Death of the high street

ams · 01-02-2021 10:59am #1

ASOS announced they have Topshop's online business this morning - apparently before the staff heard according to the facebook post :eek:

AMKC · 01-02-2021 2:04pm

I see Asos just bought Top Shop and some of the other Arcadia brands but do not want there shops. So more jobs gone. Them shops will not be re opening after lockdown. Going to be a lot of empty units in the shopping centres and on the high street.

Twee. · 01-02-2021 2:30pm

Asos have bought the current stock and are transferring a lot of HQ departments (incl buying & design) staff which is interesting and very different to how boohoo have been snapping up businesses. Feel bad for the staff who worked so hard over the last few years when the business has been in difficulty, the sale will just be written off as a victim of covid but this was a long time in the balance.

Twee. · 01-02-2021 2:33pm

Mod note!

New thread! I will move some posts from other threads in here, might distort the order a little at the start but I think it's a conversation worth having it's own thread. We are a bunch of very active consumers in here

Asos buys Topshop https://www.theguardian.com/business/2021/feb/01/asos-buys-topshop-topman-miss-selfridge-arcadia

AMKC · 01-02-2021 4:10pm

Twee. wrote: »

Asos have bought the current stock and are transferring a lot of HQ departments (incl buying & design) staff which is interesting and very different to how boohoo have been snapping up businesses. Feel bad for the staff who worked so hard over the last few years when the business has been in difficulty, the sale will just be written off as a victim of covid but this was a long time in the balance.

Yes. I think Boohoo just want the names of the brands whereas ASOS want all bar the Bricks and Morter part of them.
They will have to be big chances along the high streets over the next few years. Not sure what will occupy all them buildings but hopefully something will.
It looks like Burton, Wallis and Dorethy Perkins might be bought by Boohoo.

Twee. · 01-02-2021 6:01pm

I can't imagine what will go into places like Debenhams on Henry St or Blanchardstown in Dublin, two enormous stores. Would love to see a presence of the wider H&M group, Weekday, Arket, Monki. Perhaps someone like Uniqlo would be interested in one of the bigger spots.

road_high · 01-02-2021 11:21pm

Twee. wrote: »

I can't imagine what will go into places like Debenhams on Henry St or Blanchardstown in Dublin, two enormous stores. Would love to see a presence of the wider H&M group, Weekday, Arket, Monki. Perhaps someone like Uniqlo would be interested in one of the bigger spots.

Debenhams store footprints were massive. I don’t know what will fill them either. And it appears our Covid obsessed government don’t either.
Things had only just been recovering since the last recession in many ways on the High st. This has been a hammer blow. Unless some large European retailer comes in that Ive never heard. But they won’t be paying anything like what Debenhams were paying in rents

SmallTeapot · 01-02-2021 11:34pm

Twee. wrote: »

I can't imagine what will go into places like Debenhams on Henry St or Blanchardstown in Dublin, two enormous stores. Would love to see a presence of the wider H&M group, Weekday, Arket, Monki. Perhaps someone like Uniqlo would be interested in one of the bigger spots.

Could you imagine an Irish Uniqlo flagship....That’s the thing of dream right there

similar square footage as the Oxford street one.

Any of the H&M group stores would also be very welcome addition. I know we have &OtherStories, but imagine a supersize one!

Or maybe one (or several!) of the cooler North American shops which have come on stream over the last few years like Everlane, Aritzia, Anthropologie, Madewell.... or Lululemon!

Twee. · 02-02-2021 12:15am

The high street has been reinvigorated with just this thread! Pay attention developers and investors :pac:

I eye up Everlane every now and again, would love to try their jeans.

meeeeh · 02-02-2021 10:23am

I don't think retailers will be lining up to open stores when all the growth is online. With exception of high fashion where shopping is only part of experience. Guardian has a good article yesterday on the subject and basically gen Z don't shop like older generations did. I'm a good bit older and my only shopping in physical stores is when I want to give some business to local stores. I have no desire to drive to Dublin for an hour to cue in the stores.

Bluefoam · 02-02-2021 4:02pm

I like the experince of trying on cloths and getting the fit right...

No loss to see the large British chains go, their locations will hopefull give way to some local small businesses with a focus on local markets...

Twee. · 02-02-2021 4:18pm

What sort local businesses though? There's virtually zero clothing or shoe manufacturing in Ireland.

Bluefoam · 02-02-2021 4:32pm

Twee. wrote: »

What sort local businesses though? There's virtually zero clothing or shoe manufacturing in Ireland.

