# Another Major High Street Name Going!



## Kalimera (Oct 19, 2011)

Last month it was Comet and this month we have seen (so far) Jessops and soon to be HMV fall into liquidation.

What can the UK government do to help the high street and my second question is has their been any well established Cypriot companies (retail/high street) go into liquidation?


----------



## David_&_Letitia (Jul 8, 2012)

SWJ said:


> What can the UK government do to help the high street ...?


We have been punching above our weight for too long, and we need to take a reality pill. We no longer have an empire, industrial might, international political respect or a viable financial services industry. Our place in the UN Security Council is a historic anomaly which still gives us delusions of grandeur, along with our place in the G8 etc.

We have a truly remarkable history and have often stood alone against the tide of world opinion, but we are becoming increasingly burdened by clinging on to our great past and by petty party politics lurching us from left to right. Our children, our grandchildren and our great granddchildren will be paying the price for this for many years to come.

Once we realise some of these facts, we can start putting things right in our country:

1. Curb or even stop the £8Bn overseas aid budget (some of which goes to rich countries) We pay more per capita than the US, Germany and France, and at the moment we simply cannot afford it. 

2. Renegotiate our position in the EU. We currently pay a net contribution of £7.3Bn to this cash cow.

3. Seriously cut back on immigration - especially from Eastern Europe. We no longer have the jobs available and cannot afford the welfare payments being handed out.

4. Seriously cut back on the Defence budget of £45Bn. We have the 4th biggest defence budget in the world, behind USA, China and Russia. Why?

5. Cut the cost of our burgeoning Civil Service. The cost of public sector pensions alone will be £15Bn by 2015 (and this is not including wages and administrative costs). That's over £1200 per year for every household.

6. With the savings - CUT TAXES. More disposable income = more shopping = help for the high street = more jobs.

Rant over. Sorry....:boxing:


----------



## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

Feel free to rant. I agree with every word.


----------



## PeteandSylv (Sep 24, 2008)

Some very valid points made above but it is also important to note that the pattern of trading is changing in the world.

Jessops was hit by increased on-line sales and supermarket sales of cameras lowering their core business. At one time supermarkets just sold food, now look at the vast range of goods and services they offer. The business has to come from somewhere.

HMV was hit by reduced CD and DVD sales caused by online downloads to people like Apple.

Comet was affected by the increase in on-line sales by Amazon and the like including themselves which resulted in over-capacity in the high street for the remaining sales volume. They simply weren't good enough to capture it.

Because we are all buying in a different way the high street is changing. Soon it will just be food, DIY, charity shops, pound bargain shops, estate agents and banks.

Pete


----------



## bob_bob (Jan 5, 2011)

Its a lot to do with changing shopping habits, the UK is one of the biggest online shopping countries in the world. Xmas week I needed a DVD drive for my PC, local shops (I'm in the UK at the moment) ranged from £24.99 to £35.99, I looked on amazon and paid £13.99 for a Sony model...it arrived the following morning. The high street that we knew is going fast and it will never return 

Argos recently said they would no longer print catalogues, they used to print 16m a year, last year it was 12m but more and more people are shopping online with them. They are also closing some of their smaller stores over the next four years. Amazon opened a big depot in Spain last September, I wonder what impact that will have on small shops over the next few years.

Many ex pats in Cyprus using Amazon UK?


----------



## PeteandSylv (Sep 24, 2008)

bob_bob said:


> Many ex pats in Cyprus using Amazon UK?


I believe so. I certainly have.

Pete


----------



## PeteandSylv (Sep 24, 2008)

And almost before we've finished posting this thread Blockbuster has gone into administration.

Woe is Britain.

Pete


----------



## Guest (Jan 16, 2013)

Here in Germany 3 big chains have closed during the 6 years we have been here.

Latest was Schlecker, a drug store chain that closed over 2000 shops last year. I think 1000 is left

Before Karstadt went bankrupt and closed, same owner as MediaMarkt.

Germany are also big on online business, both Amazon and Ebay is very big.


Anders


----------



## Kalimera (Oct 19, 2011)

PeteandSylv said:


> And almost before we've finished posting this thread Blockbuster has gone into administration.
> 
> Woe is Britain.
> 
> Pete


I have just heard about Blockbuster.

The UK economy will never get going with this Government, they are totally clueless. I can not think of one positive thing they have done to help business grow since they took over, can you?


----------



## David_&_Letitia (Jul 8, 2012)

SWJ said:


> I have just heard about Blockbuster.


Unfortunately, there will be more big names go to the wall over the next 3 months. Businesses are hurting, the banks are not lending, the Govt's not listening and Landlords are still living in La-la land. To top it all, Local councils continue to play politics by silly planning laws, exorbitant parking fees for City Centres, and the war on motorists (we must all use the bus or a bike, even though our car licence fees and fuel taxes have paid for the very roads we are discouraged from using!)



