Companies That You Expect to Disappear Soon

[birchesgreen]

When was the last time a Greggs staff member genuinely engaged with you on a human level, rather than just giving you your order and saying thanks, bye?

Last time i went, especially if the old lady is there because i think she fancies me.

 

[jfollows]

I think they get bought out by someone bigger during the pandemic, after hitting financial difficulties.

Wikipedia says https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leon_Restaurants:

Purchase by EG Group​

In April 2021, the company was sold for a reported £100m to the Issa brothers' EG Group, which also operates fast food franchises and had recently agreed to buy the Asda supermarket business.[3] At that time, Leon had 71 outlets, of which 42 were operated by the company; the other 29 were franchises at transport hubs, in the UK and five other European countries.

and https://www.eg.group/retail-segments/foodservice/?country=2787#countries

EG Group acquired LEON, a prominent British fresh fast food restaurant chain in April 2021. LEON has an extensive network of over 70 restaurants, with a particularly strong presence in London as well as other large cities across the United Kingdom and five European markets. There are plans to open around 20 LEON sites per year from 2022 and we also see significant potential for LEON’s non-restaurant products across our convenience retail proposition.

 

[Techniquest]

Nah. 3 quid plus is utter nonsense. I'm quite happy chucking money at enjoyable consumables but £3.35 for a poorly made barista coffee that doesn't even have any milk (black coffee is the only way) in it is rubbish.

If it's nice it's less objectionable but more often than not they burn it to death.

Absolutely in agreement with you there. Especially with the black coffee bit, although I will confess a well-made mocha can be a really nice decadent treat. Costa here ruined that a few times with badly made mochas, which made it easy to stop diverting there after work during the pandemic. A nice tasty treat after starting work at 2am, but they kept making them badly. Add in a boss who frowned upon any chatter in there, which made the place much less pleasant to go to, and that was that.

I agree that some of the chains have a habit of making coffee that's burnt. Starbucks have a habit of doing that when I go there in my last few experiences, and the level of underfill in their cups is just beyond bad now. It makes it much easier to abandon them though!

Someone commented on Next. My local shop, when I pass it occasionally, is often quiet in comparison to Primark but that's not a bad thing. One can actually get into Next without navigating their way past an army of people stood just outside the door smoking heavily, and once instead it's not overcrowded. I can look at what I like in Next and not have to squeeze past others to do so. I suspect plenty of other people also like that, and while my most recent experience of actually buying something in my local Next was in the late spring (I don't buy clothes too often) it was a Sunday and the weather was good outside. Lots of people were taking advantage, unsurprisingly, of the good weather!

It's also worth noting that I do go for brands quite often with clothes. Not for the snobbery, but for the quality. So somewhere like Next, M&S or Adidas (their factory outlet store in Gloucester is reasonably priced) suits me much more than Primark!

 

[DelayRepay]

It's also worth noting that I do go for brands quite often with clothes. Not for the snobbery, but for the quality. So somewhere like Next, M&S or Adidas (their factory outlet store in Gloucester is reasonably priced) suits me much more than Primark!

I've been using Next more over the last few years. I used Debenhams a lot until their sad demise and since then have mostly switched to Next, with other bits from M&S. Like you say, the quality from Next is reasonable (I wouldn't say it's amazing). Primark are ok for socks and pants but not for much else unless you are happy to throw it away after it's been through the wash a couple of times.

The only slight issue I have with Next is that a lot of their stuff is quite similar. They seem to rely a lot on designs involving orange, blue and white 'panels', especially for jumpers. You can sometimes spot a Next shopper from a mile away because of that!

 

[Butts]

There are two more Costa outlets within 5 minutes walk of the Station in Inverness - one in the Eastgate Centre and the other is just a couple of doors up from M&S. I've been in the latter a few times, although I'm not sure how the prices compare with the others.

I often wonder if the rise of the (coffee) machines in convenience stores is actually harming actual Costa Coffee shops. They seem to be everywhere now.

Marks and Spencer ones are quite good - had one at Birmingham Airport the other week. A lot cheaper than the Costa one in Spar and much better.

 

[trebor79]

I've been using Next more over the last few years. I used Debenhams a lot until their sad demise and since then have mostly switched to Next, with other bits from M&S. Like you say, the quality from Next is reasonable (I wouldn't say it's amazing). Primark are ok for socks and pants but not for much else unless you are happy to throw it away after it's been through the wash a couple of times.

