Companies That You Expect to Disappear Soon

[Brightonboy]

Arcadia is also adults only. Another good match for Cunard?

Arcadia was originally intended for Holland America line when built so is a close match for the other 4 Vista class in that fleet. She is also aging (as is QM2) so it would not make sense to leave Cunard with 2 older vessels (50% of their fleet). Cunard accommodate children rather than being 'family orientated ships' but would be unlikely to go adults only as there is a small but significant client base that want to travel as families (and with pets transatlantic on QM2).
On a family ship the space allocated for kids clubs etc and the numbers of family size cabins can be a sizeable chunk, removing that commitment in favour of additional space for adults only (mainly travelling as couples) is a balancing act - how many families do you lose compared to the number of additional adults and what are the numbers in terms of £. I think Cunard will remain as - carrying but not targetting families.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: Thursday at 20:21 ==

What is QA?

Queen Anne - the ship moving from Cunard to P&O.

 

[WesternLancer]

Arcadia was originally intended for Holland America line when built so is a close match for the other 4 Vista class in that fleet. She is also aging (as is QM2) so it would not make sense to leave Cunard with 2 older vessels (50% of their fleet). Cunard accommodate children rather than being 'family orientated ships' but would be unlikely to go adults only as there is a small but significant client base that want to travel as families (and with pets transatlantic on QM2).
On a family ship the space allocated for kids clubs etc and the numbers of family size cabins can be a sizeable chunk, removing that commitment in favour of additional space for adults only (mainly travelling as couples) is a balancing act - how many families do you lose compared to the number of additional adults and what are the numbers in terms of £. I think Cunard will remain as - carrying but not targetting families.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: Thursday at 20:21 ==


Queen Anne - the ship moving from Cunard to P&O.

Thanks for these insights

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: Thursday at 20:37 ==

I hope not, but nothing would surprise me. Cunard, despite its image as a strictly class-segregated line, is one of the few lines not to follow the trend of “ship within a ship” for premium passengers, and even offers a good number of pet-friendly voyages.

I don’t entirely agree with the assertion that P&O’s clientele are vastly different to Cunard’s. I have sailed with both, and many of the passengers I’ve met on the Queens also happily sail with P&O (albeit preferring the smaller vessels, not Iona and Arvia). P&O seems well setup to cannibalise Cunard, offering a very similar experience to Britannia class, but without the hassle of gratuities or USD as the onboard currency. Cunard differentiate with the soft product - slightly better service and much better entertainment, but we have lost such benefits as included room service.

Thanks. Interesting to read this, based on experience.

 

[H F Stephens]

What is QA?

Cunard Line’s Queen Anne.

Edit: now answered above.

 

[brad465]

OpenAI, on account of fraud?

https://www.ft.com/content/b66a9858-f8fb-46cb-b506-44bfe26fca2a?syn-25a6b1a6=1

OpenAI’s annualised revenue is about $20bn less than the company had signalled, according to financial documents shared with investors, a massive gap likely to damp optimism about the growth of AI demand. The company has recently told investors its revenues were approaching $50bn on an annualised basis at the end of September, far short of the $70bn reported by the FT and other media outlets late last month based on information that was provided to investors.

 

[DelW]

Arcadia was originally intended for Holland America line when built so is a close match for the other 4 Vista class in that fleet. She is also aging (as is QM2) so it would not make sense to leave Cunard with 2 older vessels (50% of their fleet). Cunard accommodate children rather than being 'family orientated ships' but would be unlikely to go adults only as there is a small but significant client base that want to travel as families (and with pets transatlantic on QM2).

Although QM2 is over twenty years old, she's unlike any other ship. Her hull is thicker steel, her promenade deck is higher above the waterline, and she has large open deck areas both fore and aft. All of these are to enable her to cope with North Atlantic winter storms on her transatlantic runs. Her predecessor QE2 stayed in service for around forty years because she was similarly unique, so I think that as long as her particular market is there, QM2 will be serving it for a good while yet.

