Companies That You Expect to Disappear Soon

Peter Sarf · 17 Aug 2020

dgl said:
Little tip, if you need standard size Ni-Mh batteries (AAA/AA/C/D/PP3) go to Lidl when they have their own brand Tronic batteries in, think I paid £3.99 yesterday for 4 2500mAh AA's, plus all the one's I have brought over the years appear to be of decent quality.

As for B&Q, it's a good idea to check their prices where possible against Toolstation or Screwfix, they always seem to be cheaper, plus if you go to Screwfix it's all the same stuff! (both Screwfix and B&Q are part of the Kingfisher group).

And as for Currys, they delivered us a washing machine with a CEE7/7 plug!, should have complained as that is illegal and even Thomann (who are German (the world's largest Musical Instrument retailer)) can supply the correct adaptor/cable but as I already had a spare plug couldn't be bothered.

To add to that. Only buy rechargeable AAA and AA batteries. There are adaptors available for C and D size batteries. A single AA fits in the adaptor. The reason I went this route myself was I hardly use C and D cells (only for camping) and I noticed that the C and D cells had the same capacity as most AA rechargeable batteries. The AA tend to be a lot cheaper than the Cs and Ds. If you hold a rechargeable C or D in your hand you will notice it weighs almost the same as a AA. Cut one open and its AA in a cardboard tube !.

Trackman said:
I bought one about 12 months ago from Currys- its still going strong.
For the first 6 months I kept receiving extended warranty letters in the post.
It's a fridge, I expect it to last at the very least 5 years, if it went bang after 4 years I'd look up consumer law on durability.
It's a like 60,000 hours TV going bang after 10,000.
I buy a fridge I expect it to last, not to conk out on week 53.
I think I'll email the manufacturer and ask about it's life expectancy according to their their specifications.

Well. Don't buy a "Currys essentials" fridge - Dire reliability. My GF insisted on one and it failed. Was repaired promptly but on the third failure within 12 months I asked for my money back.

Many years ago I was told Currys made most of their money from extended warranties.

I bought a Matsui microwave in 1987 from Dixons. I remember the extended warranty was going to cost the same as the microwave cost so I did not bother. The microwave failed in 2018 - 30 years old !.

RailUK Forums

dgl · 17 Aug 2020

Peter Sarf said:
To add to that. Only buy rechargeable AAA and AA batteries. There are adaptors available for C and D size batteries. A single AA fits in the adaptor. The reason I went this route myself was I hardly use C and D cells (only for camping) and I noticed that the C and D cells had the same capacity as most AA rechargeable batteries. The AA tend to be a lot cheaper than the Cs and Ds. If you hold a rechargeable C or D in your hand you will notice it weighs almost the same as a AA. Cut one open and its AA in a cardboard tube !.

Before buying C/D's check the mAh rating, D's should have at least 4000mAh/4Ah if I remember correctly, I believe the Lidl ones are full capacity and the website of the company that supplies their batteries, eures gmbh, states 5,000mAh for their D cells and 4,500mAh for their C cells.
As for other well known brands, Dave/EEVBlog did a teardown on some showing the fact that they were just the smaller cells in a custom adaptor/enclosure.

xotGD · 18 Aug 2020

7,000 job losses at M&S. Grim news.

C J Snarzell · 18 Aug 2020

M&S are in the same boat as Debenhams - they have stretched their commercial estate too far and have realised they are struggling to compete with online retailers and places like Primark. I do think slot of the issues with M&S has been festering well before the coronavirus hit the UK.

CJ

Trackman · 18 Aug 2020

C J Snarzell said:
M&S are in the same boat as Debenhams - they have stretched their commercial estate too far and have realised they are struggling to compete with online retailers and places like Primark. I do think slot of the issues with M&S has been festering well before the coronavirus hit the UK.

CJ

Yes, I agree.
The 7,000 job losses is on top of the planned closures.

Bobdogs · 18 Aug 2020

C J Snarzell said:
M&S are in the same boat as Debenhams - they have stretched their commercial estate too far and have realised they are struggling to compete with online retailers and places like Primark. I do think slot of the issues with M&S has been festering well before the coronavirus hit the UK.

CJ

Can never understand why people buy M&S food. Seems to me exactly the same as my favourite Aldi but in posher packaging and much dearer.

