scrubbedexpat091

Were these companies poorly run?

Forgot to change with times and adapt to new technology like the internet?

Were these middle end or high end retailers?

I know here north of the US, high end and low end like dollar stores do well, but retailers like Sears who catered to the middle class have struggled and some have gone under.

BritInParis

BHS was the cheaper version of M&S. I'm surprised it lasted this long after the rise of Primark.

Nutek

I'm free!

/Mr. Humphries.

scrubbedexpat097

You've all done very well

Nutek

dc koop

Don't worry about the sleeves being too long madame. They'll ride up with wear

SultanOfSwing

It's sad. City Centres aren't long away from being nothing but banks, bookies and pound shops where there aren't pubs or restaurants. Belfast has entire streets of dereliction that have been undeveloped since the mid-70s in many cases. Obviously we did have that small problem of entire buildings disappearing very quickly for a while there, but that's stopped now.

My home town is worse. High rent and the proximity of a large shopping mall (and internet buying) has left it about 75% dereliction in the town centre.

I'm depressed now.

mrken30

The only big store I remember closing down in my childhood was the greenshield stamp store and a big coop. But it wasn't on the same scale. I think green shield stamps became argos.

Nutek

It might come around somewhat. In the same way that the big stores swallowed the little ones, so now the intertubes seem to be killing off the big stores.
There seems to be a bit of a resurgence of small shops again, trading more on service than price.

mrken30

Unfortunately there are more poor and poorer people wanting lower prices than there are rich/richer people wanting better services and goods.

SultanOfSwing

My main desire is to see a reduction in dereliction in the towns and cities in NI that isn't also accompanied by an increase in betting shops, dodgy loan places and cell phone shops

Nutek

Bristol is no different, if that is any sort of comfort.

Matt Sabre

So we are no longer a nation of shopkeepers?

mrken30

maybe there is a VR app for that

Nutek

Some truth in that, unfortunately.