I'm sure there are buyers out there, or individuals with a fashion focus... those types will have more leverage to get decent sites... maybe focus on individual interestes... vegan, sustainable, slow fashion, traditiona craft based fashion. High end fashion focus... theres plaenty of creative an entrapenurial people in this country. Need to get away from global businesses that have a negative effect on local economy and emploment.

With more focused retailers in locations like grafton street etc, they would also be able to run websites and distribution from those locations.

The core items I picked up this month are the very opposite of fast fashion... Aran Cardigan, Doc's, Wool Shirt, Tweed Jacket...

The Irish market needs to express itself rather than just accepting the cheap crap thats sent from England.

Sunny Dayz · 02-02-2021 5:21pm

Many of these high street shops just don't seem to be popular anymore. For example TopShop: when I was young (teens) TopShop clothes were seen as very trendy, lusted after items in magazines. The only TopShop I think was Dublin or Galway so it was big deal when you got to go there. There was an atmosphere - lighting, loud music, good merchandising displays and achingly stylish store assistants.

But a few years ago TopShop opened in my town and it was so underwhelming. Now at this stage I was probably outside their target market. But the store was boring looking and never seemed busy.

I think a lot of stores, not just TopShop, are lacking in any sort of experience or atmosphere. Clothes crammed onto railings so you can't even see them properly, little effort made on window displays or merchandising in store, store assistants look disinterested and unhelpful. This is all experiences you can't get with online shopping and I think many brands don't put value on that anymore, but then wonder why footfall is down in bricks and mortar stores. What is there to draw you in...?

Twee. · 02-02-2021 6:21pm

Yeah the Topshop retail experience was poor the last few years. When I worked there (10 years ago!) we had to approach every single customer, every staff member would have huge product knowledge, we'd be like personal shoppers when working in the fitting rooms, helping people put outfits together. And I'm talking 16 hour a week student staff, not career retail, that was just how the store was run.

Shops like Bershka, Stradivarius and Zara always seem busy, and the first two would definitely be aimed at a younger shopper. Sadly I think sustainable fashion will stay niche until there's more diversity in product offering, including sizing. A lot is too expensive or just not trendy or fashion-forward enough.

strandroad · 02-02-2021 6:48pm

A lot of it is more like death of the British high street, EU shops seem to fare better if they are smarter and more modern.

Rather than setting up many locations they have single "showroom" experience that one can visit from time to time to get the tone and the vibe of the brand which in turn sets the customer up for better online shopping experience and gets them media coverage to get the ball rolling. COS, Massimo Dutti, Other Stories are probably seeing more online traffic from Ireland than Oysho or Monki or Weekday do even though they are held by the same corporate entities.

Hopefully more and better brands will want similar foothold here now to front their online business.

sammyjo90 · 03-02-2021 9:39pm

I hope its not, I need physical shops!
If i buy something online there is only a small chance I will remember to return it.
Have donated more things than returned at this stage.
Its not like its hard!
As a result of my incompetence I will very rarely buy things online. Haven't bought a single thing since lockdown no.1. i think
I need to get better at it because I could do with an updated wardrobe but with nowhere to go I might as well wait and see!

doublejobbing 2 · 06-02-2021 9:58pm

meeeeh wrote: »

I. I'm a good bit older and my only shopping in physical stores is when I want to give some business to local stores. I have no desire to drive to Dublin for an hour to cue in the stores.

You must like paying over the odds! I can never understand the popularity of ASOS, Zalondo and the likes. All of their stuff is way more expensive than the same products in your local shopping centre/ high street. I seriously don't understand why TV adverts don't highlight this.

Bluefoam · 06-02-2021 10:05pm

doublejobbing 2 wrote: »

You must like paying over the odds! I can never understand the popularity of ASOS, Zalondo and the likes. All of their stuff is way more expensive than the same products in your local shopping centre/ high street. I seriously don't understand why TV adverts don't highlight this.

Probably because it's a very general statement and in many instances, untrue

strandroad · 06-02-2021 10:19pm

doublejobbing 2 wrote: »

You must like paying over the odds! I can never understand the popularity of ASOS, Zalondo and the likes. All of their stuff is way more expensive than the same products in your local shopping centre/ high street. I seriously don't understand why TV adverts don't highlight this.

As for Zalando, in my experience it's definitely not true. Brand clothes are the same price or cheaper than in brand stores, and sales can take 50% off.

