[News] WHSmith

[The Antikythera Mechanism]

The Amazon effect must be devastating. But then most of us use them including me, a couple of minutes on the internet and a replacement cable or printer ink is on its way, no driving.

The Kindle hasn’t helped WHS. I prefer real books, my wife Kindle. Each to their own I guess.

 

[Weststander]

The Kindle hasn’t helped WHS. I prefer real books, my wife Kindle. Each to their own I guess.

Still books for me, I’ve two with me on holiday, wife also a Kindle user.

 

[clapham_gull]

Our Price is back (well sort of).

Some enthusiasts bought the brand name and launched a shop.

https://ourprice.com/

 

[clapham_gull]

Wilko back from the dead. The new owners new store in Uxbridge.

As for successes, Toolstation and Screwfix are bloody everywhere. Usually tucked away on an industrial estate but I see at least one of them is venturing into the High Street. I have both, just off a busy high street.

This is the "high street" version.

They both have a cross over of DIY / home stuff like light bulbs. Toolstation is usually much much cheaper than online.

Wonder whether they will increase their prices like the very expensive and high street present Leyland which I think is mainly a London thing ?

 

[clapham_gull]

One High Street that does seem to be bucking the trend is Northcote Road which is a few mins walk from Clapham Junction station.

(It's technically two high streets because Northcote is a continuation of St.Johns Road opposite the station)

Well worth a visit, particularly on a Saturday when the market is there if you are coming up from London.

Every year they shut the whole road to traffic and extend the market (and restaurant / bar tables into the street) for Northcote Road Festival which usually takes place on a Sunday.

 

[Winker]

Given your first sentence I have a question.

I hate going shopping - really can't stand traipsing between multiple stores to get what I want or the best deal. It's not a pleasure to me. On the very rare occasion I agree to go into town with Mrs WS for her to "have a look", I end up just going to the local pub and leaving her to it. I really don't understand why people get so hot under the collar about people like me using online shopping where I can browse multiple stores in minutes and not get wet and cold. The high street model just seems daft to me.

So the question - why would anyone actively choose to go 'physical' shopping when you can buy the same things from a few clicks of the mouse ? I really don't understand why anyone would and equally, if that's the death of the high street, then surely that highlights how the high street hasn't kept up with the times. When I started work there were still typing pools - swiftly taken over by any Tom, Dick or Harriet that could use a word processor. It's progress and business needs to move with the times.

The benefit of physical shopping is that you can go home with what you want and when you want it, you don't have to wait for it to be delivered or pay for the delivery or hope that someone is at home when it is delivered.

When I go shopping for clothes (once or twice a year at most!), I like to prod and poke the merchandise to check the quality and see what it looks like 'in the flesh', you can't do that online.

I also like to support small independent retailers and producers where I can.

 

[London Irish]

The Kindle hasn’t helped WHS. I prefer real books, my wife Kindle. Each to their own I guess.

Yet Waterstones are everywhere and so are huge number of second hand or independent book shops.

The notion that physical browsing has all been wiped out by online browsing isn’t true. I feel the same way about WHSmith’s periodical offerings. It’s more pleasurable to browse and find new things you haven’t heard of before with the bricks and mortar experience, online you kind of have to know what you are looking for first. The too much choice element makes it hard to search, WH Smith’s curated approach much easier

 

[The Clamp]

I love the old shops like Smiths, M&S etc.

Sad to see them gradually disappearing.

I like pottering around TOFS in shoreham, reminds me of Woolworths.

Browsing through the mags and books in Smiths in Lancing and Shoreham. Which are well kept and relevant.

The one in Churchill Sqaure is a bereft graveyard, nothing like the ones in smaller towns, who’s staff seem proud to maintain them and keep them presentable.


And a browse and a cuppa in M&S is a treat. And still the shop I go to for white shirts, suits, handkerchiefs, ties, underwear, and other basic wear.

Yes, it’s sad to see the traditional places go.

 

[SkirlieWirlie]

Wilko back from the dead. The new owners new store in Uxbridge.

View attachment 195738

As for successes, Toolstation and Screwfix are bloody everywhere. Usually tucked away on an industrial estate but I see at least one of them is venturing into the High Street. I have both, just off a busy high street.

This is the "high street" version.

View attachment 195739

They both have a cross over of DIY / home stuff like light bulbs. Toolstation is usually much much cheaper than online.

Wonder whether they will increase their prices like the very expensive and high street present Leyland which I think is mainly a London thing ?

Screwfix, same owners as B&Q. Seem to have largely cornered the market, with the likes of Homebase losing out, but then again, they seem to have everything you would ever need, where as Homebase I always found fairly poor except for the basics and an eclectic mix of summer garden/Christmas decorstion special offers.

