The Retail Apocalypse (Incorporating Casual Dining Closures)

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Moggy
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PostRe: The Retail Apocalypse (Incorporating Casual Dining Closures)
by Moggy » Thu May 09, 2019 10:58 am

I can see the thinking.

“Hmm so we used to make boat loads of cash in the 70s, what did we sell then? Vinyl! Quick, fill our stores with vinyl, that’ll drag the Spotify generation in!”

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PostRe: The Retail Apocalypse (Incorporating Casual Dining Closures)
by NickSCFC » Thu May 09, 2019 11:30 am

I can see HMV continually becoming more of a merchandise store as physical media declines.

Speaking of physical media, DVD really needs to die now, there's a growing 4K section in my local HMV and there really isn't room for 3 video formats.

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PostRe: The Retail Apocalypse (Incorporating Casual Dining Closures)
by Tafdolphin » Thu May 09, 2019 11:40 am

NickSCFC wrote:I can see HMV continually becoming more of a merchandise store as physical media declines.

Speaking of physical media, DVD really needs to die now, there's a growing 4K section in my local HMV and there really isn't room for 3 video formats.


This is something the French equivalent of GAME has done. More the half the shelf space in Micromania stores are now dedicated to Funko-pops and Harry Potter tat and whenever I walk past one on the weekends it is packed with kids.

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PostRe: The Retail Apocalypse (Incorporating Casual Dining Closures)
by Winckle » Thu May 09, 2019 11:58 am

Forbidden Planet here is the same. I buy my comics there on a standing order and the guys who work there tell me it's barely 5% of their turnover any more.

We should migrate GRcade to Flarum. :toot:
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PostRe: The Retail Apocalypse (Incorporating Casual Dining Closures)
by BID0 » Thu May 09, 2019 12:03 pm

HMV are a bit late on the vinyl bandwagon by at least 4-5 years but good luck with that :lol: I've only had to go there once in the last few years to pick up an exclusive single and an album that they had

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PostRe: The Retail Apocalypse (Incorporating Casual Dining Closures)
by NickSCFC » Thu May 09, 2019 12:11 pm

Winckle wrote:Forbidden Planet here is the same. I buy my comics there on a standing order and the guys who work there tell me it's barely 5% of their turnover any more.


I remember Forbidden Plant having a huge focus on imported Japanese games back in the early 00s.

I'm guessing due to the parity of Japanese and Western release dates this would be pointless, was great playing Dreamcast and PS2 games month before release on their demo pods though.

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PostRe: The Retail Apocalypse (Incorporating Casual Dining Closures)
by KK » Thu May 09, 2019 12:34 pm

I've not been in a Forbidden Planet in at least 20 years! Last thing I bought from there was a Resident Evil 2 comic, imported from America. They had loads of videogames figures and toys back then (Resident Evil, Tomb Raider and Tekken stick in my mind), usually in the windows. And of course loads of comics, Spawn in particular.

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PostRe: The Retail Apocalypse (Incorporating Casual Dining Closures)
by Winckle » Thu May 09, 2019 12:50 pm

Weekly comics are a tiny part now. Walls of Funko Pops and blind box tat. Smallish trade paperback and graphic novel section as well.

We should migrate GRcade to Flarum. :toot:
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PostRe: The Retail Apocalypse (Incorporating Casual Dining Closures)
by Gemini73 » Thu May 09, 2019 12:52 pm

KK wrote:HMV going all in on vinyl:

HMV wrote:This weekend saw the re-opening of our Doncaster store, officially the 4th shittiest town in England, in a new location with a BRAND NEW LOOK! Complete with our new extended vinyl bays for a larger range of records to browse to your heart's content. Plus, discover our great selection of films, TV, tech and merchandise too.




Moggy wrote:I can see the thinking.

“Hmm so we used to make boat loads of cash in the 70s, what did we sell then? Vinyl! Quick, fill our stores with vinyl, that’ll drag the Spotify generation in!”



I'm all for HMV specialising across various products but that vid makes it seem like they're pouring the brunt of their focus into one niche product alone. Vinyl may have come back as a collectable novelty (because that is all it really is) but it's not making a come back big enough to sustain a business long term.

HMV will be on the ropes again at some point no doubt with the top brass scratching their heads trying to figure out why people didn't stop downloading music and return to buying vinyl.