Darc19 · 06-02-2021 10:50pm

There will be no shortage of takers for the prime sites.

Some Debenhams stores will get resized and refurbished.

Most of the casualties were on life support long before covid. Debenhams was seen as such a certainty for closure that both BlackRock and Jervis had alternative planning in before they closed.

There was one company that wanted to take over 3-5 Debenhams stores last year, but the continued strike put paid to that.

Twee. · 07-02-2021 12:18am

doublejobbing 2 wrote: »

You must like paying over the odds! I can never understand the popularity of ASOS, Zalondo and the likes. All of their stuff is way more expensive than the same products in your local shopping centre/ high street. I seriously don't understand why TV adverts don't highlight this.

Well that's just not true for loads of reasons. Many of the brands I buy on Asos aren't available on the high street here (eg Monki), purchasing in sterling makes it cheaper than buying in-store for the stores that are available here, there are frequent offers and sales and lastly Asos own brand is good collection in it's own right and obviously only available on asos.com.

AMKC · 08-02-2021 2:13pm

Well its confirmed today that Dorethy Perkins, Wallis and Burtans have all been sold to Boohoo for 25million.

eviltimeban · 09-02-2021 10:54am

For me it's a case of love buying clothes, but hate trying on clothes. So online shopping has worked really well for me. I've bought so much more over the last year than I have previously, and with a good hit rate as well - probably only had to send back less than 10% of what I've purchased.

I rarely find a changing room I like, not because of what I see in the mirror necessarily, more that they are too small, too hot, too bright, often too loud (why does the speaker have to be right above you??) and you can't get a proper look at what you have on. Plus you're more likely to put stuff back. With online, sometimes you'll keep something as you couldn't be arsed to send it back. :-)

So while I'll go into a nice shop like BT for the experience of walking around it, I expect the vast majority of my clothes shopping from now on will be online.

Bluefoam · 09-02-2021 11:09am

AMKC wrote: »

Well its confirmed today that Dorethy Perkins, Wallis and Burtans have all been sold to Boohoo for 25million.

Am I right in saying that they bought the stock and the names, but did not take on the leases?

Sounds like they picked up some cheap stock.

meeeeh · 09-02-2021 11:41am

Bluefoam wrote: »

Am I right in saying that they bought the stock and the names, but did not take on the leases?

Sounds like they picked up some cheap stock.

I don't think it's the stock that would overly interest them. Those brands were in decline but they still have loyal customers many who wouldn't overly be Boohoo customers. They are growing their customer base.

Twee. · 09-02-2021 12:41pm

boohoo never buy the stock or previous customer order data. There was a bad transition stage when they bought Nasty Gal as it transpired NG had not fulfilled tons of orders before handing it over. I remember their Twitter was flooded with complaints! I'm sure lessons were learned!

Both Missguided and Nasty Gal's physical stores were expensive failures, can't ever see boohoo or Asos going for it.

AMKC · 09-02-2021 12:52pm

Bluefoam wrote: »

Am I right in saying that they bought the stock and the names, but did not take on the leases?

Sounds like they picked up some cheap stock.

They bought the names but not the shops or the workers in them shops. So all them jobs are gone but hey Boohoo will have a whole new customer base now and at least the names will.live on for a while more.

meeeeh · 09-02-2021 1:34pm

In fairness nobody was going to buy store network often with rent at the level that is more appropriate for hight street at the peak traffic. Corona restrictions made something that was unlikely impossible.

The choice was a few jobs to be kept or no jobs to be kept. I despise Boohoo but the fact that only the likes of are investing into brands is an indicator where the industry is going. Race to the bottom for established high street brands, growth of sustainable and online brands and high profits for luxury brands.

partyguinness · 09-02-2021 1:40pm

I moved to England over 10 years ago and the first thing that struck me was the sheer volume of stores that all looked the same and sold all the same beige tatty stuff. Every High Street looked the exact same and myself and the wife has a little game where we namechecked all the usual stores when visting a new town/city.

Impossible to tell one from the other. It is all quantity over quality.

Ireland is actually a lot better for shopping IMO but that is down to the smaller size which is advantage. Easier to get away with rubbish over here due to the sheer size of the population.

SmallTeapot · 09-02-2021 2:41pm

So I guess we can expect all the ex-DP, Wallis, Burton stock to end up in outlet? I.e. Sold via the TKMaxx ''Mod-box" section and Everything5Pounds.....?

Death of the high street

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