Companies That You Expect to Disappear Soon

[BuhSnarf]

Oh Crickey. We in Croydon, if our Poundstretcher goes, do not have a B&M or Home Bargains to take up the slack.

Then again I find Poundstretcher less attractive these days. Not sure why I go in.

Oops, I missed out the "almost" in my post - edited now. They were close to going under but managed to secure a restructuring plan looking at reducing rent. Sounds very similar to our friends at TGJones...

 

[Peter Sarf]

Oops, I missed out the "almost" in my post - edited now. They were close to going under but managed to secure a restructuring plan looking at reducing rent. Sounds very similar to our friends at TGJones...

Probably won't last much longer mind you. Certainly not all branches.

 

[BuhSnarf]

Probably won't last much longer mind you. Certainly not all branches.

Yes, I've been surprised it's lasted as long as it has if I'm honest. I have one that is literally a 2 minute walk from my house (I can see it from my bedroom window) and I will often drive 20 minutes up the road to go Home Bargains over nipping over the road as the quality of the products there are often very inferior to Home Bargains or a B&M.

 

[Peter Sarf]

Yes, I've been surprised it's lasted as long as it has if I'm honest. I have one that is literally a 2 minute walk from my house (I can see it from my bedroom window) and I will often drive 20 minutes up the road to go Home Bargains over nipping over the road as the quality of the products there are often very inferior to Home Bargains or a B&M.

I have got cynical over Poundstretchers discounting policy. Prices raised and then a discount shown. Makes me hesitate to go in especially as the quality often seems similar to the One Pound shops who have even started selling comparable items at prices other than one pound.

 

[Gareth1990]

The way things are going FIFA look in trouble…

Uefa agrees to boycott Fifa competitions if World Cup sell-off plans proceed

Uefa nations have agreed to boycott all Fifa tournaments if the global governing body continues with its plan to sell off stakes in the World Cup

www.theguardian.com

 

[Peter Sarf]

The way things are going FIFA look in trouble…

Uefa agrees to boycott Fifa competitions if World Cup sell-off plans proceed

Uefa nations have agreed to boycott all Fifa tournaments if the global governing body continues with its plan to sell off stakes in the World Cup

www.theguardian.com

Hope so. Infantino trying to milk it for his own benefit while making a large quick buck to entice as many members as he needs. It is called leveraging assets I think !.

And there was me thinking football was a sport, that ordinary folk can play. No it is high priced entertainment paying for a few pre-madonnas.

Give it ten to twenty years and will have imploded and be back to cheaper that it is now.

After all it is not an essential service like Electricity, Gas or Water is it, or is it ?.
(oh and the railways)

 

[wilbers]

AFC joins Uefa and Concacaf in opposing Fifa plan

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) says it "stands in solidarity" with Uefa and Concacaf in opposition to Fifa's proposal to sell stakes in its competitions to private investors.

www.bbc.co.uk

In a statement published on Friday, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) said it "stands in solidarity" with its counterparts in Europe and North, Central America and the Caribbean.

Now essentially mathematically impossible for it to pass.

 

[Dai Corner]

pre-madonnas.

I don't know whether that pun was deliberate or not but it's brilliant and I'm going to nick it

 

[johntea]

Sainsburys have sold Argos

The new owners will get the standalone stores and the concessions in Sainsbury stores for now although I can’t help thinking that won’t last forever

Sainsbury's agrees to sell Argos for £120m

Under the terms of the deal, Argos will still operate in Sainsbury's shops, sell Habitat products, and offer Nectar points.

www.bbc.co.uk

Supermarket group Sainsbury's has agreed the sale of Argos to Swift Partners for £120million, a decade after it bought the retailer.

Sainsbury's will receive cash proceeds of at least £120million from the sale, with a £70million up-front payment when the deal completes next year.

The supermarket giant said it had sold Argos to Swift Partners, a group of retail specialists which includes former Co-Operative Group boss Richard Pennycook.

Sainsbury's boss Simon Roberts said the group had ‘carefully considered’ options for Argos’s future and the deal would allow it to ‘fully focus on its core food business’.

