Threshers is considering closing up to 400 stores

[Hades]

Sky Breaking News

First Quench, which owns Threshers, The Local, Wine Rack confirmed to Sky News it is in talks with landlords about closing unprofitable stores.

More follows . . .

 

[Cyland101]

I have heard that they are not doing well at all...... won't be surprised if they are next on the administration list....

 

[Bilbob]

another victim of the supermarkets....
Av shops, computer game shops, off'ys, clothes stores, home furnishings, white goods...

All on the list...

 

[Hades]

The more this goes on, it makes you wonder if there is going to be a High St left at this rate.

 

[Naaktgeboren]

My one and only visit to Threshers was somewhat bizzare. I was with a friend on the way to a fancy dress party, I was dressed as Freddy Krugger and him as Darth Vader

The host phoned me whilst on the way and asked me to stop off for some more beer, I can still remember the lady's face when we marched in. Never went back.

I still cannot even remember why we were traveling to the party in costume..

 

[Ian J]

another victim of the supermarkets....

I agree and think that they will all end up as relics of a bygone era as no-one will bother with the supermarkets using booze as loss leaders.

It's certainly a long time since I used an off licence

 

[Eltee]

Damn! Mis-read this and thought they were having a lock-in

 

[RMCF]

It unfortunate that the likes of Tesco, Asda and Sainsburys are putting everybody out of business, but I'm afraid its simple economics in most cases.

The massive supermarkets sell everything these days, and very often at prices the same or lower than other outlets. They also add the convenience of being able to get everything on the one trip, so you can only see them getting bigger.

Unless of course these outlets change their models and try to compete.

 

[Bilbob]

Unfortunately, whilst it MIGHT be simple economics, the big supermarkets are not lowering pricing, and selling cheap games and beer to be nice, they are doing it to take market share, once they HAVE that market share, prices will go up...

THAT, is simple economics...

We pays our money, we makes our choice...

What will we do when the likes of thresher, game, HMV, dixons, empire direct(!) next, wickes, etc are all gone, and the supermarkets can dictate prices as they see fit?

 

[Liquid101]

Unfortunately, whilst it MIGHT be simple economics, the big supermarkets are not lowering pricing, and selling cheap games and beer to be nice, they are doing it to take market share, once they HAVE that market share, prices will go up...

Generally, they compete with each other, and not the other shops. So prices will remain low (ish) to ensure they are competitive.

Amazingly, we have 2 Threshers in Aberystwyth, one is bound to go. Having sad that, we have 2 Jessops as well, and niether of them went when they had a round of store closing.

I'm just not sure who uses Threshers - they are clearly the most expensive for wine etc. Occasionally, i'll buy 6 bottles of wine when they have an offer on and I spot it in the window. Other than that, I rarely use them.

 

[RMCF]

Unfortunately, whilst it MIGHT be simple economics, the big supermarkets are not lowering pricing, and selling cheap games and beer to be nice, they are doing it to take market share, once they HAVE that market share, prices will go up...

THAT, is simple economics...

We pays our money, we makes our choice...

What will we do when the likes of thresher, game, HMV, dixons, empire direct(!) next, wickes, etc are all gone, and the supermarkets can dictate prices as they see fit?

Then surely this is where independent stores should re-opne again to compete with them. Surely this is how the free-market works?

 

[Steven]

My flatmate's brother works for them and he alleged that a good value of booze was nicked to further add to their woes. This was sometime before xmas

 

[eric pisch]

Unfortunately, whilst it MIGHT be simple economics, the big supermarkets are not lowering pricing, and selling cheap games and beer to be nice, they are doing it to take market share, once they HAVE that market share, prices will go up...

THAT, is simple economics...

We pays our money, we makes our choice...

What will we do when the likes of thresher, game, HMV, dixons, empire direct(!) next, wickes, etc are all gone, and the supermarkets can dictate prices as they see fit?

the supermarkets should price war against each other, companys in the EU face insane fines for running cartels.

as for the list you have there, everything i need from them i can get from amazon for less and delivered

 

[Bilbob]

Then surely this is where independent stores should re-opne again to compete with them. Surely this is how the free-market works?

Surely you have seen it around where you live? Supermarket opens, drives out existing stores. Supermarket raises prices. Competition opens, supermarket cuts prices, competition closes. Eventually, competition knows better than to open in the first place, as they KNOW they won't win.

