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Bellend Sebastian

Bellend Sebastian

Posted
Posted
On 31/05/2018 at 15:46, leicsmac said:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-sh/How_debt_kills

 

A saddening example of how money can dictate life and death - even in the UK.

Yeah, I read that yesterday morning and was thoroughly depressed by it.

 

A lad trying to do the right thing by earning a living, makes a couple of mistakes and everything spirals until he ends up dead.  It's like Dickens or something

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leicsmac

leicsmac

Posted
Posted
20 minutes ago, Bellend Sebastian said:

Yeah, I read that yesterday morning and was thoroughly depressed by it.

 

A lad trying to do the right thing by earning a living, makes a couple of mistakes and everything spirals until he ends up dead.  It's like Dickens or something

Yeah. Horrible, really.

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Jaspa

Jaspa

Posted
Posted (edited)

A live streamer going by the name of Arab Andy managed to cause a bomb scare at a Washington University - https://www.polygon.com/2018/6/1/17416738/arab-andy-lifestreamer-youtube-arrested-seattle-university-of-washington

 

If you've not heard of live streaming before it's a trend where a streamer walks around in the open broadcasting their surroundings and interactions, people on the internet watching can donate money which in this case gave them an option of playing any custom sound of their liking through the steamer into their environment. Steamers generally either act up situations to gain attention or are so mentally deficient their antics and interactions are generally entertaining enough to sit through without fakery.

 

This situation was very real though as the lad was taken in custody at gunpoint and could face a prison sentence.

 

 

Edited by SpazticChicken
lol
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Bellend Sebastian

Bellend Sebastian

Posted
Posted
5 hours ago, SpazticChicken said:

A live steamer going by the name of Arab Andy managed to cause a bomb scare at a Washington University - https://www.polygon.com/2018/6/1/17416738/arab-andy-lifestreamer-youtube-arrested-seattle-university-of-washington

 

If you've not heard of live streaming before it's a trend where a streamer walks around in the open broadcasting their surroundings and interactions, people on the internet watching can donate money which in this case gave them an option of playing any custom sound of their liking through the steamer into their environment. Steamers generally either act up situations to gain attention or are so mentally deficient their antics and interactions are generally entertaining enough to sit through without fakery.

 

This situation was very real though as the lad was taken in custody at gunpoint and could face a prison sentence.

 

 

 

Is that like a Cleveland Steamer?

 

I rather hope not

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Izzy

Izzy

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, Webbo said:

Not sure where to put this;

The English question: How well do you know England?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-44290942?ns_linkname=english_regions&ns_source=twitter&ns_mchannel=social&ns_campaign=bbc_east_midlands_today

 

I got 9/10

:scarf:

Weston-'super'-Mare

Your score:
10/10

Share your result

 

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Alf Bentley

Alf Bentley

Posted
Posted

Yet another traditional high street chain in the crap, closing stores and cutting jobs: https://news.sky.com/story/house-of-fraser-aims-to-cut-6000-jobs-in-rescue-plan-11397143

 

"House of Fraser (HoF) is aiming to cut around 6,000 jobs and more than half its stores under a plan to save the chain amid the crisis facing the high street. The company, whose roots can be traced back to 1849, warned it did "not have a viable future" unless creditors and landlords backed its proposals". 

 

While tight purse strings will be a factor, I assume this is mainly down to these chains being unable to compete with online sales and ceasing to be viable. It's nearly always the firms selling non-perishables that are struggling, isn't it? Clothes, books, furniture, toys, household goods etc. Doubtless some of the more traditional chains are also failing to compete with cheaper/trendier competitors on the High Street, but a combination of Amazon & co and high rents the main cause, I presume.

 

It really is becoming a social revolution. We need to be thinking a lot more about what city/town centres are for in the 21st century, if shopping is going to play a much smaller part.

There is only demand for a limited number of restaurants/bars or pound shops/betting shops/charity shops/pawnbrokers, surely?

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Innovindil

Innovindil

Posted
Posted
57 minutes ago, Alf Bentley said:

Yet another traditional high street chain in the crap, closing stores and cutting jobs: https://news.sky.com/story/house-of-fraser-aims-to-cut-6000-jobs-in-rescue-plan-11397143

 

"House of Fraser (HoF) is aiming to cut around 6,000 jobs and more than half its stores under a plan to save the chain amid the crisis facing the high street. The company, whose roots can be traced back to 1849, warned it did "not have a viable future" unless creditors and landlords backed its proposals". 