The only slight issue I have with Next is that a lot of their stuff is quite similar. They seem to rely a lot on designs involving orange, blue and white 'panels', especially for jumpers. You can sometimes spot a Next shopper from a mile away because of that!

I haven't bought anything from Next for over a decade. I tend to buy trousers from Spoke, and everything else (and sometimes trousers) from Brook Taverner. I don't buy clothes very often so usually find it's worth buying quality. Same with shoes.

 

[skyhigh]

I often wonder if the rise of the (coffee) machines in convenience stores is actually harming actual Costa Coffee shops. They seem to be everywhere now.

It's just market segmentation. That way they cover the ones who want to sit in, take out and just pass a machine in a shop and fancy a coffee. When you take into account rent, energy costs etc I wouldn't be too surprised if they make more profit on a drink from one of their branded machines than they do from the same drink from a store.

 

[Techniquest]

I've been using Next more over the last few years. I used Debenhams a lot until their sad demise and since then have mostly switched to Next, with other bits from M&S. Like you say, the quality from Next is reasonable (I wouldn't say it's amazing). Primark are ok for socks and pants but not for much else unless you are happy to throw it away after it's been through the wash a couple of times.

The only slight issue I have with Next is that a lot of their stuff is quite similar. They seem to rely a lot on designs involving orange, blue and white 'panels', especially for jumpers. You can sometimes spot a Next shopper from a mile away because of that!

Agreed with you on Debenhams, I never properly took advantage of that shop at the time. Always a sad sight in many cities to see such huge shops empty and not in use, especially if it's known plenty of shops would take advantage of the space and move into it, were it not for local council being desperate to keep the High Street alive.

I must give Primark their dues though, I have some active wear from there which has done really well. Generally speaking though, I don't like shopping there.

 

[Class 466]

Slightly related to the SSP posts, how long do Costa Coffee have until they start to struggle?

I brought one of the Christmas drinks today, the Toblerone Latte and was charged £4.20 for the privilege, next time I'll stick to Greggs.

At these prices, how long until they price themselves out of the market?

I used to be a regular Costa visitor, then they downgraded their points system and upped their prices twice in a year - Now switched to the £25 a month Pret subscription as that worked out cheaper!

 

[Blindtraveler]

Costa fortune now reside on my avoid where possible list along with McDonald's and spoons and a couple of other places for various reasons, I never used to like Starbucks but since they JJ changed a lot of there are working practises and switched to a richer more flavoursome blend of coffee which actually delivers some enjoyment rather than just an overpriced hit of caffeine I use them or although still try and support local where possible and the number of convenience shops that have machines now certainly suits me. I don't think Costa will last longer term as things like £4.50 cappuccinos will be one of the early victims as people really tighten their belts over the winter and even more so after Christmas.


Companies that might disappear ear in the foreseeable I suspect could well be House of Fraser. Teetering very dangerously close to the edge for quite a long time now and when the Mike Ashley sports direct buyout happened the retail sector wasn't necessarily healthy but certainly doing better than it is now and somehow think the current climate could forced it's extinction as even successful businesses reign in their spending and and cut their losses

There will be sharks in the hospitality business as well be coffee shops chain restaurants or sadly smaller independent hotels and b and b's who already had a pandemic to deal with and will now find this just one step too much

 

[Ken X]

Has anybody else noticed a lack of stock in their local Wilko? Ours has had "we are experiencing supply issues" signs on lots of sparsely loaded shelves for ages now. It is looking somewhat remenicent of Woolies towards the end and we know what happened to them.

 

[skyhigh]

Has anybody else noticed a lack of stock in their local Wilko? Ours has had "we are experiencing supply issues" signs on lots of sparsely loaded shelves for ages now. It is looking somewhat remenicent of Woolies towards the end and we know what happened to them.

Wilko is struggling a bit at the moment. As I understand it a credit facility was withdrawn. As a result, Wilko has told/agreed with their landlords that instead of paying their rent on a Quarterly basis for the end of this year, they will now pay it monthly. Suppliers have also refused to provide stock unless they are paid up front - which is a bit of a vicious circle. If I had to guess, I think there's potential that the company could end up in some form of administration and then be snapped up without their debt and continue (though maybe with a smaller store estate).

