Crashing Companies

[prussianblue 885]

4 hours ago, TQR said:

The News Agents, because only Emily Maitlis, Lewis Goodall and Jon Sopel can make sense of what's going on.

 

I quite like The News Agents, although at times they can come across as a bit smug. I do however fucking hate the theme tune, accompanied by Alexander Armstrong's pompous voice. Just one of those irrational things that gets under the skin.

[TQR 13,936]

13 minutes ago, prussianblue said:

 

I quite like The News Agents, although at times they can come across as a bit smug.

I’d say, in the defence of Emily Maitlis, if I’d wound up Marjorie Taylor Greene to the point where she told me to “fuck off” in twelve seconds flat, I’d bloody well be smug too 

[Phantom 2,509]

Toy manufacturer Basic Fun which owns Tonka, Care Bears and My Little Pony, have filed for bankruptcy 

[Dead Wait 1,110]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ckkgl3zz1v6o.amp
 

Carpetright to appoint administrators - 272 stores and 1800 jobs at risk……

[Father Brown 157]

Carpetright's been on the brink of collapse for years, not surprised here.

 

I think the following will be gone from the High Street by 2034, not including Carpetright:

1. The Works - no idea how they're still open. Mostly children's toys and tat.
2. WHSmith - airports and train station locations will be safe. They've already stopped opening new HS locations.
3. Peacocks or Bonmarche - no idea how they're still open either. Both have been struggling for ages and are now owned by Edinburgh Woollen Mill, who went into admin themselves not too long ago.
4. Game - whatever's left is mostly hidden away in Sports Directs, physical game offerings have nosedived with the rise of digital sales, and it's pretty much just funko pops and plushes.
5. Currys - could well survive online. Outlived rival Comet but nobody's too big to fail.
6. HMV - same as Game. Losing out to the likes of Amazon and streaming services, and physical stock is increasingly becoming Japanese sweets, funko pops, and plushes.
7. Clintons Cards - if they still exist at this point.
8. Superdry - again, who is shopping here? Could well survive as a brand sold in other shops.
9. One of Trespass/Go Outdoors/Millets/Mountain Warehouse - a lot of competition for overpriced outdoor equipment. Go Outdoors most likely to go given that JD (who also owns Millets) put it into admin and bought it back.
10. Monsoon/Accessorize - went into admin not long after Covid restrictions started and was bought out in 2022. Been posting losses for years and could well go again.

[Toast 15,583]

WH Smith has saved a lot of branches by doubling up as Post Offices.

 

The Works - I'd dispute it being "mostly children's toys and tat". 

They do a lot of stationery and craft items , art supplies, and sell a lot of books and jigsaw puzzles aimed at the adult market (no, I don't mean porn)

[Father Brown 157]

That's true. A WHS near me has started selling Toys R Us stock as well. Certainly the larger premises with room for a PO will do better.

[Comped 452]

1 hour ago, Father Brown said:

Carpetright's been on the brink of collapse for years, not surprised here.

 

I think the following will be gone from the High Street by 2034, not including Carpetright:

1. The Works - no idea how they're still open. Mostly children's toys and tat.
2. WHSmith - airports and train station locations will be safe. They've already stopped opening new HS locations.
3. Peacocks or Bonmarche - no idea how they're still open either. Both have been struggling for ages and are now owned by Edinburgh Woollen Mill, who went into admin themselves not too long ago.
4. Game - whatever's left is mostly hidden away in Sports Directs, physical game offerings have nosedived with the rise of digital sales, and it's pretty much just funko pops and plushes.
5. Currys - could well survive online. Outlived rival Comet but nobody's too big to fail.
6. HMV - same as Game. Losing out to the likes of Amazon and streaming services, and physical stock is increasingly becoming Japanese sweets, funko pops, and plushes.
7. Clintons Cards - if they still exist at this point.
8. Superdry - again, who is shopping here? Could well survive as a brand sold in other shops.
9. One of Trespass/Go Outdoors/Millets/Mountain Warehouse - a lot of competition for overpriced outdoor equipment. Go Outdoors most likely to go given that JD (who also owns Millets) put it into admin and bought it back.
10. Monsoon/Accessorize - went into admin not long after Covid restrictions started and was bought out in 2022. Been posting losses for years and could well go again.

HMV would likely get fully sold from JD Sports to the Canadian guy who currently operates the shops on license, if JD Sports goes under. He seems to really love the brand,, and has put a ton of effort into saving it, which is frankly astonishing. I pass the Superdry store at Disney Springs when I visit, and it seems pretty busy.

[Sod's Law 345]

1 hour ago, Toast said:

WH Smith has saved a lot of branches by doubling up as Post Offices.

 

The Works - I'd dispute it being "mostly children's toys and tat". 

They do a lot of stationery and craft items , art supplies, and sell a lot of books and jigsaw puzzles aimed at the adult market (no, I don't mean porn)

I used to love the Works for the books you'd often find there that you couldn't find elsewhere, but they're clearly in the middle of deserting that market now and it makes me sad. It's depressing seeing the adult book section shrink every time you visit one and be replaced with even more kid's colouring books and glitter sets. 

[jimbean1121 201]

didn't know a good place to post this but:

the founder of the movie ticketing app Fandango, J Micheal Cline, dead by suicide