 

[Brightonboy]

Although QM2 is over twenty years old, she's unlike any other ship. Her hull is thicker steel, her promenade deck is higher above the waterline, and she has large open deck areas both fore and aft. All of these are to enable her to cope with North Atlantic winter storms on her transatlantic runs. Her predecessor QE2 stayed in service for around forty years because she was similarly unique, so I think that as long as her particular market is there, QM2 will be serving it for a good while yet.

All accurate, although some of the upper deck open deck areas will be lost at at next year's dry-docking period, along with the bookshop and some of the kids club area. Her hull shape is also different to a 'modern' cruise ship. There are, however, some shortcomings in areas such as crew accommodation and technical areas which, whilst not problems as such, could usefully be improved.

 

[Broucek]

OpenAI, on account of fraud?

https://www.ft.com/content/b66a9858-f8fb-46cb-b506-44bfe26fca2a?syn-25a6b1a6=1

Company that sells a product prone to making stuff up makes up its own financial results....

In other news, dog bites man

 

[8ace]

BBC reporting that Boots is being sold on by a US private equity outfit (who'd owned it for all of 18 months) to a Canadian private equity outfit. All the usual guff about "investing in the business" and "serving customers with excellence", but will anyone be surprised if they turn out to be another self-interested bunch of asset-strippers?

Boots sold in £7bn deal to Canadian billionaire family

The sale of the High Street chain was announced on Wednesday.

www.bbc.co.uk

Boots have never been what they were since they stopped displaying those big glass containers of blue and green liquid in the window.

 

[duffield]

Boots have never been what they were since they stopped displaying those big glass containers of blue and green liquid in the window.

I just hope they last another couple of days until I pick up my prescription - I've just paid them for a year's supply of Finasteride!

 

[8ace]

I just hope they last another couple of days until I pick up my prescription - I've just paid them for a year's supply of Finasteride!

Good luck thatching your roof! (unless you have BPH like I do )

 

[duffield]

Good luck thatching your roof! (unless you have BPH like I do )

Yes, mine's for thatching, I don't want my hairline going back any further at least. Sorry you've got BPH, must be very inconvenient but at least it's "B", not "M"!.

 

[eoff]

Boots have never been what they were since they stopped displaying those big glass containers of blue and green liquid in the window.

I was in Boots (non station store) yesterday, the staff member (with a headset for some reason) had not heard of Germolene and could only say it might be near the medicines so I just walked away as I was in a rush to get a train from the nearby statoin.

 

[Peter Sarf]

I was in Boots (non station store) yesterday, the staff member (with a headset for some reason) had not heard of Germolene and could only say it might be near the medicines so I just walked away as I was in a rush to get a train from the nearby statoin.

Sadly, for at least thirty years, I have found it easier to find things in Superdrug. Mainly because the store is so much smaller !.

I can remember in the 1980s and 1990s I was always in Boots for all sorts of things. Now I have very little reason to visit most of the non chemist lines no longer get carried. Especially when I found out Boots use the same (unreliable) supplier (exclusively ISTR) for prescription medicines as Superdrug do - so if Superdrug cannot get it hen I know not to waste my time at Boots.

Is Boots' real estate too big for a chemist that carries so little other stuff compared to last century ?.
Something that reminds me of Woolworths - an oversized sweet shop towards the end.

I feel sad because I was brought up on Boots (the chemist I mean).

They are still cheapest for sandwiches when I am desperate.

 

[Kite159]

They are still cheapest for sandwiches when I am desperate.

Used to be one of the cheapest places for a meal deal (especially when it included some items other places sell in the premium deals, like rice bowls with chicken) but since they increased the price to £3.99 (with a membership card) they have also reduced the number of items they stock, both sandwich wise & also snack wise.

