| Wilko 13:02 - Aug 10 with 4918 views | loftboy |
Another high street main stay in administration, the town centre as we all knew growing up will be no more within 20 years I reckon. |  |
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| Wilko on 13:06 - Aug 10 with 4323 views | MedwayR |
Town centres high streets don't really work anymore due to a lack of parking & public transport and online shopping, plus the rise of destination shopping centres & retail parks. Many either need to reduce in size, disappear altogether, or adapt into something else - infrastructure (e.g. NHS facilities, community healthcare centres, dentists etc) - to better serve the community. [Post edited 10 Aug 2023 13:15]
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| Wilko on 13:09 - Aug 10 with 4302 views | colinallcars |
I dunno, Woolworth's, Wilko, QPR…..where will it all end ? |  | | |
| Wilko on 13:36 - Aug 10 with 4206 views | dutch |
| Wilko on 13:09 - Aug 10 by colinallcars |
I dunno, Woolworth's, Wilko, QPR…..where will it all end ? |
Live in The City, don't have one round our way. What do/did they sell? |  | | |
| Wilko on 13:42 - Aug 10 with 4180 views | DavieQPR |
Wilco, Willock. They're all busted flushes. |  | | |
| Wilko on 13:45 - Aug 10 with 4166 views | loftboy |
| Wilko on 13:36 - Aug 10 by dutch |
Live in The City, don't have one round our way. What do/did they sell? |
Similar to Woolworths,anything from tools,gardening, home wear,you name it wilko probably sell it, am even get a paddle board in the one near me. | |
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| Wilko on 13:49 - Aug 10 with 4160 views | CamberleyR |
| Wilko on 13:36 - Aug 10 by dutch |
Live in The City, don't have one round our way. What do/did they sell? |
Homewares and household goods, a bit like Woolies used to be. Decorating, Gardening, Kitchen products, Stationery, Pick 'n' Mix you get the idea. |  |
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| Wilko on 13:50 - Aug 10 with 4150 views | PlanetHonneywood |
| Wilko on 13:49 - Aug 10 by CamberleyR |
Homewares and household goods, a bit like Woolies used to be. Decorating, Gardening, Kitchen products, Stationery, Pick 'n' Mix you get the idea. |
Right backs? |  |
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| Wilko on 14:11 - Aug 10 with 4079 views | slmrstid |
As a brand I think it fell asleep a bit, let new challengers like B&M, Home Bargains and The Range catch up then overtake it, and didn't really know who it was trying to compete with anymore, much like Woolworths back in the day, and has paid the price for it.
People bemoan High Streets closing then all go buy everything online or at the out of town retail parks anyway.
Seen a few comments on the t'interwebs blaming Brexit, Covid, the Tories etc but I don't think any of those are responsible. Its what I've put in my first paragraph, and all of us as consumers changing our habits and chains not adapting for it. Survival of the fittest, it always has been and Wilko's has ended up being the fat overweight chain smoker collapsing with a heart attack. |  | | |
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| Wilko on 14:13 - Aug 10 with 4070 views | Watford_Ranger |
If anything you’d think in an economic downturn they’d have potential to do well. I had one meeting with them a few years ago and the people I met were clueless. | | | |
| Wilko on 14:16 - Aug 10 with 4053 views | stevec |
I remember when they were telling us that the advent of the internet would mean small businesses would be able to compete at the same level as big corporations.
Yet another lie. The internet has led to global domination by even bigger corporations that are wiping out small and medium size business one by one. |  | | |
| Wilko on 00:02 - Aug 11 with 3710 views | baz_qpr |
Pandemic did for them, they chose not to go down the e-commeerce route and when they did with limited stock. Writings been on the wall since then, suppliers have stopped supplying them for some time now |  | | |
| Wilko on 00:31 - Aug 11 with 3684 views | CiderwithRsie |
| Wilko on 13:06 - Aug 10 by MedwayR |
Town centres high streets don't really work anymore due to a lack of parking & public transport and online shopping, plus the rise of destination shopping centres & retail parks. Many either need to reduce in size, disappear altogether, or adapt into something else - infrastructure (e.g. NHS facilities, community healthcare centres, dentists etc) - to better serve the community. [Post edited 10 Aug 2023 13:15]
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Some do. My local one does. Actually it's got better since the pandemic, the grotty mall has been tarted up as a sort of mini-destination shopping centre. Coincidentally, it includes a Wilko which is pretty useful - it'll be a loss if that goes.
