Re: Changes on the High Street
 

Agree on the NHS point. We set up the Nightingale hospitals at substantial cost yet most sit dorment. We should be using them to treat Covid patients to help keep as many hospitals as possible Covid free and running as close to business as usual as possible.

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While it’s easy to pay some contractors to temporarily renovate building you can’t magic the staff from nowhere.

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Doesn't help if the nearest Nightingale is far away. Also if you don't know if you are CV positive until after you are on ward or emergency department.

Do you want your family member taken away from your local unit to a large unfriendly Nightingale?

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“Unfriendly” is relative. If it’s saving your life it may be the friendliest place on earth.

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We may struggle to find enough staff to man the Nightingales.

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It's almost as if letting a deadly virus, which causes serious complications for many, rip through an entire population uncontrollably is an extremely bad idea.

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You still fail to understand the argument and you are on the wrong thread to start all this off again.

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Good news - Sky to open retail shops, beginning in Liverpool
https://www.broadbandtvnews.com/2020...ops-in-the-uk/

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Absolutely bugger all to do in Liverpool now apart from watch TV . . . Sky hoping to catch quite a few with clever marketing maybe?

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I am thinking about doing all my shopping online as people can walking about mask free unchallenged, which in my opinion is totally wrong.

They should have a card issued by you doctor, and then you should be restricted in the hours you can visit as there is a chance you can spread this virus without knowing it.

If I know then what I know now I would have stopped my parent going out and just perhaps my mum would be alive today.

But I get peed of of being called a bully for saying masks should be mandatory, no mask no entry no excuses, perhaps the death rate would be lower.

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I'm guessing the rents have become so cheap now/free that it's worth their while opening up shops.

A reminder that Virgin Media closed theirs this year https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ns-lifted.html

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Whereas Sky seem to be moving in the opposite direction, actually opening new shops.

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Exactly - per my earlier post, #609
Will be interesting to see how Sky gets on. I suspect its rent (if any) will be far less than VM's was.;)

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I've tended to see manned Sky promotional stands, inside shopping centres and out on the "high street".

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Yes the Cats Protection League are usually on the other side the street, and Save the Children and their clipboards blockading the centre.

Wonder why no one goes to town centres any longer ? :confused:

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Who’d have thunk it. There apparently aren’t enough idiots to buy everyday casual clothes that come from the same eastern factories as everything else in the world, at stupid premium prices. Not enough to keep the likes of Gap afloat anyway.

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This is going to help in Westminster area.

https://www.cityam.com/exclusive-wes...s-this-winter/

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What could possibly go wrong with this fine idea? :td:

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Not really a surprise. The Argos in the town has already closed and the one near me is on the same trading estate as the Sainsbury's. Talk locally is that the deli and fish counters will be converted into the Argos collection point and the separate Argos store closed or possibly used as warehousing.

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That would certainly make it easier to do.

All the Sainsbury's I've been to so far that now have an Argos have had to take space from the shop floor or cafe space to fit it in.

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They used the far corner of our Sainsbury's to put a Argos in although our Sainsbury's is a big one so it did not not make much difference as it still has a big cafe , pharmacy , a Specsavers and several other retail outlets in the store.

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Fashion chains Peacocks and Jaeger have fallen into administration.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-55004019

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My local Peacocks closed for good yesterday.

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It’s amazing the difference between different Aldi stores - the one in Meanwood is an older established Aldi, and it matches your description.

The two newer stores (Chapel Allerton and Regent Street) are much more ‘up market’ - brighter, shinier, better laid out.

They are doing lovely wooden toys for young children, and whilst I was there I got a couple of bottles of their Gigondas (very nice it was, too).

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I'd have to agree with that, when I lived in that area I would always go to Aldi and it was certainly the best Aldi I had been in. It didn't seem cheap or tacky at all. The one in Bramley is a good one too. Good to see them improving their image.

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Have to agree with you there Hugh, it's a bit basic to say the least and the queueing system is chaotic, you get to the front of your specific aisle queue and they promptly shut it. Prices are good though so always worth a visit.