Also since they got rid of the 10% saving on own brand products when using a membership card (in exchange for more personalised offers, mostly on rubbish I never buy) the own brand products are more expensive compared to other supermarkets.

 

[Peter Sarf]

Used to be one of the cheapest places for a meal deal (especially when it included some items other places sell in the premium deals, like rice bowls with chicken) but since they increased the price to £3.99 (with a membership card) they have also reduced the number of items they stock, both sandwich wise & also snack wise.

Also since they got rid of the 10% saving on own brand products when using a membership card (in exchange for more personalised offers, mostly on rubbish I never buy) the own brand products are more expensive compared to other supermarkets.

Somewhere I have a Boots loyalty card. It used to be the best return per pound spent. But I have not used it for decades, no idea where it is !.

I tend to only buy a sandwich. Alternatively a carton of milk if thirsty as it is not much more than water !. If I am on a planned trip its a loaf of sliced bread, ham slices and cheese (spread) turned into sandwiches. Last time cost me £2.93 for eight sandwiches. So meal deals are lost on me - not really interested in fizzy pop or crisps !.

I suppose I am a tight customer. I do not want the gimmicks. So I really want the basics to be reasonably priced.
I think the more and more some businesses try to come up with gimmicks the more I wonder if they are struggling.

 

[Broucek]

Somewhere I have a Boots loyalty card. It used to be the best return per pound spent. But I have not used it for decades, no idea where it is !.

I tend to only buy a sandwich. Alternatively a carton of milk if thirsty as it is not much more than water !. If I am on a planned trip its a loaf of sliced bread, ham slices and cheese (spread) turned into sandwiches. Last time cost me £2.93 for eight sandwiches. So meal deals are lost on me - not really interested in fizzy pop or crisps !.

I suppose I am a tight customer. I do not want the gimmicks. So I really want the basics to be reasonably priced.
I think the more and more some businesses try to come up with gimmicks the more I wonder if they are struggling.

Not just you...

 

[adc82140]

I've been in a TG Jones today. I was surprised to find that the manky old carpet had gone, and the lighting upgraded. The Ryman's next door on the other hand was shabby and overpriced.

 

[Techniquest]

Not just you...

Add me to that too, gimmicks are a clear sign of a struggling business. I can think of a major retailer who, for years, didn’t do any sort of loyalty card/app with a preference for lower prices keeping customers coming in. That changed and prices shot up, plus from what I understand it wasn’t a well received loyalty scheme.

As for Boots, I’d definitely put them on the list of companies likely to disappear. Maybe not for a good while yet, I daresay they have a big customer base and I do still like Boots over the competition. They’ll be a big loss to my city if they did go under, it must be said, hopefully they’ll snap out of their decline and pull themselves back up.

 

[jon81uk]

I tend to only buy a sandwich. Alternatively a carton of milk if thirsty as it is not much more than water !. If I am on a planned trip its a loaf of sliced bread, ham slices and cheese (spread) turned into sandwiches. Last time cost me £2.93 for eight sandwiches. So meal deals are lost on me - not really interested in fizzy pop or crisps !

Although if buying a pre-made sandwich its always worth checking the sandwich price against the meal deal price, in many cases the sandwich on its own might be £3 and the deal £3.95, so you can get drink (which can be water or juice, doesn't have to be fizzy) and a snack (can be fruit, a pork pie, scotch egg, crisps, chocolate, cake or more) for not a significant amount more than they price the sandwich at.

 

[m0ffy]

Although if buying a pre-made sandwich its always worth checking the sandwich price against the meal deal price, in many cases the sandwich on its own might be £3 and the deal £3.95, so you can get drink (which can be water or juice, doesn't have to be fizzy) and a snack (can be fruit, a pork pie, scotch egg, crisps, chocolate, cake or more) for not a significant amount more than they price the sandwich at.

An iced coffee can approach £3 these days - a meal deal can be a steal.