You have to provide a reason to go there other than just a few lame stores. Including some of the things you mention. Transport matters too - it's not a given that there shouldn't be parking or decent public transport, those are policy decisions.
And it helps if the town is a local hub for some sort of surrounding area - tricky to do in London as your suburban High Street has to compete with the West End for an old-fashioned shopping experience, and with the internet for price.
No-one in power will think of this, but actually old-fashioned football clubs like ours can be part of the deal. No-one goes shopping in Shepherds Bush on the way to the Rangers, but the streets are full, people are going into pubs or grabbing a bite to eat even if its just a kebab, the place feels a bit alive and its all money going into businesses which stay open instead of becoming empty shop fronts, which is a downward cycle. | | | |
| Wilko on 08:01 - Aug 11 with 3541 views | Hayesender |
Where I live, the town centre is just full of charity shops, bookies, and one of those casinos with fruit machines.
Popped into Bognor the other week, and that was the same, just a bigger version.
I'm old school, and I much prefer actually going to the shops if I want something, especially clothes, but they're dying on their arses with Internet shopping and sky high rents |  |
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| Wilko on 08:12 - Aug 11 with 3526 views | Watford_Ranger |
| Wilko on 00:31 - Aug 11 by CiderwithRsie |
Some do. My local one does. Actually it's got better since the pandemic, the grotty mall has been tarted up as a sort of mini-destination shopping centre. Coincidentally, it includes a Wilko which is pretty useful - it'll be a loss if that goes.
You have to provide a reason to go there other than just a few lame stores. Including some of the things you mention. Transport matters too - it's not a given that there shouldn't be parking or decent public transport, those are policy decisions.
And it helps if the town is a local hub for some sort of surrounding area - tricky to do in London as your suburban High Street has to compete with the West End for an old-fashioned shopping experience, and with the internet for price.
No-one in power will think of this, but actually old-fashioned football clubs like ours can be part of the deal. No-one goes shopping in Shepherds Bush on the way to the Rangers, but the streets are full, people are going into pubs or grabbing a bite to eat even if its just a kebab, the place feels a bit alive and its all money going into businesses which stay open instead of becoming empty shop fronts, which is a downward cycle. |
I thought that around Vicarage Road. It’ll never be nice but compared to 10 years ago when I lived nearby it’s really improved and far more places to drink near the ground.
Great high street here (Hove) but there’s some serious wealth around here. | | | |
| Wilko on 09:46 - Aug 11 with 3416 views | Toast_R |
Terrible news, where else am I going to buy my home brewing paraphernalia? |  | | |
| Wilko on 12:21 - Aug 11 with 3296 views | robith |
| Wilko on 14:11 - Aug 10 by slmrstid |
As a brand I think it fell asleep a bit, let new challengers like B&M, Home Bargains and The Range catch up then overtake it, and didn't really know who it was trying to compete with anymore, much like Woolworths back in the day, and has paid the price for it.
People bemoan High Streets closing then all go buy everything online or at the out of town retail parks anyway.
Seen a few comments on the t'interwebs blaming Brexit, Covid, the Tories etc but I don't think any of those are responsible. Its what I've put in my first paragraph, and all of us as consumers changing our habits and chains not adapting for it. Survival of the fittest, it always has been and Wilko's has ended up being the fat overweight chain smoker collapsing with a heart attack. |
I believe the main thing that's done for Wilko is they have a lot of fairly old, long term lease contracts at eye watering rates, similar to what happened to Debenhams |  | | |
| Wilko on 12:27 - Aug 11 with 3270 views | whiffer |
| Wilko on 00:31 - Aug 11 by CiderwithRsie |
Some do. My local one does. Actually it's got better since the pandemic, the grotty mall has been tarted up as a sort of mini-destination shopping centre. Coincidentally, it includes a Wilko which is pretty useful - it'll be a loss if that goes.
You have to provide a reason to go there other than just a few lame stores. Including some of the things you mention. Transport matters too - it's not a given that there shouldn't be parking or decent public transport, those are policy decisions.