 

[Dr Hoo]

Perhaps worth noting that you can ‘click and collect’ at least some Argos products from at least some Sainsbury’s Local stores that don’t have a dedicated Argos counter in store. I’ve done that fairly recently. So the ‘reach’ can be pretty wide.

 

[Djgr]

Sainsburys have sold Argos

The new owners will get the standalone stores and the concessions in Sainsbury stores for now although I can’t help thinking that won’t last forever

Sainsbury's agrees to sell Argos for £120m

Under the terms of the deal, Argos will still operate in Sainsbury's shops, sell Habitat products, and offer Nectar points.

www.bbc.co.uk

The clear direction of travel is the demise of Argos. When these were shoehorned into Sainsbury's stores Sainsbury's were forced to cut their range in them. This seemed nonsensical, given how empty the Argos section always is.

Another not so great Sainsbury's idea in the past was buying and selling Homebase.

 

[gswindale]

So, that was £1.4bn spent by Sainsbury's back in 2016 on Home Retail Group and a recovery of £720m in 2024 after selling Argos Financial Services and now £120m for selling Argos. So that's a £0.56bn loss for them on the face of it. Do Sainsbury's still own Habitat, or is that part of the Argos sale?

 

[Gareth1990]

The clear direction of travel is the demise of Argos. When these were shoehorned into Sainsbury's stores Sainsbury's were forced to cut their range in them. This seemed nonsensical, given how empty the Argos section always is.

Another not so great Sainsbury's idea in the past was buying and selling Homebase.

I don’t think Argos will disappear, after all they are the only store left if you need something now and can’t wait for Amazon etc

 

[Djgr]

I don’t think Argos will disappear, after all they are the only store left if you need something now and can’t wait for Amazon etc

In my experience the standalone stores are rapidly closing (a la TGJones) and the instore ones are empty.

 

[SuspectUsual]

I don’t think Argos will disappear, after all they are the only store left if you need something now and can’t wait for Amazon etc

But that's the nub of the problem - Argos hold less and less stock actually in stores, so the opportunity to buy in person is reduced, whilst Amazon offers more and more same and next day delivery.

Unless you leave very close to a standalone Argos with a decent sized backup space, Amazon will likely be at least as quick, more convenient, and cheaper

 

[The exile]

In my experience the standalone stores are rapidly closing (a la TGJones) and the instore ones are empty.

Well, it takes very little time to pick an order up, so no one is in there very long.

 

[Peter Sarf]

I don't know whether that pun was deliberate or not but it's brilliant and I'm going to nick it

Your welcome !.

Sainsburys have sold Argos

The new owners will get the standalone stores and the concessions in Sainsbury stores for now although I can’t help thinking that won’t last forever

Sainsbury's agrees to sell Argos for £120m

Under the terms of the deal, Argos will still operate in Sainsbury's shops, sell Habitat products, and offer Nectar points.

www.bbc.co.uk

Really disappointing. This means the combination just did not work.

I don’t think Argos will disappear, after all they are the only store left if you need something now and can’t wait for Amazon etc

But how much turn up and buy type activity is there left ?.
And it only works at the main Argos showrooms.

But that's the nub of the problem - Argos hold less and less stock actually in stores, so the opportunity to buy in person is reduced, whilst Amazon offers more and more same and next day delivery.

Unless you leave very close to a standalone Argos with a decent sized backup space, Amazon will likely be at least as quick, more convenient, and cheaper

I agree. I think this indicates that online buying is slipping away from Argos.

When you see that Amazon Prime advertise that you can get an order to your home or collection point easily by the next day then ordering from Argos for click and collect is nothing special unless the price compares favourably with Amazon. Also I suspect the Argos range is limited by comparison.

In my experience Argos hold very little, if any, stock in the Sainsburys supermarkets. If I want something quick then I have to check the stock level at a main Argos and go there - which is not as convenient as my main out-of-town Sainsburys.

Come to think about it Amazon do not have to staff collection points. Whereas the Argos branches within Sainsburys still have staff. Fine if a lot of turn up and browse shopping is going on but I suspect not. Especially if what you want has to come from somewhere else within Argos anyway.

 

[The exile]

Your welcome !.