 

[Sonic1234]

sandwich on its own might be £3 and the deal £3.95

Indeed. Meal deals can be very good value, but do remember that the prices of the individual items have been inflated to make the deal look better. Same can be said for the "dine in for 2" type deals too.

It's not uncommon to see the 250ml Innocent smoothies costing more than a 750ml (used to be a litre, shrinkflation) bottle. But the former is in the meal deal, and customers feel happy because they got a £3 drink in a £3.85 deal.

 

[Peter Sarf]

Indeed. Meal deals can be very good value, but do remember that the prices of the individual items have been inflated to make the deal look better. Same can be said for the "dine in for 2" type deals too.

It's not uncommon to see the 250ml Innocent smoothies costing more than a 750ml (used to be a litre, shrinkflation) bottle. But the former is in the meal deal, and customers feel happy because they got a £3 drink in a £3.85 deal.

Indeed. I tend to choose the the sandwiches that are in the £1 to £1.50 range so the meal deal has to justify at least £2.35.

If I am going to spend £3.85 then I will put that towards a better meal - chicken burger and chips.

 

[jon0844]

Indeed. Meal deals can be very good value, but do remember that the prices of the individual items have been inflated to make the deal look better. Same can be said for the "dine in for 2" type deals too.

It's not uncommon to see the 250ml Innocent smoothies costing more than a 750ml (used to be a litre, shrinkflation) bottle. But the former is in the meal deal, and customers feel happy because they got a £3 drink in a £3.85 deal.

Yes, the individual items are now extremely expensive and it's annoying if all you want is a sandwich or a wrap. If you don't need the snack or a drink, don't buy them - but then you feel ripped off because in some cases it's only a tiny amount extra.

The cost of a single bottle of fizzy drink or even water can be crazy high. We all joke about WH Smith at an airport charging a fortune for water, but giving big discounts if you buy more than one bottle (which you may buy to get the value, but don't actually want) but the supermarkets do the exact same. A single bottle of still water compared to a 6 or 8 pack of still water can be very similar in price!! Obviously you don't buy a multi-pack if you just want one bottle (and the single bottle is likely refrigerated) and they know that.

 

[Statto]

Yes, the individual items are now extremely expensive and it's annoying if all you want is a sandwich or a wrap. If you don't need the snack or a drink, don't buy them - but then you feel ripped off because in some cases it's only a tiny amount extra.

The cost of a single bottle of fizzy drink or even water can be crazy high. We all joke about WH Smith at an airport charging a fortune for water, but giving big discounts if you buy more than one bottle (which you may buy to get the value, but don't actually want) but the supermarkets do the exact same. A single bottle of still water compared to a 6 or 8 pack of still water can be very similar in price!! Obviously you don't buy a multi-pack if you just want one bottle (and the single bottle is likely refrigerated) and they know that.

Perfect example is my local Tesco, 500ml bottle of Diet Coke is around £1.85 now , but they have the clubcard offer at the moment for the 2ltr bottle of Diet Coke for £1.50.

 

[jon0844]

Perfect example is my local Tesco, 500ml bottle of Diet Coke is around £1.85 now , but they have the clubcard offer at the moment for the 2ltr bottle of Diet Coke for £1.50.

They know you won't want to drink 2 litres, or have one at room temperature.

As I have a Sodastream at home, I have some pressurised bottles that are designed for travel. One is 500ml and the other 900ml, so I do try and go out with one of those (the former is just plastic so warms up quick; the other is a thermal bottle and keeps the content ice cold for hours).

Of course, they're also banking on people not being so prepared or not wanting to carry the empty bottle home.

Talking of Sodastream, it appears John Lewis has once again dropped them from their stores and online. In 2013 (I think?) they stopped selling Sodastream due to a boycott of Israeli goods (in this case the factory was in occupied territory) and now it seems they've done the same again. There are still other retailers still stocking Sodastream products/syrups but TG Jones seemed to have all but given up long before many stores were set to close, and Sainsbury's don't seem to hold them anymore - but do have some Argos stores that have them.