There's one in Kirkstall as well which I've never been to as car parking there is a nightmare as so many retailers are crammed in to a very small area.

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That'll be the effect of this

https://www.aldi.co.uk/project-fresh

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There's been a bit of a convergence between incumbent supermarkets and the German discounters. eg some fresh food areas in the discounters and more space and nicer lighting etc. At the incumbents, Sainsbury is removing its costly fresh food counters and Tesco has introduced own brands like Growers Harvest and Stockwell & Co below Tesco own-brands with the Tesco connection there still, but not so explicit.

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Mine closed after the first lockdown.

---------- Post added at 13:48 ---------- Previous post was at 13:40 ----------

I still standby my comment that face masks MUST be worn inside, no mask no entry no excuses, and if your breathing is that bad should you be out in the first place.


I've been called a bully and a sheep, several soon shut up when I post a picture of my mum's grave.

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Our local Peacocks has closed down now as there were three in our city.

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You can stand by it all you want, but its not a requirement, no should it be.

You statement clearly shows you have little clue about people who are exempt.

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Hom3r's comment shows the difference between the theorists looking at big pictures (only 50,000 deaths out of 70 million) and experiencialists for whom one death is too many.

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Oh, I do believe me people tell me this on Facebooker hourly, and I always say if you can't wear a mask you should stay at home.


Which is always followed YOU STAY AT HOME.


but I follow the rules WHY.


I feel the government screwed up on this, but if you banned anti maskers as the minority they would protest and as usual they would win.

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Again, you can keep saying it all you want, its not a requirement, or necessary.
There is no reason for anyone to stay at home simply because they are exempt from wearing a mask.

There is little practical reason to wear one outside at all.

Plus, if they work, then if you are wearing one, it doesnt matter (to you) what anyone else does.
Unless of course you think masks dont actually work, in which case why bother wearing them at all.

I'm sure everyone knows your view, but dont expect everyone to agree with you.

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I hope our local Toby doesn't have redundancies. Neil and the team have made the place as covid resistant as it's posible for a bar/restaraunt with table service, screens, hand sanitiser stations and full spacing.

Locally (except Brighton) the infection rate is below 80 per 100,000 per week and falling so hopefully we'll be in Tier 1 as before the lockdown. So hopefully when things open up going for a pint (only) will be back on the menu.

Many favourite pubs and bars will be no more when this is over. :(

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Our family went to several different Harvesters during the summer as we never had a problem with any of them.

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All part of the master plan :D

Health 'experts' have been crying for years about people drinking more than the recommended limits ;)

We as a nation will end up healthier and fitter because we can only drink & smoke at home, can only get takeaways delivered, won't have to endure endless visits to cinemas, gyms, sports fixtures etc. Those nasty motor vehicles aren't clogging our roads up churning out poisonous gasses, and many people now have plenty of spare time on their hands to do . . . nothing.

oh, and local councils have finally found a way to save that £14 million a year to balance their budgets :D

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:tu:

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How do you determine between those who choose not to wear a mask because <insert tinfoil reason here> and those who genuinely can't wear a mask ?

To the best of my knowledge. You can legally ask someone if they have a condition which prevents them from wearing a mask BUT you can't ask them specifically what condition that is.

For you to blanketly declare those who can't/wont wear a mask should 'stay home' is ridiculous

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I asked at the Apple Store last time I was in because they were being very diligent asking people if they'd had symptoms, checking temperatures and also checking mask types (they weren't allowing buff-type bandana masks and made my son swap his for a disposable one they gave him).

The shop assistant said about 1 in 10 customers presented at the door without a mask. All of these were asked if there was a reason why they weren't wearing one and whether they would wear one in store. According to him, 9 out of 10 of those challenged in that way would then put on a mask.

