In administration

[VRS_White_Hatch]

Re Mothercare both my daughters have youngsters and although they occasionally shop at Mothercare it wasn't somewhere they chose very often. They said that the constant "Gifting" of expensive items like a Bugaboo pram (£1200 approx.) to every minor celeb or Instagram influencer got on their nerves enough to stop them shopping there. 

 

If they seriously think that people with £1200 to spend are convinced by some social media post where someone who gets an item free then posts about it … then they need to re-consider their marketing strategy. It didn't work for Mothercare that's for sure. I must admit it bugs me that wealthy celebs are always being given stuff - those who can least afford it have to pay while celebs can just post it to hordes of followers and get it free. 

 

 

[mac11irl]

16 hours ago, john999boy said:

Cartel's are, as far as I know, against the law though as it is price fixing!

 

Prices tend to get set by the manufacturers for certain models that they intend being big manufacture runs for big sales numbers.

Equally certain retailers request a particular model /spec for a price they want to retail at. White goods in particular suffer from this with Tesco/asda/Currys etc setting a price and spec they want to have on sale. They could all have identical washing  machines but each may have tiny differences like spin speed or wash cycle options being a tiny bit different.

 

[shyVRS245]

Some interesting facts became clear about Mothercare's problems which show the European side of the firm made a healthy profit yet in the UK a similar loss was made.

[PetrolDave]

On 04/11/2019 at 12:36, john999boy said:

Cartel's are, as far as I know, against the law though as it is price fixing!

IMHO price fixing is more widespread than many people think, here's an example of what appears to be price fixing I personally experience.

 

The shower gel I buy has an official price of £3 for a 500ml container and £2 for a 250ml container (go figure...), but I never pay more than £1.50 for a 500ml container - how? I shop in several supermarkets and over the past 10 years it's been VERY noticeable that the supermarkets appear to "take it in turn" to sell at the lower price for around a month. So if this month it's Tesco's turn, then next month it will be Sainsburys turn and the month after Asda, etc... So I just buy several containers in whichever supermarket has the "price deal" that month.

 

If that's not a coordinated pattern which amounts to price fixing then I'd be very surprised...

[gadgetman]

13 hours ago, shyVRS245 said:

Some interesting facts became clear about Mothercare's problems which show the European side of the firm made a healthy profit yet in the UK a similar loss was made.

I think you mean Mothercare Plc which licences use of mothercare brand to the UK, Europe and Asia. 

 

Most companies operate umbrella companies, where the company we all deal with actually pays another fees to use the brand. 

 

Phillip Green, Starbucks, Mcdonalds and others all operate this way. 

 

I wasn't aware Mothercare did too 

[Ttaskmaster]

Lots of articles about Mothercare quoting people saying they'd rather shop at Primark and supermarkets for baby stuff... I'd never shop at Primark anyway, but half the supermarket stuff is just as much junk too.

I also disagree with the claims of it being too expensive - We have bought quite a few things from there because, even online, Mothercare was notably cheaper than elsewhere. Pram, pushchair, crib, cot, car seat, and a fair bit more...

 

Also heard John Lewis announced its first loss ever...

 

[gadgetman]

7 hours ago, Ttaskmaster said:

I'd never shop at Primark anyway, but half the supermarket stuff is just as much junk too.

Not in my experience. 

 

Both usually quite good, and had plenty of George stuff last years and get handed down through all 3 of my kids over the last 9 years 

[Ttaskmaster]

14 hours ago, gadgetman said:

Not in my experience. 

 

Both usually quite good, and had plenty of George stuff last years and get handed down through all 3 of my kids over the last 9 years 

 

I won't use Primark primarily because they keep finding themselves on the wrong side of controversial revelations about child labour and so on.

George is ASDA and I'm banned from even shopping there. Tesco has been good for a few bits of hardware, but even Sainsburys has not been amazing on the clothing side. A lot of the stuff we've had from supermarkets has fallen apart or shrunk within 3 months of purchase, which is no good even if your kid grows really fast.