I wonder if Sodastream might be impacted, at least in the UK, despite being owned now by PepsiCo? You can still buy on Amazon and Sodastream direct, but if more people decide to boycott the company it might still harm their business here.

 

[Kite159]

Perfect example is my local Tesco, 500ml bottle of Diet Coke is around £1.85 now , but they have the clubcard offer at the moment for the 2ltr bottle of Diet Coke for £1.50.

From memory it's something like £2,50 for a 600ml bottle of Pepsi Max in my local Tesco Express.

 

[sor]

Boots rival WHS/TGJ in terms of store shabbiness. There's one that I go to once a year to get a flu jab. I wouldn't normally choose Boots for this but my employer pays for them and that's who they've contracted with. The store looks like it hasn't seen a refit since the 80s, or maybe early 90s at best.

Another annoyance is that the fairly new nice looking Boots, which is closer to home and work, stopped offering pharmacy services a while back - otherwise I'd have got the jab there instead of in a town centre that necessitates paying for parking and dealing with people who shouldn't be on the road any more

 

[jon0844]

I do wonder how Boots will continue under the new management, which doesn't seem to have a great reputation in Canada.

What do most people go to Boots for? They're definitely busier than WH Smith high street stores ever were, but are people buying the more expensive things like fragrances or hair care products (do they still do photography stuff?).

Or are most people going in for medicine and to pick up prescriptions and/or get medical advice or jabs?

I only go for 40-50p packs of ibuprofen and sometimes some plasters or whatever. I've not bought toiletries, sandwiches, drinks or - well - anything else for years upon years. I assume others are?

 

[jon81uk]

The cost of a single bottle of fizzy drink or even water can be crazy high. We all joke about WH Smith at an airport charging a fortune for water, but giving big discounts if you buy more than one bottle (which you may buy to get the value, but don't actually want) but the supermarkets do the exact same. A single bottle of still water compared to a 6 or 8 pack of still water can be very similar in price!! Obviously you don't buy a multi-pack if you just want one bottle (and the single bottle is likely refrigerated) and they know that.

You are paying for the refrigeration and the higher ratio of plastic to liquid. If you are happy with room temperature drinks then the larger bottles not in the fridge will almost always be cheaper.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: Today at 09:54 ==

I do wonder how Boots will continue under the new management, which doesn't seem to have a great reputation in Canada.

What do most people go to Boots for? They're definitely busier than WH Smith high street stores ever were, but are people buying the more expensive things like fragrances or hair care products (do they still do photography stuff?).

Or are most people going in for medicine and to pick up prescriptions and/or get medical advice or jabs?

I only go for 40-50p packs of ibuprofen and sometimes some plasters or whatever. I've not bought toiletries, sandwiches, drinks or - well - anything else for years upon years. I assume others are?

The Weston Family also own Associated British Foods who own Primark and they previosuly owned Selfridges, I think they are an OK owner, its not a pump and dump private equity firm.

Many larger Boots have big displays of pricier skincare and cosmetics and some stores have the staffed counters like the large department stores do, that is probably the biggest money earner.

 

[35B]

The Weston Family also own Associated British Foods who own Primark and they previosuly owned Selfridges, I think they are an OK owner, its not a pump and dump private equity firm.

Many larger Boots have big displays of pricier skincare and cosmetics and some stores have the staffed counters like the large department stores do, that is probably the biggest money earner.

As much to the point, since Boots was bought out by Stefano Pessina, it has had a reputation for suffering from under-investment from the owners. The basic operation is strong, and with the demise of Lloyds Chemists, it has limited competition on the high street for at least the pharmacy side of the business.

As for the price of meal deals, I regard a Boots meal deal as a cheap lunch compared to the same size meal at the branch of Pret nearest my office