Companies That You Expect to Disappear Soon

[Dai Corner]

I have seen all the Homebases I know of gone. I did subsequently learn there were survivors - then I saw them go !. I had no idea any were still any left - not round Croydon or Cardiff though.

There's one in Newport, though apparently it is going to close later this year.

 

[Busaholic]

There's one in Newport, though apparently it is going to close later this year.

One in Truro too.

 

[Alanko]

The UK seems to be down to B&Q and Wickes for domestic DIY.

I wouldn't be surprised if B&Q is next. My local one is dirty and thinly stocked. The staff have told me "if I'm honest you'd be better buying one online" on several occasions. I go looking for wood for projects, only to be faced with racks of warped knotty pine at extortionate cost. It seems to get a bit of custom as a shop of last resort for tradesmen, but the aspirational DIY/garden/new kitchen side seems to be failing.

 

[tomuk]

I wouldn't be surprised if B&Q is next. My local one is dirty and thinly stocked. The staff have told me "if I'm honest you'd be better buying one online" on several occasions. I go looking for wood for projects, only to be faced with racks of warped knotty pine at extortionate cost. It seems to get a bit of custom as a shop of last resort for tradesmen, but the aspirational DIY/garden/new kitchen side seems to be failing.

Why they are doing fine. Sales are staying broadly steady in the face of a cost of living crisis and poor weather affecting seasonal trade. They are looking to make a £634m for the full year.

 

[Bald Rick]

I wouldn't be surprised if B&Q is next.

My local branch, recently opened, is doing a roaring trade. Always queues at the tills.

 

[Peter Sarf]

I wouldn't be surprised if B&Q is next. My local one is dirty and thinly stocked. The staff have told me "if I'm honest you'd be better buying one online" on several occasions. I go looking for wood for projects, only to be faced with racks of warped knotty pine at extortionate cost. It seems to get a bit of custom as a shop of last resort for tradesmen, but the aspirational DIY/garden/new kitchen side seems to be failing.

I know what you mean about the wood. I have wasted an eternity looking through wood for some that is not too knotty or warped. Sometimes thin pieces fall apart as I am handling them. Fire wood is a better description. Almost twenty years ago I wanted to make a small shelf/storage unit to go over the stairs and act as a bridge to support a tallboy wardrobe. After perusing several DIY stores I gave up and made it out of white melamine coated chipboard instead !.

My local branch, recently opened, is doing a roaring trade. Always queues at the tills.

I think my local B&Q has varying levels of custom. I tend to go there during the working day and avoid the weekend so expect it to be quieter then. Can still be queues at the staffed till(s).

 

[david1212]

Only Homebase near to me to serve 80,000+ population without travelling 10+ miles to a B&Q or Wickes for anything not available from Screwfix, Toolstation or Wilko. If iHomebase closed I would hope either B&Q or Wickes took the site over.

Generally I too have found timber a problem. Homebase have a limited range while have to sort through at B&Q and Wicks

Wilko sadly seem in a downward spiral. If items are not in stock they can not sell them to first cover costs then to satisfy the bean counters by generating profit. 6 months on and still empty spaces for DIY / decorating, chocolate and stationary.

Last week I wandered into Poundstrecher both Paignton & Torquay. Paignton did not seem as big a mess as a few years ago. Both very quiet while Poundland busy, which is not surprising when an item I looked at was £2 in Poundstrecher yet £1 in Poundland.

 

[Benters]

Equity Release Companies. Whilst said companies are rubbing their hands with glee at the thought of all the extra compound interest they can make due to several recent hikes in the Bank Base Rate, the warning signs are there.
It's the interest rate hikes, amongst other factors such as sky- high fuel bills which are causing people to view so-called lifetime mortgages with a lot more caution.
A recent report in one of the Sundays said three had been a sharp fall in lifetime mortgage applications in the first six months of this year. Expect a fair few of these companies to go pop in the next few years.

