Companies That You Expect to Disappear Soon

[jon81uk]

The film industry’s franchise greed is killing originality & making cinema listings look like football scores.

Gladiator 2 - Paddington 3
Wicked 1 - Moanna 2

I agree that there is an issue with sequels and it is Marvel/Disney who caused a lot of the issue. But Inside Out 2 and Moana 2 have been some of the best box office returns of the year, so it could also be argued they are giving people what they want.

Wicked of course isn't a prequel and sequel, its one film split into two separate parts.

 

[Thirteen]

I agree that there is an issue with sequels and it is Marvel/Disney who caused a lot of the issue. But Inside Out 2 and Moana 2 have been some of the best box office returns of the year, so it could also be argued they are giving people what they want.

Wicked of course isn't a prequel and sequel, its one film split into two separate parts.

Wicked isn't original either, it's based on the stage musical which is based on a book that is inspired by The Wizard of Oz.

If audiences want to see sequels in their droves then who can blame the studios.

 

[SuspectUsual]

Gladiator 2 - Paddington 3

That’s a shock result though. Great win for the little guy

 

[Kite159]

That’s a shock result though. Great win for the little guy

Shows the power of marmalade sandwiches

----

As for those cinemas closing, no surprise at the cost of watching a movie these days, especially if you are a family/multiple friends. How many are waiting for those movies to either drop onto movie streaming websites or get released on Blu-Ray so they can watch it in the peace of their own homes with the ability to hit pause if they need to visit the bathroom or get another drink.

 

[jon0844]

Otherwise, WHS's retreat from high streets mat not be a loss as there are alternatives which I suppose is keeping Waterstones alive as the only remaining chain for books if there's a branch available.

WH Smith High Street has been run on a limited budget in so many locations for literal decades. My nearest store still has the same carpet and old shelving units that have nicely yellowed with age. It never got the facelift some stores got, and has no post office. At times it has zero staff on the floor and a button to call for assistance. Despite having no staff on the shop floor, I doubt anyone even bothers to go in to shoplift as it's so dead!

But WH Smith Travel is a totally different ballgame, and has such high profit margins and a captive market that I expect it could survive indefinitely. And I assume there's WH Smith News that distributes papers and magazines, and takes a pretty large cut of the cover price. Presumably like the supermarkets, at least when they had a large number of magazines and papers, they also charge for placement in a good position, or having shelf edge promotions etc.

I really can't see how high street shops can survive, but they've lasted waaaaaay longer than I ever thought so who knows?

 

[bspahh]

WH Smith High Street has been run on a limited budget in so many locations for literal decades. My nearest store still has the same carpet and old shelving units that have nicely yellowed with age. It never got the facelift some stores got, and has no post office.

My local WH Smith had a carpet which would have embarrassed Britannia Hotels, but it was replaced a year or two ago

 

[Jimini]

WH Smith High Street has been run on a limited budget in so many locations for literal decades. My nearest store still has the same carpet and old shelving units that have nicely yellowed with age. It never got the facelift some stores got, and has no post office. At times it has zero staff on the floor and a button to call for assistance. Despite having no staff on the shop floor, I doubt anyone even bothers to go in to shoplift as it's so dead!

But WH Smith Travel is a totally different ballgame, and has such high profit margins and a captive market that I expect it could survive indefinitely. And I assume there's WH Smith News that distributes papers and magazines, and takes a pretty large cut of the cover price. Presumably like the supermarkets, at least when they had a large number of magazines and papers, they also charge for placement in a good position, or having shelf edge promotions etc.

I really can't see how high street shops can survive, but they've lasted waaaaaay longer than I ever thought so who knows?

WHSmith News split away from WHS Retail about 20 years ago. They now trade as Smiths News Plc, with Menzies Distribution being the other main wholesaler (most independent wholesalers disappeared years ago, but a few remain in places such as the IoM, Jersey, Guernsey, Stornoway etc.).

 

[jon81uk]

As for those cinemas closing, no surprise at the cost of watching a movie these days, especially if you are a family/multiple friends. How many are waiting for those movies to either drop onto movie streaming websites or get released on Blu-Ray so they can watch it in the peace of their own homes with the ability to hit pause if they need to visit the bathroom or get another drink.

