Marks And Spencer Share Discussion Threads

[debsdowner] 03/12/2020 11:01

ALDI also repays business rates relief to the GOV

[xxxxxy] 03/12/2020 08:55

The high street has been engulfed in crisis after the collapse of three major employers in a week.The demise of Arcadia, Debenhams and Bon Marche is likely to wipe out 26,500 retail jobs and puts the sector on track to lose 200,000 jobs this year. Experts expect the final figure to be even higher.Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer on Wednesday urged the government to draw up a "comprehensive plan to save retail jobs and to provide the sector with the much greater support it needs through this crisis."Darren Jones, chair of the Business Select Committee, wrote to business minister Alok Sharma on Wednesday, urging him to set up a special task force to address the crisis in the retail sector. Jones called it "a dark week for bricks and mortar retail in the UK."Arcadia, which owns chains like TopShop, Wallis and Burton, fell into administration on Monday. 13,000 staff are at risk of redundancy unless a buyer can be found.READ MORE: Arcadia collapse caps downfall of king of the High Street Sir Philip GreenOn Tuesday rescue talks at Debenhams failed, leaving its 12,000 employees facing almost certain unemployment.Bon Marche's administration followed on Wednesday, putting another 1,500 jobs at risk.The string of collapses has thrown into stark relief the crisis facing the high street. UK retail had already lost over 170,000 jobs so far in 2020, according to the Centre for Retail Research. Big names including Marks & Spencer (MKS.L), WH Smith (SMWH.L), and John Lewis have all announced thousands of job cuts so far this year.?A man walks down a deserted Camden high street in London. Photo: Vuk Valcic/SOPA Images/Sipa USA/PA"This is further evidence of the extremely tough trading environment that the retail industry currently faces," said Tom Ironside, director of business & regulation at the British Retail Consortium. "With rent bills mounting and in-store sales back to zero for those in lockdown, many retailers are on a knife-edge."Physical retail - as opposed to online - has been struggling to compete with digital sales for years but the sector has been dealt a hammer blow by the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced retailers to shut stores for months at a time.READ MORE: Business minister hints at possible investigation into Arcadia collapseShadow chancellor Anneliese Dodds said the "long-term trend" towards online shopping had been "compounded" by the pandemic."The first thing that needs to be done to protect retail jobs is to get a grip on public health," Dodds told an online event hosted by Bloomberg on Wednesday.WATCH: The colourful decades that ended in Debenhams' downfall 0:483:17  Takeovers, scandal and debt - the colourful decades that ended in Debenhams' downfallJob losses so far this year have already surpassed the total for both 2018 and 2019, according to the Centre for Retail Research. The consultancy predicts that over 230,000 jobs will ultimately be lost from the high street his year and said 20,000 shops will shut.Samuel Tombs, chief UK economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, said the collapse of Arcadia and Debenhams was "the start of a painful shake-out of employment in the retail sector." Tombs gave a similar forecast for job losses.READ MORE: Pressure on Sir Philip Green to fill Arcadia's £350m pension scheme holeThe prime minister's spokesperson said earlier this week the government was "committed to supporting the retail sector" and was "working closely with industry during these very challenging times".Chancellor Rishi Sunak on Wednesday said retailers faced a "tough winter" but said extensions to business rates relief and the furlough programme would help ease the pain. Junior business minister Paul Scully hinted that tax relief could be extended to help the sector. He said the Treasury were "very aware" of the "cliff-edge" when business rates relief ends next April."We will certainly look at that and an announcement will be forthcoming," Scully said in parliament.The retail sector employs almost 5 million people in the UK, accounting for 15% of all jobs.... Yahoo Finance

[xxxxxy] 03/12/2020 08:33

John Redwood@johnredwood·2hI asked Government yesterday to promote home grown food.There are big opportunities as we put in a replacement for the EU policies which have cut our capacity to feed ourselves. The Minister agreed but needs to bring in the schemes to cut those food miles.

[debsdowner] 03/12/2020 08:12

Sainsburys to hand back rates relief after TESCO said it was doing so yesterday and also Morrisons



So this puts pressure on MARKS to do so but as they made a loss they may not do so.

[xxxxxy] 03/12/2020 05:27

Lab-grown chicken could be sold on British supermarket shelves as Singapore paves the wayScientists say a new 'space race for the future of food' is under with the arrival of "chicken bites" made from animal cellsByEmma Gatten, ENVIRONMENT EDITOR3 December 2020 • 12:24am... Daily Telegraph

[johnwise] 02/12/2020 22:47

VIDEO:

President Trump "This may be the most important speech I've ever made"....

[debsdowner] 02/12/2020 16:32

Corona infections on the rise again and deaths up sharply for some time at over 600. Yesterday figures in brackets:



Infections 16,170 (13,430)

Deaths 648 (603)

Admissions 1,191 (1,369)

On ventilator 1,351

[xxxxxy] 02/12/2020 15:02

Food, mostly.... Boris plans Brexit ban on live animal exports: Boris Johnson will unveil a Brexit ban on 'barbaric' live animal exports on Thursday according to the Sun. Under strict European Union Single Market rules that guarantee the free movement of goods, no member states can ban livestock being transported across borders alive. However, with Britain finally cutting ties with Brussels, the process will be outlawed as the PM unveils plans for the legislation tomorrow. Boris has long been a critic of such a trade and now he looks to finally be the man that ends it. One insider told the Sun: "Free from EU red tape, we can now do away with the cruel practice of exporting live animals for slaughter and fattening – setting an example to other countries with our world-leading standards."... GlobalVision

[debsdowner] 02/12/2020 11:11

Hi robot,

Bonmarch'e is also in administration today placing another 1,500 jobs at risk and has 2,225 stores which is more bleak news for the High Street



Sooner or later MARKS will have to close more stores its all online now, otherwise the clothes will be dearer due to expensive store operations.

