Companies That You Expect to Disappear Soon

[johntea]

Whatever you buy in Wilko you can buy at the likes of B&M

I thought Camelot would provide a financial incentive for flogging lottery tickets though not the other way round!

 

[Mojo]

Whatever you buy in Wilko you can buy at the likes of B&M

B&M does not sell items of the same quality and price as Wilkinsons. They seem to sell a lot of things named after historical brands (like Sports Direct) that are actually naff.

I’d be really sad if they went under, my favourite shop and it’s saved my bacon many times over the past few years, particularly the day I bought my house when I went there and got everything I needed to redecorate!

 

[alxndr]

Wilko is a lot more pleasant to shop in than B&M is too.

There's been quite a few times we've said "Shame there's not a wilko in Glasgow" since moving. We wouldn't make a special trip out of town just for a wilko but would definitely have gone in multiple times if there was one nearer! We went a lot when we lived down south.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Does anyone know how Wilkinsons is doing? I saw an article in the paper they are stopping doing lottery tickets which is exactly what happened to Woolworths shortly before they shut down.

I was in the Epsom one on 24th December; yes - notice about about no more lottery tickets.

Also, half the shelves were empty and everything else had "reduced to clear" on it. Staff, when asked, provided the Keeler defence* by saying that no, they weren't closing down.


*Yes, I know it was Rice-Davies who actually said "He would say that wouldn't he?"

 

[birchesgreen]

Our Wilco already closed earlier this year, really miss it. For some stuff like vitamins they are unbeatable.

 

[J-2739]

Our Wilco already closed earlier this year, really miss it. For some stuff like vitamins they are unbeatable.

They also stock really good fudge at the pick-and-mix.

 

[ComUtoR]

Does anyone know how Wilkinsons is doing? I saw an article in the paper they are stopping doing lottery tickets which is exactly what happened to Woolworths shortly before they shut down.

Hopefully that is down to the shift to online sales. Other than a couple of random scratch cards the other day; I haven't bought a lottery ticket at a store in a number of years.

I don't know anyone who actually buys a paper lottery ticket.

Probably has a very minimal market for the machines.

 

[Butts]

Wilkos are normally the cheapest place to buy Branded Ink Cartridges for my Printer over the counter in Falkirk.

Cheaper than Argos or Tesco et al !!

 

[rapmastaj]

Wilko's is one of the most useful shops, I'd be surprised if they went under.

Duracell batteries though (and other battery brands), they are on the way out for sure.

 

[Peter Sarf]

Wilko is a lot more pleasant to shop in than B&M is too.

There's been quite a few times we've said "Shame there's not a wilko in Glasgow" since moving. We wouldn't make a special trip out of town just for a wilko but would definitely have gone in multiple times if there was one nearer! We went a lot when we lived down south.

Yes. It riles me that we never had a Wilko in Croydon. We have to go to Bromley or Sutton for our fix. But then Croydon shopping centre as a whole is declining and is now a lot worse than Bromley or Sutton.

 

[GusB]

Duracell batteries though (and other battery brands), they are on the way out for sure.

I think that batteries will be around for some time to come. I can well remember the disappointment that went along with opening a Christmas present, only to find that "batteries were not included"!

Even if today's toys come equipped with a built-in battery and have a USB charging port, I still have three tellies in the house that rely on having a remote control in order to function properly. The wall clock in my kitchen requires two AA batteries and I do not intend to replace something that ain't broke. The batteries of the future may not be the same as those that we buy now, but there will still be a demand for them.

 

[birchesgreen]

Wilko's is one of the most useful shops, I'd be surprised if they went under.

Duracell batteries though (and other battery brands), they are on the way out for sure.

Our Wilkos was always busy, always queues at the tills. Still closed last year though.

 

[Mojo]

Our Wilkos was always busy, always queues at the tills. Still closed last year though.

They announced the closure of 15 shops last year that apparently had unfavourable lease agreements with landlords, although two were saved.

 

[Snow1964]

They announced the closure of 15 shops last year that apparently had unfavourable lease agreements with landlords, although two were saved.

I went in one before Christmas, and were quite a lot of sections with empty shelves, staff don’t know when or if goods will be available, also some tills being used to store boxes because according to staff, they don’t work and haven’t been fixed, suggests to me there are problems Wilko are not admitting to.

Selling off your warehouse to pay off other debts (their revolving credit) is a sure sign of desperation, as introduce lease charges on something you need daily. I suspect selling warehouse to DHL rather than a property investor was because DHL expect to be able to grab it fairly soon, otherwise why would DHL tie up their funds in something they can’t use.

Over £20m impairment of their buildings improvements (accounts note 8) is not a good sign either

WHSL REALISATIONS LIMITED filing history - Find and update company information - GOV.UK

WHSL REALISATIONS LIMITED - Free company information from Companies House including registered office address, filing history, accounts, annual return, officers, charges, business activity

find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk

 

[SteveM70]

Selling off your warehouse to pay off other debts (their revolving credit) is a sure sign of desperation, as introduce lease charges on something you need daily.