"the cost of watching a movie nowadays" is cheaper than it has ever been. As the previous poster noted some cinemas are charging £4.99-6.99. £7 now is the equivalent to about £4 twenty years ago and I was paying around £7 for the cinema back then.
Even a more expensive cinema at £15 is charging the equivilant of £8.50 twenty years ago. Prices have pretty much kept in line or lower than inflation.

Yes wages havn't gone up with inflation, but in general many peoples perception how much things cost is comparing prices to a long time ago when really some prices haven't actually gone up.


In terms of the option to watch at home either online or on DVD/Blu-Ray that has been there for a long time, 30 years ago you would go to the video rental store about six months after the cinema release.

 

[simonw]

Shows the power of marmalade sandwiches.

More the power of Hard Stares, I believe.

 

[bspahh]

"the cost of watching a movie nowadays" is cheaper than it has ever been. As the previous poster noted some cinemas are charging £4.99-6.99. £7 now is the equivalent to about £4 twenty years ago and I was paying around £7 for the cinema back then.
Even a more expensive cinema at £15 is charging the equivilant of £8.50 twenty years ago. Prices have pretty much kept in line or lower than inflation.

I've got a Cineworld Unlimited card. They sent an email recently saying they are increasing the price to £17.99 a month for their Group 2 cinemas (they listed here), which is back to what it cost before the pandemic. For me over the last year I have spent £2.27 a screening.

I prefer watching films in a cinema to at home on a DVD. Comedies are funnier in an audience. Action movies are properly loud, to a level which would be antisocial at home. I wear ear buds, which block out the sound of rustling popcorn. Parking is free, but its a 25 minute walk, which I would do anyway.

 

[gswindale]

I prefer watching films in a cinema to at home on a DVD. Comedies are funnier in an audience. Action movies are properly loud, to a level which would be antisocial at home. I wear ear buds, which block out the sound of rustling popcorn. Parking is free, but its a 25 minute walk, which I would do anyway.

And that is why I prefer watching films at home to a cinema - at home I have full control of the volume and don't have to suffer the ridiculously loud volume that some muppet at the cinema has decided to set it to to try and deafen everybody.

 

[richw]

And that is why I prefer watching films at home to a cinema - at home I have full control of the volume and don't have to suffer the ridiculously loud volume that some muppet at the cinema has decided to set it to to try and deafen everybody.

They’re meant to be loud to immerse the audience.

 

[gswindale]

They’re meant to be loud to immerse the audience.

Some of us like to enjoy a movie and feel immersed without feeling deafened. If it's louder than real life, then it is too loud and detracts from the experience.

 

[jon0844]

WHSmith News split away from WHS Retail about 20 years ago. They now trade as Smiths News Plc, with Menzies Distribution being the other main wholesaler (most independent wholesalers disappeared years ago, but a few remain in places such as the IoM, Jersey, Guernsey, Stornoway etc.).

I wonder what the branches charge the distributors to put mags/papers on the shelves these days then. I suspect they ask a lot, but at the same time, they've massively reduced the range (because there are so far fewer titles).

 

[Mag_seven]

Can we get back to discussing Companies that you expect to disappear soon please.

thanks

 

[Andyh82]

In regards to WHSmith, the massive one at Meadowhall is having a closing down sale, which most stock up to 50% off including Christmas cards and wrap reduced to £1, even at this time before Christmas

They are relocating to another unit though, presumably smaller and/or cheaper

 

[johntea]

Looks like WHSmith may be about to exit the high street entirely (but keep the transport branches)

WH Smith in secret talks to sell historic high street arm

London-listed WH Smith is in negotiations to sell the high street operation which opened its first store in central London in 1792, Sky News can exclusively reveal.

news.sky.com

WH Smith is in secret talks to sell its entire high street business in Britain more than 230 years after it opened its first shop in central London.

Sky News can exclusively reveal that the listed retail group, which has a market capitalisation of almost £1.5bn, has been in negotiations with a number of prospective buyers of the division for several weeks.

WH Smith will confirm the plan to the London Stock Exchange on Monday morning.