 

[AJUK]

Generally, they compete with each other, and not the other shops. So prices will remain low (ish) to ensure they are competitive.

Amazingly, we have 2 Threshers in Aberystwyth, one is bound to go. Having sad that, we have 2 Jessops as well, and niether of them went when they had a round of store closing.

I'm just not sure who uses Threshers - they are clearly the most expensive for wine etc. Occasionally, i'll buy 6 bottles of wine when they have an offer on and I spot it in the window. Other than that, I rarely use them.

That offer is on permanantly and you spot it every day, don't you !

 

[Liquid101]

That offer is on permanantly and you spot it every day, don't you !

To be honest, these days I tend to buy my wine directly from France, 20 or 30L at a time. It comes in 2L bottles and is surprisingly drinkable as a daily table wine.

Embarrassingly regular trips to the bottle bank are a thing of the past

 

[Hades]

We have a Threshers and Wine Rack in the town near to me. To be honest I can not remember the last time I went in one. If I want some larger, I get it from Morrisons or Asda etc. For wine, I visit a specialist wine shop near me, family run business. Not cheap but bloody nice

 

[Import racer]

Another one going then

Can't remember the last i went there either, Booze Busters is much better,
just as cheap as Tesco, if not cheaper.

They better not go under !

Who's next tomorrow ??
Maybe that ought to a new thread.

 

[Hades]

A slight update on Sky.

First Quench, which owns Threshers, The Local and Wine Rack confirmed to Sky News it is in talks with landlords about closing unprofitable stores.

The company would not say exactly how many outlets it was considering shutting.

But it has already closed 100 of its 1,500 UK stores.

Its Christmas trading was down with underlying sales falling 3.5% as it struggled to compete with supermarkets.

Threshers is among a number of retailers trying to persuade landlords to accept rents paid monthly in advance rather than quarterly.

The company said property was its biggest cost.

A spokeswoman for First Quench said: "The reviews are taking place across the portfolio - Wine Rack, Threshers and The Local.

"If we cannot make the right agreements with the landlords then those stores will face closure."

The company hopes to reduce the size of rental payments for unprofitable stores to within manageable levels, or to pay monthly rather than every three months, the spokesman said.

 

[Cyland101]

This article is interesting timing. I believe that they have been actively closing stored at around 100 a year for the past few years so that in itself is nothing new. IMO I think that they are using the current climate to accelerate this program seeing as they have something to "blame" it on.

What I really wonder is when was the last time this company made any profit.....

As with all the comments previously the writing is truly on the wall for these guys if they do not change their model. I can't remember the last time I purchased anything from them.

 

[johntheexpat]

Generally, they compete with each other, and not the other shops.

When I worked in Logistics, shipping a well known brand of Baby Food to all and sundry, it was remarkable how the supermarkets could control the supplier. If the Big T wanted to do a three for two offer there were two little caveats that always went with this. The supplying company was not allowed to 'do a deal' with one of the other supermarkets during the period of the offer and the suppliers had to 'gift' the third pallet of jars to the Big T (ie they would pay for two and get one free, so it was never the supermarket paying the price for the offer, but the manufacturer. And if the manufacturer didn't play ball, the shelf space devoted to that product was reduced. Simple bullying. Or economic reality?
And when Big T had done their offer, one of the others would have their turn, same conditions, same cosy cartel like behaviour with the other supermarkets.
And all the time they were paying less than any other customer, so while not actually selling the product cheaper than anyone else, their overheads and thus margins were better.
Yes, I do think the UK supermarkets have a cosy little, but informal, cartel/mutual understanding that the little shops should be driven out of business and that they won't cut each others throats.

 

[Deleted member 30535]

Well, 2140 jobs are to go.

BBC News - Threshers group axes 2,140 jobs

Recession over? Bah, humbug.

 

[eric pisch]

Well, 2140 jobs are to go.

BBC News - Threshers group axes 2,140 jobs

Recession over? Bah, humbug.

market places change, threshers never stood a chance

why make a special trip for booze when i can get all i want cheaper when i am doing the weekly shop

 

[la gran siete]

i shall miss Threshers as i use it a lot .Their 3 for the price of two was always very attractive to me, in fact i buy far more from them than I ever did sodding supermarkets

 

[la gran siete]

the supermarkets should price war against each other, companys in the EU face insane fines for running cartels.

as for the list you have there, everything i need from them i can get from amazon for less and delivered

Three cheers to the EU