Rail station outlets face clampdown on rip-off prices

[Birmingham]

As others have alluded to at many stations it's well worth taking a short walk off the premises for much better value. At Cheltenham Spa there is an SSP Starbucks on the platform (at least an improvement from the Pumpkin previously) but just over the road opposite the station there are a couple of lovely independent coffee shops, plus a Tesco Express for your essentials.

 

[Iskra]

But the point is people are paying the higher prices, and in droves!

When I was over there, the WH Smith’s at Victoria was their highest revenue branch in the country. The Boots at Liverpool Street was their third highest revenue in the country. And so on.

It’s called the free market - if people aren’t prepared to pay, they go out of business- some do, but most don‘t.

I think times have changed and people are increasingly voting with their wallets and not tolerating such prices when there is another fairly nearby option. That’s one of the reasons why we’re starting to see stores closing down, as per the thread title, and units remaining empty for long periods.

If you look at Sheffield station, the bland SSP et al overpriced outlets seem to see sparse trade while those with slightly better priced offerings thrive.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

As others have alluded to at many stations it's well worth taking a short walk off the premises for much better value.

Undoubtedly, but many passengers rocking up at a station, maybe five or ten minutes before departure time, and possibly with luggage and using a train specific advance ticket, aren't then going to leave the station to try to save a quid or so on a cup of coffee.

 

[thelongestroad]

Is this the latest red wall election winning strategy?

 

[Birmingham]

As a matter of interest there's now a Costa Coffee at Bristol Temple Meads but it's a franchise within the WHSmith so it doesn't accept Costa cards/gift cards. However, most Costa Coffee outlets even in stations do accept Costa cards/gift cards, so if you're lucky enough to be travelling through a station with a Costa Coffee outlet you may feel slightly less ripped off than usual.

 

[Iskra]

Beer, another beverage of great importance, is also outrageously priced (to a Northener at least) at SSP and other outlets on stations. Manchester's Victoria and Piccadilly are particularly bad - unfortunately many of the traditional boozers, as an alternative, in the immediate area have long since gone.

A bit of a luxury though, so less objectionable. And I think you expect to pay a premium at a station pub unless it’s a ‘Spoons. Of course the cost of a pint anywhere seems to have shot up in the last few years…

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 18 Jun 2023 ==

As a matter of interest there's now a Costa Coffee at Bristol Temple Meads but it's a franchise within the WHSmith so it doesn't accept Costa cards/gift cards. However, most Costa Coffee outlets even in stations do accept Costa cards/gift cards, so if you're lucky enough to be travelling through a station with a Costa Coffee outlet you may feel slightly less ripped off than usual.

Costa-owned stores only a charge a minor premium at stations, but some of the franchises take the premium a bit too far IMO, so always worth studying the menu board prices before committing. The ones in Wales, the South West and Inverness seem to be of the more expensive variety whereas those on LNER/EMR stations are more reasonable.

 

[43066]

That’s one of the reasons why we’re starting to see stores closing down, as per the thread title, and units remaining empty for long periods.

It says they’re facing a clamp down on prices,
rather than closing down. I haven’t seen much evidence of units going unused since Covid came to an end and passengers have returned.

If you look at Sheffield station, the bland SSP et al overpriced outlets seem to see sparse trade while those with slightly better priced offerings thrive.

The M&S (which I assume is SSP) seems to do quite well. There’s little alternative nearby of course.

 

[Iskra]

Also, if the TOC’s served good-quality coffee on board, they could probably hoover up the coffee market fairly quickly, making a decent margin on it in the process…

 

[Bletchleyite]

Also, if the TOC’s served good-quality coffee on board, they could probably hoover up the coffee market fairly quickly, making a decent margin on it in the process…

I'm not sure that's true. The coffee sold by Avanti and LNER is perfectly good, but peoples' habit is to buy it beforehand so as to avoid the risk of it not being available on board due to a fault or staffing problem.

 

[43066]

I'm not sure that's true. The coffee sold by Avanti and LNER is perfectly good, but peoples' habit is to buy it beforehand so as to avoid the risk of it not being available on board due to a fault or staffing problem.

Indeed.

When we’ve discussed this previously I think the consensus has been that it’s difficult to make on-train catering pay, even though trolleys tend to charge even more extortionate prices than SSP outlets, due to the convenience/captive market.