It's not very scientific, but that indicates perhaps 1 in a hundred Apple Store customers can't wear one (perhaps also 'won't', but the security staff on the door were being pretty firm, so I imagine most people who don't want to wear a mask but do want to buy an iPhone suddenly find a reason to be pragmatic). That figure is comfortably less than the proportion of the Great Unwashed I witnessed shuffling around the shopping centre outside anyway.

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link fubar, please delete

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I think i get your point, which is if more security staff at stores were to act firmer, then more people would wear masks voluntarily (please correct me If I'm misunderstanding)

The issue i take with the above is security staff being firm part.

If person A walks in and is challenged and is asked 'is there a reason why you can wear a mask?' All person A has to do is say, 'yes, there is' nothing further needs to be said, nor can be asked about why.

If security were then to refuse entry and a Person A has a legitimate medical reason as to why they don't have to wear a mask Apple would find itself in a whole lot of trouble legally.

Businesses are in a difficult situation attempting to deal with these situations. One wrong move against the wrong person and it will be negative publicity and the pitchfork wielding hordes demanding 'Sun justice'

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Yes, you got my point :)

The Apple store guy was trying to tell me that the vast majority of people who aren’t wearing a mask will do so if asked, particularly if the question challenges them to consider whether they have a valid reason (and they only have to think about that for themselves, they’re not being asked to state their reasons). There are those who forget, and there are those who want to rage against the machine. It appears that almost all of them want an iPhone more than they want to prove a point.

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Isn't it is up to the establishment if it's a requirement or not

I was always under the impression masks protected people from you more than they protected you from them.

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I used to buy printed shirts in Top Shop but I haven't been there for a long time.

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The way things are going, we'll soon be having to make our own clothes . . probably from the skin of a deer we've poached and cooked because there are no shops :D

Apparently 'home brew' is seeing a massive increase too, why buy crap beer from supermarkets when you can brew your own in all the spare time you now have ;)

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I'm a bit ahead of the curve on this one i already brew my own beer, and as for poaching i own 6 guns :)

Five fishing rods and two catapults.

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All legal of course...;)

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The ownership is all legal.

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No matter how you dress it up, having part ownership in a Tin Can Alley and a Hook A Duck stall in Cleethorpes amusement arcade doesn't equate to owning guns & fishing rods :D

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Don't forget my gambling empire or as i like to call them fruit machines at my wizard of wads emporium;)

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Don’t you need a ... ahem ... special licence for that sort of thing? :Yikes:

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:D:D:D

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How?

John Lewis stores are extremely popular at Christmas. Many of them occupy prime units within major shopping centres and are designed to attract casual footfall (often they have entrances and exits on opposite sides, sometimes to the outside of the mall, to positively encourage people to walk through and maybe impulse buy).

With restrictions on the number of people who can be inside a shop, that design is now a positive disadvantage. They don’t want the place stowed out with people just passing through or casual browsing. They need as many people in the store as possible to be those intent on making a purchase.

They are basically doing what the Apple Store has been doing since lockdown ended in the summer, encouraging pre-booked visits (for a stated purpose only in the case of Apple) and virtual queueing those who show up on the day without an appointment.

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I read that to mean you will put into a waiting list/virtual queue, and when the actual queue diminishes, you will get a message telling you you can come to the shop (whilst in the waiting list/virtual queue, you wait in your car, or somewhere else besides the physical queue).

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I'd hope that they make it clear at the entrances that there is a 'turn up' queue and 'pre booked' queue.

Similar to the way you can do priority boarding airlines, which works and doesn't cause arguments.

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or buy from amazon and get next day delivery

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You do realise that a virtual queue is basically the same thing as an appointment, don’t you?

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Hope all you want - I’m trying to explain what I think they are trying to do.

You have to understand the world doesn’t revolve around your interpretation of what companies/people are doing, and others are allowed to have different opinions without being berated.

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Do you get a time slot.

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It's a ******High Street department store we're talking about!

---------- Post added at 21:43 ---------- Previous post was at 21:41 ----------



Look, it's in the realms of the****** obvious what they're trying to do. You don't need to explain it to me.