 

[Typhoon]

I have seen all the Homebases I know of gone. I did subsequently learn there were survivors - then I saw them go !. I had no idea any were still any left - not round Croydon or Cardiff though.

Croydon: according to their website, stores at Streatham Vale, Penge, Catford, Ewell, Orpington and Reigate
Cardiff - Wales does seem to be a Homebase desert. Only at Newport, Bridgend and Haverfordwest

(I was initially interested in my nearest one. As I never go past it I did wonder whether it was still about - helpful in the autumn as they are usually selling bulbs off cheap - not too fussy, just want colour).

What they have to offer seems to depend between stores. The Newport one doesn't do paint mixing and matching. Seems to concentrate on Kitchens and bathrooms. The Woolwich one is inside a Tesco Extra apparently so I don't expect there is much - again probably mainly a showroom -no garden centre.

 

[Peter Sarf]

Croydon: according to their website, stores at Streatham Vale, Penge, Catford, Ewell, Orpington and Reigate
Cardiff - Wales does seem to be a Homebase desert. Only at Newport, Bridgend and Haverfordwest

(I was initially interested in my nearest one. As I never go past it I did wonder whether it was still about - helpful in the autumn as they are usually selling bulbs off cheap - not too fussy, just want colour).

What they have to offer seems to depend between stores. The Newport one doesn't do paint mixing and matching. Seems to concentrate on Kitchens and bathrooms. The Woolwich one is inside a Tesco Extra apparently so I don't expect there is much - again probably mainly a showroom -no garden centre.

There used to be a Homebase in Streatham - perhaps the original one is still there I have not noticed !.

 

[Typhoon]

There used to be a Homebase in Streatham - perhaps the original one is still there I have not noticed !.

Rather like my local one, not really worth the effort (I know I will leave with almost nothing at best).

 

[brad465]

Reports that Etsy are withholding much of what should be paid to sellers for 45 days after a transaction is completed. Some are suggesting this is a possible sign the online marketplace is in financial trouble:

Etsy accused of 'destroying' sellers by withholding money

The online marketplace has come under fire for putting 75% of sellers' takings on hold for 45 days.

www.bbc.co.uk

Online marketplace Etsy has come under fire from sellers for putting 75% of their takings on hold for 45 days.
Hundreds of small businesses recently got an email from Etsy notifying them it was actioning its "reserve system".
Ceramics seller Rachel Collyer said Etsy was holding £899 of her money, which means she cannot afford to buy materials to keep producing.
Etsy said payment reserves were used to "keep the marketplace safe" and cover any potential refunds.
Ms Collyer has been selling ceramics on Etsy since 2021. She said she was given only a few hours' notice before her money was put on reserve.
"This is ruining my business - I can't afford to buy any clay or glazes. We might have to move house because I can't pay any bills," she said.

 

[railfan99]

Bunnings/Homebase

Bunnings (very successful in Australia, and owned by publicly listed on the ASX largely retail conglomerate, Wesfarmers) sold that disastrous UK acquisition in 2018, having made disastrous mistakes such as stocking numerous large BBQs that UK homeowners lacked the space for, and didn't want.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

The BBC are reporting this morning that Clinton Cards are in trouble again and closing a number of stores "to try to save the business".

 

[jon0844]

Why they are doing fine. Sales are staying broadly steady in the face of a cost of living crisis and poor weather affecting seasonal trade. They are looking to make a £634m for the full year.

Our local B&Q seems to have been close to closing many times (rumoured that the land will be used for flats, so it isn't so much B&Q going out of business, rather the site is very valuable for repurposing as it's in a town - not a retail park) so it does seem like management aren't trying hard because maybe they never expect to be there that long! The caked in dust on many products suggests a lot of things aren't sold regularly, if at all, and they seem to make do with one self checkout a lot of the time. (I know a DIY store is going to have loads of dust in the air, but you really need to see some things to see what I mean)

I've been popping in for small bits and bobs and at times you feel like customers are outnumbered by staff, and the car park being mostly empty is also quite telling.

But perhaps now it's the school holidays and we have another bank holiday coming up, they'll get a surge in trade from occasional DIYers like me. I doubt the trade have shopped there in many, many years.

 

[BJames]

The BBC are reporting this morning that Clinton Cards are in trouble again and closing a number of stores "to try to save the business".

I can't say I'm hugely shocked by this.

Our local B&Q seems to have been close to closing many times (rumoured that the land will be used for flats, so it isn't so much B&Q going out of business, rather the site is very valuable for repurposing as it's in a town - not a retail park) so it does seem like management aren't trying hard because maybe they never expect to be there that long! The caked in dust on many products suggests a lot of things aren't sold regularly, if at all, and they seem to make do with one self checkout a lot of the time. (I know a DIY store is going to have loads of dust in the air, but you really need to see some things to see what I mean)

I've been popping in for small bits and bobs and at times you feel like customers are outnumbered by staff, and the car park being mostly empty is also quite telling.

But perhaps now it's the school holidays and we have another bank holiday coming up, they'll get a surge in trade from occasional DIYers like me. I doubt the trade have shopped there in many, many years.

Our local B&Q did close down, but it moved to the next retail park over (I believe the lease was up) - the site it has moved into is a little bit smaller but not wildly, it must have been doing ok to warrant a new store opening as otherwise this was a perfect opportunity to close and not replace!

They've also opened a 'B&Q Local' on Palmers Green high street (this may have been there a number of months now, but only passed through for the first time in ages very recently) - from someone who popped in to visit I think this was more a Robert Dyas style store on the high street.

 

[dangie]

Apart from dispensing prescriptions & medicine, I can’t understand why anyone would use Boots Chemist. For items readily available elsewhere they are considerably more expensive.

 

[Busaholic]

Apart from dispensing prescriptions & medicine, I can’t understand why anyone would use Boots Chemist. For items readily available elsewhere they are considerably more expensive.

Their Advantage Card has always offered many more benefits than other store cards, though, added to their 3 for price of 2 on own-brand and some other vitamin pills, etc, it's not too bad if you don't mind keeping a store cupboard.

 

[Bald Rick]

Apart from dispensing prescriptions & medicine, I can’t understand why anyone would use Boots Chemist. For items readily available elsewhere they are considerably more expensive.

it smells nice.

More seriously, it is seen as a ‘safe’ place where you can get things in a rather nice, hassle free environment. In my experience 60-70% of the customers are female.

 

[Busaholic]

In my experience 60-70% of the customers are female.

And of a certain age (below my own, i hasten to add.) In my town, Boots and Superdrug are near neighbours, but almost the only people who go in both are the known shoplifters.

 

[WatcherZero]

I dont understand how Clinton keeps going, selling marginally better quality cards for three times the price of places like Card Factory, tiny novelty packaging bars of Toblerone for a tenner and overpriced mugs and stuffed bears.

 

[SuspectUsual]

I dont understand how Clinton keeps going, selling marginally better quality cards for three times the price of places like Card Factory, tiny novelty packaging bars of Toblerone for a tenner and overpriced mugs and stuffed bears.

See also hallmark

 

[Snow1964]

Not a UK company, but US trucking company Yellow has ceased. It was 99 years old and had 30,000 employees.

 

[Typhoon]

Apart from dispensing prescriptions & medicine, I can’t understand why anyone would use Boots Chemist. For items readily available elsewhere they are considerably more expensive.

Their Advantage Card has always offered many more benefits than other store cards, though, added to their 3 for price of 2 on own-brand and some other vitamin pills, etc, it's not too bad if you don't mind keeping a store cupboard.

What I struggle with is is how useless their marketing is. I have one of their Advantage cards - somewhere, I have had it for many years. They knew I was an old man when I got the card. I am a much older man now but I get e-mails like:

You keep meaning to top up on Max-Factor Lasting Performance Foundation and then life just gets in the way - we know how it is.

