Jessops, HMV and Blockbuster - who's next?

I have about £50 of Waterstones gift cards.

I disagree with those three, I'd say somewhere such as GAME/Gamestation. Too much online, same as Blockbusters/HMV. WHSmith are always really busy, Waterstones are the only big bookshop left (bar Borders) and a lot of people I know who read a lot prefer to buy from such a shop.

Argos are too unique and a lot of people use it

I think at least one cinema chain may go/voluntarily sell their premises to another company. Because not as many people go to the cinema, and they're ridiculously overpriced.

Whenever any of my friends go, they always take their own food and drinks now, and only ever go when there's an offer on tickets (I buy food there, but only because I like popcorn rather than because I'm trying to save the economy).

The government needs to tell Amazon to pay tax or leave.

I'd be perfectly happy to not have Amazon in this country. It's very convenient, but the massive void it will leave would be replaced in no time by companies that pay tax, and high street stores will survive by getting a bigger share of online customers.

It's disgusting that a foreign company can knock out all the tax-paying chains without contributing to the economy.

I know, bookshops are lovely- always nice to go in when out out shopping just for a quiet moment

Apparently blockbusters and dixons too! Neither of which surprise me tbh. Oh also, morrison's had a bad Xmas- now that did surprise me!

"(Originally Posted by Funtry)
I disagree with those three, I'd say somewhere such as GAME/Gamestation. Too much online, same as Blockbusters/HMV. WHSmith are always really busy, Waterstones are the only big bookshop left (bar Borders) and a lot of people I know who read a lot prefer to buy from such a shop. "

Argos are too unique and a lot of people use it
Hasn't Borders gone under?

Blame the system, not the participant. As humans, we will always try and achieve the best outcome.

It would also be protectionist to stop Amazon trading in the UK and this would breach WTO regulations.

£45 here, but they sold it to a billionaire(?) a year ago so it should be ok

*major sigh of relief*

Yeah well I don't want to spend them until I see books I REALLY want so I'd rather not be rushed to use them. /firstworldproblems

I very much agree with most of what you said . Although it may sound unsavoury to most that major retailers such as HMV, Blockusters, Jessops, Woolworths and the like are closing down causing huge job losses, there is perhaps a greater benefit for the economy in the long run. The reorganisation and realignment of the markets will help create and expand markets which are in demand and naturally decline or put level those which are not so much needed - it's the most greatest thing about the free market. Let's face it guys, having HMV, Blockbusters etc stay open isn't doing them, or most the consumers any favour. They're building up their debt and only fooling themselves in keeping themselves open. It's a sad truth but inevitably there will come a point when they can no longer hold on. Thank the internet for causing most of this 'mess' we see today, it's totally revolutionised the way people shop and how products are priced.

There will still be a market for some products where having physical stores will be handy, but there will only be very few retailers which operate in a particular market. There will be fewer retailers and markets will be in the hands of a few large retailers and corporations. We have already seen how smaller independent shops have gone out of business over the years.


I predict the next major British retailers to go out of business are going to be:

Many years ago this was a thriving, happy planet - people, cities, shops, a normal world. Except that on the high streets of these cities there were slightly more shoe shops than one might have thought necessary. And slowly, insidiously, the number of the shoe shops were increasing. It's a well-known economic phenomenon but tragic to see it in operation, for the more shoe shops there were, the more shoes they had to make and the worse and more unwearable they became. And the worse they were to wear, the more people had to buy to keep themselves shod, and the more the shops proliferated, until the whole economy of the place passed what I believe is termed the Shoe Event Horizon, and it became no longer economically possible to build anything other than shoe shops. Result - collapse, ruin and famine. Most of the population died out. Those few who had the right kind of genetic instability mutated into birds who cursed their feet, cursed the ground and vowed that no one should walk on it again.

I think Carpet Right will go under administration some time soon.

Hopefully McDonalds but I highly doubt considering they're basically untouched by the economic downturn. It's a shame to see shops that because they specialize in something are being closed down, I was especially sad at Jessops going.