Dodgyknees Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 I live on the Isle of Wight. This is not a ghost town but a ghost Island. No chance for anybody here. Newport is dead, the rest of the Island is years behind or also dead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davkaus Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 (edited) I was just about to say that HMV is (finally) going to the wall tomorrow. Hell, it's about time. Next up, WH Smiths. Edited January 14, 2013 by Davkaus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisp65 Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 I was just about to say that HMV is (finally) going to the wall tomorrow. is that right about HMV? feels inevitable really went in there just before crimbly to buy up some dvd's, other than that and some skullcandy headphones for a teenager I don't recall buying anything in there for a good few years Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowychap Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 as you are playing like for like and bugger the workers... To be fair, I'm not sure that was what Jon's post meant (i.e. I don't think he was saying anything more than this is what has happened and these are the most likely reasons in his mind). I think you and dodgy above make an important point, though, (one which Blandy mentioned in the government thread, too, when reminding us about mining towns as an example) about the specific effects upon local economies (and communities). Is it the case that it has ever been thus or are things getting ever more concentrated in certain localities? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davkaus Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 If there's a single business you expect the internet to make redundant, it's HMV. They take no risks in terms of stock, it's obvious mainstream chatt and classic music, a handful of console games, and some TV series and popular movie DVDs. Amazon does all of this better. The only way for a movie/music shop to exist is by being a business that it's worth visiting for high levels of customer service, product diversity, and product knowledge. HMV does not provide this. There's not a single thing that they do that Amazon and Play.com don't do, for a much lower cost. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drat01 Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 that's a fair point Snowy. It annoys me greatly when I see people seemingly enjoying that companies are going bust. You may not like the business model, you may not like the company but the impact on the people that actually work there never seems to be considered (and their families). I read AWOL's post as saying that losing jobs @ Honda was somehow offset by JLR taking on people which is obviously nonsense, especially considering where JLR has come from and once was. The country has massive problems now, and the Gvmt has failed again to help. That is part of their job, they seemingly are happy to help people in the finance sector etc but does nothing for other companies outside of this very small and Tory part funding sector If there's a single business you expect the internet to make redundant, it's HMV. They take no risks in terms of stock, it's obvious mainstream chatt and classic music, a handful of console games, and some TV series and popular movie DVDs. Amazon does all of this better. The only way for a movie/music shop to exist is by being a business that it's worth visiting for high levels of customer service, product diversity, and product knowledge. HMV does not provide this. There's not a single thing that they do that Amazon and Play.com don't do, for a much lower cost. :-) you do realise that Play.com are no longer doing anything other than acting as a glorified ebay? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisp65 Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 I think play.com has also baled due to tax changes Spillers records in Cardiff. Tweet them a title, they'll get it in, I get someone to pick it up for me and push it through my letterbox. I get it next time I'm home. It's the future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rbcuk Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 is that right about HMV? feels inevitable really went in there just before crimbly to buy up some dvd's, other than that and some skullcandy headphones for a teenager I don't recall buying anything in there for a good few years http://news.sky.com/story/1038002/hmv-poised-to-call-in-administrators Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chindie Posted January 14, 2013 VT Supporter Share Posted January 14, 2013 (edited) I'd like HMV to be able to survive, but it's death is inevitable. It simply cannot compete in the current market, and it's made poor, silly, and absurd choices along the way. I was in there a couple of weeks ago, and spotted the Wire boxset marked up at £125. I was in both of the branches in the city centre, the pop up and the Bullring store, today and well... the pop up store was basically in process of being mothballed and the Bullring store was just... kinda... sad really. Plenty of stock, some of it decently priced... but somehow I knew I wasn't buying. I've cancelled the couple of preorders I had, just in case. Edited January 14, 2013 by Chindie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davkaus Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 :-) you do realise that Play.com are no longer doing anything other than acting as a glorified ebay? I actually haven;t used them in a couple of years so have no idea about exactly how they run their business these days. I prefer to pay Amazon a little extra and use paid postage. The rest of the point, disregarding Play, stands though, I think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drat01 Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 I actually haven;t used them in a couple of years so have no idea about exactly how they run their business these days. I prefer to pay Amazon a little extra and use paid postage. The rest of the point, disregarding Play, stands though, I think. Amazon - Tax ........... need we say more? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davkaus Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 Amazon - Tax ........... need we say more? You do need to say more. Clearly consumers don't care. Amazon is incredibly successful because they provide a decent, legal, service, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisp65 Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 I went into the one in the newish Westfield in Hammersmith. Massive choice of dvd's, many on 'special' at only £11, problem being Asda and Sainsbury were selling the same films for £3. They were also trying to sell mp3's. I can understand the theory, it's music based cross selling, but that just isn't a market that is going to save you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drat01 Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 You do need to say more. Clearly consumers don't care. Amazon is incredibly successful because they provide a decent, legal, service, Amazing attitude. It's funny that maybe why the country has so many issues now where we can accept so happily organisations like Amazon basically ignoring any of the tax implications that other organisations have Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyh29 Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 Didn't JLR ask for government help a few years back and get refused it ? Guess its hard sometimes to predict what will happen in industry I was in Woking yesterday , loads of empty shops and yet shops like Pandora seemed to be raking it in .. Maybe it is simply a case of product rather than bizarrely trying to blame it on government Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davkaus Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 I went into the one in the newish Westfield in Hammersmith. Massive choice of dvd's, many on 'special' at only £11, problem being Asda and Sainsbury were selling the same films for £3. They were also trying to sell mp3's. I can understand the theory, it's music based cross selling, but that just isn't a market that is going to save you. Agreed. There's one way for physical stores to compete. They either need to stock products that can't really be mailed (such as supermarkets), provide excellent customer care (See John Lewis), have fantastic depth of products (see Boots), or have fantastic levels of staff knowledge (see tonnes of independent stores, no national chains spring to mind). There's no room for shops on the high street to compete on price these days. the internet will always undercut them, but there are still ways to compete. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peterms Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 Amazing attitude. It's funny that maybe why the country has so many issues now where we can accept so happily organisations like Amazon basically ignoring any of the tax implications that other organisations have Often the same people who are quite happy to praise firms like Amazon for using the system to their advantage and dodging tax, are bitterly resentful when they personally end up paying more tax on something, higher VAT, a bit more NI, to make up the shortfall from these companies. They never seem to connect the two things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davkaus Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 Amazing attitude. It's funny that maybe why the country has so many issues now where we can accept so happily organisations like Amazon basically ignoring any of the tax implications that other organisations have Amazon provide the best prices that they can. If there's a problem with this, it's the government remit to adjust the law. Capitalist organisations have never, and well never, act with morality as their primary object. As it happens, neither will consumers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisp65 Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 Amazing attitude. It's funny that maybe why the country has so many issues now where we can accept so happily organisations like Amazon basically ignoring any of the tax implications that other organisations have Maybe what was meant there, was that they are legal. People have to decide if they want to go with the 'cheapest' retailer, or have a long hard think about what cheap actually means. Clearly what cheap means in the case of Amazon is a loss of jobs by those companies operating under different sets of rules. So we have cheap shit we can buy, a bigger benefits bill and less tax take to help us all through this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drat01 Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 Didn't JLR ask for government help a few years back and get refused it ? Guess its hard sometimes to predict what will happen in industry I was in Woking yesterday , loads of empty shops and yet shops like Pandora seemed to be raking it in .. Maybe it is simply a case of product rather than bizarrely trying to blame it on government So Tony - and I do remember you had a very different attitude under the last Gvmt by the way - what is the purpose of Gvmt if not to protect the country and the people that live there? They seemingly allow organisations such as Amazon to trade happily without any tax implications and the rivals to them, who seemingly pay the taxes and employ people directly and indirectly in many towns across the whole of the UK to go bust without any sort of issue? Surely the steady flow of these companies going bust, high street closures like you say, treble dip recessions and the like are something that they should be taking measures to address? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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