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Re: 40 stores to close... (part 3)

Posted: Sun Apr 07 2019 4:27pm
by Kelantan
pabenny wrote:
Wed Apr 03 2019 10:36am
Boots must rank as one of the most trusted and relied on chains in the country and not particularly vulnerable to online competition. They successfully re-focussed the business into health and beauty (who remembers them selling records, kitchenware, audio and photography, toys?). They're a survivor.
But very expensive compared to many other stores and not particularly convenient to visit as most (if not all) of their sites are High Street, prime shopping locations. As someone who shuns crowds or high footfall areas. It is not somewhere I am likely to go to.

Re: 40 stores to close... (part 3)

Posted: Sun Apr 07 2019 6:32pm
by Constantine
William Joseph1 wrote:
Sun Apr 07 2019 3:17pm
It is very doubtful, although not impossible that the independent Co-ops will ever give up their mutual status. They are more likely to be absorbed into the CWS or the Co-op group.
No, it's the Co-operative Group (CWS) Ltd.
http://www.company-histories.com/Cooper ... story.html

The CWS and the CRS merged in 2000. There is only one Co-Op group and a few surviving regional Co-Ops that have a trading relationship with the big one.

Re: 40 stores to close... (part 3)

Posted: Sun Apr 07 2019 9:37pm
by planteria
William Joseph1 wrote:
Sun Apr 07 2019 3:17pm
It is very doubtful, although not impossible that the independent Co-ops will ever give up their mutual status. They are more likely to be absorbed into the CWS or the Co-op group.
i tend to agree, although CWS and The Co-op Group are the same thing, and word around the Midlands campfire is that there's no appetite for mergers.

Re: 40 stores to close... (part 3)

Posted: Mon Apr 08 2019 12:35am
by Boro Boy
William Joseph1 wrote:
Sun Apr 07 2019 2:51pm
pabenny wrote:
Sun Apr 07 2019 1:34pm
Yes. Co-op. Quotes taken from the MSN report linked above
Yes, its not clear in that report whether this is The CWS (which I suspect it is) or one of the regional co-op's or indeed the whole lot lumped together.

This one is East of England co-op https://finder.coop.co.uk/food/store/CM ... ross-roads which is a different company than, this one https://finder.coop.co.uk/food/store/HR ... dbury-road which is CWS or this one https://finder.coop.co.uk/food/store/CT ... rsham-road which is part of the southern co-op. Or even this one which is an independent https://finder.coop.co.uk/food/store/CT2-7SG/parkwood

All very confusing.
Yeap, I agree; I said earlier that the Co-op structure is confusing and the effects of implying their policy differs across regions - but I guess as you explained earlier "they are different companies" but under one banner!

Re: 40 stores to close... (part 3)

Posted: Tue Apr 09 2019 9:47am
by Richard Frost

Re: 40 stores to close... (part 3)

Posted: Tue Apr 09 2019 10:28am
by pabenny
Of course he may be taking the view that buying out of administration may be a lower cost way of taking control.

I'm far from convinced there is a space in today's retail scene for the mass-market department store like Debenhams.

Harvey Nicholls and Selfridges are up market and have restricted themselves to a handful of stores. House of Fraser might have survived if they had shut stores earlier and gone for the same territory, maybe using their strong local brands such as Kendals in Manchester and Rackhams in Birmingham.

John Lewis is a different beast altogether, with their greater weight towards homeware, furnishings and electricals.

Re: 40 stores to close... (part 3)

Posted: Tue Apr 09 2019 11:28am
by Boro Boy
Debenhams shares have just been suspended on the LSE and the company has gone into administration... The beginning of the end? Or a new start? :think:

Re: 40 stores to close... (part 3)

Posted: Tue Apr 09 2019 12:15pm
by blythburgh
Boro Boy wrote:
Tue Apr 09 2019 11:28am
Debenhams shares have just been suspended on the LSE and the company has gone into administration... The beginning of the end? Or a new start? :think:
New start, shareholders lose everything and the lenders now own company which will continue to trade. What happens to any gift cards I do not know at present but suspect they will not be honoured. If the odious Ashley had bought the company then they certainly would not have been.

Re: 40 stores to close... (part 3)

Posted: Tue Apr 09 2019 12:26pm
by pabenny
Not particularly new news in this story: Philip Green's Arcadia Group (Top Shop/Top Man, Burton, Evans, Wallis, Miss Selfridge, Dorothy Perkins, Outfit) is looking to cut costs (= store closures).

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-47589885

Re: 40 stores to close... (part 3)

Posted: Tue Apr 09 2019 12:53pm
by Kelantan
blythburgh wrote:
Tue Apr 09 2019 12:15pm
Boro Boy wrote:
Tue Apr 09 2019 11:28am
Debenhams shares have just been suspended on the LSE and the company has gone into administration... The beginning of the end? Or a new start? :think:
New start, shareholders lose everything and the lenders now own company which will continue to trade. What happens to any gift cards I do not know at present but suspect they will not be honoured. If the odious Ashley had bought the company then they certainly would not have been.
I think HOF were honoured.
The stores will continue to trade as normal and administrators have confirmed to the BBC that customers will be able to spend any gift cards that they already have.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-47864580