 

[Weststander]

I love the old shops like Smiths, M&S etc.

Sad to see them gradually disappearing.

I like pottering around TOFS in shoreham, reminds me of Woolworths.

Browsing through the mags and books in Smiths in Lancing and Shoreham. Which are well kept and relevant.

The one in Churchill Sqaure is a bereft graveyard, nothing like the ones in smaller towns, who’s staff seem proud to maintain them and keep them presentable.


And a browse and a cuppa in M&S is a treat. And still the shop I go to for white shirts, suits, handkerchiefs, ties, underwear, and other basic wear.

Yes, it’s sad to see the traditional places go.

Good news on M&S, they’re now a thriving business.

 

[The Antikythera Mechanism]

Yet Waterstones are everywhere and so are huge number of second hand or independent book shops.

The notion that physical browsing has all been wiped out by online browsing isn’t true. I feel the same way about WHSmith’s periodical offerings. It’s more pleasurable to browse and find new things you haven’t heard of before with the bricks and mortar experience, online you kind of have to know what you are looking for first. The too much choice element makes it hard to search, WH Smith’s curated approach much easier

The thing with Waterstones is that their huge stock contains books that I’ve never heard of, so I often make an impulse buy. Could, then, go online and see if cheaper but what’s the point when you have it in your hand?

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

I love the old shops like Smiths, M&S etc.

Sad to see them gradually disappearing.

I like pottering around TOFS in shoreham, reminds me of Woolworths.

Browsing through the mags and books in Smiths in Lancing and Shoreham. Which are well kept and relevant.

The one in Churchill Sqaure is a bereft graveyard, nothing like the ones in smaller towns, who’s staff seem proud to maintain them and keep them presentable.


And a browse and a cuppa in M&S is a treat. And still the shop I go to for white shirts, suits, handkerchiefs, ties, underwear, and other basic wear.

Yes, it’s sad to see the traditional places go.

Every reason they’re going bust given in one post. No one ever buys anything.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Good news on M&S, they’re now a thriving business.

Food yes, but women’s clothes are frumpy.

 

[Weststander]

Food yes, but women’s clothes are frumpy.

I haven’t tried them!

I meant as an overall business, as the subject had expanded to the stalwarts are all going. For many years the media loved talking about the slow death of M&S.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

I haven’t tried them!

I meant as an overall business, as the subject had expanded to the stalwarts are all going. For many years the media loved talking about the slow death of M&S.

Another problem with them is sizing. I ordered two articles, same size, just different colours, via Click & Collect. When I went, I asked to try them on, instore. One item fitted, the other was too small.
Customers want reliability as well as choice and value for money.

This is why ‘the media’ are critical of them.

 

[Weststander]

Another problem with them is sizing. I ordered two articles, same size, just different colours, via Click & Collect. When I went, I asked to try them on, instore. One item fitted, the other was too small.
Customers want reliability as well as choice and value for money.

This is why ‘the media’ are critical of them.

I was referring to the financial pages circa 2000 to 2015, plus of course the wishing ill Daily Mail. Obituaries were written about the entire business.

Did Philip Green or someone of that ilk smell a carcass?

The business is now sound.

 

[stewart12]

I may be wrong but when Churchill Square was redeveloped in the 90s WH Smith's seemed like one of the FLAGSHIP stores along with the likes of Debenhams. It may have even been opened, following a slight remodelling from the old CS before the rest of the new mall (may be wrong but that's my recollection). I vaguely remember the old Smiths pre-redevelopment and when it reopened it seemed mind-blowingly modern

 

[cunning fergus]

Every reason they’re going bust given in one post. No one ever buys anything.

Maybe they’re too expensive, coming back from Liverpool in November I paid £24.19 for 20 B&H……..the days of giving fags to begging lay-a-bouts are over.

 

[ElectricNaz]

WH Smith is too expensive. Genuinely I just consider them as an emergency post office if I need to return something and it's a weekend when my local post office is closed.

Went in to buy something at Reading Station on the way to the Villa away game. Needed headphones as forgot to bring any and only realised during the train to Reading. They didn't have any USB-C ones in either store (had loads of headphone jack ones), and the wireless ones were all upwards of £70, nothing in the budget range. Seems silly in a transit hub not to have cheaper "I'll buy them for this one journey then keep them as a cheap backup" type things. Surely no one goes to their train station to buy expensive stuff?

 

[The Clamp]

Surely no one goes to their train station to buy expensive stuff?

Except hugely overpriced trail tickets