Last edited by Gemini73 on Thu May 09, 2019 1:00 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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PostRe: The Retail Apocalypse (Incorporating Casual Dining Closures)
by Gemini73 » Thu May 09, 2019 12:57 pm

Winckle wrote:Weekly comics are a tiny part now. Walls of Funko Pops and blind box tat. Smallish trade paperback and graphic novel section as well.


There's a comic/memorabilia store in Weymouth I popped into when we were holidaying at our caravan last year. It had some interesting stuff in there but the store is mainly wall to wall of Funko Pops.

The staff are as miserable as sin and not very welcoming. Didn't bother going back.

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PostRe: The Retail Apocalypse (Incorporating Casual Dining Closures)
by Vermilion » Thu May 09, 2019 2:34 pm

NickSCFC wrote:DVD really needs to die now, there's a growing 4K section in my local HMV and there really isn't room for 3 video formats.


I still buy TV boxsets on DVD because they're a lot cheaper (HMV have had an offer where you can get two DC Arrowverse series' for £20), so there's still a market for the discs on that basis

When it comes to movies however, i always buy blu ray these days.

Gemini73 wrote:There's a comic/memorabilia store in Weymouth I popped into when we were holidaying at our caravan last year. It had some interesting stuff in there but the store is mainly wall to wall of Funko Pops.

The staff are as miserable as sin and not very welcoming. Didn't bother going back.


Not sure if i've been in that one, though judging by your description, there's a good chance i have.

I find places where the staff are like that really unpleasant, though at least it's not as bad as those stores where the shopkeeper can be found stood by the front door smoking (and almost completely blocking the entrance). I mean come on, if they want to have customers, they should at least make an effort in not driving away the punters before they even have a chance to browse.

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PostRe: The Retail Apocalypse (Incorporating Casual Dining Closures)
by NickSCFC » Thu May 09, 2019 2:40 pm

Vermilion wrote:
NickSCFC wrote:DVD really needs to die now, there's a growing 4K section in my local HMV and there really isn't room for 3 video formats.


I still buy TV boxsets on DVD because they're a lot cheaper (HMV have had an offer where you can get two DC Arrowverse series' for £20), so there's still a market for the discs on that basis

When it comes to movies however, i always buy blu ray these days.



I guess with older TV shows that were recorded on videotape then DVD is the only way to go.

As for movies recorded on film, I'll be slowly replacing my collection with Ultra HD Blu-rays as they become cheaper.

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PostRe: The Retail Apocalypse (Incorporating Casual Dining Closures)
by Lex-Man » Thu May 09, 2019 2:45 pm

NickSCFC wrote:
Vermilion wrote:
NickSCFC wrote:DVD really needs to die now, there's a growing 4K section in my local HMV and there really isn't room for 3 video formats.


I still buy TV boxsets on DVD because they're a lot cheaper (HMV have had an offer where you can get two DC Arrowverse series' for £20), so there's still a market for the discs on that basis

When it comes to movies however, i always buy blu ray these days.



I guess with older TV shows that were recorded on videotape then DVD is the only way to go.

As for movies recorded on film, I'll be slowly replacing my collection with Ultra HD Blu-rays as they become cheaper.


The only people I know who buy physical media apart from myself, buy DVD's.

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PostRe: The Retail Apocalypse (Incorporating Casual Dining Closures)
by Gemini73 » Thu May 09, 2019 3:14 pm

Vermilion wrote:
NickSCFC wrote:DVD really needs to die now, there's a growing 4K section in my local HMV and there really isn't room for 3 video formats.


I still buy TV boxsets on DVD because they're a lot cheaper (HMV have had an offer where you can get two DC Arrowverse series' for £20), so there's still a market for the discs on that basis

When it comes to movies however, i always buy blu ray these days.

Gemini73 wrote:There's a comic/memorabilia store in Weymouth I popped into when we were holidaying at our caravan last year. It had some interesting stuff in there but the store is mainly wall to wall of Funko Pops.

The staff are as miserable as sin and not very welcoming. Didn't bother going back.


Not sure if i've been in that one, though judging by your description, there's a good chance i have.



