versus welfare, etc. for myself.
Last edited:
Upvote
0
But then this is your own preference, Adam.
It sounds like you do not care how far you produce has had to travel (as you don't support "buy local") - so you don't mind if your apples and other food has come from the other side of the world (with all the preservative chemicals that will have had to be pumped into the produce to keep it fresh).
You say you want to make the "choice versus welfare decision" for yourself, but that's not the right decision; there is still choice with welfare; I think you mean you want to make the "price versus welfare" decision. So if someone is buying the cheapest items they have to understand that they are contributing to child labour or poorly treated livestock, etc.
Shopping is only painful and interminable if that's the way you make it. Jackie I used to feel this way as well - when we shopped in a supermarket for everything.
Now, we only use Waitrose for the items we cannot purchase in local shops, otherwise we're very friendly with the butcher, fishmonger, local independent wine shop, etc. We use our local stores, we see our friends while they're out shopping, we meet people we haven't seen in a long time and I actually look forward to the "Saturday shop"!
Finally, surprise, surprise it doesn't take any longer than when we used to travel three miles to the out of town supermarket, have to battle our way round the isles, have to put up with screaming children and parents arguing, long queues at the checkout, etc.
It sounds like you do not care how far you produce has had to travel (as you don't support "buy local") - so you don't mind if your apples and other food has come from the other side of the world (with all the preservative chemicals that will have had to be pumped into the produce to keep it fresh).
You say you want to make the "choice versus welfare decision" for yourself, but that's not the right decision; there is still choice with welfare; I think you mean you want to make the "price versus welfare" decision. So if someone is buying the cheapest items they have to understand that they are contributing to child labour or poorly treated livestock, etc.
Shopping is only painful and interminable if that's the way you make it. Jackie I used to feel this way as well - when we shopped in a supermarket for everything.
Now, we only use Waitrose for the items we cannot purchase in local shops, otherwise we're very friendly with the butcher, fishmonger, local independent wine shop, etc. We use our local stores, we see our friends while they're out shopping, we meet people we haven't seen in a long time and I actually look forward to the "Saturday shop"!
Finally, surprise, surprise it doesn't take any longer than when we used to travel three miles to the out of town supermarket, have to battle our way round the isles, have to put up with screaming children and parents arguing, long queues at the checkout, etc.
Upvote
0
My point exactly, putting aside any "green issues" (I am a paid up member of the Green Party, however), why would you want your food being sent half way round the world?
And don't believe the "locally sourced" label the supermarkets use. Yes, the produce might have been caught, grown, or reared locally, but where has it been to be packaged, etc.?
I am aware of one supermarket chain that buys fish that is caught somewhere just off Scotland, and then is transported out to the Far East to be "processed" before being transported back to the UK and with the "Scottish fish" label on.
Last edited:
Upvote
0
If we take the food issue as an example, what we see is the "contracting out" of anything to do with production.
The UK now has no substantial manufacturing industry, the US is likely to be pretty much the same way once this recession is over. We as economies have basically contracted out the "production" of virtually all industry to the far east.
In the UK we do have a very strong food sector, and basically by advocating the "import everything" approach, we are simply signing off one of our last remaining production industries.
Tell me, what is the UK going to be doing in the future - we don't have any sizeable manufactuing industry, we are vandalising our own food production industry, our banking and financial sectors are rapidly weakening, we have sent most of our customer service work out to India & the likes. IT services etc, again all being outsourced to India, and what ever country will come along later and do it even cheaper.
The way I see it, the only thing left for the UK to do is to shop, and to sell products manufactured in other countries, owned by non uk companies? And that's not a country of global significance, it's a flunky.
So instead of jumping on the "import it, its cheaper!", which is fundamentally the same as "get it at tescos/asda, its cheaper" bandwagon, I wish that people would think a little more longer term. Short term gain = long term pain.
The UK now has no substantial manufacturing industry, the US is likely to be pretty much the same way once this recession is over. We as economies have basically contracted out the "production" of virtually all industry to the far east.
In the UK we do have a very strong food sector, and basically by advocating the "import everything" approach, we are simply signing off one of our last remaining production industries.
Tell me, what is the UK going to be doing in the future - we don't have any sizeable manufactuing industry, we are vandalising our own food production industry, our banking and financial sectors are rapidly weakening, we have sent most of our customer service work out to India & the likes. IT services etc, again all being outsourced to India, and what ever country will come along later and do it even cheaper.
The way I see it, the only thing left for the UK to do is to shop, and to sell products manufactured in other countries, owned by non uk companies? And that's not a country of global significance, it's a flunky.
So instead of jumping on the "import it, its cheaper!", which is fundamentally the same as "get it at tescos/asda, its cheaper" bandwagon, I wish that people would think a little more longer term. Short term gain = long term pain.
Upvote
0
And its like that for practically everything. As a designer, the low cost logo design is the bane of the industry, it creates an impression that everybody should be doing the same....