 

[wilbers]

Some places must have a branch of a chain in a station and a high street location very close by - the one I know of is Greggs in Newcastle station - there is another just across the road from it - almost close enough to see one from the other!

 

[Richardr]

Don't forget that, despite the government spin by the Daily Telegraph, the market study is a study into the operation of the market for station retail outlets, of which the prices they charge is a result, not the thing specifically being investigated. As per the consultation on the market study, one of their main issues is the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 which grants businesses security of tenure. This means that once a business has a lease it can't be evicted except under certain strict requirements, even at the end of the lease, and so those with an existing lease stay put, and new businesses can not enter the market. One of the few ways that can change is if the station is redeveloped (i.e. the property subject to the original lease no longer exists).

They are looking as much on the operation of the market for new operators, and its effect in reducing Network Rail's (and other station owners') income, as the effect on consumer prices. The latter is very much a knock on effect of the market for leases.

It will take them up to a year to reach their conclusions, and if it is recommended that the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 should be abolished / replaced that will affect much more than the railways and will, if ever done, take years.

 

[jayah]

I would have thought there were other things about our railways that could be fixed first. However, in the unlikely event this leads anywhere, presumably all that will happen is that companies will have separate branded outlets on stations - no more franchised Prets from SSP, plenty of Camden Food Co. instead.

Perhaps next the government might like to look at why my local corner shop sells milk for more than Aldi.

Lots of large stations with no vending machines. When the SSP outlets shut up shop, there is often nowhere to buy food and drink and often no catering on the trains either.

ORR should check out food prices at festivals and airports if they think railway stations are profiteering.

 

[Scott1]

Indeed.

When we’ve discussed this previously I think the consensus has been that it’s difficult to make on-train catering pay, even though trolleys tend to charge even more extortionate prices than SSP outlets, due to the convenience/captive market.

Indeed. I remember, about 15 years ago, atrial where onboard coffee was sold on train for £1.50 At the time this was the same price as in any coffee shop or most places. Sales did increase, about 25% but it significantly increased the losses the trolleys suffered, so was knocked on the head. They also tried promotions, like buy a coffee get a pastry or porridge for a pound, with more success, but not enough to get excited about.

It's a service people expect on long distance trains, so it gets subsidised. Retail outlets on stations on the other hand subsidise the railway to a degree.

 

[BurtonM]

I don’t remember Stalybridge Buffet being particularly expensive

Stalybridge has never had anything except independent retail - the P1-3 waiting room has a small refreshment stall in it (does that still operate?) to replace the previous one, and the buffet bar is just a local pub. SSP were never involved.

Manchester Arena used to have one which you could access via Manchester Victoria station from memory

Yes it did: it closed long before the arena bombing even. It was slightly problematic though - the McD's was widely advertised in the immediate area. However the arena foyer had exits that opened onto both sides of a manual ticket gateline for P3-6 that Abellio Northern had imposed, meaning you could skip the gateline by passing through the arena foyer - I'm not sure why but Northern didn't (couldn't?) block access to the arena from either side. A lot of people made use of this as it alleviated queues and such - Northern were manually checking tickets (well, as much as zero hour contract staff did) and it caused a massive choke point. Way in the past (I must have been about 15), in the days of Northern dishing out excessive, unfair penalties, a friend and I had entered Victoria station on foot, gone up the stairs to the arena foyer to eat at McDonald's, and come back down again. When we attempted to leave the station a plain clothed RPI tried to stop us from leaving the station and accused us of fare evasion despite having had no intention to travel. He refused to believe that we had only intended to eat at McDonald's and insisted that we produce valid tickets. Rather mercifully as it happened, we both still had our tickets that we'd used to travel into Manchester earlier that day (from completely different places!), and showing these to the RPI dismissed him in short order. However he was heavy handed and completely unreasonable in his approach, seeking only to exploit people and profit from them. Eating at the McDonald's was a perfectly reasonable explanation and it was entirely unfair of him to accuse us of fare dodging with no justification.

 

[yorksrob]

I'm surprised that Maccy D didn't relocate into the main station building at Man Vic during the refurb. Probably would have done better.

 

[Sealink]

Made the mistake of buying a Coke from the kings cross WHSmith, never again now I go to the small Waitrose across the concourse.