 

[Bletchleyite]

Wilko is struggling a bit at the moment. As I understand it a credit facility was withdrawn. As a result, Wilko has told/agreed with their landlords that instead of paying their rent on a Quarterly basis for the end of this year, they will now pay it monthly. Suppliers have also refused to provide stock unless they are paid up front - which is a bit of a vicious circle. If I had to guess, I think there's potential that the company could end up in some form of administration and then be snapped up without their debt and continue (though maybe with a smaller store estate).

That's a shame. You'd think a budget housewares store would do well at the moment, but maybe Poundland undercuts them too much. Would be a shame to see them go the way of Woolworths, which give or take kids' clothing they basically are.

 

[cactustwirly]

Wilko is struggling a bit at the moment. As I understand it a credit facility was withdrawn. As a result, Wilko has told/agreed with their landlords that instead of paying their rent on a Quarterly basis for the end of this year, they will now pay it monthly. Suppliers have also refused to provide stock unless they are paid up front - which is a bit of a vicious circle. If I had to guess, I think there's potential that the company could end up in some form of administration and then be snapped up without their debt and continue (though maybe with a smaller store estate).

That is unusual, it's normal practice for retailers to pay suppliers around 3 months after delivery.

 

[DelayRepay]

Costa fortune now reside on my avoid where possible list along with McDonald's and spoons and a couple of other places for various reasons, I never used to like Starbucks but since they JJ changed a lot of there are working practises and switched to a richer more flavoursome blend of coffee which actually delivers some enjoyment rather than just an overpriced hit of caffeine I use them or although still try and support local where possible and the number of convenience shops that have machines now certainly suits me. I don't think Costa will last longer term as things like £4.50 cappuccinos will be one of the early victims as people really tighten their belts over the winter and even more so after Christmas.

I wonder if Costa might actually benefit from the Work From Home craze though? Although their city centre stores near offices are likely to do less trade, they have a lot of stores on smaller, local high streets. If I had a Costa near me I'd be tempted to go there occasionally for a break.

I've also used Costa as a place to meet colleagues who live near-ish to me, to avoid us both going into the office. Obviously this depends on what you want to discuss and whether it's confidential.

Like I say, the ones near me still seem to be busy both with people sitting in and buying takeaways.

Companies that might disappear ear in the foreseeable I suspect could well be House of Fraser. Teetering very dangerously close to the edge for quite a long time now and when the Mike Ashley sports direct buyout happened the retail sector wasn't necessarily healthy but certainly doing better than it is now and somehow think the current climate could forced it's extinction as even successful businesses reign in their spending and and cut their losses

My local HoF closed soon after the takeover. I think part of Ashley's strategy was to dispose of some of the store estate to reduce costs. My impression is that he's changing it from a middle class department store to something closer to the Sports Direct model.

Wilko is struggling a bit at the moment. As I understand it a credit facility was withdrawn. As a result, Wilko has told/agreed with their landlords that instead of paying their rent on a Quarterly basis for the end of this year, they will now pay it monthly. Suppliers have also refused to provide stock unless they are paid up front - which is a bit of a vicious circle. If I had to guess, I think there's potential that the company could end up in some form of administration and then be snapped up without their debt and continue (though maybe with a smaller store estate).

I used to use Wilko a lot, as did my mum. They were great for things like cleaning products, pet food etc because they were cheaper than the supermarkets. Now there are more stores like B&M, Home Bargains and Poundland playing in that space. The problem with a smaller estate is Wilko isn't the kind of store you'd make a special journey to, and they don't sell the kind of stuff that people would order online in significant quantities because the delivery charges would make it uneconomical.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 21 Nov 2022 ==

That is unusual, it's normal practice for retailers to pay suppliers around 3 months after delivery.

Here's a bit more information: https://www.companyrescue.co.uk/gui...turing-advisors-teneo-cva-a-possibility-4823/

Suppliers to Wilko have had their credit insurance withdrawn according to reports. If true, this is big blow as that now means that suppliers will be reluctant to grant Wilko any credit so putting serious strain on the retailers finances.

Both Retail Week and Retail Gazette have reported that the restructuring advisors Teneo have been instructed by Wilko, the homewares store, to look at how it can turnaround its fortunes. Last month it announced that it was extending its payment terms to 60 days and that anyone due to be paid in September would be paid in November.

