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Companies That You Expect to Disappear Soon

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gazthomas

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It’s a profitable company. I’d expect it to continue. It’s not that big though so could become a target of an investment fund.
But are the accounts accurate? It is subject to a fraud apparently, maybe that will bring it down. I hope it stays though, I do like their Mielle-Feuille ;) (so much so I spelt it right!)
 

deltic

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HS2 Ltd - 4 non-exec directors leaving - well over budget by all accounts and running behind schedule
 

ChiefPlanner

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Noted in the weekend press that W H Smith have reported better than average growth ....(puts them off the list then..)
 

Bald Rick

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It’s a profitable company. I’d expect it to continue. It’s not that big though so could become a target of an investment fund.

They’ll be safe as houses. The share price will take a hefty dip when they are trading again (the shares were overpriced anyway), but they will be fine.
 
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Noted in the weekend press that W H Smith have reported better than average growth ....(puts them off the list then..)

WHSmith is effectively split in two -travel stores (airports, railway stations etc) and town centre stores.

Profits in travel stores are up 7% and down 3% in other stores. Travel stores make 2/3rds of their sales and profits.
 

Dai Corner

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WHSmith is effectively split in two -travel stores (airports, railway stations etc) and town centre stores.

Profits in travel stores are up 7% and down 3% in other stores. Travel stores make 2/3rds of their sales and profits.

Many of their town centre stores now incorporate the Post Office. I imagine that's helping significantly.
 

Typhoon

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Perhaps not quite so safe,
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-45824285
It rather seems like some people have taken their eyes off the ball.
The owner of Patisserie Valerie has said the cafe chain needs "an immediate injection of capital" to continue trading in its current form.

The stark statement to investors comes after the firm uncovered "significant, and potentially fraudulent, accounting irregularities".

It also belatedly discovered HMRC filed a winding-up petition against one of its principal subsidiaries in September and is seeking £1.14m in taxes
A rather careless 'owner', really.
 

Iskra

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Some really idiotic management if they go under considering the profit margin on tea/coffee. Although their stores seem to be in more premium locations so I imagine the rents reflect that.

Bet Mike Ashley is getting ready to pounce...
 
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Typhoon

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Some really idiotic management if they go under considering the profit margin on tea/coffee. Although their stores seem to be in more premium locations so I imagine the rents reflect that.

Bet Mike Ashley is getting ready to pounce...
He looks like he's already a regular customer.
 

nidave

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B&M bought Heron Foods for £152m recently - and they are starting to increase the range of frozen food in the B&M stores.
 

FQTV

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Just heard on radio in same bulletin mentioned Coast they expect Patisserie Valerie to enter administration tomorow

Awful for Patisserie Valerie employees, but I don’t think that very many independent tea rooms up and down the land will shed a tear.

Although PV very much follows the pattern of over-expanded, investment-capital backed, limited shelf-life ‘concepts’, I suspect that their impact on small businesses in the provincial towns in which they opened will have been rather more compromising than, say, a Jamie’s or a Prezzo.
 

61653 HTAFC

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Awful for Patisserie Valerie employees, but I don’t think that very many independent tea rooms up and down the land will shed a tear.

Although PV very much follows the pattern of over-expanded, investment-capital backed, limited shelf-life ‘concepts’, I suspect that their impact on small businesses in the provincial towns in which they opened will have been rather more compromising than, say, a Jamie’s or a Prezzo.
PV is one of those places where I've often peeked in through the window as I walked past, and thought "ooh, that looks nice..." but I never actually went in or bought anything. I could see the appeal though, with a vibe of "Pret, but for desserts" about it. The ones in Leeds and Huddersfield always seem reasonably busy, so if that's anything to go by then it seems the boardroom shenanigans have been more of a problem than the business model itself.
 

muddythefish

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Looks like Luke Johnson will lose some of his £260m fortune with PV's demise. Shame for the people who work there but no one will shed tears for him.
 

Iskra

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Supercuts in trouble now:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-45839391

Regis UK, the firm behind hairdressing chains Regis and Supercuts, is seeking a rescue deal in order to stay afloat.

The firm is looking to slash its rents through a company voluntary arrangement (CVA) as it struggles with lower footfall, the apprenticeship levy and higher pension costs.

The firm employs 1,300 staff and has 220 salons.

It said it did not intend to have any store closures or redundancies as part of the CVA plan.

Jackie Lang, managing director of Regis UK, said: "This action has been taken to restructure our costs to ultimately enable reinvestment into the business to improve our digital platforms and our expertise in salon. If successful, over 90% of our creditors will be unaffected."

The firm said it planned to ask for a reduction on rental costs on half of its stores.

Eddie Williams, a partner at Grant Thornton, which is acting for Regis UK, says: "The company has put forward a proposal to its creditors that seeks to amend some terms in its lease obligations and stabilise the business.

"As part of this, there are no planned salon closures and as such, no employee redundancies are planned, which is a positive in the context of the challenges the High Street has seen over the last 12 months and which continue to be prevalent."
 

lyndhurst25

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Many of their town centre stores now incorporate the Post Office. I imagine that's helping significantly.

If WHSmith were to do a Woolworths and go bust one day, then that would lead to a number of towns no longer having a Post Office counter. That would make the PO's branch outsourcing plan look rather foolish.
 

underbank

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If WHSmith were to do a Woolworths and go bust one day, then that would lead to a number of towns no longer having a Post Office counter. That would make the PO's branch outsourcing plan look rather foolish.

Not really, other chains/outlets would apply for the PO counter instead.
 

lyndhurst25

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Yes they would. They'd have to apply for the counter, install the counter and computer systems, train the staff, etc. And how long would all that take? When companies go bust, they often do so quite quickly and with little warning.
 

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