 

While tight purse strings will be a factor, I assume this is mainly down to these chains being unable to compete with online sales and ceasing to be viable. It's nearly always the firms selling non-perishables that are struggling, isn't it? Clothes, books, furniture, toys, household goods etc. Doubtless some of the more traditional chains are also failing to compete with cheaper/trendier competitors on the High Street, but a combination of Amazon & co and high rents the main cause, I presume.

 

It really is becoming a social revolution. We need to be thinking a lot more about what city/town centres are for in the 21st century, if shopping is going to play a much smaller part.

There is only demand for a limited number of restaurants/bars or pound shops/betting shops/charity shops/pawnbrokers, surely?

Hard to compete with the internet tbf. There's nothing I need quick enough to make me either get on a bus or drive into town and pay for parking. So much easier to just click a couple of buttons and have it delivered to my door. 

 

Couple that with the fact almost everything is cheaper on the internet, it's hard to imagine many of these shops surviving in the future. 

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Webbo

Webbo

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, Innovindil said:

Hard to compete with the internet tbf. There's nothing I need quick enough to make me either get on a bus or drive into town and pay for parking. So much easier to just click a couple of buttons and have it delivered to my door. 

 

Couple that with the fact almost everything is cheaper on the internet, it's hard to imagine many of these shops surviving in the future. 

That's the top and bottom of it unfortunately.  I'll miss shops when they're gone but I don't care enough to pay the extra of not using the internet.

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Guest Foxin_mad

Guest Foxin_mad

Posted
Posted

I suppose the problem here is that companies like Amazon tend to offshore all their tax to Luxembourg or somewhere. Its hard for proper shops to compete with that.

 

I try to buy a lot of stuff locally but it does become harder, and more expensive.

 

It wont happen but people should really think a lot before using the following companies: services

 

Amazon

Apple

Starbucks

Dell

Ebay

Paypal

Facebook

Twitter

 

Look at how much revenue they make in the UK and how much tax they pay.

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leicsmac

leicsmac

Posted
Posted
1 minute ago, Foxin_mad said:

I suppose the problem here is that companies like Amazon tend to offshore all their tax to Luxembourg or somewhere. Its hard for proper shops to compete with that.

 

I try to buy a lot of stuff locally but it does become harder, and more expensive.

 

It wont happen but people should really think a lot before using the following companies: services

 

Amazon

Apple

Starbucks

Dell

Ebay

Paypal

Facebook

Twitter

 

Look at how much revenue they make in the UK and how much tax they pay.

True, and the simple sad fact is that as long as they are able to successfully undercut more local companies through tax avoidance and economies of scale people will keep buying from them - most folks prioritise a fuller wallet over ethical consumption.

 

All of this is another argument for a global tax rate and authority for such organisations with no havens available to them at all, but of course that'll never happen.

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Izzy

Izzy

Posted
Posted
4 hours ago, Alf Bentley said:

Yet another traditional high street chain in the crap, closing stores and cutting jobs: https://news.sky.com/story/house-of-fraser-aims-to-cut-6000-jobs-in-rescue-plan-11397143

 

"House of Fraser (HoF) is aiming to cut around 6,000 jobs and more than half its stores under a plan to save the chain amid the crisis facing the high street. The company, whose roots can be traced back to 1849, warned it did "not have a viable future" unless creditors and landlords backed its proposals". 

 

While tight purse strings will be a factor, I assume this is mainly down to these chains being unable to compete with online sales and ceasing to be viable. It's nearly always the firms selling non-perishables that are struggling, isn't it? Clothes, books, furniture, toys, household goods etc. Doubtless some of the more traditional chains are also failing to compete with cheaper/trendier competitors on the High Street, but a combination of Amazon & co and high rents the main cause, I presume.

 

It really is becoming a social revolution. We need to be thinking a lot more about what city/town centres are for in the 21st century, if shopping is going to play a much smaller part.

There is only demand for a limited number of restaurants/bars or pound shops/betting shops/charity shops/pawnbrokers, surely?

 

3 hours ago, Innovindil said:

Hard to compete with the internet tbf. There's nothing I need quick enough to make me either get on a bus or drive into town and pay for parking. So much easier to just click a couple of buttons and have it delivered to my door. 

 

Couple that with the fact almost everything is cheaper on the internet, it's hard to imagine many of these shops surviving in the future. 

It's an interesting one for sure.