These are indications that the company is struggling. So what options does the chain have? It has already closed down 15 stores but if it needs to close down many more, that might be subject to long leases, then a company voluntary arrangement is a good way to do this. High rents may not be the issue here but increased competition and a drop in trade as the cost of living crisis bites.

I can understand why suppliers are asking for payment up front in the circumstances.

 

[Bletchleyite]

That is unusual, it's normal practice for retailers to pay suppliers around 3 months after delivery.

It's very common if a business is heading towards failure by having defaulted on payments. Basically it's a breakdown of trust, but tends to contribute to the death spiral, as if the company can't afford to pay on time after they've sold the stock, they certainly can't afford to pay it before selling it.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 21 Nov 2022 ==

I wonder if Costa might actually benefit from the Work From Home craze though? Although their city centre stores near offices are likely to do less trade, they have a lot of stores on smaller, local high streets. If I had a Costa near me I'd be tempted to go there occasionally for a break.

I think there's something in that, yes. I can see that sort of place cropping up on very local high streets in fairly prosperous areas where there's either high home working or high numbers of stay at home parents (being the latter my sister seems to spend a lot of time in them!)

They do seem to operate a slightly different model to Starbucks who generally concentrate on high footfall.

 

[Russel]

Has anybody else noticed a lack of stock in their local Wilko? Ours has had "we are experiencing supply issues" signs on lots of sparsely loaded shelves for ages now. It is looking somewhat remenicent of Woolies towards the end and we know what happened to them.

I've noticed it in my local Wilko to an extent, but Lidl seem far worse for stock shortages at the moment, I've actually given up with Lidl which is a shame as I've always liked shopping there.

 

[Blindtraveler]

I gave up with Lidl some years ago when they started to lose their way and couldn't make up their mind if they were a discount supermarket or a supermarket that wanted to sell a lot of the same crap as Tesco at about 1 pence less per item. Now they can't get the piles of crap at 1 pence less per item and have drastically cut back their own label corner merchandise leaving the whole thing looking very much old mother Hubbard. I've also noticed a marked deterioration in quality of fresh meat and veg

 

[Bletchleyite]

I gave up with Lidl some years ago when they started to lose their way and couldn't make up their mind if they were a discount supermarket or a supermarket that wanted to sell a lot of the same crap as Tesco at about 1 pence less per item. Now they can't get the piles of crap at 1 pence less per item and have drastically cut back their own label corner merchandise leaving the whole thing looking very much old mother Hubbard. I've also noticed a marked deterioration in quality of fresh meat and veg

I always thought Lidl were better for actual German products e.g. Wurst and Frikadellen - Aldi have very much Anglicised their range.

 

[DelayRepay]

I read somewhere that Lidl are having real trouble recruiting delivery drivers. Apparently they have plenty of stock but no way to get it from the depots to the stores.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I read somewhere that Lidl are having real trouble recruiting delivery drivers. Apparently they have plenty of stock but no way to get it from the depots to the stores.

There is a bit of a lorry driver shortage (in most of Europe too, so it's not *just* Brexit, though that isn't helping). But there's a fairly standard answer to that - if you want to get people to work for you instead of someone else, pay more and offer better conditions and they will.

 

[Peter Sarf]

Morrisons use the Safeway brand where they don't want people to immediately associate it with Morrisons - such as where it's being sold by other retailers. There's a lot of risk involved with an established brand appearing in locations that the brand has no control over, so it's less the value of the Safeway brand to consumers they're interested in as protecting the Morrisons brand.

The Safeway brand was brought back specifically for this use after having been abandoned for several years, so it's safe to assume it's not going to just disappear in an attempt to simplify things.

Ah right, so a need to differentiate.

All of those coffee places are going to struggle at those prices I think. Greggs is popular because they don't take the p on their prices and TBH I can't tell the difference between a Greggs or McDonald's coffee and one from an expensive coffee shop.

Greggs generally looks like a better place the McDonalds.

The thing is that just as you can get good beer for under two quid in a supermarket yet much more expensive in a pub, the coffee chains also provide a nice place to sit. They are overpriced for takeaway but that isn't all of their business. They also have to cover the costs from just a drink for most people, in McD's most people eat too.

Have to say my nearest Wetherspoons does various beers for £2.10 per pint (one not so good at £1.79) but London is more. By comparison my local Morrisons is now £2 for most 500l bottles. As for Wetherspoons Coffee - paying £1.35 for a cup you then re-use for a choice of Latte, Mocha, Cappuccino etc decaf or caf, Hot chocolate (for the granddaughter). I find the coffee quite nice and a really good choice !.