Jamesrob637 · 18 Aug 2020

Bobdogs said:
Can never understand why people buy M&S food. Seems to me exactly the same as my favourite Aldi but in posher packaging and much dearer.

Aldi has caught up in the past decade. Same as Lidl.

Bletchleyite · 18 Aug 2020

Bobdogs said:
Can never understand why people buy M&S food. Seems to me exactly the same as my favourite Aldi but in posher packaging and much dearer.

I personally find they have the best railway station/motorway services offerings, but indeed, I can't see why you'd shop there for your weekly shop.

jfollows · 18 Aug 2020

Bobdogs said:
Can never understand why people buy M&S food. Seems to me exactly the same as my favourite Aldi but in posher packaging and much dearer.

I totally agree.

I spent some weeks working at a large M&S data centre in the early 1990s, mainframe-based SNA networking using X.25, it was interesting - I didn't work for M&S but for IBM. Anyway, lunchtime was always a cafeteria serving free (I think) M&S food, and was certainly good quality etc. At the time, M&S could do no wrong and made vast profits.

However the only thing I would normally buy myself from the food section was their chicken tikka sandwiches, plus perhaps an occasional treat snack. I could likewise never see the point of grocery shopping there.

Since then they appear to have lost their core customer set and not replaced them. I couldn't keep my grandmother away from the place in the 1980s, but she presumably grew up with M&S during the 20th. century and wasn't replaced by like-minded customers over time.

The last time I tried to shop there for shoes I was told that they no longer had equipment to measure my feet, so I didn't know what size to buy, so I went elsewhere and never came back. The last suit I bought for work was a long time ago also, no longer any need.

thejuggler · 18 Aug 2020

Jamesrob637 said:
Aldi has caught up in the past decade. Same as Lidl.

A friend used to provide prepped food for M&S and Aldi, same product, different packaging.

Aldi quality expectations were higher, they paid him more per unit, but the product was cheaper in Aldi.

Dai Corner · 18 Aug 2020

There's obviously 'something' about M&S Foodhall.

Their Newport City Centre store appears busier than Sainsbury's Local or Tesco Express nearby. This is in a city which is not the wealthiest and boasts several Aldi's and Lidl's but no Waitrose. M&S are opening a new Foodhall in nearby Cwmbran (in space vacated by WH Smith, incidentally) which one would think is equally unpromising territory for them.

Kingspanner · 18 Aug 2020

jfollows said:
I totally agree.

I spent some weeks working at a large M&S data centre in the early 1990s, mainframe-based SNA networking using X.25, it was interesting - I didn't work for M&S but for IBM. Anyway, lunchtime was always a cafeteria serving free (I think) M&S food, and was certainly good quality etc. At the time, M&S could do no wrong and made vast profits.

However the only thing I would normally buy myself from the food section was their chicken tikka sandwiches, plus perhaps an occasional treat snack. I could likewise never see the point of grocery shopping there.

Since then they appear to have lost their core customer set and not replaced them. I couldn't keep my grandmother away from the place in the 1980s, but she presumably grew up with M&S during the 20th. century and wasn't replaced by like-minded customers over time.

The last time I tried to shop there for shoes I was told that they no longer had equipment to measure my feet, so I didn't know what size to buy, so I went elsewhere and never came back. The last suit I bought for work was a long time ago also, no longer any need.

This raises an interesting social question. I myself have not had my feet measured in over 40 years yet still wear shoes. What do other readers think?

Strat-tastic · 18 Aug 2020

I always try them on. Sorted

C J Snarzell · 18 Aug 2020

Do M&S still do the St Michael produce?

I do remember some of their foods were a real treat and if you had a St Michael steak & kidney pie it was a rich delight.

CJ

DB · 18 Aug 2020

C J Snarzell said:
Do M&S still do the St Michael produce?

No - they dropped that brand name years ago!

Mcr Warrior · 18 Aug 2020

C J Snarzell said:
Do M&S still do the St Michael produce?

I do remember some of their foods were a real treat and if you had a St Michael steak & kidney pie it was a rich delight.

CJ

DavidB said:
No - they dropped that brand name years ago!

Discontinued in 2000 apparently. Hope that C J Snarzell doesn't still have any "St Michael" pies at the back of the fridge (!)

