Wilko

Seymour Upperthong said:
The closest thing we've had in the US to Woolworths is/was a chain called 'Bed Bath and Beyond'. Like Woolworths, you could start with a shopping cart at one end and leave with pots, pans, flatware, dishes, table cloth , curtains, towels, bedding, coffeemaker, microwave, air fryer, toaster, vacuum cleaner, toothbrush, razor, etc.; in short, everything you would need besides furniture and major appliances to set up housekeeping. Product quality was at the very least acceptable (no dollar store junk) and they also carried a small selection for the Cuisinart crowd. Like Woolworths, you didn't have to dig too deeply into your wallet to avail yourself of BB&B. BB&B stores were quite a bit bigger than Woolworths, but that was because of greater selection.

I think the demise of this store chain was some very bad management decisions taken during COVID, which left them vulnerable to predatory online competition.

I don't remember sweets at Woolworths, but I do miss Turbo Brew coffee from BB&B. I can just hear Auntie now directing Eli to walk boldly with his placards into Bed Bath and Beyond and not buy anything but to bluff them...
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Yes, I remember Woolworths. They had machines like bubble gum machines loaded with nuts, etc. that emitted the MOST WONDERFUL AROMAS. It's a real shame that these stores are gone. Yes, BB&B had the most interesting items. Let's ask the question. Why are these stores disappearing? Is it because of bad decisions by the CEO? What do we have to look forward to? More online shopping and fewer bricks and mortar stores? Are we gradually being moved towards more and more shopping online? And how successful is that online shopping experience? So many difficulties.
 
I see Pizza Hut is in real real trouble in the UK now. Bizarrely I was wondering the other day whether they’re still going, I don’t seem to notice their big red roofs so much these days!
 
Most of the stuff you could get at Wilko can be ordered from Amazon. It's just easier to order stuff online and have it delivered.
 
Roger said:
Most of the stuff you could get at Wilko can be ordered from Amazon. It's just easier to order stuff online and have it delivered.
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And sadly that is the reason for the demise of these shops and out High Streets. It just doesn't seem a level playing field to me, shops simply cannot compete with online stores so I think Wilko will be the thin edge of the wedge :(
 
Barrychuckle said:
And sadly that is the reason for the demise of these shops and out High Streets. It just doesn't seem a level playing field to me, shops simply cannot compete with online stores so I think Wilko will be the thin edge of the wedge :(
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I agree Barry,though I think they all went down the road of online ordering thinking this is a good idea and shot themselves in the foot, also business rates are so high just to run any business these days, the only shops we find in most high streets these days is Charity shops, Coffee and betting shops.
Remember older high streets when you had a choice of three or four chemist shops, most of them seem to be pulling out and don't get me started on banks and they don't offer home delivery.
 
I agree the high street bank was the hub of any high street, when they started to close the demise started. Although the banks got lots of stick, the issue was to survive and remain competitive against the new online banks they had to close branches. So you could say that banks were also competing against the online tide....
 
Barrychuckle said:
I agree the high street bank was the hub of any high street, when they started to close the demise started. Although the banks got lots of stick, the issue was to survive and remain competitive against the new online banks they had to close branches. So you could say that banks were also competing against the online tide....
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But like Amazon, I want to go online at my or any other bank and order £10 for delivery next day so I can get a Chinese from our nearest takeaway and they only take cash, to do this at the moment I would have to drive 6 miles in the opposite direction to a cash machine, so a 20 mile trip for what would be an 8 mile trip, I normally keep a bit of cash at home but on this occasion the window cleaner and gas delivery man had most of it.
Not sure if supermarkets still do cashback at the till, at one time if was offered every time you bought something, I suspect that cash will be the next thing to disappear, I have seen several news items online that some places won't accept it anymore.
I did notice that the Holmfirth Cobbler was cash only, I wonder how many layby truck stops will take card payments these days
 
maltrab said:
But like Amazon, I want to go online at my or any other bank and order £10 for delivery next day so I can get a Chinese from our nearest takeaway and they only take cash, to do this at the moment I would have to drive 6 miles in the opposite direction to a cash machine, so a 20 mile trip for what would be an 8 mile trip, I normally keep a bit of cash at home but on this occasion the window cleaner and gas delivery man had most of it.
Not sure if supermarkets still do cashback at the till, at one time if was offered every time you bought something, I suspect that cash will be the next thing to disappear, I have seen several news items online that some places won't accept it anymore.
I did notice that the Holmfirth Cobbler was cash only, I wonder how many layby truck stops will take card payments these days
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On the subject of cash, for paying in cash to a business account banks typically charge 2 or 3 times more than they do for processing card payments. So it's a lot cheaper for retailers to accept card payments than cash contrary to common belief. Whilst I fully understand the importance of cash, particularly for older folk, I think we probably all know the main reason why certain retailers only accept cash......
 
How odd, just spotted a news article online about Haslemere in Surrey, it has no Bank, Post office or cash machine and that is where Jeremy Hunt, the chancellor is MP
 
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