What/who will collapse first in 2018

[regprentice]

4 minutes ago, spyguy said:

Well, the store sigh is valauble and they can shift it.

HoF in Middlesborugh, Darlo, Ull,... etc less so.

 

CityAM reported that last year the rateable value for that store went up from £5.7Mn to £9Mn per annum. They pay about half that in actual rates, and were talking about a projected total rates bill of £19Mn til 2021 when rates change (increase?) again.

[TheCountOfNowhere]

3 minutes ago, regprentice said:

CityAM reported that last year the rateable value for that store went up from £5.7Mn to £9Mn per annum. They pay about half that in actual rates, and were talking about a projected total rates bill of £19Mn til 2021 when rates change (increase?) again.

Greedy councils shooting themselves in teh foot.

IIRC dont landlords become accountable for the rates if they cant let it ?

No wonder everythings being turned into flats

[hurlerontheditch]

Quote

Store landlords push back against rent cuts

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-44391280

[Cryptotrader]

39 minutes ago, TheCountOfNowhere said:

I used to like that one.  Will leave a HUGE hole in MK shopping centre.

I stopped going to MK when all the free parking disappeared and they sold one of the car parks to NCT.

The greed of the councils/public sector is a HUGE problem for the british people.

MK shopping centre IS a huge hole anyway.

I live in MK but haven't been to the centre in years - I won't pay parking.

The only shops I use are Aldi, Lidls and the local Pakistani. Everything else I need I get, either from Amazon VAT free or comes with 'sample' written on it in Chinese.

Mind you, as far as Councils are concerned including MK, with the Government austerity cuts and huge increase in children on the books of Social Services (many unaccompanied children appearing at the local M1 services etc) they are going to put up charges somewhere.

[reddog]

Seems like all the HoF stores in the Midlands are closing.

 

I would be interested to see which ones are staying open.

 

Have found memories of the Shrewsbury and Leamington stores.

 

As stated, the Birmingham one (Rackham's) was formerly the poshest shop in Brum, but has fallen a long way

[TheCountOfNowhere]

14 minutes ago, reddog said:

Seems like all the HoF stores in the Midlands are closing.

 

I would be interested to see which ones are staying open.

 

Have found memories of the Shrewsbury and Leamington stores.

 

As stated, the Birmingham one (Rackham's) was formerly the poshest shop in Brum, but has fallen a long way

What amazes me is John Lewis is going strong.

[zugzwang]

12 minutes ago, TheCountOfNowhere said:

What amazes me is John Lewis is going strong.

George Osborne paid the bill for the Birmingham store (£750 million).

[Cryptotrader]

14 minutes ago, TheCountOfNowhere said:

What amazes me is John Lewis is going strong.

It's the middle, ordinary folk that is being gouged by the criminal political-executive clique.

They moved to Aldi/Lidl for their food and on-line for everything else.

Meanwhile the ex bosses of Carrilion, current bosses of Grenfell contractors still have the readies to cram into the likes of Lewis and Waitrose.

[Freki]

The elephant in the room remains the councils who borrowed money to invest in commercial property. How long before it reaches the headlines?

[hurlerontheditch]

Quote

Former Little Chef owner Rcapital engaged in last-ditch talks about rescue of Poundworld, although prospects of deal look bleak, with company employing 5300 people expected to file notice of intention to appoint administrators later today. Full story up shortly.

10:55 - 7 Jun 2018

 

[Ash4781]

6 hours ago, hurlerontheditch said:

 

Re Poundworld Have to wonder what the business assets will be? a brand name, and I imagine all the stores and logistics are leased. ‘Stock’ will be mountains of carp.

[Guest]

"What/who will collapse first in 2018"

.......

inbruges

[regprentice]

1 hour ago, Ash4781 said:

Re Poundworld Have to wonder what the business assets will be? a brand name, and I imagine all the stores and logistics are leased. ‘Stock’ will be mountains of carp.

Poundworld is more like B&M and Home bargains than Poundland and Christie's.

Never understood why they were called poundworld, they seem to sell things in multiples of a pound, as opposed to a only a pound exactly. loads of stuff on the shelves for 2 quid that can be bought in Asda for £1.50, £1.25 etc.

[mrtickle]

11 hours ago, TheCountOfNowhere said:

Just noticed

 

"London Oxford Street"

 

WOW !!!!

Yep. It's about time that London had its high street shopping areas transformed into betting shops, nail bars and charity shops. I'd really love to see it happen in Oxford Street because it may encourage real reform and a proper debate (ie something that ends with landlords dropping rents and not - as is usual - the focus being on councils dropping rates and government dropping taxes.

 

[reddog]

33 minutes ago, mrtickle said:

Yep. It's about time that London had its high street shopping areas transformed into betting shops, nail bars and charity shops. I'd really love to see it happen in Oxford Street because it may encourage real reform and a proper debate (ie something that ends with landlords dropping rents and not - as is usual - the focus being on councils dropping rates and government dropping taxes.

 

Erm, last time I was shopping in London (some years ago, so it can only have got worse), the end of Oxford Street near Tottenham Court Road was already a complete dump.