It’s pretty unusual for a company to own its warehouses outright.

The Coop certainly leases all of its warehouses, and I’m 99% sure Tesco does as well. Mr Google also tells me that Tesco only owns 49% of its retail space

But yes, you’re right, in the case of Wilko it feels like a desperate flogging of the family silver rather than a strategic decision, and you’d imagine that DHL had a pretty strong hand in the negotiations

 

[tbtc]

It’d be a real shame to see Wilko go

There are others selling broadly similar things (which is why I got fed up of people complaining that the demise of Woolworths meant there was no general High Street shop where you could buy Pic’n’Mix along with pet food and perfume!)

However, with the exception of Poundland, a lot of the Home Bargains/ B&M/ Range branches seem to be in retail parks nowadays rather than town/city centres, which maybe tells a story

A few years ago Wilko looked good here in Sheffield, they opened a “student” branch in an old nightclub to cater for the large numbers of younger people moving house each year (who needed a new bin/ pot plant/ loo brush etc)

But this closed and the remaining city centre branch is increasingly cut adrift from the “gravity” that has moved many chains to the other end of the city centre (after Castle Market closed down and stalls moved to a new building on The More, footfall has changed significantly)

It’s the kind of shop of have loved as a teenager, it has a good range of affordable things (the kind of things that are probably too cheap to buy online), but I guess it’s not the “best” at anything , it’s a place you might pop into whilst out and about rather than somewhere that warrants a trip into town in its own right, and maybe in this era of “destination shopping” that’s needed less?

It’s pretty unusual for a company to own its warehouses outright.

The Coop certainly leases all of its warehouses, and I’m 99% sure Tesco does as well. Mr Google also tells me that Tesco only owns 49% of its retail space

…And yet we have thread after thread on here where people suggest that the fact that TOCs lease trains (rather than owning them outright) is some kind of aberration that the Rail industry has, rather than standard practice across most modern business

(See also pubs etc)

 

[route101]

Chippy’s that sell other cuisines are all wrong and to be avoided at all costs in my experience.


One opened in Sheffield a couple of months back and did an opening deal of 48p Fish and Chips as that’s what the price of Fish and Chips was when the small chain first started in the 1950’s. Like I’ve already said, it’s not doom and gloom at all for the well-run ones. While the price of fish has risen, people are still willing to pay it, and the profit margin on chips and most other non-fish items sold at a chippy is extremely good.

Yes, chippies that specialise in fish and chips tend be much better. I notice its more prevalent in the south of England to have a chippy that does kebabs. curries etc.

Wilko is a lot more pleasant to shop in than B&M is too.

There's been quite a few times we've said "Shame there's not a wilko in Glasgow" since moving. We wouldn't make a special trip out of town just for a wilko but would definitely have gone in multiple times if there was one nearer! We went a lot when we lived down south.

There is a Wilkos in Hamilton, Clydebank and Motherwell.

 

[Jamiescott1]

The shopping centre in high wycombe that wilko is in will be closing next year.
Primark the other large retailer there has already confirmed it is moving but despite there being other suitably sized premises in town wilko has not confirmed

 

[Tom B]

Lottery tickets gain the retailer something like 10p per ticket, plus the 'footfall' generated by people coming into the shop to buy it.

 

[Typhoon]

Lottery tickets gain the retailer something like 10p per ticket, plus the 'footfall' generated by people coming into the shop to buy it.

I've never played the Lottery so my knowledge is pretty vague but in my nearest Wiko I wouldn't think there was a great deal of room for a Lottery terminal, there are something like four cashier positions and four self service (card only I believe), Either they would have to change some of these or have the lottery somewhere within the store - for 10p per ticket doesn't seem to be worth it. Different for a one or two till convenience store, especially if people drop in for the odd grocery item that people run out of.

B&M does not sell items of the same quality and price as Wilkinsons.

The local population of starlings, sparrows, collared doves and similar certainly seem to agree, they get through bird food purchased at Wilko at a prodigious rate (certainly faster than that purchased from competitors). Unfortunately, none* on the shelf last time I was in there. I suggested to a couple of staff members (one of whom seemed like he might be quite senior) that I had picked a bad day, if I had come in a couple of days later, the shelves might have had something on them, hoping that they would respond. They were tight-lipped. Worrying,

* - actually they had a couple of bags of some really expensive stuff - different brand - that lasts no time at all. I regard that as rather like me doing my weekly shop at M&S!

Wilko is a lot more pleasant to shop in than B&M is too.

Once there was a chap (some level of management) who thanked me (and others) for shopping there on my way out a while ago. Never get that in B&M!

 

[alxndr]

There is a Wilkos in Hamilton, Clydebank and Motherwell.

As tbtc points out, it's not really somewhere that you make a special trip for:

It’s the kind of shop of have loved as a teenager, it has a good range of affordable things (the kind of things that are probably too cheap to buy online), but I guess it’s not the “best” at anything , it’s a place you might pop into whilst out and about rather than somewhere that warrants a trip into town in its own right, and maybe in this era of “destination shopping” that’s needed less?

