| Alias (WH) Smith & (TG) Jones 20:51 - Feb 25 with 861 views | Zx1988 |
Looks like Smith's on Westgate Street may not be too much longer for this world:
https://www.ipswichstar.co.uk/
Even though they're claiming that it's lease negotiations, I can't say I'm particularly surprised. The whole sale of that part of the Smith's business always struck me as a little odd.
With Smith's retaining the clearly insanely profitable station/airport/services sites, what actual value was ever left in the struggling High Street part of the business that remained? |  |
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| Alias (WH) Smith & (TG) Jones on 21:02 - Feb 25 with 805 views | redrickstuhaart |
Especially when they give it a stupid rip off sounding name, in place of a High St institution of very long standing.
I wont go in them now. | |
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| Alias (WH) Smith & (TG) Jones on 16:20 - Feb 26 with 527 views | tommcd |
I've never noticed the 'Crown & Anchor Hotel' lettering in the stonework over the entrance until just now! Must have a better look next time I'm passing. |  | | |
| Alias (WH) Smith & (TG) Jones on 19:20 - Feb 26 with 406 views | stonojnr |
| Alias (WH) Smith & (TG) Jones on 16:20 - Feb 26 by tommcd |
I've never noticed the 'Crown & Anchor Hotel' lettering in the stonework over the entrance until just now! Must have a better look next time I'm passing. |
I'm old enough to remember it when it was a hotel/pub, and WHSmiths was actually directly opposite where JD sports is now
But im not sure the name change is the problem, i went in there a Saturday or two ago, looking for some batteries, the place was dead, only about 3 staff and about 3 customers. Half the lights are turned off so it looks closed anyway, and no one bought a thing because they just dont sell stuff people want to buy anymore.
And no they didnt have any of the batteries I wanted.it would have been simpler to order online The post office there is closing for sure so I cant see the store is remotely making any money and must cost alot in business rates for a building like that. | | | |
| Alias (WH) Smith & (TG) Jones on 19:24 - Feb 26 with 401 views | Swansea_Blue |
| Alias (WH) Smith & (TG) Jones on 21:02 - Feb 25 by redrickstuhaart |
Especially when they give it a stupid rip off sounding name, in place of a High St institution of very long standing.
I wont go in them now. |
That’s incredibly petty.
And I’ve done the same  . Albeit mine was inadvertent. I just thought ‘oh Smith’s has gone, sod it I’ll go somewhere else’. The one in Swansea looked like a pound shop had taken over.
As rebrands go, it’s not the brightest. I was amazed they were still going anyway and I suspect this will kill them off. |  |
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| Alias (WH) Smith & (TG) Jones on 20:11 - Feb 26 with 333 views | Mark |
Millets just closed too. It is sad how town centres are struggling, as I used to love going in town back in the day. We had the Co-op department store, Argos, Tandy, Woolworths, Everybody's Hobbies, John Menzies, Mick McNeil Sports, Dixons, Debenhams... The joy of that is lost now most things arrive on an Amazon delivery van. |  | | |
| Alias (WH) Smith & (TG) Jones on 12:17 - Feb 27 with 158 views | stonojnr |
| Alias (WH) Smith & (TG) Jones on 19:24 - Feb 26 by Swansea_Blue |
That’s incredibly petty.
And I’ve done the same . Albeit mine was inadvertent. I just thought ‘oh Smith’s has gone, sod it I’ll go somewhere else’. The one in Swansea looked like a pound shop had taken over.
As rebrands go, it’s not the brightest. I was amazed they were still going anyway and I suspect this will kill them off. |
but ignore the rebrand for a moment, and for sure we can debate the idea of chucking away an established highstreet brand of 200+ years existence as a dumb idea, but it was probably a condition of the sale. the rebrand hasnt killed them as a going concern, they were already on life support.
the whole reason TG Jones (actually Modella a private equity company the name is just a cutesy look we're still a pretend family owned company) bought them, or rather WH Smith sold their highstreet concerns to them, for an absolute pittance, is because they just dont make any money any more, and cost alot to operate.
WHSmiths last financial results were stating its between 75%-85% of their operation revenues come from just over half of their stores, the ones in airports, train stations, motorway services etc. not the high street stores.
but that means the high street stores represent between only 15%-25% of revenue.
quite obviously thats not sustainable as a business, the travel ones cant prop up the highstreet ones indefinitely. and then they found actually theyd overstated 30million of the profit from their North American arm, and wiped nearly 40% off their share value too.
I mean can you believe these guys own FunkyPigeon, they bought it, and they still sell greeting cards that cost twice as much as FunkyPigeon do customised ones for, and wonder why they dont make any money on their shops cards.
WH Smith might well disappear completely still, but their high street chain was largely doomed anyway its got nothing to do with TG Jones. | | | |
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