Really disappointing. This means the combination just did not work.

But how much turn up and buy type activity is there left ?.
And it only works at the main Argos showrooms.

I agree. I think this indicates that online buying is slipping away from Argos.

When you see that Amazon Prime advertise that you can get an order to your home or collection point easily by the next day then ordering from Argos for click and collect is nothing special unless the price compares favourably with Amazon. Also I suspect the Argos range is limited by comparison.

In my experience Argos hold very little, if any, stock in the Sainsburys supermarkets. If I want something quick then I have to check the stock level at a main Argos and go there - which is not as convenient as my main out-of-town Sainsburys.

Come to think about it Amazon do not have to staff collection points. Whereas the Argos branches within Sainsburys still have staff. Fine if a lot of turn up and browse shopping is going on but I suspect not. Especially if what you want has to come from somewhere else within Argos anyway.

Probably a matter of whether they can survive long enough until the exemption from duty on small parcel imports ends.

 

[Peter Sarf]

Probably a matter of whether they can survive long enough until the exemption from duty on small parcel imports ends.

Good point, forgot that.

That exemption does allow an awful lot of low quality into the UK. Some of my eBay purchases would be so much better for very little extra spent on materials.

 

[SuspectUsual]

In my experience Argos hold very little, if any, stock in the Sainsburys supermarkets. If I want something quick then I have to check the stock level at a main Argos and go there - which is not as convenient as my main out-of-town Sainsburys.

They absolutely don't. The big Sainsbury's stores were always pretty tight on backup space when they were fully a Sainsbury's, and compared to the Sainsbury's range the Argos stuff is on average bulkier and slower moving, so they physically can't hold enough.

Also, bear in mind a typical large supermarket (big Sainsbury's, Tesco Extra type) will hold somewhere in the region of 28,000 to 30,000 unique products. The full Argos range is currently just over 60,000 SKUs

 

[Harpo]

Amazon will likely be at least as quick, more convenient, and cheaper…..

and delivered to the wrong address.

At least with Argos, it’ll go to the right place and be there for collection early the next day. Their only downside is their weird geographical availability, doubly annoying when bargains are only available xx miles away.

 

[Djgr]

In the last decade standalone Argos stores have fallen from around 845 to around 190.

 

[TheSmiths82]

I actually like Argos, it is good for basic items like basic furniture and I usually find items are in stock. I even thought a replica ZX Spectrum from one last year! However I think they do have a far big product range. I remember trying to return a faulty external hard drive I bought from there several years ago. They kept telling me that is excluded from their returns policy because it is a hard drive, the staff member didn't seem to understand that because it was faulty I was entitled to a refund. After much arguing I did get a refund but I stopped shopping there until Sainsbury's took it over.

 

[Andyh82]

I know many here seem to get excited by the idea of every legacy shop closing down, but at least being a proper shop, you get some sort of quality control. Amazon seem to be getting worse, the delivery service seems to be the worst in the market, and since the platform was taken over by third party sellers, you can end up with some rubbish poor quality products. The amount of stuff I send back for being damaged or poor quality.

 

[Peter Sarf]

I actually like Argos, it is good for basic items like basic furniture and I usually find items are in stock. I even thought a replica ZX Spectrum from one last year! However I think they do have a far big product range. I remember trying to return a faulty external hard drive I bought from there several years ago. They kept telling me that is excluded from their returns policy because it is a hard drive, the staff member didn't seem to understand that because it was faulty I was entitled to a refund. After much arguing I did get a refund but I stopped shopping there until Sainsbury's took it over.

I agree Argos is on of a kind. Gone are Index and suchlike. But I am of an age where internet buying is not ingrained in me.

 

[Dai Corner]

I agree Argos is on of a kind. Gone are Index and suchlike. But I am of an age where internet buying is not ingrained in me.

We had 'printed catalogues and mail order; same principle but more primitive technology. Argos' innovation was to bring the warehouse closer to the consumer which gave them a speed advantage over the likes of Littlewood and Kays and, back then, a range, convenience and price advantage over conventional shops. Now most large retailers offer click & collect and Argos don't appear particularly cheap their only USP is same day delivery. I wonder if they'll push that more in the future, perhaps in conjunction with the bicycle food delivery industry?

