Focus - let's keep our fingers crossed

[countrygull]

Focus is in serious financial trouble: it's just renegotiated its bank loans - a deal which will cost a certain B Archer lots of extra cash - but even so the vultures are circling. Sales fell by 10% last year: the longer the housing market stays in the doldrums, the more uncertain is the company's future - personally I'd gladly forsake a couple of years of no house price increase if it would bring that git crashing down.

 

[surrey jim]

A bankrupt Archer living homeless

 

[Man of Harveys]

great news

 

[sully]

I'd gladly forsake a couple of years of no house price increase if it would bring that git crashing down.

How does that work?

If people aren't moving, they spend their money on their current property, surely. I'd have thought that would increase the turnover of the DIY stores. However, I seem to have that market all wrong!

 

[HampshireSeagulls]

Why don't we club together, nip in and buy it, then asset-strip and turn all the superstores into football grounds?

 

[Rangdo]

I thought Archer had sold his stake in Focus.

 

[The Great Cornholio]

I thought Archer had sold his stake in Focus.

Think that was Wickes

 

[The Large One]

Archer has nowt to do with Focus any more, I don't think. Too late. I would be more concerned about the amount of redundancies to the staff.

 

[Da Man Clay]

I thought Archer had sold his stake in Focus.

He has, thats the only reason we accepeted the money from Wickes this season. We refused it last season as he still had a share.

 

[Rangdo]

Think that was Wickes

Same company. They are called Focus Wickes now.

 

[Rangdo]

He has, thats the only reason we accepeted the money from Wickes this season. We refused it last season as he still had a share.

I'm pretty sure the sale of his Focus shares had something to do with why he sold his remaining shares in the Albion back at a cut price rate.

 

[Spiros]

He has, thats the only reason we accepeted the money from Wickes this season. We refused it last season as he still had a share.

Is this really the case? I used to quite like Wickes but stopped going there as soon as Archer bought them. As I refuse point blank to even set foot in there if he has anything to with them I need to know if this has changed. Anyone got any definitive information on the Archer investment portfolio?

 

[Spiros]

I'm pretty sure the sale of his Focus shares had something to do with why he sold his remaining shares in the Albion back at a cut price rate.

I though that was because if he still had shares in the Albion the bank running the flotation were worried a load of us would buy shares and then cause trouble at the AGM - as if!

 

[JJ McClure]

Why don't we club together, nip in and buy it, then asset-strip and turn all the superstores into football grounds?

Quality plan

 

[Publius Ovidius]

Focus

Superb Band

Anglo Dutch/British band.

Jan Akkerman one of the best guitarists ever.

 

[Grendel]

He has, thats the only reason we accepeted the money from Wickes this season. We refused it last season as he still had a share.

Wickes was bought by Travis Perkins in February '05.

 

[Scarface]

Wickes was bought by Travis Perkins in February '05.

Lining Archer's pockets with over a BILLION quid didnt it?

 

[Willow]

Is this really the case? I used to quite like Wickes but stopped going there as soon as Archer bought them. As I refuse point blank to even set foot in there if he has anything to with them I need to know if this has changed. Anyone got any definitive information on the Archer investment portfolio?

Ditto.

I have a Focus very close to hand but always travel the extra 7 miles to Homebase out of principle.

So is Focus allowed again now?

 

[Spiros]

Ditto.

I have a Focus very close to hand but always travel the extra 7 miles to Homebase out of principle.

So is Focus allowed again now?

I've just checked the Focus and Wickes websites. Wickes are no longer anything to do with Archer and now belong to Travis Perkins. However Archer remains as chairman of Focus and so I will still go nowhere near the place.

 

[Grendel]

Lining Archer's pockets with over a BILLION quid didnt it?

Something like that, I believe.