Darandio · 18 Aug 2020

thejuggler said:
A friend used to provide prepped food for M&S and Aldi, same product, different packaging.

Aldi quality expectations were higher, they paid him more per unit, but the product was cheaper in Aldi.

This was actually in the news not that long ago, BBC I believe. A couple shopping at M&S found that their prepared vegetable dish had an Aldi sticker underneath the M&S one. Identical product but a big mark up in price at M&S. I wouldn't normally remember the story so vividly but the snobbery from the couple towards Aldi was incredible.

Class465pacer · 18 Aug 2020

Darandio said:
This was actually in the news not that long ago, BBC I believe. A couple shopping at M&S found that their prepared vegetable dish had an Aldi sticker underneath the M&S one. Identical product but a big mark up in price at M&S. I wouldn't normally remember the story so vividly but the snobbery from the couple towards Aldi was incredible.

According to this it was Waitrose and not M&S.

Couple ‘disappointed’ after finding Aldi label on Waitrose products

"No disrespect to Aldi or their customers but if I wanted their products I’d go to one of their stores”

www.independent.co.uk

A couple have complained after a mix-up saw them receive a Waitrose product covered with Aldi labels - despite a 71p price difference.

Funny who they rang up to complain about it as well.

“I was really disappointed,” the husband - who wished to remain anonymous - told the Daily Mail about the mix-up.

gswindale · 18 Aug 2020

Kingspanner said:
This raises an interesting social question. I myself have not had my feet measured in over 40 years yet still wear shoes. What do other readers think?

I just buy the same size shoes as my last pair! Can't remember the last time I had my feet measured!

skyhigh · 19 Aug 2020

73 restaurant closures from Pizza Express announced

- https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-53830064

Pizza Express is to close 73 of its UK restaurants with the potential loss of 1,100 jobs.

The chain, which at the moment has 454 UK outlets, said it had cut a deal to reduce rent costs.

It said although most of its restaurants have been profitable over the past three years, earnings had been declining.

Pizza Express also confirmed it had hired advisers from Lazard to lead a sale process for the business.

It is currently majority owned by Chinese firm Hony Capital.

Zoe Bowley, Pizza Express's managing director for the UK and Ireland, said: "Unfortunately, the impact of the global pandemic has meant that we have had to make some incredibly tough decisions to safeguard Pizza Express for the long term."

Ms Bowley said that in most cases, the stores selected for closure are near to another Pizza Express that has already reopened or will be reopening soon.

She added that the process "will protect the jobs of over 9,000 of our colleagues".

The outlets to close are:

Aberdeen, Belmont St

Aylesbury

Barnstaple, Three Tuns

Biggleswade

Billericay

Birmingham, Corporation St

Birmingham, Mailbox

Bournemouth, Post Office Road

Bramhall

Bristol, Berkeley Square

Bristol, Regent Street

Bromsgrove

Bruton Place, London

Charlotte Street, London

Chippenham

Dalton Park

Darlington

Dudley, Merry Hill

Earls Court, Earls Court Road, London

Edinburgh, Holyrood

Formby

Fulham Palace Road, London

Glasgow, Princes Square

Glossop

Gosforth

Grantham

Halifax

Hampstead, London

Hatch End

Hereford

Heswall

Ipswich, Lloyds Avenue

Leeds, Crown Street

Leeds, Horsforth

Ludlow

Lymington

Melton Mowbray

Midhurst

Milton Keynes, Hub

Moseley

New Brighton

Newcastle

Newport, Isle of Wight

Newport, South Wales

Northallerton

Nottingham, Goosegate

O2 Finchley, London

Orpington

Oxford, Oxford Castle

Poole

Port Solent

Ramsgate

Reading, St Mary's Butts

Scarborough

Sheffield, Devonshire Street

Sheffield, The Moor

Shirley

Southport, Old Bank

Stafford

Staines

Stoke

Stourbridge

Sudbury

Torquay

Uxbridge

Wakefield

Walsall

Wapping

Wardour Street, London

Weston-super-Mare

Whiteley Village

Whitstable

Wrexham

Djgr · 19 Aug 2020

M and S Food is fine, but their clothing is a disaster.

Pizza Express is vastly overpriced.

birchesgreen · 19 Aug 2020

Pizza Express was a nice place, but like quite a few other chains, over expanded and that niceness became a bit diluted plus debts and costs rose.