The best for cheap clothing has always been the local Mum2Mum sales, usually JoJo stuff, although I note that JoJo themselves do actively support the second hand sales of their own stuff... which is pretty awesome, IMO.

End of the day, though, there will be people who have to buy cheap stuff, and people who happily afford premium brands. I see no reason why the former should destroy the option for the latter.

[gadgetman]

Mamma's and Pappas sold in prepacked administration with 73 jobs and 6 stores lost 

[shyVRS245]

7 hours ago, gadgetman said:

Mamma's and Pappas sold in prepacked administration with 73 jobs and 6 stores lost 

Six sacrificed to save the 21 more profitable stores.

[moley]

Clintons Cards next?

Quote

Clintons in survival talks over shop closures and rent cuts

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-50365605

Edited 10 November, 2019 by john999boy
Corrected name.

[@Lee]

16 minutes ago, moley said:

Clintons Cars next?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-50365605

It was on the cards

[gadgetman]

32 minutes ago, moley said:

Clintons Cards next?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-50365605

Tbh these days the youngsters send each other messages instead of cards or do it online with a printed card straight to the person. 

 

That and the fact Clinton's are over priced. 

 

Why royal mail staff need to wake up. With the majority of stuff now done online, this will simply speed up businesses and individuals going digital. 

 

I rarely get post any more. Mostly its cards or replacement cards. All my bills and banking is digital 

[Aspman]

There are loads of card shops now, seems to be one of the few boom trades along with nail bars. But most card shops are at the budget end with cards under £1. Clintons has many cards which are pretty dull yet expensive. If you want a luxury or trendy card you're better off in Paperchase if you want an ordinary card might as well get a cheap one, if you need a special card get it fomr FunkyPigeon etc. Doesn't really leave a nitch for Clintons with their expensive yet dull range.

 

I thought Mothercare had already gone bust tbh.

[gadgetman]

Eddie Stobart is apparently a few weeks away from collapse due to an accounting black hole of £55m.

[CWARD]

Was it KPMG or the new auditors PwC for Eddie Stobart that drooped the ball on that one. 

[gadgetman]

28 minutes ago, CWARD said:

Was it KPMG or the new auditors PwC for Eddie Stobart that drooped the ball on that one. 

£2m error in 2018 accounts, £12m loss in 6 months to May 2019 and further losses up to September. 

 

Doesn't give total breakdown beyond that, only £55m which dbay are going to offer in return for 51% of the company. If that doesn't go through, Stobart will collapse before Christmas the articles I've seen have said. 

[CWARD]

It’s the over valuations on buildings and also the treatment of contracts that has created the £59m black hole in the accounts. Both material items that should have had values checked by the auditors 

 

Wincanton are waiting in the wings to snap them up at cut price

Edited 16 November, 2019 by CWARD

[gadgetman]

8 hours ago, CWARD said:

Wincanton are waiting in the wings to snap them up at cut price

Wasn't long ago they were struggling.... 

[Chris]

I heard Stobart had been approached by someone for a takeover. Can't remember who. 

[punyXpress]

Wincanton ?

[Chris]

4 hours ago, punyXpress said:

Wincanton ?

No it was someone else. Looks like they are hanging on though as the banks have given them a pay want holiday until next year. 

[PetrolDave]

Wincanton walks away from Eddie Stobart bid

 

Quote

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2019/11/25/wincanton-walks-away-eddie-stobart-bid/

 

[CWARD]

The problem with Eddie Stobart is the contracts which are unbelievably tight on profit margins. They undercut many other haulage companies and see to brag that didn’t care if one of their trucks only made £12 a week so long as they had thousands doing that. No one else will want to take over those contracts, they’d rather Eddie Stobart goes under and they can then step in with a realistic contract 

Edited 26 November, 2019 by CWARD

[CWARD]

If you read the recruitment websites, such as Indeed,  for feedback on Eddie Stobart they get a slating.