The Retail Apocalypse (Incorporating Casual Dining Closures)

Return_of_the_STAR wrote:Intu’s problem is they grew too quickly via debt and now can’t afford the repayments. The centres themselves are actually still very profitable.

You're saying they got themselves Intu too much debt?

Godzilla wrote:
Lagamorph wrote:
Buffalo wrote:
Lagamorph wrote:
Buffalo wrote:The Metro Centre has been well and truly ran to the ground since they came in, all it’s former discernible character laid to waste by corporate uniformity. The amount of shops boarded up there is a real shame, but who’s got money for anything these days?

I remember years ago the Christmas decorations in the Metro Centre used to be amazing. But the last couple of years they've been crap to the point of near non-existent.

A lot of what made it feel unique is history. Remember the Mediterranean Village?

Used to be a great shop in that area that sold handmade leather jackets for really decent prices.

Also Metroland was ace when I was a kid

Yay for MetroCentre nostalgia!

Mediterranean village was so cool as a kid. I used to love that the entire centre had real trees inside and also loads of water pools. All with coins in.

Metro land was staggeringly gooseberry fool, but that made it awesome. The last place you could smoke in the metro centre was actually the arcade in metro land.

The old cinema was the best though, right next to pizza hut and a random sweet shop. I saw Harry and the Henderson's, Willow, Jurassic Park and Who Framed Roger Rabbit there.

Also before they build Debenhams and the new bit they had a massive Asda and the cafe was upstairs so you could look out on shoppers as you ate.

Anyone remember metropolis? Upstairs above Argos,, wasn't around for long, was a crap version of Forbidden Planet selling Austin Powers toys and Biker Mice from Mars figures. Surprisingly the customers weren't there to keep it going.

BHS and Littlewoods were always great for breakfast too. Especially Littlewoods, full English for £2 or so.

Was thet yesterday and the whole place is flat. The games bit under the cinema is scum city with permanent lines outside McDonald's and the kids left to wander the arcade.

The fact that the huge area upstairs next to Next is still empty shows how bad things are. Loads of shops and a massive space just sitting there.

The best shopping center in the north east is still The Galleries, it has a northern grimness that nothing else can capture, in shops, stinking doughnut shop and pensions pushing trolleys around the full centre ... Also all the boring shops like banks etc are upstairs. Genius design.

I remember there were 3 branches of GAME in the Metrocenter at one point too :lol:

Lagamorph wrote:I remember there were 3 branches of GAME in the Metrocenter at one point too

There weren't 3 different price points as well by any chance, were there? I have this image of having to traipse to all 3 stores and to find the best price.

Went into my local Burger King today, as I always love the Latte there and plus the staff are really friendly.
Anyway the manager told me today yesterday the staff had a meeting and they were told they're closing down at the end of the month, no reason why, it's making good money.

KK wrote:
Lagamorph wrote:I remember there were 3 branches of GAME in the Metrocenter at one point too

There weren't 3 different price points as well by any chance, were there? I have this image of having to traipse to all 3 stores and to find the best price.

It was like that in Meadowhall when I was younger but it was because they took over other companies like electronic boutique

All standalone carphone warehouse stores are closing (the ones in Currys PC World are staying open) 2,900 job losses

Seemed inevitable the moment PC World also stopped being a separate entity all those years ago. The writing was on the wall then. Amazed Carphone Warehouse has managed to keep these shops open for so long, especially as CW is already in Curry’s PC World stores.

Argos will go the same way (one near me has closed and some staff moved into the Sainsbury’s concession).

Hexx wrote:
Return_of_the_STAR wrote:Intu’s problem is they grew too quickly via debt and now can’t afford the repayments. The centres themselves are actually still very profitable.

You're saying they got themselves Intu too much debt?

Do you have evidence for this idea, or are you just using Intuition?

Winckle wrote:
Hexx wrote:
Return_of_the_STAR wrote:Intu’s problem is they grew too quickly via debt and now can’t afford the repayments. The centres themselves are actually still very profitable.

You're saying they got themselves Intu too much debt?

Do you have evidence for this idea, or are you just using Intuition?

I used my Intuition and did some research :lol:

Laura Ashley has gone into administration.

Return_of_the_STAR wrote:
Winckle wrote:
Hexx wrote:
Return_of_the_STAR wrote:Intu’s problem is they grew too quickly via debt and now can’t afford the repayments. The centres themselves are actually still very profitable.

You're saying they got themselves Intu too much debt?

Do you have evidence for this idea, or are you just using Intuition?

I used my Intuition and did some research

Ah so you looked Intu it then.

You're all just pale imitations of my superior original pun

Hexx wrote:You're all just pale imitations of my superior original pun

What's got intu you,man?

With Carphone closing soon that's the 3rd shop closing in quick succession going in my small town, truly a worrying time for retail.

Finally some good news

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-52066303

Rent-to-own giant Brighthouse close to collapse

Subhuman scum, hopefully all the people who bought/rented from them will get to keep their stuff.

Speaking of subhuman scum

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-52061206

Great to see Brighthouse collapse, such a scummy company.

Shame about Carluccio's going into administration, always seemed like one of the better chains. So many damn Italian restaurant chains though, the competition must be insane.

Italian food is also very easy to recreate at home in a way other cuisines aren't, which probably hasn't helped. Many of these places are only cracking open a jar (well, a bag) and you can do that at home. So you're relying on prices not being too high and the overall restaurant experience being very good.

If people were going to drop Indian restaurants for supermarkets (which more often than not don't taste as good and are far more complex to make yourself) then Italian food was always going to be in trouble.

Godzilla wrote:Finally some good news

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-52066303

Rent-to-own giant Brighthouse close to collapse

Subhuman scum, hopefully all the people who bought/rented from them will get to keep their stuff.

I expect the customers’ debts will be sold on.

imbusydoctorwho wrote:Went into my local Burger King today, as I always love the Latte there and plus the staff are really friendly.
Anyway the manager told me today yesterday the staff had a meeting and they were told they're closing down at the end of the month, no reason why, it's making good money.

Bit ironic, in hindsight.

The Retail Apocalypse (Incorporating Casual Dining Closures)

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