HMV into admin tomorrow. Who next?

[matt_32510]

WH Smith won't go into administration, have you seen how much they charge just for a bottle of coke at the airport ? disgusting prices.

 

[Notters]

Boots.

 

[beorhthelm]

Thing is they did seem to get it right. A few years back they had a decent price-competitive online model which was a good compliment to their stores. I'm not sure where that bit went wrong.

the bit where they kept the expensive high rent retail units.

 

[Nibble]

I dunno about Boots, if any of my exes were anything to go by women spend an absolute fortune, regularly, in that place.

 

[portslade seagull]

WH Smiths will not go .. sons girlfriend is a manager and they had there best christmas in her shop ever

 

[Nibble]

the bit where they kept the expensive high rent retail units.

Spot on

 

[beorhthelm]

Boots.

Boots wont go, you cant wait until tuesday for your cough medicine to come in the post and you cant buy most prescriptions (legally) over the internet. very safe, and with some EU regulations coming in will be bullet proof (mangement incompetance aside).

 

[Grombleton]

It's a bit of a shame but their products were absurdly expensive, especially compared to other places.

What will happen to the other places they own (They own Fopp!, don't they? I loved that shop) and their promotions of places like Hammersmith Apollo etc?

 

[Meade's Ball]

I hate WH Smiths. £1.75 for a bottle of water at so many stations, and perhaps a free Telegraph thrown in for doing so. What a pigging crock. No wonder they stay in business with those we're your only option prices. I sometimes go deliberately thirsty out of spite for them when i'm on the train.

 

[BUTTERBALL]

HMV a great national institution. Hope the administrators find a buyer. Will be gutted if it gets liquidated and disappears forever.

 

[beorhthelm]

I hate WH Smiths. £1.75 for a bottle of water at so many stations

cant think of a station with a WHSMiths that doesnt have a M&S, Tesco Metro/similar, or a Sweet Shop kiosk doing water for £1 or less. they stay in business because they got the plum site and you dont walk a bit further to find a cheaper alternative.

 

[Hamilton]

You can't make margins selling £5 CDs and DVDs. It's not the natural home you would go to in order to buy technology. The books offer was a small side line.

If you're serious about buying music through routes other than online then you use the independents.

I can't see how they can make the profits necessary as they are under any ownership. Music has changed. Steve Jobs closed HMV. The business needed to change the second it saw the iPod and it didn't.

I think it will get rescued still. I hope so for everyone whose job is at risk. Maybe they need to merge with a major label and be the retail outlet for that label.

 

[Horsham Gull]

Debenhams?

 

[Nibble]

Hamilton is quite right. The Ipod was a powerful product, they should have adapted as soon as it was announced.

 

[Frutos]

WH Smiths will not go .. sons girlfriend is a manager and they had there best christmas in her shop ever

Which branch, just out of interest?

 

[Dave the OAP]

I was talking to one of these retail marketing experts last week and he was saying that there is every chance that big Internet retailers like amazon will be looking to build showrooms on the high street, where they don't sell anything, but you can view something before purchase on the Internet.

Next one that could go he thinks will be Argos.

 

[Hamilton]

Just confirmed.

It's in administration.

 

[The Modfather]

4000 employees across the UK so lets hope, at least part of the business can be saved

 

[portslade seagull]

Which branch, just out of interest?

Southwick

 

[wakeytom]

4000 employees across the UK so lets hope, at least part of the business can be saved

There should be a large amount of stock to sell off at least and from what I read the online part is doing alright, so it may remain open to sell stock but a buyer may be hard to find, I would guess tomorrow we will find out they could not pay rent on Xmas day which has had a knock on