Some of you are really quite stingy. £3.XX for a coffee from a mainstream chain is standard price these days. I wouldn't trust a one pound coffee to taste very nice at all.

I have never bought Costa, Starbucks etc. But then I am stingy.

Maccys coffee is excellent. They use quality bean to cup machines, fresh milk and are obsessive about cleaning them.

I avoid McDonald coffee, the exmples I have had tasted of nothing - very very hot water and a sense that I might be getting some flavour from the residue on the sides of the plumbing. Awful and undrinkable.

Has anybody else noticed a lack of stock in their local Wilko? Ours has had "we are experiencing supply issues" signs on lots of sparsely loaded shelves for ages now. It is looking somewhat remenicent of Woolies towards the end and we know what happened to them.

I have not noticed that in Cardiff (central and near IKEA). But I have seen a few shops are getting empty shelves.

Wilko is struggling a bit at the moment. As I understand it a credit facility was withdrawn. As a result, Wilko has told/agreed with their landlords that instead of paying their rent on a Quarterly basis for the end of this year, they will now pay it monthly. Suppliers have also refused to provide stock unless they are paid up front - which is a bit of a vicious circle. If I had to guess, I think there's potential that the company could end up in some form of administration and then be snapped up without their debt and continue (though maybe with a smaller store estate).

I hope they survive. They are a very useful shop (that we don't have in Croydon).

I gave up with Lidl some years ago when they started to lose their way and couldn't make up their mind if they were a discount supermarket or a supermarket that wanted to sell a lot of the same crap as Tesco at about 1 pence less per item. Now they can't get the piles of crap at 1 pence less per item and have drastically cut back their own label corner merchandise leaving the whole thing looking very much old mother Hubbard. I've also noticed a marked deterioration in quality of fresh meat and veg

I have not noticed that but then I only discovered them about five years ago. Missus says their chicken is very good, I go for the "middle of Lidl" - mainly trousers (with pockets and at Aldo too) and tools. Bit of a habit forming there.

I read somewhere that Lidl are having real trouble recruiting delivery drivers. Apparently they have plenty of stock but no way to get it from the depots to the stores.

Not just Lidl

There is a bit of a lorry driver shortage (in most of Europe too, so it's not *just* Brexit, though that isn't helping). But there's a fairly standard answer to that - if you want to get people to work for you instead of someone else, pay more and offer better conditions and they will.

Trouble is if every firm offers more money you just get spiralling wage inflation. I the case of Lidl that would mean their cheapness is hit. Most customers don't have morals.

One ohter points I notice the House of Fraser in Croydon is almost bereft of customers, must be outnumbered by visible staff. I go in occasionally but i really cannot find anthing that grabs me. I did get some nice sweaters in a sale but I have discovered that they are either very very warm or so watertight that I sweat buckets in them. Never felt like that in a sweater before.

Clothes generally. I went through a phase of using Next about 25 years ago. Really think I have not bought much since 1. The Croydon M&S is reputed to be closing. Not a reflection on M&S but the demise of Croydon's Whitgift Centre which is suffering from planning blight brought on by a stalled (cancelled) plan to rebuild it as a Westfield.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Clothes generally. I went through a phase of using Next about 25 years ago. Really think I have not bought much since 1. The Croydon M&S is reputed to be closing. Not a reflection on M&S but the demise of Croydon's Whitgift Centre which is suffering from planning blight brought on by a stalled (cancelled) plan to rebuild it as a Westfield.

Croydon is a funny place. Essentially it has a mix of rich and poor. For poor people, Croydon town centre is their town centre. For rich people, it's central London - they just don't shop in Croydon itself bar a visit to Waitrose.

The effect of this is that Croydon town centre is a run-down dump, as not much money is coming into it.

The Westfield idea may have changed that, but I'm not sure how else you would.

 

[DC1989]

Croydon is a funny place. Essentially it has a mix of rich and poor. For poor people, Croydon town centre is their town centre. For rich people, it's central London - they just don't shop in Croydon itself bar a visit to Waitrose.

The effect of this is that Croydon town centre is a run-down dump, as not much money is coming into it.

The Westfield idea may have changed that, but I'm not sure how else you would.