Indeed, even the M&S at Euston is cheaper than many of the SSP outlets, and there's also a Sainsbury's Local there too.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Indeed, even the M&S at Euston is cheaper than many of the SSP outlets, and there's also a Sainsbury's Local there too.

The Sainos is well hidden - you have to go out of the other side by the stairs down to the car park heading towards an area that looks like it's sealed off for HS2, but it is there and very handy!

One handy thing it does is hot food e.g. potted chillis/curries.

 

[Mojo]

I've never bought anything at a Swiss airport and likely never will, but the outlets I use at railway stations (mostly Coop!) are pretty reasonable; some items are quite expensive e.g. sandwiches, but that is true of anywhere in Switzerland, and the quality is among the best I've experienced; much better than you get in the UK, so the overall value isn't that bad. Whereas at stations in the UK you can end up paying rip-off prices for stuff that isn't of good quality.

Having got back from Zurich yesterday, I wonder how much of the retail on stations is related to the bonkers Sunday trading laws that seem commonplace in German speaking countries, including Switzerland.

Most of the stations which have exceptions from their Sunday trading laws seem to have massive supermarkets and the bigger stations have huge shopping arcades. Certainly yesterday the underneath of the main station was packed with people shopping!

 

[The Planner]

Surely some entrepreneurial type on here could start a railway equivalent of Just off ?

I will provide a name and address for my 10% idea commission.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

As a matter of interest there's now a Costa Coffee at Bristol Temple Meads but it's a franchise within the WHSmith so it doesn't accept Costa cards/gift cards. However, most Costa Coffee outlets even in stations do accept Costa cards/gift cards, so if you're lucky enough to be travelling through a station with a Costa Coffee outlet you may feel slightly less ripped off than usual.

But even the Costa "buy 8 get one free" scheme will change to "buy 10 get one free" in August.
Pumpkin has been at that level for several years, and I think Bite is 10% off.

 

[Bletchleyite]

But even the Costa "buy 8 get one free" scheme will change to "buy 10 get one free" in August.
Pumpkin has been at that level for several years, and I think Bite is 10% off.

You can't get new Bite cards though. Mine stopped swiping years ago.

 

[Wolfie]

The Sainos is well hidden - you have to go out of the other side by the stairs down to the car park heading towards an area that looks like it's sealed off for HS2, but it is there and very handy!

One handy thing it does is hot food e.g. potted chillis/curries.

I used that Sainsbury's a fair amount in the past but must admit that l thought that it had closed.

 

[xotGD]

Sainos

What???

 

[vic-rijrode]

What???

You know - like Tescbury's, Asdi, Morridl's, Li-Op etc.

 

[Bald Rick]

Indeed, even the M&S at Euston is cheaper than many of the SSP outlets, and there's also a Sainsbury's Local there too.

M&S Euston is SSP….

(Hence the higher prices and pink barcodes on some products)

 

[SuspectUsual]

At Cheltenham Spa there is an SSP Starbucks on the platform (at least an improvement from the Pumpkin previously) but just over the road opposite the station there are a couple of lovely independent coffee shops, plus a Tesco Express for your essentials.

There’s a fantastic indy coffee shop just next to Worcester Foregate Street. And, coincidentally, a Tesco Express

Maybe we need a thread that could act as a directory of coffee shops and supermarkets within two minutes walk of stations

 

[Sealink]

M&S Euston is SSP….

(Hence the higher prices and pink barcodes on some products)

Yikes. They're everywhere!

 

[Bluejays]

The Sainos is well hidden - you have to go out of the other side by the stairs down to the car park heading towards an area that looks like it's sealed off for HS2, but it is there and very handy!

One handy thing it does is hot food e.g. potted chillis/curries.

Sainos is such an awful abbreviation, that I'm wondering if there's any Australian in you . They've got form for this kind of thing. Ambos etc

 

[Kite159]

There’s a fantastic indy coffee shop just next to Worcester Foregate Street. And, coincidentally, a Tesco Express

Maybe we need a thread that could act as a directory of coffee shops and supermarkets within two minutes walk of stations

Or make it a 5 minutes walk, that way it will allow the likes of the Sainsburys Local & Tesco Metro Express near Kings Cross