Additional retailers to reopen from June 15th

[Bantamzen]

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I suppose I could always try them.

There's still nothing quite like going to the shop and walking out with what you want !

It best if you already have Amazon Prime, as @Bletchleyite says many items will be delivered free of charge the next day, in fact the record was a electrical item I once ordered at around 8pm & landed the next day at around 10.30am. And if you have the app you'll get push notifications when the driver is 8 stops away from your house (assuming that it is being fulfilled by Amazon). Despite all the bad press, I've never had a problem with them.

However Amazon whilst being good for specific items that you've already decided upon, it doesn't replace going to the shops when you want to see / touch / try one items.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I suppose I could always try them.

There's still nothing quite like going to the shop and walking out with what you want !

True. I think the main advantage I find from online is that I can pretty much always find what I want, whereas in a shop I often can't as they haven't got it in. Does depend on the situation, though.

 

[Bletchleyite]

It best if you already have Amazon Prime, as @Bletchleyite says many items will be delivered free of charge the next day, in fact the record was a electrical item I once ordered at around 8pm & landed the next day at around 10.30am. And if you have the app you'll get push notifications when the driver is 8 stops away from your house (assuming that it is being fulfilled by Amazon). Despite all the bad press, I've never had a problem with them.

They are also, like Argos (who other than operating out of physical shops are a very similar concept), very quick at refunding if things go wrong. It just isn't worth the time for them to argue.

 

[Islineclear3_1]

There is also the issue of less disposable income.

Many staff who have been fuloughed are only getting 80% of their pay which will go on mortgage, rent, food etc. Then there wil those low-earners who will have additional travel costs to get to/from work. Then there will be those who have been made redundant and have no income at all. Furthermore, there will be those vulnerable people or pensioners who will be shielding or are too frightened to go out.

 

[yorksrob]

I do quite like argos. It combines easy search and a large range of items, with being able to take it home there and then.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I do quite like argos. It combines easy search and a large range of items, with being able to take it home there and then.

Yes, it certainly comes in handy.

 

[AM9]

They are also, like Argos (who other than operating out of physical shops are a very similar concept), very quick at refunding if things go wrong. It just isn't worth the time for them to argue.

I agree with all of your positive comments about Amazon and indeed frequently use them myself. However I have a concern that in doing so, I am furthering the progress of a global monopoly of a corporation that competes unfairly in many countries including the UK owing to its gaming of global tax systems. One day when they have eliminated all serious competition, they will be in a position to charge whatever they like in minor markets like the UK.

 

[Whistler40145]

Does anyone know if the Marks & Spencer food outlets on railway stations are planned for reopening in the future?

 

[37424]

I do quite like argos. It combines easy search and a large range of items, with being able to take it home there and then.

Anybody planning a shopping trip from the 15th should remember that some of the big retailers will only be reopening a selected number of shops initially this includes Argos stand alone stores.

The view from my boss is that when our store reopens footfall inside the store will be low, Argos Home Delivery operation has effectively doubled in since lockdown and Argos think that will now be permanent.

The down side I think is that non essential independent retailers will be hit even more if they haven't adapted online, and those shops and cafe's that depend heavily on footfall of large office block area's of office workers are likely to be in trouble.

 

[yorksrob]

Anybody planning a shopping trip from the 15th should remember that some of the big retailers will only be reopening a selected number of shops initially this includes Argos stand alone stores.

The view from my boss is that when our store reopens footfall inside the store will be low, Argos Home Delivery operation has effectively doubled in since lockdown and Argos think that will now be permanent.

The down side I think is that non essential independent retailers will be hit even more if they haven't adapted online, and those shops and cafe's that depend heavily on footfall of large office block area's of office workers are likely to be in trouble.

I thought they only did stand alone stores !

I agree about the small businesses servicing office areas. That said, the ones outside my office are also near to a big hospital, so they might fare better.

I wonder of generally the larger shopping "destinations" such as Leeds and Manchester will continue to see a differential at the expense of smaller centres.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I thought they only did stand alone stores !

Since Sainsbury's bought them out they have been progressively moving them into existing Sainsbury's stores (where there is one in the right location) to save costs.

 

[yorksrob]

Since Sainsbury's bought them out they have been progressively moving them into existing Sainsbury's stores (where there is one in the right location) to save costs.

Ah, cheers. I hadn't noticed any like that.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Ah, cheers. I hadn't noticed any like that.

There aren't many yet, but it's likely to move much more that way in future, it's not only cheaper but easier, as most of the stuff you buy from Argos is probably easier to take home by car than on public transport, so out of town sites that already have car parks are more useful overall.