I think there's something similar with alot of outer London larger towns, the Ilfords, Barkings, Romfords, Woolwiches

Why would you go to your local run down town centre when you can be at Stratford, Canary Wharf, Oxford Street in 10-20 minutes

 

[Bletchleyite]

I think there's something similar with alot of outer London larger towns, the Ilfords, Barkings, Romfords, Woolwiches

Why would you go to your local run down town centre when you can be at Stratford, Canary Wharf, Oxford Street in 10-20 minutes

Exactly my point. The same thing exists elsewhere, e.g. Ormskirk is now mostly cafes and charity shops, as why wouldn't you spend a fiver and half an hour and go for a day shopping in Liverpool instead?

 

[DC1989]

Indeed - I know alot of people are against it but the only way I see those areas surviving is by making them mixed used with some very high density housing built on top of the shops etc

 

[busestrains]

Croydon is a funny place. Essentially it has a mix of rich and poor. For poor people, Croydon town centre is their town centre. For rich people, it's central London - they just don't shop in Croydon itself bar a visit to Waitrose.

The effect of this is that Croydon town centre is a run-down dump, as not much money is coming into it.

The Westfield idea may have changed that, but I'm not sure how else you would.

Waitrose in Croydon has shut down now. To be honest i am surprised that Waitrose even opened up in Croydon in the first place. It is the last place i would expect a Waitrose store. It is the complete opposite of their usual locations of nice wealthy Surrey and Sussex commuter towns. Unsurprisingly they do not seem to have done well in Croydon and have now shut down.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Waitrose in Croydon has shut down now. To be honest i am surprised that Waitrose even opened up in Croydon in the first place. It is the last place i would expect a Waitrose store. It is the complete opposite of their usual locations of nice wealthy Surrey and Sussex commuter towns. Unsurprisingly they do not seem to have done well in Croydon and have now shut down.

There are some massive, expensive houses in Croydon. It surprises me that there *isn't* one.

You can't tell me, for example, that this street:

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

www.google.com

isn't one where one shops at Waitrose. Those houses are probably worth well over a million.

Edit: Aha, there's one where one can drive one's Range Rover to in Sanderstead, just south of Croydon. Or maybe one of the Jags instead. Probably easier to park and nicer than the scabby town centre. Moving out of town centres to larger out of town sites is in Waitrose's model, they did it in Milton Keynes too.

 

[busestrains]

There are some massive, expensive houses in Croydon. It surprises me that there *isn't* one.

You can't tell me, for example, that this street:

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

www.google.com

isn't one where one shops at Waitrose. Those houses are probably worth well over a million.

Edit: Aha, there's one where one can drive one's Range Rover to in Sanderstead, just south of Croydon. Or maybe one of the Jags instead. Probably easier to park and nicer than the scabby town centre. Moving out of town centres to larger out of town sites is in Waitrose's model, they did it in Milton Keynes too.

That road actually looks quite nice indeed. I am very surprised that is in Croydon but i suppose it goes to show that even bad areas have nice parts. You can probably find nice roads in most rough areas. Those house certainly look expensive.

Most of Croydon though is a complete and utter dump. The entire town centre is horrible. I suppose most of London is to be honest unless you are rich enough to live in Hampstead or Highgate or Kew or Richmond or one of the few nice places.

Yes there is a Waitrose in Sanderstead still. Also one in Coulsdon too. So they do not have far to go. Those other branches are probably a lot more successful than the Croydon town centre one.

In pretty much every town in Surrey and Sussex there is a Waitrose branch located right in the middle of the town centre. So i think Waitrose have a long way to go if they want to move out of town centre sites. Other than the Ashford and Milton Keynes branches i can not really think of any towns that have Waitrose branches outside of the town centre.

 

[Bletchleyite]

That road actually looks quite nice indeed. I am very surprised that is in Croydon but i suppose it goes to show that even bad areas have nice parts. You can probably find nice roads in most rough areas. Those house certainly look expensive.

A lot of Croydon contains this sort of housing.

Most of Croydon though is a complete and utter dump. The entire town centre is horrible. I suppose most of London is to be honest unless you are rich enough to live in Hampstead or Highgate or Kew or Richmond or one of the few nice places.

The town centre is a dump, yes, but most of the rest of it isn't. They just don't go to the town centre. I don't really go to Bletchley town centre either, and that's a dump too, though my house is nothing like any of those!