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Companies That You Expect to Disappear Soon

DavidGrain

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I see that Ian Allan's Manchester shop has already closed. The website says that the Mail Order Dept has closed. I cannot see them continuing to keep the Waterloo shop running except to run down the stock.
 
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Peter C

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I see that Ian Allan's Manchester shop has already closed. The website says that the Mail Order Dept has closed. I cannot see them continuing to keep the Waterloo shop running except to run down the stock.
I didn't know there was a Waterloo shop until this was mentioned here so I'll have to see if a trip there is going to happen before it closes as well. I know it's only theoretical at the moment, but it will happen eventually.

-Peter
 

dgl

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In regards to the Titanic.
It was obviously the wrong type of iceberg :D
 

Clip

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He specialises in distressed brands, in a successful high street, do you think he'd ever get his paws on House of Fraser and the like. Why hasn't he tried to buy M&S or Currys PC World?

Oh i get it but still - they're distressed for a reason as know one wants to buy that tat :D
 
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underbank

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Dozens more Frankie & Benny's and Chiquito restaurants to close

https://news.sky.com/story/casual-dining-crisis-takes-toll-on-wagamama-owners-profits-11801225

No surprise at all - I've not been in for ages due to their appalling customer service, cold food, wrong orders, etc. Hilarious they're blaming their menu and Brexit! When the real reason is awful customer service. Eating out is all about experience and poor experience is what kills off these poorly managed chains. It's about time the venture capitalists who own these chains started to look at the long term business rather than just buying and selling amongst themselves to make a quick buck.
 

DavidGrain

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Remember when everything used to be blamed on the EU or H & S. Now it is all the fault of Brexit which has still not happened. (please do not reply to this comment, I am not expressing an opinion either way).
 

Tetchytyke

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It's about time the venture capitalists who own these chains started to look at the long term business rather than just buying and selling amongst themselves to make a quick buck.

But that's how they make their money. They "buy" these companies with borrowed money, hollow out the company for personal gain, and then let the company fold. The unsecured creditors can go whistle, but their "loans" are always secured so they get what they "loaned" in the first place.

Whole things stinks.

It is why so many of these companies are going bust. It's nothing to do with trading conditions- tough as they are- and everything to do with unsustainable debt repayments being dumped on them by asset-stripping venture capitalists.
 

route101

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I see that Ian Allan's Manchester shop has already closed. The website says that the Mail Order Dept has closed. I cannot see them continuing to keep the Waterloo shop running except to run down the stock.

There was one at Manchester Piccadilly , closed quite a few years ago now .
 

Journeyman

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Dozens more Frankie & Benny's and Chiquito restaurants to close

https://news.sky.com/story/casual-dining-crisis-takes-toll-on-wagamama-owners-profits-11801225

No surprise at all - I've not been in for ages due to their appalling customer service, cold food, wrong orders, etc. Hilarious they're blaming their menu and Brexit! When the real reason is awful customer service. Eating out is all about experience and poor experience is what kills off these poorly managed chains. It's about time the venture capitalists who own these chains started to look at the long term business rather than just buying and selling amongst themselves to make a quick buck.

I used to be quite fond of Frankie and Benny's, but the new menu isn't as good, and the quality of the food and service has certainly dropped. Since my local pub underwent a refurb, and now has rather a good menu, I'm happy to eat there instead, especially because I can now walk there and back, so saves arguments over who is the designated driver.
 

DavidGrain

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I knew that Ian Allan was closing in Birmingham and had a tip off from a friend that they had a 1/2 price sale. Went there this afternoon but all this week they are closing at 4.00pm so I missed them. No window display so I don't know what is left. I think Saturday is final day.
 

175mph

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He specialises in distressed brands, in a successful high street, do you think he'd ever get his paws on House of Fraser and the like. Why hasn't he tried to buy M&S or Currys PC World?
If he got hold of Currys PC World, I can imagine laptops with Adidas, Puma or Lonsdale branding on them start to appear on the shelves. :lol:

As for if he owned M&S, I shudder to even think. :(
 

underbank

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As for if he owned M&S, I shudder to even think. :(

I don't think anyone could make M&S worse than it is now.

They've completely lost the plot with quality control, especially sizing. Literally everything I've bought from M&S over the past couple of years has gone back for refund. I've not bought anything in the last six months and can't see myself buying anything again. Plenty of other stores have better ranges and better quality, but most importantly consistent sizing. I bought two identical work shirts - neither fitted, one too big and one too small - yet they were the same size apparently!!!
 

DavidGrain

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I knew that Ian Allan was closing in Birmingham and had a tip off from a friend that they had a 1/2 price sale. Went there this afternoon but all this week they are closing at 4.00pm so I missed them. No window display so I don't know what is left. I think Saturday is final day.

I was wrong about Ian Allan's Birmingham shop closing last Saturday. I was able to go in and purchased several books, mainly about buses for a 75% discount on published price. In the railway books I did not see anything local to West Midlands. There are still quite a number of books in the military history department.
 

cactustwirly

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Looks like Thomas Cook are about to collapse, hardly surprising when they face increased competition from Low Cost Carriers, Airbnb, Booking.com etc, plus having the extra costs associated with high street stores.

If they are to survive, they definitely need to move to online only bookings, and look very carefully about adapting their business model.
Anyone can now offer package holidays, so why would you book Thomas Cook?
 

Kite159

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Looks like Thomas Cook are about to collapse, hardly surprising when they face increased competition from Low Cost Carriers, Airbnb, Booking.com etc, plus having the extra costs associated with high street stores.

If they are to survive, they definitely need to move to online only bookings, and look very carefully about adapting their business model.
Anyone can now offer package holidays, so why would you book Thomas Cook?

Those of a certain generation who are uncomfortable about using the internet to book a holiday
 

Dai Corner

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Those of a certain generation who are uncomfortable about using the internet to book a holiday

Probably largely the same people who are uncomfortable about using the Internet to do their banking - and we know what's happening to bank branches.
 

cactustwirly

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Those of a certain generation who are uncomfortable about using the internet to book a holiday

But shops costs money in rent and wages, it doesn't make sense for a struggling company to keep these open for a diminishing number of people.
I'd imagine the vast majority of TC bookings are done online
 

DavidGrain

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Anyone can now offer package holidays, so why would you book Thomas Cook?

Not everyone can offer package holidays, you need licences and financial bonds.
Many people now book separately flights and hotels etc but you are not so secure doing that as booking a package deal because you might not have the same cover if anything goes wrong. Having said that I do usually make separate booking unless using Expedia who send me an insurance certificate if I book hotel and flights together.
 

cactustwirly

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Not everyone can offer package holidays, you need licences and financial bonds.
Many people now book separately flights and hotels etc but you are not so secure doing that as booking a package deal because you might not have the same cover if anything goes wrong. Having said that I do usually make separate booking unless using Expedia who send me an insurance certificate if I book hotel and flights together.

There are a lot of online only travel agents around, and the new package holiday regulations state that if you book flights + accommodation together that is a package holiday.
 

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