 

[MikeWM]

I agree with all of your positive comments about Amazon and indeed frequently use them myself. However I have a concern that in doing so, I am furthering the progress of a global monopoly of a corporation that competes unfairly in many countries including the UK owing to its gaming of global tax systems. One day when they have eliminated all serious competition, they will be in a position to charge whatever they like in minor markets like the UK.

Exactly this. For example, both times HMV went into administration in recent years, the price of DVDs and BluRays on Amazon immediately went up - by quite a significant amount.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Exactly this. For example, both times HMV went into administration in recent years, the price of DVDs and BluRays on Amazon immediately went up - by quite a significant amount.

Though there's the paradox that Amazon makes things easier for small businesses by providing a comprehensive online sales platform (including international) and lots of related ancillary services like delivery too. Ebay do the same but on a different model (as they don't sell stuff themselves), and Etsy the same for very small craft businesses.

What they threaten, as do many recent developments, is medium-sized chain stores, and I'm sorry, but I find it hard to shed tears for those.

 

[yorksrob]

I agree with all of your positive comments about Amazon and indeed frequently use them myself. However I have a concern that in doing so, I am furthering the progress of a global monopoly of a corporation that competes unfairly in many countries including the UK owing to its gaming of global tax systems. One day when they have eliminated all serious competition, they will be in a position to charge whatever they like in minor markets like the UK.

I have been avoiding them for these reasons, as well as my innate ludditism.

 

[Jimini]

Since Sainsbury's bought them out they have been progressively moving them into existing Sainsbury's stores (where there is one in the right location) to save costs.

Aye, our local Sainsbury's in South Woodford has got an Argos in it, has done for a few months now. Doesn't half come in handy! They do seem to hold a lot of stock there too which surprised me -- most of the time I've thought of something I need while wandering around the supermarket, ordered it on the app, and in most instances collected it there and then after finishing the food shop.

 

[DelW]

I agree with all of your positive comments about Amazon and indeed frequently use them myself. However I have a concern that in doing so, I am furthering the progress of a global monopoly of a corporation that competes unfairly in many countries including the UK owing to its gaming of global tax systems. One day when they have eliminated all serious competition, they will be in a position to charge whatever they like in minor markets like the UK.

My partner is a great enthusiast for Amazon shopping, while I am definitely not ... but it usually falls to me to deal with the mountain of cardboard that her Amazon goods arrive in. Since we don't share a household, I'm spared that for now!
It does annoy me that Amazon's couriers' vans clog our roads and their cardboard clogs our recycling system, yet they do whatever they can to avoid paying any of the tax that is needed to provide those facilities. Of course, it's more important to them that Bezos adds a few more unnecessary billions to his bank account, than that the company pays its dues and contributes towards the costs that its trade model dumps on others.

 

[underbank]

They are also, like Argos (who other than operating out of physical shops are a very similar concept), very quick at refunding if things go wrong. It just isn't worth the time for them to argue.

Yes both Argos and Amazon do seem to have changed their ways and both are now a lot more accommodating when it comes to returns.

Argos used to be absolutely terrible for anything outside their 16 day return period - their staff AND MANAGERS simply didn't comprehend the sale of goods acts when it came to goods which became faulty after the 16 days, usually glibly telling you to contact the manufacturer. We had a pan set as a wedding present where the handle of one of the pans sheered off after about 6 months - clearly not fit for purpose, but the local Argos manageress seemed to take it as a personal insult that we wanted a replacement and put all kinds of barriers in place. She soon changed her tune when I went back in a few weeks later with a letter from the Argos head office replying to my complaint which basically said to return with the letter where the manageress will replace the entire set AND give a full refund - she literally went red when she read the letter and just grunted then told another member of staff to deal with it.

Re Amazon, I try to buy as much as possible via Amazon Prime, not just for the quicker delivery, but also because you can usually get an almost immediate refund when you post it back. None of this faffing around with individual suppliers who are usually a lot more argumentative and slow to refund when bought via Amazon. With Prime, you're dealings are kept between you and Amazon which makes things a lot easier/quicker.

 

[underbank]

My partner is a great enthusiast for Amazon shopping, while I am definitely not ... but it usually falls to me to deal with the mountain of cardboard that her Amazon goods arrive in. Since we don't share a household, I'm spared that for now!
It does annoy me that Amazon's couriers' vans clog our roads and their cardboard clogs our recycling system, yet they do whatever they can to avoid paying any of the tax that is needed to provide those facilities. Of course, it's more important to them that Bezos adds a few more unnecessary billions to his bank account, than that the company pays its dues and contributes towards the costs that its trade model dumps on others.