 

Maybe not, nail bars and charity shops, but very low end sole trader clothes shops.

[mrtickle]

9 minutes ago, reddog said:

Erm, last time I was shopping in London (some years ago, so it can only have got worse), the end of Oxford Street near Tottenham Court Road was already a complete dump.

 

Maybe not, nail bars and charity shops, but very low end sole trader clothes shops.

Good stuff, I haven't been to London for about 20 years so wouldn't know

But it needs to go further. Oxford Street needs to be just like all the high streets up and down the UK. With the rents so high I'm surprised it hasn't happened: companies must be cross-subsidising and using funds from sustainable parts of the country to prop up their London premises as a misguided "loss leader".

And by further I mean the whole street, and worse shops, such that when tourists arrive they are struck dumb with shock. And so that more people start asking tough questions about Tax Credits.

 

Edited June 7, 2018 by mrtickle

[dropbear]

HoF in Oxford st has been old and tired for years. Much like Debenhams. Piles of mid-range clothing brands, dim lighting, and big discounts every couple months.

The shop at Westfiel is much more modern and in line with their marketing image.

[leonardratso]

we are talking about house of fraser and not david hasslehoff yes? im easily confused.

[Timbuk3]

 

BDO High st sales tracker reports worst May for 12 years. 

https://www.bdo.co.uk/getmedia/dd356799-c3a3-49cc-8671-6da0ff5e2266/HSST-May-2018.pdf.aspx 

[winkie]

11 hours ago, reddog said:

Erm, last time I was shopping in London (some years ago, so it can only have got worse), the end of Oxford Street near Tottenham Court Road was already a complete dump.

 

Maybe not, nail bars and charity shops, but very low end sole trader clothes shops.

Popped there few weeks ago, meeting someone.......a Saturday about 10am, strolled down Oxford Street, Tottenham Ct Rd, Regent St that sort of area, went into most of the big department stores to judge the atmosphere and get a feeling of how well and positive the experience would be......all stores during the morning very quiet, prehaps the tourists still having a leisurely breakfast, others still on the train not yet reached their destination?...Noticed very many young staff working in the stores, students earning pocket money?... almost all were young sales assistants, standing at their allocated spot in the store, more staff than customers. The shops in the main looked very muddled, one department ran into the next, dim lighting, not very clean or clear imo......not places that encourages spending. I would have bought something but didn't want to carry it around London all day, then have to carry it home on the bus.?

Edited June 8, 2018 by winkie

[hotblack42]

10 hours ago, dropbear said:

HoF in Oxford st has been old and tired for years. Much like Debenhams. Piles of mid-range clothing brands, dim lighting, and big discounts every couple months.

The shop at Westfiel is much more modern and in line with their marketing image.

King William St on the other hand isn't tired - or at least not as tired as Oxford St.
Its quite a good looking building that faces drivers as they cross London Bridge into the City.  Its not going to be good psychologically if the first building seen on that approach remains closed and dusty.  It will make it appear as if the City is in decline.
There are other older buildings dotted around the city that have been out of use for years.  No-one at work seems to know much about them.  Only theory is that they are City of London corporation properties. They are loaded and might not give a toss about missing out on a few hundred thousand here or there.

[Ash4781]

3 hours ago, winkie said:

Popped there few weeks ago, meeting someone.......a Saturday about 10am, strolled down Oxford Street, Tottenham Ct Rd, Regent St that sort of area, went into most of the big department stores to judge the atmosphere and get a feeling of how well and positive the experience would be......all stores during the morning very quiet, prehaps the tourists still having a leisurely breakfast, others still on the train not yet reached their destination?...Noticed very many young staff working in the stores, students earning pocket money?... almost all were young sales assistants, standing at their allocated spot in the store, more staff than customers. The shops in the main looked very muddled, one department ran into the next, dim lighting, not very clean or clear imo......not places that encourages spending. I would have bought something but didn't want to carry it around London all day, then have to carry it home on the bus.?

The last time I was on Oxford street I went in the shops to escape the air pollution on the street (seemed to be endless stream of buses) oh and use the free loos. 

[winkie]

28 minutes ago, Ash4781 said:

The last time I was on Oxford street I went in the shops to escape the air pollution on the street (seemed to be endless stream of buses) oh and use the free loos. 

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/london-ultra-low-emission-zone-sadiq-khan-air-pollution-plan-expansion-a8389076.html

Cleaner air but fewer people??

 

 

 

 

Edit to say: maybe that is the plan?

Edited June 8, 2018 by winkie

[crashmonitor]

Poundworld bust...announced by BBC as Poundland by mistake.

Brief heart attack for any Steinhoff International shareholders owner of Poundland.

Edited June 11, 2018 by crashmonitor

[hurlerontheditch]

Quote

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) is set to relocate production of its Land Rover Discovery from the Solihull plant near Birmingham to Slovakia, according to a report by Bloomberg.

The company, which is owned by India's Tata Group, is investing in the UK so the plant can produce cars in electric, petrol and diesel versions.

However, Bloomberg reports that the production of the Discovery will move at the beginning of 2019, resulting in lag time - and possible job cuts - before Solihull ramps up again to make cars.