And it helps if the town is a local hub for some sort of surrounding area - tricky to do in London as your suburban High Street has to compete with the West End for an old-fashioned shopping experience, and with the internet for price.
No-one in power will think of this, but actually old-fashioned football clubs like ours can be part of the deal. No-one goes shopping in Shepherds Bush on the way to the Rangers, but the streets are full, people are going into pubs or grabbing a bite to eat even if its just a kebab, the place feels a bit alive and its all money going into businesses which stay open instead of becoming empty shop fronts, which is a downward cycle. |
where is your local high street? Bridgwater? |  | | |
| Wilko on 12:29 - Aug 11 with 3266 views | CroydonCaptJack |
| Wilko on 14:11 - Aug 10 by slmrstid |
As a brand I think it fell asleep a bit, let new challengers like B&M, Home Bargains and The Range catch up then overtake it, and didn't really know who it was trying to compete with anymore, much like Woolworths back in the day, and has paid the price for it.
People bemoan High Streets closing then all go buy everything online or at the out of town retail parks anyway.
Seen a few comments on the t'interwebs blaming Brexit, Covid, the Tories etc but I don't think any of those are responsible. Its what I've put in my first paragraph, and all of us as consumers changing our habits and chains not adapting for it. Survival of the fittest, it always has been and Wilko's has ended up being the fat overweight chain smoker collapsing with a heart attack. |
100% this.
Sometimes things are just a result of how consumers evolve and how quickly businesses can respond.
The media will always look for an angle though. |  | | |
| Wilko on 12:31 - Aug 11 with 3256 views | BlackCrowe |
Local councils have a lot to answer for. Pandemic migrated people to online shopping and got used to it...so post pandemic what the do the council do, they make it incredibly difficult for people who used to drive to the shops to continue to do that and so customers are thinking 'well i can't be bothered with the hassle of public transport (not everyone lives in London) and the hassle of lugging bags home, I'll just shop online[. |  |
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| Wilko on 20:51 - Aug 11 with 3076 views | CiderwithRsie |
| Wilko on 12:27 - Aug 11 by whiffer |
where is your local high street? Bridgwater? |
Stroud | | | |
| Wilko on 00:44 - Aug 12 with 2988 views | Boston |
Y'know, I'd never heard of 'em. Must have departed the country before their - well, did they have outlets / branches in London? [Post edited 12 Aug 2023 0:47]
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| Wilko on 00:46 - Aug 12 with 2986 views | kensalriser |
Never heard of them either! |  |
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| Wilko on 00:46 - Aug 12 with 2985 views | Boston |
| Wilko on 12:31 - Aug 11 by BlackCrowe |
Local councils have a lot to answer for. Pandemic migrated people to online shopping and got used to it...so post pandemic what the do the council do, they make it incredibly difficult for people who used to drive to the shops to continue to do that and so customers are thinking 'well i can't be bothered with the hassle of public transport (not everyone lives in London) and the hassle of lugging bags home, I'll just shop online[. |
...and you'll do it digitally, and still think you're living in a free society. | |
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| Wilko on 00:57 - Aug 12 with 2968 views | loftupper |
| Wilko on 00:46 - Aug 12 by Boston |
...and you'll do it digitally, and still think you're living in a free society. |
Do we not then?
Is shopping all people do? Or does being able to shop online not free up time to do other things. | | | |
| Wilko on 07:02 - Aug 12 with 2905 views | PlanetHonneywood |
The high street and town centres have, in the main, been slow to respond to the changing nature of retail shopping and consumer lifestyle and preferences. Not just in the UK, but globally in my experience.
Business, local and national governments need to accept that save for a few essentials, most shopping will be done online thus, the high street and town centres need to become destination venues.
The writing has been on the wall since the turn of the century, and instead of getting their individual and collective acts together, they've largely sat on their butts.
More pedestrianised streets, lower business rates, better transport and cheaper parking, providing entertainment and meeting places, and attractions to entice people to come, stay, and spend are whats needed to stop even more decay.
Not sure how much tax the likes of Amazon pay, but taxing them and their ilk more would part fund it. As is likely, theyd seek to pass costs on to their customers, some might be priced out and off their behinds to go and physically shop!! | |
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