 

[Class 466]

Looks like WHSmith may be about to exit the high street entirely (but keep the transport branches)

WH Smith in secret talks to sell historic high street arm

London-listed WH Smith is in negotiations to sell the high street operation which opened its first store in central London in 1792, Sky News can exclusively reveal.

news.sky.com

"Secret talks" well they're not that secret clearly

 

[Iskra]

You’d have to be a bit daft or nefarious to buy those stores. There’s a reason those stores are up for sale…

 

[Harpo]

You’d have to be a bit daft or nefarious to buy those stores. There’s a reason those stores are up for sale…

It’s claimed that they’re profitable but are only 15% of total profits so the high street shops look like they have become a non-core activity.

 

[Iskra]

It’s claimed that they’re profitable but are only 15% of total profits so the libraries, sorry high street shops, look like they have become a non-core activity.

They might be profitable currently, but will they be after the next minimum wage increase? The timing of this speaks volumes.

 

[Egg Centric]

It’s claimed that they’re profitable but are only 15% of total profits so the high street shops look like they have become a non-core activity.

There's presumably nothing saying whoever buys them has to run them as a newsagent or whatever WH Smith counts as these days. They might be useful to the likes of poundstretcher or bargain booze for example.

 

[Harpo]

There's presumably nothing saying whoever buys them has to run them as a newsagent or whatever WH Smith counts as these days. They might be useful to the likes of poundstretcher or bargain booze for example.

There’s no need to buy businesses just to get retail premises these days. It’s a buyers market.

 

[Egg Centric]

There’s no need to buy businesses just to get retail premises these days. It’s a buyers market.

Maybe that's why no one has bought them then

 

[trebor79]

It’s claimed that they’re profitable but are only 15% of total profits so the high street shops look like they have become a non-core activity.

They're depressing run down shops in general. They look exactly like they did in the 1990s, except very careworn. The one in Norwich has the upstairs partly given over to ToysRUs, but with no lights on in that part and empty shelves in other parts of it.
Bizarre, unwelcoming and hardly conducive to making you want to buy anything in there (I certainly didn't).
Added to that any time you do buy anything they ask you if you want whatever confection they have on "special offer". No, if I'd wanted one I'd have got one.

 

[Peter Sarf]

There's presumably nothing saying whoever buys them has to run them as a newsagent or whatever WH Smith counts as these days. They might be useful to the likes of poundstretcher or bargain booze for example.

Chances are that most of the High Street WHSmiths are in leased buildings. If a new owner wanted to change the business then it would only be part of the sale in terms of a transfer of lease. So easier to just go lease an already vacant building.

 

[GusB]

My local branch of WH Smith closed last week when the shopping centre closed its doors. As far as I'm aware, the company isn't seeking an alternative location. To be honest, it's no great loss to me as most of the stuff it sold can be bought in the supermarkets or Poundland. Together with closure of Waterstones, it will probably mean a bit of a boost for the independent book seller in town. It's obviously a bit of a blow for the staff, though.

 

[Peter Sarf]

My local branch of WH Smith closed last week when the shopping centre closed its doors. As far as I'm aware, the company isn't seeking an alternative location. To be honest, it's no great loss to me as most of the stuff it sold can be bought in the supermarkets or Poundland. Together with closure of Waterstones, it will probably mean a bit of a boost for the independent book seller in town. It's obviously a bit of a blow for the staff, though.

I think this sums up the problem for WH Smith. Supermarkets have been adding clothes, stationery and other things to the offerings more recently (compared to the 1980s). This has eaten into the customer base for smaller shops. Then there is the internet.

Sainsburys, Morrisons, ASDA and Tesco have been offering clothes for a while then also stationery. So Marks and Spencer have been adding food to their portfolio - with success. WH Smith sites are too small to include other products that would bring in extra footfall. At transport hubs there is no room for the competing large supermarkets so WH Smith can survive there.

 

[Dai Corner]

News that the city centre branch of WH Smiths here in Newport was to close was in the local paper a few days ago. Most will probably have read it online though.

 

[Mojo]

I went to WHSMith a few weeks ago, the selection of products they had on sale from the Christmas range wouldn’t have looked out of place in early December, except of course it was January and everything was well over half off. I’d be surprised if they sold much at full price at all.