Local Councils are between a rock and a hard place too. It would seem logicial that High Street Stores should be given every chance to survive, a reduction in business rates would help, but without the revenue service would suffer, but the reality is some of the businesses go bust and the revenue suffers anyway. If a business can be run on-line and only needs a lockup, then business rates savings can be invested in new-lines and stock, whilst absorbing some of the savings to customers in the process.
Upvote
0
Completely agree, however, many people are selfish, they are only interested in their own pocket or comfort. So it doesn't matter as long as it's cheap; the fact that their actions might affect their children or grandchildren isn't of interest to them.
I recently transcribed focus groups on global warming, and you actually had people sitting there saying "Well, I don't care because in 100 years I won't be here."
Upvote
0
- Original Poster
- #64
There are some excellent discussions taking place.
In the current market and financial turmoil it may be difficult to get people to change their views. Money talks, and many people will not pay more for green/welfare/eco/geographical reasons. Surely this will add to the plight of many stores that charge more for similar products.
Upvote
0
This doesn't really hold up.
Firstly, yes buy local where possible, but that doesn't have to always be the case. We are hired by firms right across Great Britain, but then because of technology it's just as easy for us to work for them than someone local - and there's no signigicant additional financial or environmental cost.
Secondly, maybe if Indonesia "bought local" the farmer could concentrate on growing crops or rearing livestock that people in his own country would buy, rather than being held to ransom by westerners. We hear that the supermarkets even expect farmers in the UK to only charge a fraction of what their produce is worth.
Oh, and after recently hearing a talk by an ex-employee of Unilever, don't get me started on "2 for 1" or "Buy one get one free" deals in supermarkets. Did you realise it is actually the manufacturer that pays the cost of this? The supermarket doesn't lose any money! So yet again the supermarket profits off someone else's loss - and they (the supermarket) instigate that.
Upvote
0
But the situation has been there since supermarkets first came in. I believe in the '40s or '50s the average household spent around 40% of its income on the general food shopping. Now that's around 10%.
Yes, with the current climate of course people are more likely to choose cheaper produce, I understand that. However, it has been this way for years - just look at how supermarkets have grown? Isn't said that every £1 in £3 is spent in Tesco?
Upvote
0
Every year I put a little something away for a rainy day. I was taught that by my parents. There have been quite a few rainy days and because of what I was taught, I have never gone bankrupt or failed to pay my way. I have never gone crying to the government for help at the first sign of a shower. I never take any more out of my business than I need to live comfortably. If I had behaved in the way that the banks and others have, Then I would now be sitting on the pavement with my hand out. Someone takes god knows how many millions bonus out of a business year after year and then as soon as it rains they declare bankruptcy. They should be made to pay it back. after all. If I was to declare bankruptcy I am sure the powers to be would demand that I turn over all my savings, Whats the difference between me and some greedy chirman? And as for all the share holders that allowed that to happen! well they don't deserve any sympathy at all. God I feel a lot better after that rant.
Upvote
0
Upvote
0
Do YOU read the labels when you buy your chicken? Do you ask the butcher where it's sourced. Do you check for the tractor mark on any meat that you buy.
This where most of the supermarket chickens are coming from Indonesia and Malaysia.
And then they are sold as FRESH. Yep, definitly fits my idea of fresh
Upvote
0
And as for all the share holders that allowed that to happen! well they don't deserve any sympathy at all. God I feel a lot better after that rant.
The shareholders let it happen because they were the ones that took the money out of the banks. Yes large sums dissapeared off in the form of bonuses, but far far far more went out as dividends. They allowed it to happen becuase they were the ones profiting!
Upvote
0
Upvote
0
Yes, but have you read the last few pages of this thread. Convenience and price come at a big cost of lack of welfare for the animal.
Well, let's be honest, if you're in a butchers you know what you're going to get. Seeing a picture of a piglet on the wall should hardly put you off.
At the end of the day, think how beans are treated before they become baked beans? Being drowned in all that gloopy sauce, shoved in the dark and put in an airtight container? Awful treatment!
Last edited:
Upvote
0
Latest Articles
-
Should you crowdfund? A framework for UK founders in 2026Three articles into a series on what crowdfunding actually costs, the...- Ozzy
- Updated:
-
The polls, the reframing, and the billion dollarsHow three letters from the early years of Star Citizen's development...
- Ozzy
- Updated:
-
The values trap: what the Punks actually ownedWhy BrewDog's Equity for Punks investors were structurally locked out...
- Ozzy
- Updated:
-
When belief is the business modelWhat BrewDog's collapse and Star Citizen's billion-dollar climb are...
- Ozzy
- Updated:
-
AI, Virtual Influencers and the Copyright Minefield: What Entrepreneurs Need to KnowI'll be upfront: this article was written with the assistance of an AI...
- Ozzy
- Updated: