Companies That You Expect to Disappear Soon

[ChrisC]

Indeed and I'll only go there if I really want a "posh" coffee. Otherwise, I go to the nearest cafe

I really do like a good standard of coffee but try to avoid all these chains like Costa, Starbucks, Cafe Nero etc whenever possible. When visiting places I usually try to search out a good local independent coffee shop and support them instead.

Not being part of this coffee culture I don’t like using Costa (or any coffee shop). If I get dragged into one by Mrs H I have tea.

Although I like a good cup of coffee I do also enjoy a good cup of tea. I much prefer tea in the afternoon than coffee. The price of tea in some of these places is a bit high these days. Around £2.50 in places like Costa and all they do is pour boiling water on one tea bag. I know they have staff to pay and other overheads but the actual product must cost them less than 5p.

 

[Busaholic]

They have shut 8 branches this year and are planning to close one more. That is perfectly normal for a store estate the size of theirs. They are a massive company owned by an even bigger company with deep pockets. The news stories are completely exaggerated for clicks.

In comparison to the 9 closures, how many branches have they opened this year? Clue - it's more than 9.

They aren't going anywhere or in any trouble.

The Costa branch in the Wharfside Shopping Centre in Penzance had to close suddenly last November after the 'builders' working on the first floor flats area removed what was in effect their rear roof during the first prolonged wet weather for months, and 'forgot' to put any tarpaulin or other covering over it. This was on a Monday, calls to the manager of the centre went unanswered (his day off, apparently) and it was the Wednesday before any covering appeared, a period of almost continuous heavy rain! Tuesday was the last day's trade, without WCs or any cutlery/crockery/cups other than takeaway. I was there on both afternoons.

Long story, but Costa not only planned to reopen but expand into the next door unit, which was vacant, like the majority of shops there. The idea was that it would in fact become a 'flagship' small town store, trialling new layouts and ideas. It all became dependent on both the insurance payout and the total safe rewiring etc of both units, but there was talk of reopening in February this year, ridiculously over-optiimistic imo, but a statement of intent nevertheless. After some months and the landlords not even beginning to dehumidify the premises the Costa franchisees proposed instead to move to other empty units unaffected by the 'accident', and were told 'fine, that'll cost you a downpayment of £120,000'. Costa demurred, and a town without another reliable, open-all-day coffee shop whether independent or chain has suffered ever since. The landlords? Just waiting for Iceland (no parking) and the Card Factory to move out , probably, then propose turning it all into flats. Cynical, moi?!

 

[Iskra]

I really do like a good standard of coffee but try to avoid all these chains like Costa, Starbucks, Cafe Nero etc whenever possible. When visiting places I usually try to search out a good local independent coffee shop and support them instead.

Although I like a good cup of coffee I do also enjoy a good cup of tea. I much prefer tea in the afternoon than coffee. The price of tea in some of these places is a bit high these days. Around £2.50 in places like Costa and all they do is pour boiling water on one tea bag. I know they have staff to pay and other overheads but the actual product must cost them less than 5p.

The notion of supporting independents is laudable, but I do often find they are more expensive than the chains and quality is often poor; usually drinkable, but often insipid, an excellent espresso or americano is rare. The amount of cafes that can’t serve a black americano with a crema on it is shocking considering it’s the most basic product on the menu.

 

[dorsetdesiro]

Also some "independent" coffee shops are actually owned by giants like Harris&Hoole & Coffee1 are both owned by Caffe Nero.

I find it a bit cheeky when big names hide behind a seemingly local name like Waterstones are doing with bookshops in small towns.

 

[GatwickDepress]

The Nationwide app was updated over the weekend, I wasn't aware of the rebrand until I spent a few minutes trying to work out where the app had gone on Monday, I only realized when I tried to redownload it from the app store...

I couldn't access online banking for a couple of days with the rebrand, even after reinstalling the app and all that jazz. Customer support said I wasn't alone there, but it's up and running now at the very least.

Also some "independent" coffee shops are actually owned by giants like Harris&Hoole & Coffee1 are both owned by Caffe Nero.

I find it a bit cheeky when big names hide behind a seemingly local name like Waterstones are doing with bookshops in small towns.

Not the first time Harris+Hoole have courted controversy there, as they started with Tesco investing a substantial amount and owning 49% of the company. One of the few survivors of Tesco's 'a finger in every pie' strategy. Anyone remember the Hudl tablet and Tesco Direct?

 

[Farigiraf]

Also some "independent" coffee shops are actually owned by giants like Harris&Hoole & Coffee1 are both owned by Caffe Nero.

I find it a bit cheeky when big names hide behind a seemingly local name like Waterstones are doing with bookshops in small towns.

I've seen adverts for OneStop advertising themselves as a local people-owned establishment all the while they're secretly owned by Tesco!

 

[DannyMich2018]

It's been mentioned on here before about Pounstretcher.
The very large store in Hinckley near the station was closed in July and has re-opened now as a B and M. I can see B and M's existing store in Hinckley town centre closing sometime soon sadly as can't see demand for 2 stores in this sized town been sustainable.
Where I currently workin Kettering we have 2 Poundstretchers, one of which trades under the Bargain Buys name. Neither of these are ever busy so wouldn't be surprised if one of these goes.

 

[gg1]

I've seen adverts for OneStop advertising themselves as a local people-owned establishment all the while they're secretly owned by Tesco!

Similar principle to supermarkets using fictional farm names on their own brand food.

 

[dgl]

Similar principle to supermarkets using fictional farm names on their own brand food.

and that has the real problem that Aldi/Lidl use the fake brands on their regular quality stuff, the other supermarkets use it for their cheapo stuff, making the price comparisons pointless.

 

[Dai Corner]

I've seen adverts for OneStop advertising themselves as a local people-owned establishment all the while they're secretly owned by Tesco

The shops are franchises so are locally owned.

 

[richw]

At the time of coach de-reg the view of B.R. passenger marketing people that I knew was that Mrs Thatcher's underlying reason behind it was to annihilate B.R.'s passenger business. There was no need to work out how to privatise B.R. - it would just wither and die. Rail was so un-competitive, and badly managed.

Express coach routes (and indeed coach private hire) seem to be doing that themselves now.

The two subsidiaries in question are predominantly private hire Companies rather than true national express operators

 

[SuspectUsual]

The shops are franchises so are locally owned.

About 30% are franchised, the remainder are owned and operated by One Stop, ie Tesco

 

[Peter Sarf]

Not being part of this coffee culture I don’t like using Costa (or any coffee shop). If I get dragged into one by Mrs H I have tea.

That's me. Though, especially if out with the granddaughter, I will use Wetherspoons magic coffee cup - £1.25 for as many refills in a REAL mug as you like.

I would never pay Costa etc prices. But I even see people in a newsagents near me buying a big can of red bull for £2.69 - no food. Daft but probably very lucrative.

 

[Bald Rick]

Not likely to disappear altogether but looks like Costa coffee are in a bit of trouble, a huge cull of high Street branches on the way evenly, widely reported across various media sources last night but was too tired to post

A lot of Costa branches are franchises.

 

[C J Snarzell]

On the subject of Costa Coffee, I’ve noticed the outlet on the top level (close to platforms 13 & 14) at Manchester Piccadilly has permanently closed and the one located near the bay platforms where the ATMs are has been closed the last few times I have walked through the barriers.

CJ

 

[Mcr Warrior]

We seem to have possibly drifted off topic by discussing companies with a large number of branches across the country who are maybe contemplating closing a handful of (quite possibly) underperforming outlets, whilst, at the same time, opening numerous new stores at other locations.

These seem not really to be examples of "Companies That You Expect to Disappear Soon". Anyone agree / disagree?

 

[Techniquest]

@Mcr Warrior Yes I'd agree, perhaps we all love our hot beverages so much that we can't help ourselves To be honest, I'm surprised I hadn't weighed in with an opinion on Costa!

As for companies disappearing, I'd perhaps not suggest it as a big company but a local business here looks destined to go before too long. It's called Matrix, and when it opened it had lots of promise of being an entertainment venue with some indoor bowling, arcade machines and a few other things like that. It's never really taken off, from what I've seen, and I can't see it lasting many more months. It's already open less days than it was!

On a related note, does anywhere other than Hereford have MFA Bowling? Years ago, it was TGS but MFA took over. The ten-pin bowling centre has gone downhill massively over the years, and it's always been expensive but now it's prohibitively so. I went with my sister a while ago, and two games lasted a matter of minutes. For the £25 or so we'd paid, it was absolutely not worth it! Once upon a time you'd be queuing for a lane for ages, but the place just isn't very good now. How it keeps going I don't know!

 

[Trainguy34]

On a related note, does anywhere other than Hereford have MFA Bowling? Years ago, it was TGS but MFA took over. The ten-pin bowling centre has gone downhill massively over the years, and it's always been expensive but now it's prohibitively so. I went with my sister a while ago, and two games lasted a matter of minutes. For the £25 or so we'd paid, it was absolutely not worth it! Once upon a time you'd be queuing for a lane for ages, but the place just isn't very good now. How it keeps going I don't know!

IIRC there's one in Whitstable by the harbour.

 

[Typhoon]

IIRC there's one in Whitstable by the harbour.

There is (I pass it quite regularly, never been tempted inside). There are other ones in Burnley, Ilkeston and Jersey. The website seems to concentrate a lot on food and drink. The site at Whitstable is probably worth a few quid if developers got their hands on it (although whether the council would permit housing there, I don't know).

 

[DavidGrain]

I have mentioned Lloyds Pharmacy in the past with their withdrawal from Sainsbury's stores and Lloyds Direct no longer service Lloyds Pharmacy shops. It had just been announced that Pharmacy2U has bought Lloyds Direct from Lloyds Pharmacy.

 

[dorsetdesiro]

Just been in Poundland this morning, have noticed a less subtle but perhaps significant rebrand in their clothing line.

"PEP&CO" seems to be changing to "pepco" in line with their foreign sister companies. This might only be for the clothing & home range or a gradual start to rebrand the whole business as Pepco so time may tell with this.

 

[Ashley Hill]

Also Poundland now include the brand Dealz on some of their bags.

 

[Busaholic]

Also Poundland now include the brand Dealz on some of their bags.

If Deal in Kent were to be unfortunate enough to have a Poundland inflicted on them they could rejoice in the Deal Dealz.

 

[stadler]

I was talking to someone the other day that suggested that Rail Gourmet might not last much longer. There is no suggestion that the business is in trouble but i have always wondered how Rail Goumet keeps on going. With such high prices and a cheaper and much better and wider selection of food and drinks available at most supermarkets at major railway stations i am surprised they still make money. I never see the trolleys on trains selling that much. So i would not be surprised if they disappear in the next few years.

 

[Taunton]

On a related note, does anywhere other than Hereford have MFA Bowling? Years ago, it was TGS but MFA took over. The ten-pin bowling centre has gone downhill massively over the years, and it's always been expensive but now it's prohibitively so. I went with my sister a while ago, and two games lasted a matter of minutes. For the £25 or so we'd paid, it was absolutely not worth it! Once upon a time you'd be queuing for a lane for ages, but the place just isn't very good now. How it keeps going I don't know!

Ten pin bowling is a notable one, they mushroomed from the late 1950s when the automated equipment became available from the USA, lasted about 15 years then they pretty much died out. Must have been mid-1990s they suddenly started appearing again as a new thing, fresh novelty, but seemed to start to disappear again before the lockdown, which finally seems to have dealt the blow again. The nearest one here at Canary Wharf, by the A13 at the Newham/Dagenham border, part of an overall cinema/bowling/chain restaurant group which closed in Lockdown, had recently been totally demolished. Completely industrial area, so presumably warehousing to come.

 

[Carlisle]

I was talking to someone the other day that suggested that Rail Gourmet might not last much longer. There is no suggestion that the business is in trouble but i have always wondered how Rail Goumet keeps on going. With such high prices and a cheaper and much better and wider selection of food and drinks available at most supermarkets at major railway stations i am surprised they still make money. I never see the trolleys on trains selling that much. So i would not be surprised if they disappear in the next few years.

In my experience the buffet counters on the East & West coast I.C. services do reasonably well so aren’t likely to disappear soon, but happy to be corrected if wrong.

 

[Russel]

In my experience the buffet counters on the East & West coast I.C. services do reasonably well so aren’t likely to disappear soon, but happy to be corrected if wrong.

Buffets on Avanti and LNER are run directly by them though, aren't they, not Rail Gourmet?

Buffets are far more appealing, if I wanted to buy a cold drink on a train, I'd much rather get a cold bottle out of a fridge in a buffet than a warm bottle of coke of a trolley...

 

[Carlisle]

Buffets on Avanti and LNER are run directly by them though, aren't they, not Rail Gourmet?

Yes agreed, I was thinking Rail Gourmet or a similar company still supplies them at various stations

 

[Blindtraveler]

Rgr I believe the supplier for the East coast catering operations both standard buffet and first class complementary

 

[dorsetdesiro]

As mentioned earlier about discount stores changing their names to reflect multi pricing moving away from £1 per item - I can see one store "One Below" has changed to "One Beyond" as most things would be now over £1