You do realise that the majority of what is sold on Amazon website is actually sold "on behalf of" small businesses don't you? A huge amount is under the "fulfilled by Amazon" system where the small businesses send their stock to Amazon warehouses and then Amazon sell it via their platform. The small business pays Amazon a commission and the packing/delivery charges. So, in fact, huge numbers of small UK businesses ARE paying taxes etc., in a very similar way to if they had their own websites, and of course, if they sold all that stock directly, there'd be even more vans on the road. At least if you buy a few things on one Amazon order, it's usually just one driver/van bringing it to you - if you ordered a few things from different websites, there'd be multiple vans/drivers and each more packaging!

 

[AM9]

You do realise that the majority of what is sold on Amazon website is actually sold "on behalf of" small businesses don't you? A huge amount is under the "fulfilled by Amazon" system where the small businesses send their stock to Amazon warehouses and then Amazon sell it via their platform. The small business pays Amazon a commission and the packing/delivery charges. So, in fact, huge numbers of small UK businesses ARE paying taxes etc., in a very similar way to if they had their own websites, and of course, if they sold all that stock directly, there'd be even more vans on the road. At least if you buy a few things on one Amazon order, it's usually just one driver/van bringing it to you - if you ordered a few things from different websites, there'd be multiple vans/drivers and each more packaging!

All that may be true about the sell-trough suppliers paying tax on their own business, but the Amazon operation is all-consuming of much online trade in the UK (and other EU countires) generally to the detriment of other perfectly good suppliers. Their dominant position in the market undermines the opportunities for these other suppliers which is further exacerbated by by their minimal obligation to pay tax. So many of the large 'tech companies' (as they are called) have operations in many tax jurisdictions where they can declare that the profit (coincidenatally of course) arises in the one with the lowest or even zero rate.
The most profitable part of Amazon is their cloud services operation which has grown out of the online marketing business, but economies and internal transactions of those capabilities ensure that competition to their trade doesn't stand a chance. Loss-leaders on a scale that can sink quite large competitors are easy to a global company like Amazon.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Re Amazon, I try to buy as much as possible via Amazon Prime, not just for the quicker delivery, but also because you can usually get an almost immediate refund when you post it back. None of this faffing around with individual suppliers who are usually a lot more argumentative and slow to refund when bought via Amazon. With Prime, you're dealings are kept between you and Amazon which makes things a lot easier/quicker.

It's often even better - they will refund before they receive it, on the basis that they can re-debit if what they get back isn't what you said it was (and there's no visible damage to the packaging).

 

[DelW]

You do realise that the majority of what is sold on Amazon website is actually sold "on behalf of" small businesses don't you? A huge amount is under the "fulfilled by Amazon" system where the small businesses send their stock to Amazon warehouses and then Amazon sell it via their platform. The small business pays Amazon a commission and the packing/delivery charges. So, in fact, huge numbers of small UK businesses ARE paying taxes etc., in a very similar way to if they had their own websites, and of course, if they sold all that stock directly, there'd be even more vans on the road. At least if you buy a few things on one Amazon order, it's usually just one driver/van bringing it to you - if you ordered a few things from different websites, there'd be multiple vans/drivers and each more packaging!

In my admittedly limited experience of Amazon, many of the small businesses trading via the platform are actually located in China, especially those selling electronic goods. I doubt those pay any UK tax, and in too many cases their goods don't meet CE standards either, witness for example the many unsafe chargers that investigators have found on sale at Amazon and on Ebay.
One of my partner's complaints is that even when she orders items together they all arrive separately, and too often in greatly excessive packaging.
Personally I prefer to avoid internet shopping wherever I can, and to patronise real shops located as locally as possible, and which I reach on foot or by bus. That seems to me the best method of reducing the transport carbon footprint. I plan to return to that method as soon as possible.

 

[37424]

Yes both Argos and Amazon do seem to have changed their ways and both are now a lot more accommodating when it comes to returns.

Argos used to be absolutely terrible for anything outside their 16 day return period - their staff AND MANAGERS simply didn't comprehend the sale of goods acts when it came to goods which became faulty after the 16 days, usually glibly telling you to contact the manufacturer. We had a pan set as a wedding present where the handle of one of the pans sheered off after about 6 months - clearly not fit for purpose, but the local Argos manageress seemed to take it as a personal insult that we wanted a replacement and put all kinds of barriers in place. She soon changed her tune when I went back in a few weeks later with a letter from the Argos head office replying to my complaint which basically said to return with the letter where the manageress will replace the entire set AND give a full refund - she literally went red when she read the letter and just grunted then told another member of staff to deal with it.