If I was passing through one of the above towns I'd almost certainly stop there and get a few bits as they've always got something useful, but if I had something particular I'd head to a specialist shop that I'd no doubt find in Glasgow rather than heading out to Hamilton. I can't think of anything Wilko sells that I can't get nearer and with more certainty that they will sell whatever it is I'm looking for.

 

[DynamicSpirit]

As tbtc points out, it's not really somewhere that you make a special trip for:

Ummm, I do! I can think of several occasions in the last year when I needed household stuff - and specifically went out to Wilkos as the best place to get it.

 

[londonteacher]

haven't heard anything about how Wilkos are doing, but over the last couple of years they have closed two of their four shops in my part of SE London (Woolwich and Erith, leaving Thamesmead and Bexleyheath open), so I guess their customer base must be shrinking.

Customer base was most likely not the reason for both - at least not for both.

The one in Woolwich closed for a few reasons. One they just opened a large store in Charlton on the same retail park as Asda and two because of the new leisure centre being built on the site.

The one in Erith closed, apart from Erith town centre not having the footfall, because Bexleyheath was a short bus journey away and a much larger store. Erith town centre is a weird one as the site would do well being closed developed into flats with the remaining stores as tenants on the ground floor. There was never enough shops there to go shopping.

 

[Towers]

Hadn't realised Wilko were seemingly struggling. I'd totally agree though that Home Bargains and B&M have more than likely stolen their market share really.

 

[Typhoon]

The one in Erith closed, apart from Erith town centre not having the footfall, because Bexleyheath was a short bus journey away and a much larger store. Erith town centre is a weird one as the site would do well being closed developed into flats with the remaining stores as tenants on the ground floor. There was never enough shops there to go shopping.

There is also one in the Priory Centre in Dartford (a pretty grim place, though) for those living in the North End or Slade Green areas.

Erith has a pretty decent independent shop covering quite a bit of what Wilko sells, sells (some) food as well. The town centre is not enough of a draw to support both. Besides Morrisons, there is little to do more than 'bits and pieces' shopping. Anything larger - Bexleyheath, Crayford, Bluewater.

For some reason certain stores seem (or maybe seemed) to work to the mantra that the more stores they have the more business they will do; while that may be true, if they are are too close, a new branch takes much of its business from existing ones.

 

[Mojo]

Made a special trip to Wilkinsons this afternoon and finally got hold of their clothes stain remover powder which I’ve been looking for for several months now.

Only real shelves in that branch that were empty were in the seasonal section but there were trolleys being unloaded with garden supplies.

 

[McRhu]

Wilko have an exceptionally good range of matt emulsion colours. As regards businesses closing down, I now have to travel to Hamilton or GLC (from Lanark) to get my Railway Magazine (subscribing is not currently an option). I suspect W.H. Smith will soon be singin' with the newsagents invisible.

 

[DynamicSpirit]

Wilko have an exceptionally good range of matt emulsion colours. As regards businesses closing down, I now have to travel to Hamilton or GLC (from Lanark) to get my Railway Magazine (subscribing is not currently an option). I suspect W.H. Smith will soon be singin' with the newsagents invisible.

WHSmith are one company that I'm surprised hasn't yet gone bust: They just don't seem to have a purpose any more. Instead of doing one thing well, they do lots of things very badly: They sell a few books, a few sweets, a few office products, and (last time I checked) a few dvds/etc. But for none of those do they offer enough range that I'd seriously consider going there to look for something. About the only thing they do half-well is magazines. Yet somehow, they are still going...

 

[Steddenm]

WHSmith are one company that I'm surprised hasn't yet gone bust: They just don't seem to have a purpose any more. Instead of doing one thing well, they do lots of things very badly: They sell a few books, a few sweets, a few office products, and a few dvds/etc. But for none of those do they offer enough range that I'd seriously consider going there to look for something. About the only thing they do half-well is magazines. Yet somehow, they are still going...

Most of WHSmith's sales these days come from WHSmith Travel which are the stores at railway stations, airports, hospitals, universities etc. The High Street stores also house Post Offices and they also own the FunkyPigeon.com brand of personalised greetings cards.

WHSmith, together with Menzes, are one of the biggest providers of newspapers, magazines and books to smaller independent newsagents, supermarkets, bookshops and Easons in Ireland.

A lot of the WHSmith High Street stores are stuck in the early 90s and some have closed recently (Blackpool, Bletchley etc), but more are opening or going through a huge refurbishment programme (Brighton Churchil Square springs to mind).

I don't think WHSmith will go soon.

As for Wilko, I do think that they will go the same was as Woolworths did, as the National Lottery pulled ticket sales from Wollies not long before they closed, and now Wilko have told Camelot that they have stopped selling their tickets, so their creditworthiness has dropped considerably.

 

[tomuk]

WHSmith, together with Menzes, are one of the biggest providers of newspapers, magazines and books to smaller independent newsagents, supermarkets, bookshops and Easons in Ireland.

WH Smiths (high Street) and Smiths News (Newspaper Distribution) are separate companies and have been since 2006.