SWJ said:


> The UK economy will never get going with this Government, they are totally clueless. I can not think of one positive thing they have done to help business grow since they took over, can you?


Spot on, but the Opposition are no better either. Our politicians have no background in industry, the military, public service or economics. You can leave school now, go to University to study *politics* and then enter into the yah boo House of Commons as representatives of who? Not us - but of the Party which paid to put you there. We are held ransom to Party ideals.


----------



## Kalimera (Oct 19, 2011)

True, I think they are all the same. 

You say businesses are hurting, this is true, but in London things still appear to be buoyant and this is backed up by the emails I get from recruitment firms down there. Outside of London and things are tough.

I think now the recession is really hitting us and it's only just begun!


----------



## virgil (May 3, 2012)

Perhaps we could use all the high street retail outlets that are going breasts up, to house the tens of thousands of Romanian and Bulgarian migrants that are predicted to come to the UK from the end of this year.


----------



## Guest (Jan 17, 2013)

virgil said:


> Perhaps we could use all the high street retail outlets that are going breasts up, to house the tens of thousands of Romanian and Bulgarian migrants that are predicted to come to the UK from the end of this year.


I doubt it will help the UK economy. And they have the right as EU citizens to go where they want. Like yourself to Spain. 

Anders


----------



## PatandDave (Jul 15, 2012)

Vegaanders said:


> I doubt it will help the UK economy. And they have the right as EU citizens to go where they want. Like yourself to Spain.
> 
> Anders


Whereas I do agree with you Anders, that they have the right to go where they please,( I'm only waiting for my house to sell and coming to Cyprus) it goes against the grain that our government give these eu citizens houses, benefits, tokens for school books, clothing etc,etc...the list is endless. Over the past 10 months I've had 2 major Spinal surgeries and have been sick from my job with the NHS (anaesthetics) for 1yr. My pay has now stopped and I had to apply for sickness benefit, it is looking very doubtful that I will get it as I own my own home and my mortgage is finished, have savings, investments and a husband that has his own company!...and the reason I have these savings etc is because I've worked all my life, in order to secure a decent future! I paid into the system..and the system stinks!!


----------



## Guest (Jan 19, 2013)

PatandDave said:


> Whereas I do agree with you Anders, that they have the right to go where they please,( I'm only waiting for my house to sell and coming to Cyprus) it goes against the grain that our government give these eu citizens houses, benefits, tokens for school books, clothing etc,etc...the list is endless. Over the past 10 months I've had 2 major Spinal surgeries and have been sick from my job with the NHS (anaesthetics) for 1yr. My pay has now stopped and I had to apply for sickness benefit, it is looking very doubtful that I will get it as I own my own home and my mortgage is finished, have savings, investments and a husband that has his own company!...and the reason I have these savings etc is because I've worked all my life, in order to secure a decent future! I paid into the system..and the system stinks!!


I can agree with that the system stinks, in many countries. But that can not be blamed on Romanians or Bulgarians or some other EU citizen. This must be blamed on the government. All Eu countries must follow the same rules but far from all have these problems. Sweden is one of them. If immigration is a problem I think that the immigrants from outside EU is a much bigger problem. And the new EU decree that it must be easier for the relatives to come. That is today a big problem in Sweden with so many coming as relatives from northern Africa.

EU made a mistake that allowed some poor former eastern european countries become members before they were ready for it. The difference in standard of living is now to big and invite to migration. But sad to say, the problem EU is facing now is absolutely not created by these poor countries or the migrants from these countries

Anders


----------



## PatandDave (Jul 15, 2012)

Vegaanders said:


> I can agree with that the system stinks, in many countries. But that can not be blamed on Romanians or Bulgarians or some other EU citizen. This must be blamed on the government. All Eu countries must follow the same rules but far from all have these problems. Sweden is one of them. If immigration is a problem I think that the immigrants from outside EU is a much bigger problem. And the new EU decree that it must be easier for the relatives to come. That is today a big problem in Sweden with so many coming as relatives from northern Africa.
> 
> EU made a mistake that allowed some poor former eastern european countries become members before they were ready for it. The difference in standard of living is now to big and invite to migration. But sad to say, the problem EU is facing now is absolutely not created by these poor countries or the migrants from these countries
> 
> Anders


I totally agree, I was blaming no one other than our government. as an NHS employee I work with many different nationalities. my mother in law is German ad has lived in the uk for 63yrs. It is irrelevant where the immigrants come from but very unfair that their needs are catered for before mine, a Uk national!


----------



## Kalimera (Oct 19, 2011)

I can smell it from here!


----------