Re Amazon, I try to buy as much as possible via Amazon Prime, not just for the quicker delivery, but also because you can usually get an almost immediate refund when you post it back. None of this faffing around with individual suppliers who are usually a lot more argumentative and slow to refund when bought via Amazon. With Prime, you're dealings are kept between you and Amazon which makes things a lot easier/quicker.

Well in defense of Argos we do get a lot of customers who are blatantly trying it on, it can be easier to get a refund on goods delivered rather than bought in store. I have personally dealt with lots of accepted returns where its fairly clear the customer is taking the mic but we have given the benefit of doubt. Anyway I guess we are straying from the topic.

Assuming that we can eventually get back to normality at some point then I think many will return to shops certainly the large destination shopping centres, be they major city centres or such as Meadowhall etc, the problem will be the intervening period where many wont want take what might be seen as unnecessary risk, and others wont want to bother with the extra faff of Social distancing, and we don't really know how long that period is going to be.

 

[Non Multi]

I had my first visit to a 'non essential' shop (Dunelm) yesterday, to buy some rather 'essential' bin liners. Definitely looking forward to the other 'non essential' stores reopening, and a return to normality, albeit a 'social distanced' version.

With regards to Amazon, I used to use them but not being a Prime subscriber, I'm regarded as a 2nd class customer, in terms of pricing and delivery. So I just use eBay sellers, online indipendents and the high street stores now. I'm no worse off, IMO.

 

[AM9]

Well in defense of Argos we do get a lot of customers who are blatantly trying it on, it can be easier to get a refund on goods delivered rather than bought in store. I have personally dealt with lots of accepted returns where its fairly clear the customer is taking the mic but we have given the benefit of doubt. Anyway I guess we are straying from the topic.

Assuming that we can eventually get back to normality at some point then I think many will return to shops certainly the large destination shopping centres, be they major city centres or such as Meadowhall etc, the problem will be the intervening period where many wont want take what might be seen as unnecessary risk, and others wont want to bother with the extra faff of Social distancing, and we don't really know how long that period is going to be.

I do think that shops as we have come to understand them are coming to the end of their life in many locations. The concept of a shop having thousands or millions of pounds worth of stock just so that customers might drop in amd buy some of it is fading away. There is probably a future for showroom types of places where goods can be seen (and in time) touched before commiting to an order. John Lewis seems to be moving towards that with one of the best click and collect operations in the UK (in no small way helped by them having Waitrose in the group). At a different place in the market, there are stores like Argos who also offer the chance to see more than a picture on a webpage before ordering. This is nothing to do with this year's shutdown as the 'decline in the high street' is what this is really about. The pandemic has merely sharpened the attention to detail in such operations.
Another dimension in this is the movement to check an ever-increasing swarm of private cars to shops. As things open up againg, town centres are being pedestrianised, under the guise of giving socially distanced customers more space to queue, the gradual trend to reduce in town pollution (which includes out of town centres) will accelerate now that there is a public awareness of just how bad noise and noxious emissions are for healthy living. The ability to check out goods before comitting and the far more agile delivery logistics now available, remove the need to drive a personal two ton box carrier to the showroom. That will be the 'new normal'.

 

[Pete_uk]

Slightly off topic, but if you go to smile.amazon.co.uk you can select a charity which will receive a small % of the cost of your item. It is a small amount but I have raised enough for my local air ambulance for them to buy a box of tea and some bacon.

 

[CrispyUK]

One of my partner's complaints is that even when she orders items together they all arrive separately, and too often in greatly excessive packaging.

I find they package & send items together where they can, but depending on what you’ve ordered, it will probably dispatch from multiple fulfilment centres (they have many in the UK and they won’t all stock every item) so it can’t always arrive together.

Packaging seems to get excessive for items that don’t conform to a typical box shape, ordering a mop for example, would probably turn up in a huge box with a lot of wasted space, but then Amazon sell a huge variety of items so won’t necessarily stock the perfect sized box to fit every one!

 

[route101]

Does anyone know if the Marks & Spencer food outlets on railway stations are planned for reopening in the future?

Was wondering that as well , thought they would stay open

 

[sheff1]

Round here it appears that some retailers are not waiting for 15th June. Two carpet stores, a dress shop and a general clothes shop were all open today.