That JL should try to operate in this way is what I find so ridiculous.





Language please.

Re: Changes on the High Street
 

I know it’s Friday evening, but you may wish to put the Buckie down - you’re getting a little heated... ;)

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Try and avoid doing things worthy of judgment and execution. You’re a rational being, not an impassioned animal.

That said, for a rational being you’re having a surprisingly difficult time understanding why a shop struggling with unprecedented limited capacity, at its most busy time of year, might resort to planning a way to control who is in its premises and when.

As a rational being I’m sure you’re not going to start bleating about your human rights being infringed or other such nonsense.

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Sounds like a great idea to me.

Rather than stores reopening and everyone rushing to shops and them being really busy. JL has taken steps to try and keep things simple and organised. Booking appointments to visit is a great move in my book.

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You do realise that most institutions in these circumstances don’t book the virtual queue to full capacity, ensuring there are spaces for the ‘walk ins" - because this is what they do for a living...

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Perhaps most people will be savvy enough to book slots rather than turning up and queuing.

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I think irrational fury is an entirely justified response, two things engrained in every true Brit from a young age are the importance of queuing correctly and moaning, if the first is going to be usurped away from us it's only right we can use the full fury of the second to rail against it.

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People have got used to queuing now. Its just a way of life since COVID. it is a good idea and one that I'm sure JL have spent a lot of time looking into. They are just trying to get ahead of the curve. So to speak. It might work and then again it might not. No harm in trying it.

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One thing about socially distanced queues, they move quicker :)

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One has had waiting rooms online lately.;)

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Arcadia also have concessionary outlets in Debenhams, currently in administration, which could also be the end for that store group as well.

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Debenham has been coming for a long time. A store that has totally refused to move with the times. The stores still look like they did in 1978.....

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No surprises there, tough for the staff just ahead of Christmas.

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^^ Absolutely this. An appalling shopping experience, selling vastly overpriced goods. As you say a store that has stayed firmly stuck in the mud with little attempt to change or modernise. The demise has been long on the cards, well before Covid which as is many cases has simply accelerated the process.

I feel for the employees, but won't miss the store itself one bit.

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The one positive is that it might give the surviving department stores a little more breathing room ... thinking of John Lewis and Frasers mainly, though there are other regional ones still surviving.

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Debenhams (unlike Arcadia) had a fairly successful online business. I wouldn't be surprised if this is snapped up.

I would also expect Selfridge's to acquire the Miss Selfridge brand from Arcadia's administrators but is less likely to acquire the shops that go with it.

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At the rate the current lockdown policy is killing off business, we wont have any left to breathe.

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I was telling my sons on Sunday when they walk down the high street next summer it will be all boarded up, Cleethorpes is all hospitality based.

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Clothing has been hit hard by Covid.

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John Lewis was never going to be busy at 10am on a Thursday. :shrug:

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... ok then, Wednesday.

And you have provided the evidence to discount your implication that first day after lockdown was going to make a difference.

Department stores aren't busy first thing in the morning, midweek. Everyone's at work. Anyone who's still furloughed by now hasn't got any money.

The virtual queueing system is operating at all times but is clearly intended to come into its own at those times when the store is busy, namely evenings and weekends.

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Oh for lockdown again, traffic is appalling...

Do some online shopping, think of the poor white van drivers. Forget the High Street, it's history. Convert them all to nice parks :)

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I thought all the parks were being locked up and closed down due to vandalism, tits with no helmets riding mopeds, and druggies congregating there?

Or is it just this area that has a problem :D

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Yes that's only Luton.

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While people make excuses and refuse to wear masks or just cover the mouth Amazon will be my shop of choice.

The only shops I enter are Supermarkets, as needed.

Luckily my Sainsbury's has the Lloyds pharmacy in it, and they do all our meds including repeats. They sorted out an issue where my DRS wanted a blood test for my Statins, but as I have no intentions of going inside a hospital full of people with no masks and coughing and spluttering.

Lloyds sorted this out.