An anecdote from a former Argos employee I know. They were incentivised to distribute as many catalogues as possible and he remembers being sent outside the front of his store with a pallet of them and thrust them into the hands of every passer-by.

Index was Littlewoods' response to Argos, sometimes standalone but often within their existing shops.

 

[sor]

I must be one of the few people who like Argos and the convenience of it being in the nearest Sainsbury. I'm not sure they even had an out of town location near me before that, so this is a win as far as I am concerned. At the ancestral home there is no nearby Sainsbury's, so they've kept their standalone store. I suspect this is true of most of the 190.

Never had major problems with stuff being out of stock, other than brand new popular items such as game releases where they're out of stock regardless of whether its a Sainsbury's or a standalone store.

Like others have said, its nice that even Argos/Sainsburys brand stuff is likely to have had some sort of quality control and actual proof of conformance to EU/UK safety standards as compared the random name slop on Amazon. Being able to get a few % off via those employer-provided discount portals is a nice bonus too. Another now-defunct reason was to avoid Amazon's "co mingling" where you might get a counterfeit item even if you bought it from Amazon or a reputable third party using their platform.

 

[wilbers]

I suspect this is true of most of the 190.

The Argos here in Penrith used to be on the main street (now that is a Peacocks), and the Argos didn't move into the main Sainsbury's store, but is a standalone one in the unit next to it. Can't be many like that across the country.

 

[skyhigh]

The Argos here in Penrith used to be on the main street (now that is a Peacocks), and the Argos didn't move into the main Sainsbury's store, but is a standalone one in the unit next to it. Can't be many like that across the country.

There are a few like this - at least a couple in Leeds with an Argos nearby/next to the main Sainsbury's.

I must be one of the few people who like Argos and the convenience of it being in the nearest Sainsbury. I'm not sure they even had an out of town location near me before that, so this is a win as far as I am concerned. At the ancestral home there is no nearby Sainsbury's, so they've kept their standalone store. I suspect this is true of most of the 190.

Never had major problems with stuff being out of stock, other than brand new popular items such as game releases where they're out of stock regardless of whether its a Sainsbury's or a standalone store.

Like others have said, its nice that even Argos/Sainsburys brand stuff is likely to have had some sort of quality control and actual proof of conformance to EU/UK safety standards as compared the random name slop on Amazon. Being able to get a few % off via those employer-provided discount portals is a nice bonus too. Another now-defunct reason was to avoid Amazon's "co mingling" where you might get a counterfeit item even if you bought it from Amazon or a reputable third party using their platform.

I have generally been a fan of Argos - as you say, you know you're getting a genuine item with some quality control and if you have an issue you can actually discuss it face-to-face with staff, rather than getting stuck with some useless bot on Amazon.

 

[Peter Sarf]

I must be one of the few people who like Argos and the convenience of it being in the nearest Sainsbury. I'm not sure they even had an out of town location near me before that, so this is a win as far as I am concerned. At the ancestral home there is no nearby Sainsbury's, so they've kept their standalone store. I suspect this is true of most of the 190.

Never had major problems with stuff being out of stock, other than brand new popular items such as game releases where they're out of stock regardless of whether its a Sainsbury's or a standalone store.

Like others have said, its nice that even Argos/Sainsburys brand stuff is likely to have had some sort of quality control and actual proof of conformance to EU/UK safety standards as compared the random name slop on Amazon. Being able to get a few % off via those employer-provided discount portals is a nice bonus too. Another now-defunct reason was to avoid Amazon's "co mingling" where you might get a counterfeit item even if you bought it from Amazon or a reputable third party using their platform.

I like Argos and ejoyed the competition with Index.

This is the problem with the rise of the internet. We have access to all sorts of rubbish - both products and information.

I do not predict the demise of the internet anytime soon.

What I predict is any establishment making or supplying one off purchase items is at risk unless there is ENFORCED legislation covering their area,
Things bought more frequently will survive because once a dud is bought the customer will move on and settle on what the find better. So batteries will do better long term than a once in a lifetime hedge trimmer. Food deliveries could be added to that list.