LOL The Irony · 19 Aug 2020

skyhigh said:
73 restaurant closures from Pizza Express announced - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-53830064

Prince Andrew can breathe a sigh of relief, as Woking stays. On another note, I'm surprised the one in my town isn't on the list.

Busaholic · 19 Aug 2020

LOL The Irony said:
Prince Andrew can breathe a sigh of relief, as Woking stays. On another note, I'm surprised the one in my town isn't on the list.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the Wardour Street restaurant on the closure list was Pizza Express's first - also the first I ever ate in, a year or so after it opened. I remember Notting Hill Gate PE opening, which was either the second or third to open?

Bobdogs · 19 Aug 2020

Bletchleyite said:
I personally find they have the best railway station/motorway services offerings, but indeed, I can't see why you'd shop there for your weekly shop.

Why any sane person would do anything but use the facilities at a motorway services is beyond my comprehension. £1.00 for a Mars bar!

DB · 19 Aug 2020

Bobdogs said:
Why any sane person would do anything but use the facilities at a motorway services is beyond my comprehension. £1.00 for a Mars bar!

Captive audience! Similar to station shops, really.

Peter Sarf · 19 Aug 2020

DavidB said:
Captive audience! Similar to station shops, really.

Yes. I always have at least one chocolate bar festering in my ruc-sac so I don't have to fork out for overpriced snacks. I recently got tempted at Euston. When did "journeys friend" go ?. At least I think that was what it was called, been there since I was a kid in the 60s iirc. Had to go to WH Smith (next door) but left as i decided I was not desperate enough to pay so much. Then I also remember John Menzies also on the concourse but away from the platforms became WH Smith years ago.

Point is changes have always been happening but I think the rate of change is increasing. It is also getting to the stage where even the monopoly (WH Smith) might be going under.

In Croydon we have lost Debenams and John Lewis. We are left with Marks and Spencer and House of Fraser. House of Fraser has most of its entrances closed. So much so that after trying the entrances on the two floors that lead to the outside of the shopping centre I wrote it off as closed !.

Tetchytyke · 19 Aug 2020

Bobdogs said:
Can never understand why people buy M&S food. Seems to me exactly the same as my favourite Aldi but in posher packaging and much dearer.

Interesting you say that. Here on Fraggle Rock, M&S are cheaper than Tesco and the local supermarket, ShopRite, on many items. And where they're more expensive it's not by much and the quality difference is notable. Tesco do three ready meals for six quid; in M&S it's seven quid but they actually taste of something, and have more than two chunks of meat in them.

I do a lot of my shopping in M&S now. When I lived "across" I was an Aldi boy, long before the middle classes discovered it and ruined all the fun.

As for clothing, these companies are struggling because they're trying to compete with Boohoo, who don't bother with niceties like the minimum wage. Something will give. If they can ride out the storm, I still think companies who treat their staff properly will outlive the online shysters. Maybe it's just wishful thinking.

Bobdogs said:
Why any sane person would do anything but use the facilities at a motorway services is beyond my comprehension. £1.00 for a Mars bar!

In fairness, the overheads for motorway service station operators are significantly higher. Not just the costs of running the services, including rent, but the staff costs too. 20 years ago my ex worked at Burger King at the services rather than in town because they paid her £5/hour instead of £3.50/hour. Not much has changed. If staff have a long drive there's a cost to that.

WH Smith price-gouge on the high street, though, which seems bizarre. Why would I pay £2 for a bottle of pop when the exact same pop is on sale in Dealz (Poundland with the ferry charge added!) for two bottles for £1.20.

Meerkat · 19 Aug 2020

If you pick your timing right and aren’t fussy you can get great bargains in M&S when the yellow stickers go out (stuff that needs to clear).
It’s good if you are indecisive as you can let the stickers decide....
Not so healthy when you can’t resist the family sized trifle for 50p!
And i can’t recommend eating a whole pyramid of profiteroles on your own.....

37424 · 20 Aug 2020

There are a few things I buy at M&S because I think they are better than what is offered else where but not as much as I used to because I think some of the pricing has become excessive, and some of the items are now as good offered in other supermarkets for a cheaper price.

I have only ever been into and Aldi and a Lidl once and came out of both of them scratching my head as to what the appeal was.

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