It's down a tight alleyway of shops just off the main road not too far from the pavilion (there's a small theme park/arcade of sorts just before you enter said alleyway).

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PostRe: The Retail Apocalypse (Incorporating Casual Dining Closures)
by Vermilion » Thu May 09, 2019 3:19 pm

Gemini73 wrote:It's down a tight alleyway of shops just off the main road not too far from the pavilion (there's a small theme park/arcade of sorts just before you enter said alleyway).


Yep, that's definitely the one i was thinking of.

Gemini73

PostRe: The Retail Apocalypse (Incorporating Casual Dining Closures)
by Gemini73 » Thu May 09, 2019 3:28 pm

Vermilion wrote:
Gemini73 wrote:It's down a tight alleyway of shops just off the main road not too far from the pavilion (there's a small theme park/arcade of sorts just before you enter said alleyway).


Yep, that's definitely the one i was thinking of.


I attempted to be friendly to an assistant behind the counter by commenting that the Batman chess set was nice. She looked at me like I was some outsider who had no right to be in their shop. The other assistant didn't even acknowledge me.

Dickheads.

I was going to buy my daughters (who were with me at the time) a Funko Pop each being as they like to collect them on a small basis. We went elsewhere.

Coming from 15 years of retail management, before working at the hospital, had that been my shop I would have dragged both those strawberry floaters over the coals for such appalling customer service. :lol:

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PostRe: The Retail Apocalypse (Incorporating Casual Dining Closures)
by Vermilion » Thu May 09, 2019 6:45 pm

Gemini73 wrote:had that been my shop I would have dragged both those strawberry floaters over the coals for such appalling customer service. :lol:


Yep, and sadly it's not the only place where it happens.

I've often read articles by shop staff talking about lousy customers, yet i've encountered more surly, unpleasant, and downright rude shop staff over the years than i've had hot dinners.

There was one woman in Seaton Woolworths back in the late 90's/early 00's who was an expert at 'service with a scowl'. She'd grab my CD/DVD display cases as if they were dirt, give me damaged discs/packets routinely, and would slap my change down on the counter as if i'd just gone and called her something obscene (all while pulling an expression which would best be described as a reaction to someone doing a massive poo on her chair).

What a bag.

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PostRe: The Retail Apocalypse (Incorporating Casual Dining Closures)
by RainbowGazelle » Thu May 09, 2019 6:59 pm

Vermilion wrote:I've often read articles by shop staff talking about lousy customers, yet i've encountered more surly, unpleasant, and downright rude shop staff over the years than i've had hot dinners.

Then come on down to Argos in Cupar; we're friendly. :toot:
I've been really lucky to hold a job in retail with genuinely, really nice staff.
Only customers are arseholes in Cupar, so come visit!
Please...
We need more customers...

Last edited by RainbowGazelle on Thu May 09, 2019 7:20 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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PostRe: The Retail Apocalypse (Incorporating Casual Dining Closures)
by Vermilion » Thu May 09, 2019 7:09 pm

RainbowGazelle wrote:Then come on down to Argos in Cupar; we're friendly. :toot:
I've been really lucky to hold a job in retail with a genuinely, really nice staff.


It really does make a difference if you get served by friendly staff, the Argos workers in my local branch are really good too.

I also cannot fault the service i've received in the many HMV branches i've visited around the country over the years, the staff i've encountered have always been friendly, knowledgeable, and super efficient.

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PostRe: The Retail Apocalypse (Incorporating Casual Dining Closures)
by Lex-Man » Mon May 13, 2019 8:53 pm

Vermilion wrote:
Gemini73 wrote:had that been my shop I would have dragged both those strawberry floaters over the coals for such appalling customer service. :lol:


Yep, and sadly it's not the only place where it happens.

I've often read articles by shop staff talking about lousy customers, yet i've encountered more surly, unpleasant, and downright rude shop staff over the years than i've had hot dinners.

There was one woman in Seaton Woolworths back in the late 90's/early 00's who was an expert at 'service with a scowl'. She'd grab my CD/DVD display cases as if they were dirt, give me damaged discs/packets routinely, and would slap my change down on the counter as if i'd just gone and called her something obscene (all while pulling an expression which would best be described as a reaction to someone doing a massive poo on her chair).

What a bag.



Amusement under late capitalism is the prolongation of work.

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