 

I still think there's a future for some retailers who sell stuff that you need/want to 'see, touch and feel' before you buy.

 

I used to work in Electrical retail and have seen many of these retailers fall by the way side over the years. There's really only a few major chains left now because some people still want to see, touch and feel that new TV, Laptop, Fridge etc. before they buy it.

 

I guess the same could be said for things like clothes, cars, furniture etc. but the list is shrinking that's for sure.

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Kopfkino

Kopfkino

Posted
Posted
4 hours ago, Alf Bentley said:

Yet another traditional high street chain in the crap, closing stores and cutting jobs: https://news.sky.com/story/house-of-fraser-aims-to-cut-6000-jobs-in-rescue-plan-11397143

 

"House of Fraser (HoF) is aiming to cut around 6,000 jobs and more than half its stores under a plan to save the chain amid the crisis facing the high street. The company, whose roots can be traced back to 1849, warned it did "not have a viable future" unless creditors and landlords backed its proposals". 

 

While tight purse strings will be a factor, I assume this is mainly down to these chains being unable to compete with online sales and ceasing to be viable. It's nearly always the firms selling non-perishables that are struggling, isn't it? Clothes, books, furniture, toys, household goods etc. Doubtless some of the more traditional chains are also failing to compete with cheaper/trendier competitors on the High Street, but a combination of Amazon & co and high rents the main cause, I presume.

 

It really is becoming a social revolution. We need to be thinking a lot more about what city/town centres are for in the 21st century, if shopping is going to play a much smaller part.

There is only demand for a limited number of restaurants/bars or pound shops/betting shops/charity shops/pawnbrokers, surely?

 

The thing is to make it more of a destination rather than casual. It might mean a bit of consolidation but it's future. Let's be honest, most of the firm's struggling at the moment are getting their business model wrong. John Lewis still does okay because it's a great place to shop and their stores are nice. Every HoF I've been to just hasn't been a pleasant place to shop. Get your offering right and people still go.

 

But yeah making yourself a destination is key. Malls are struggling but not to the extent of high streets because they're more of an entertainment destination (HoF see this). Bicester Village (and other outlet villages) does well because it's a destination for discounted high end stuff. People pay for experiences these day. Hence, I think why crappy restaurant chains/homogenous offerings are struggling whereas those offering something different or more of an experience and fine dining are doing okay

 

It'll just take some imagination and people that get their business offering right, just going to be harder to do that.

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Alf Bentley

Alf Bentley

Posted
Posted

House of Fraser's restructuring plan is interesting.

 

They plan to move their business model upmarket. 

 

But the stores staying open or closing are interesting. In the West Midlands, they plan to close down all their stores in places like Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Walsall or wherever.

The three that they plan to keep open are in Cheltenham, Solilhull and Sutton Coldfield: i.e. the most prosperous places.

 

They clearly feel that they can still sell and make a profit on the High Street in well-off places (where rents are presumably higher?), but cannot compete with internet sellers or cheap stores in the less well-off locations.

A (very rational) response to the growth in inequality?

 

(I'm sure someone will be along to tell me it is because poor people are too lazy to switch off the massively expensive gadgets they bought with their benefits so as to get off their arses and go to the shops ;)).

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Izzy

Izzy

Posted
Posted
9 minutes ago, Kopfkino said:

 

The thing is to make it more of a destination rather than casual. It might mean a bit of consolidation but it's future. Let's be honest, most of the firm's struggling at the moment are getting their business model wrong. John Lewis still does okay because it's a great place to shop and their stores are nice. Every HoF I've been to just hasn't been a pleasant place to shop. Get your offering right and people still go.

 

But yeah making yourself a destination is key. Malls are struggling but not to the extent of high streets because they're more of an entertainment destination (HoF see this). Bicester Village (and other outlet villages) does well because it's a destination for discounted high end stuff. People pay for experiences these day. Hence, I think why crappy restaurant chains/homogenous offerings are struggling whereas those offering something different or more of an experience and fine dining are doing okay

 

It'll just take some imagination and people that get their business offering right, just going to be harder to do that.

A wise man told me a few years back that retailers will only survive if they decide to play in one of two markets. 

 

You're either top end and desirable (Bicester Village stores, John Lewis, Oxford Street etc.)

 

Or the dirt cheap/value end (Lidl, Poundshop, Charity shops etc.)

 

All those playing in the middle ground will eventually go to the wall (or the internet)

 

I think he might be on to something...

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