Just a little nudge... while you're here.

I have never had the urge to wear make up of any description (i guess it is make up), even in the early seventies, and having had a beard for well over half a century, I reckon I would look even more stupid than I do.

Make your lash fantasies come true, James, with the NEW Benefit Fan Fest Mascara!

Treat your lashes and refresh your make-up bag with £5 worth of Advantage Card points when you spend £40 on Benefit.

The nearest I come to a make-up bag will have toothpaste, toothbrush, flannel, soap and deodorant in it. I used to buy deodorant from Boots - own brand, labelled 'men's' - but they stopped selling it. Suggestions since have been brands, ones which I don't like and can get cheaper elsewhere.

I may have fantasies but not about lashes of any description!

Then, from time to time, I get invitations to Over 60's Reward Events - two hours away, by rail and/ or bus! They know my address. Have I been in that branch - probably, once, perhaps twice. on my way back from places.

Tuesdays I usually get e-mails from them - usually spend stacks on 'Premium Fragrance' - I could feed myself for a week for the cost of that stuff. The only reason I don't unsubscribe is that it cheers me up to see how wide of the mark they can be. Then 'Delete'.

It could just be me that receives this sort of junk, but I doubt it.

 

[adc82140]

Apart from dispensing prescriptions & medicine, I can’t understand why anyone would use Boots Chemist. For items readily available elsewhere they are considerably more expensive.

I've not been in a Boots since I last had a roll of Kodachrome developed.

They used to carry a lot wider range of stuff, like audio equipment. I used to buy TDK blank cassettes in there as they were always the cheapest.

Edit- just looked on Amazon, and you can still buy them, but at the best part of 25 quid for a 5 pack of D90s. Yikes.

 

[tomuk]

I dont understand how Clinton keeps going, selling marginally better quality cards for three times the price of places like Card Factory, tiny novelty packaging bars of Toblerone for a tenner and overpriced mugs and stuffed bears.

It hasn't it has gone bust twice in 2012 and 2019 and currently has the 'advisers' in again at the moment with 30+ shops due to close after trying to arrange a CVA and close 60+ shops earlier in the year.

 

[DelW]

I've not been in a Boots since I last had a roll of Kodachrome developed.

One USP of Boots, for me, is the CEWE machines they have in most branches that will produce photo prints from digital files on most physical media (I think there's an option to upload to a website as well, but I've never used that).

Last week I wanted three prints of a family photo that I'd taken, to pass on to the relatives that it showed. One I printed as a 6" x 6" print with "Happy Birthday" and a decorative border added, the others were a 7" x 5" and a 6" x 4" print. I took it in on a USB memory stick, and the whole process only took a few minutes, most of which was me experimenting with how I wanted the birthday print to look. Total cost was £2.05, which I thought was good value, and would probably barely have covered the postage if I'd used an online service.

 

[Bald Rick]

Finding the Boots discussion fascinating. They are in absolutely no danger of going under.

As the demographic of Boots’ customers is largely female, and the demographic of this forum is largely not, then I think it’s fair to say that this forum is not representative of typical Boots’ customers.

 

[Ediswan]

I've not been in a Boots since I last had a roll of Kodachrome developed.

They used to carry a lot wider range of stuff, like audio equipment. I used to buy TDK blank cassettes in there as they were always the cheapest.

Boots used to sell own-brand slide rules.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Finding the Boots discussion fascinating. They are in absolutely no danger of going under.

As the demographic of Boots’ customers is largely female, and the demographic of this forum is largely not, then I think it’s fair to say that this forum is not representative of typical Boots’ customers.

Do Boots still do as extensive a range of sandwiches as they used to? Until this discussion I hadn't realised how long it had been since the Boots meal deal was my lunch of choice... must be getting on for fifteen years.