Is This The End Of Retail?

[Jaded]

It's a really weird name, 'Four Star' suggests it's a bit average, it does sound like a curiously British retail experience. It's alright. Not bad.

I've mentioned it before, but once upon a time I idling aways some time in an event queue and the woman in front of me had a tattoo of five stars on the back of her neck, of which only one was filled, like she'd given herself a one-star review. I'm not sure if that was brutal self-honesty, an ironic statement, she'd upset the tattooist, or she'd run out of money for the additional ink required to give herself a better review.

It's all the rage - here's a fitba one...

https://www.joe.co.uk/sport/supporters-are-cringing-about-the-stars-on-forest-green-rovers-new-kit-192894

[Cudzoziemiec]

My guess for five-star woman would be five family members, one of whom had died passed away gone to join the angels become a new star in the sky.

[MikeFromLFE]

My guess for five-star woman would be five family members, one of whom had died passed away gone to join the angels become a new star in the sky.

It wasn't my sister was it? (That's just how she rolls....)

[Cudzoziemiec]

Back to retail, and I haven't heard of Amazon's Four Star stores (what are they? are these just the Amazon stores as referred to in the Graun above, or something else?) but I have seen the arrival of 'dark stores'. Look a bit like shops from the outside but function as warehouses, or as they're called nowadays 'fulfilment centres'. We have a Zapp-It not far away, tucked between a printer and an art gallery, where there used to be (until the early 90s) a motorcycle dealer (APS, if anyone's heard of them). They have fleets of e-bikes for delivery, as well as (petrol) scooters and I think small cars even. So in employment terms, there is still employment being created, but probably less of it, and much of it will be zero-hours and (at best, depends how fast you ride) minimum pay. Whether their shelves are automated I don't know – I expect they're still using humans.

[Kim]

It's a really weird name, 'Four Star' suggests it's a bit average

Or that the cheese might have lead in it.

[Cudzoziemiec]

Or that Stedman, Lorraine, Denise, Doris have lost Delroy.

[andrewc]

https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/b/wilko-close-16-stores-across-uk-another-nail-high-streets-coffin


Luckily the Liverpool one is staying open.  Useful for bits & pieces now the nearest decent DIY shed is a couple of miles away.

[Kim]

https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/b/wilko-close-16-stores-across-uk-another-nail-high-streets-coffin


Luckily the Liverpool one is staying open.  Useful for bits & pieces now the nearest decent DIY shed is a couple of miles away.

Our local Wilko doesn't seem to have had any new stock since Brexit kicked in.  They were suspiciously lacking in Christmas tat this year.

[orienteer]

Wilko's stock control has been pretty poor in our local store for some time. Quality has been declining too, haven't bought any cycle stuff from them since they changed inner cables from stainless to galvanised steel.

They changed from assisted to self service tills a year or so ago, but didn't adapt the till layout and software to suit self service until very recently, very confusing to use.

[cygnet]

Back to retail, and I haven't heard of Amazon's Four Star stores (what are they? are these just the Amazon stores as referred to in the Graun above, or something else?)

The Amazon one opposite the Tesco one on Holborn is a "Fresh". Tech central, where I work.

[Kim]

haven't bought any cycle stuff from them since they changed inner cables from stainless to galvanised steel.

I'm still annoyed about that, as I bought several before I noticed they'd changed them.

[Cudzoziemiec]

This has brought to my attention that I've only been in our local Wilkos (we have two) about twice in 2021.

haven't bought any cycle stuff from them since they changed inner cables from stainless to galvanised steel.

I'm still annoyed about that, as I bought several before I noticed they'd changed them.

Donate them to some sort of cycle charity?

[Kim]

I've been slowly working my way through them with a combination of temporary bodges when I was planning to replace the whole cable in the spring, sacrifices to SCIENCE, and "yeah, I can fix that for you", which probably counts as cycle charity.

[hubner]

I go pass a Amazon Fresh store on my commute, I think I've only ever seen one customer in there.

[andrewc]

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2022/feb/10/the-death-of-the-department-store-john-lewis-coles-sheffield


https://www.placenorthwest.co.uk/news/green-light-for-revamp-of-liverpools-debenhams/    A go-kart track ?   I suppose it will appeal to the stag party market. 

[Mr Larrington]

I've just been to the Westfield in Stratford and it was absolutely heaving.  And also made me realise just how long it’s been since I was last in those parts, because I didn’t recognise anything from my former commute from Leytonstone into central Londonton

[rogerzilla]

Wilko's stock control has been pretty poor in our local store for some time. Quality has been declining too, haven't bought any cycle stuff from them since they changed inner cables from stainless to galvanised steel.

They changed from assisted to self service tills a year or so ago, but didn't adapt the till layout and software to suit self service until very recently, very confusing to use.

They're letting dogs in now which, given Wilko's demographic, probably includes bull terriers called "Fucker".

[Cudzoziemiec]

Wilko's stock control has been pretty poor in our local store for some time. Quality has been declining too, haven't bought any cycle stuff from them since they changed inner cables from stainless to galvanised steel.

They changed from assisted to self service tills a year or so ago, but didn't adapt the till layout and software to suit self service until very recently, very confusing to use.

They're letting dogs in now which, given Wilko's demographic, probably includes bull terriers called "Fucker".

That's Swindon. Wilko's on the Triangle in Bristol is full of whacky and/or geeky students.

[Canardly]

After moving people out of town centres for half a century perhaps now is the time to put them back?

[hubner]

I've always wanted to live in a city/town centre just around the corner from work. Right next to shops and other facilities but it's just much too expensive.

[Kim]

They're letting dogs in now which, given Wilko's demographic, probably includes bull terriers called "Fucker".

That's Swindon. Wilko's on the Triangle in Bristol is full of whacky and/or geeky students.

Silly Oak's is similarly studenty, though more foreign-student-looking-for-kitchenware [Psst. Try Sainsbury's - Ed.] than whacky.

The more usefully stocked Northfield branch caters to more diverse demographics, some of whom probably do own bull terriers.

[phantasmagoriana]

Scotland is not well-served by Wilkos, and the paltry few (6, according to their website) tend to be in the sort of out-of-town centres that don't really cater to non-drivers and generally makes me despair about humanity. I miss the Wilko in Chester that was on a normal shopping street in the city centre (I think it's moved now, though - it must be 20 years since I last went in).

[Cudzoziemiec]

https://youtu.be/uznBuDEOq_0

If Wilko's was like this, it would be definitely worth visiting.

[Kim]

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.

[Cudzoziemiec]

So where UK cyclists have "Fuck cancer" socks, Canadians have "Fuck cancer" bar tape.