Is This The End Of Retail?

[Mr Larrington]

Is Canadian Tire still going?  I've never been to Canadia, but I imagine it's like Wilko's with hockey tape.

*googles*

https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/renfrew-hockey-for-cancer-hockey-tape-purple-24-mm-x-18-m-0830097p.html#srp  Noice.

Yes.  Yes, it is eh, though I think I've only ever used its petril stations.  Eh.

[orienteer]

I welcomed Wilko when they first opened in Uxbridge, as a superior successor to Woolworths for useful bits and pieces. I guess that the logistics and operating costs for such a wide range of relatively low priced items cannot be sustained in today's economic environment. The closure of Maplins made matters worse.

Hence I am resorting more and more to ebay for such purchases, and having to accept the inevitable delays. Still learning how to recognise Chinese sellers hiding behind UK facades. I bought a laptop battery from what seemed to be a UK supplier, then had to wait a couple of weeks for it to arrive from Hong Kong.

[Cudzoziemiec]

One type of shop that's booming, or blooming, springing up all over since lockdown 2020, is plant shops. Plants for growing, indoor and outdoor, rather than cut flowers (though they may sell those too). Perhaps initially as a "reconnect with the ground" reaction to pandemic (and maybe "react to unemployment and/or job fatigue") but I'd presume there's also an element of "healthy high streets in areas where people have money".

[Mr Larrington]

The nursery oft-frequented by the Elder Larringtons – usually known as “Smithy's” in spite of Smithy having sold up about 1980 – appears defunct, though.  Not on a main road, small car park and no space for cafés, extensive displays of Sheds, I reckon.  Plus the plague, obv.

[Jaded]

One type of shop that's booming, or blooming, springing up all over since lockdown 2020, is plant shops. Plants for growing, indoor and outdoor, rather than cut flowers (though they may sell those too). Perhaps initially as a "reconnect with the ground" reaction to pandemic (and maybe "react to unemployment and/or job fatigue") but I'd presume there's also an element of "healthy high streets in areas where people have money".

Yes, we have a new plant shop in town. Opposite the new electric bike shop.

[andrewc]

https://twitter.com/SkyNewsBreak/status/1522553255326359556


McColls newsagents in trouble.

[Cudzoziemiec]

Omnichannel is the latest buzz word, hearing it from retail chains and retail REITs now.

[Cudzoziemiec]

Meanwhile, the Graun has woken up to dark stores (US writing but mostly applies here):
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/jul/29/dark-stores-ultra-fast-delivery-app-bad-for-workers-and-communities

We have a Zapp-It nearby, whose riders use fancy e-bikes, and somewhere (I'm not sure quite where) there must be a Getir, cos I often see their e-mopeds. The Getir riders get uniform helmet and jackets.