British Expats

British Expats (https://britishexpats.com/forum/)
-   The Sand Pit (https://britishexpats.com/forum/sand-pit-116/)
-   -   UK shops (https://britishexpats.com/forum/sand-pit-116/uk-shops-913684/)

Millhouse Jun 7th 2018 10:55 am

UK shops
 
So today we have Poundworld in administration and House of Fraser closing down half its stores (administration in a couple of years then). It's amazing how these how school retailers are being killed off - probably by Amazon.

One thing I noticed on my last trip was the rise in the Drive Through Costa. Several new ones opening in my local area and the open ones are super busy with lines of cars. I'm quite surprised at how popular they are - looks like people are specifically driving to them.

reddiva Jun 7th 2018 11:09 am

Re: UK shops
 

Originally Posted by Millhouse (Post 12512081)
So today we have Poundworld in administration and House of Fraser closing down half its stores (administration in a couple of years then). It's amazing how these how school retailers are being killed off - probably by Amazon.

One thing I noticed on my last trip was the rise in the Drive Through Costa. Several new ones opening in my local area and the open ones are super busy with lines of cars. I'm quite surprised at how popular they are - looks like people are specifically driving to them.


Chester high street is now home to several Pound lands, betting and charity shops
We have big retail parks which are always packed. We have lots of tea shops but thankfully not many coffee places. Us Northerners are partial to a pot of tea and a cake. It is sad to see the demise of my high street and my Niece was distraught at The Disney Shop ( She calls it Disneyland) has gone as when i travelled home it was a day out for us!

I reckon WHS will be next

Millhouse Jun 7th 2018 11:15 am

Re: UK shops
 

Originally Posted by reddiva (Post 12512086)
Chester high street is now home to several Pound lands, betting and charity shops
We have big retail parks which are always packed. We have lots of tea shops but thankfully not many coffee places. Us Northerners are partial to a pot of tea and a cake. It is sad to see the demise of my high street and my Niece was distraught at The Disney Shop ( She calls it Disneyland) has gone as when i travelled home it was a day out for us!

I reckon WHS will be next

WH Smith deserve to go bust simply for firing me on boxing day, 1997.

reddiva Jun 7th 2018 11:23 am

Re: UK shops
 

Originally Posted by Millhouse (Post 12512087)
WH Smith deserve to go bust simply for firing me on boxing day, 1997.

it was recently voted by Which the worse UK retailer

Bahtatboy Jun 7th 2018 2:09 pm

Re: UK shops
 
Must be so difficult running an independent shop unless you're a) niche or b) a corner shop; even the smaller chains don't seem to last (apart from the likes of Greggs). At last there were about 8 charity shops on the two main shopping streets in Ilkley, and you can walk them both in about 4 minutes.

hnd Jun 8th 2018 9:43 am

Re: UK shops
 
Last time we were back in Sussex people were moaning about how utterly cr@p Haywards Heath high street (South Road) was. Well, it always was utterly cr@p but it’s even worse now. BUT, hardly any of the moaners ever use the small stores which have struggled on and they all seem to shop exclusively at the edge of town Sainsbury which was extended some time before 2104 so they only have themselves to blame.

Funnily enough, many, many years ago a friend (a chartered surveyor who seemed to specialise in town centre development) used to take clients to Haywards Heath to show them exactly how not to design and develop a town centre. His opinion was that the only way to improve it would be to bulldoze the whole thing and start again from scratch. He was, and still is, absolutely right.

Boomhauer Jun 9th 2018 6:22 pm

Re: UK shops
 

Originally Posted by reddiva (Post 12512092)
it was recently voted by Which the worse UK retailer

Lots of fond memories from the early- mid 90s of spending time at WH Smith.

scrubbedexpat141 Jun 11th 2018 4:45 am

Re: UK shops
 

Originally Posted by Millhouse (Post 12512087)
WH Smith deserve to go bust simply for firing me on boxing day, 1997.

The bastards.

I like Smiths, it's always a stop at Heathrow for me, ham and cheese sarnie and a big bag of skips......ending in me moaning that I don't want a ****ing Telegraph to get a 'free' Buxton.

Millhouse Jun 11th 2018 6:43 am

Re: UK shops
 

Originally Posted by Scamp (Post 12513795)
The bastards.

I like Smiths, it's always a stop at Heathrow for me, ham and cheese sarnie and a big bag of skips......ending in me moaning that I don't want a ****ing Telegraph to get a 'free' Buxton.

It was unforgivable, especially as I was the only one of the Christmas temps who was able to work out correct change and do refunds in my head.

Until recently, the landside WH Smiths at B'ham used to sell porn mags (but not the airside). Often used to pick up a mag featuring hairy wives.

weasel decentral Jun 11th 2018 6:47 am

Re: UK shops
 

Originally Posted by Millhouse (Post 12513823)
Often used to pick up a mag featuring hairy wives.

Why?

Millhouse Jun 11th 2018 6:50 am

Re: UK shops
 

Originally Posted by weasel decentral (Post 12513825)
Why?

old skool fella. It's not the same on the phone.

mikelincs Jun 11th 2018 6:55 am

Re: UK shops
 
Not arrived in the UK yet but there are 'clothing department Stores' in the US where you order on-line, the goods are delivered to the store where you can try them on and then only take what you like, store has a very small area for sales so has a much smaller rental cost.

DXBtoDOH Jun 11th 2018 7:00 am

Re: UK shops
 
Smart money is converting High Street to residential with a handful of coffee shops and cafes and one or two boutiques. People will move there because it's "walkable". If I were a developer with big pockets I'd move quickly and snap up high street property while they're cheap enough.

Logistics and shopping preferences aren't going back to what they were. Smaller shops, even department stores, are going the way of the dodo bird.

Exception are upmarket towns with frou frou butchers and cheesemongers and Australian style coffee shops and high disposable incomes.

weasel decentral Jun 11th 2018 7:00 am

Re: UK shops
 

Originally Posted by Millhouse (Post 12513826)
old skool fella. It's not the same on the phone.

My 'why' related to the content rather than the medium, but on reconsideration I'll take this answer instead.

Millhouse Jun 11th 2018 7:16 am

Re: UK shops
 

Originally Posted by weasel decentral (Post 12513835)
My 'why' related to the content rather than the medium, but on reconsideration I'll take this answer instead.

disappointingly the content on this medium hasn't really caught up with the internet. But there lies it's somewhat savage and gutter like charm.



All times are GMT. The time now is 7:24 am.

Powered by vBulletin: ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.