The Blackpool store was in a busy precinct which is bad fore the precinct as so was Preston.

The malls will be full of closed stores with both Edinburgh Wool Mill and Philip Green Arcadia stores vanishing as well.

[xxxxxy] 02/12/2020 10:40

The only good thing about all closures is less competition for MKS. Sad though. High Street in Revolution, not Evolution.

[xxxxxy] 02/12/2020 10:38

Bonmarché has fallen into administration, marking the third major retail collapse in as many days as the UK high street battles to survive the pandemic.The latest retail casualty leaves the fate of 1,500 jobs and 225 stores hanging in the balance. But administrators said all stores will remain open and no redundancies have been announced, as Bonmarché looks for a buyer.The women's fashion chain has called in administrators for the second time in under two years. RSM Restructuring Advisory LLP were appointed on 30 November.Joint administrator Damian Webb of RSM Restructuring Advisory, which was appointed on 30 November, said: "Bonmarché remains an attractive brand with a loyal customer base. It is our intention to continue to trade whilst working closely with management to explore the options for the business."We will shortly be marketing the business for sale and based on the interest to date we anticipate there will be a number of interested parties. We would like to thank the Bonmarché staff for continuing to support the business during these challenging and uncertain times for those individuals personally."It comes just two days after Arcadia, which TopShop, Dorothy Perkins, and Miss Selfridge, also filed for administration on Monday, leaving the fate of 500 stores and 14,000 workers in limbo..... Yahoo Finance

[robot ic1] 02/12/2020 09:11

Good morning Qantas and Debsdowner .

For Debenhams it is all over now ,the fat lady has sung .another set of doorways the beggars cannot fill their hats with silver, but more doorways to shelter from the cold and rain.

The locusts will strip the shops bare , including coat hangers and shop fitments .
obviously the coat hangers will be free in boxes by the exit doors .

I presume the poor folk will help themselves and maybe sell a few for a few bob in the pubs.

It is very sad indeed , eventually the shopping centres and town could be playgrounds for muggers, drug Sellars , and redevelop land for housing .

The corner shops will start to come back as for convenience the internet shopping will not always work .

Big mike will be kicking himself .
Philip gone from a rich billionaire down to a multi millionaire.

Oh dear how this makes the UK public weep.

Is big marks next , well you hear it here today ,I think they will also vanish from the high street as well .

Only time will tell .

pity for all the staff as most will become part of the unemployed sector .

Doomsday is nearing of the shopping centres and towns .

[philanderer] 02/12/2020 08:59

Tesco repaying business rates relief.

[xxxxxy] 02/12/2020 08:25

Brilliantly British: Boris Johnson urges Britain – buy British and boost national recoveryToday the Prime Minister urges the country to buy British and turbo-charge the national recovery. Boris Johnson is backing the Daily Express's "fantastic" Brilliantly British campaign launched to protect jobs and give a crucial shot in the arm to UK businesses - both big and small - in the critical run-up to Christmas.By KAT HOPPSDaily Express

[johnwise] 02/12/2020 08:24

Expecting to see an increase in customers at M&S, with Arcadia: Topshop, Miss Selfridge, Dorothy Perkins and Debenhams gone. M&S will be one of the few left on the high street selling clothes that will wash more than once..

[johnwise] 02/12/2020 08:22

Expecting to see an increase in customers at M&S, with Arcadia: Topshop, Miss Selfridge, Dorothy Perkins and Debenhams gone. M&S will be one of the few left on the high street selling clothes that will wash more than once..

[debsdowner] 02/12/2020 07:37

Shop Prices fall due to discounting says BRC

[debsdowner] 01/12/2020 21:57

QANTAS

Indeed it does and I didn't think it would have survived even if Mike Ashley had have bought the chain, the public don't shop at Department stores anymore.

Whether they will come back some time in future who knows but not for many a year.

It is quite sad however as some people still like that kind of experience.

In the meantime a brewer is to close 100 pubs.

[ignoble] 01/12/2020 18:40

I wouldn't even know what Debenham sell
In my many years on this planet, I can honestly say that I have never set foot in one.

It was only very recently that I found out John Lewis sell men's clothing...
In fact, thinking on it, the only thing that I know of John Lewis is that they sell Bed Linen and Dinner Services
Oh yes, Perfume too

Bit lacking on the Marketing Front

[qantas] 01/12/2020 16:57

debsdowner the Debenhams story ends.....

[debsdowner] 01/12/2020 16:15

Corona infections on the rise again and deaths up sharply for some time at over 600



Infections 13,430

Deaths 603

Admissions 1,369

[onehanded] 01/12/2020 16:05

I'm sure Amazon looking at M & S to buy, as would make sense on many business fronts.

[debsdowner] 01/12/2020 15:57

Wild Wednesday at Debenhams tomorrow and it will mean less money for other retailerrs until stock gone

[xxxxxy] 01/12/2020 14:24

John Blackley 1 Dec 2020 12:06PMThe Covid crisis has, I think, only hastened the inevitable as large department stores - and a host of other 'legacy' businesses - go to the wall. Evolution was already at work on these enterprises. Councils' greed in milking them for extortionate business rates, online shopping, faster, more nimble business models - all contributed to leaving them depending on their shrinking, traditional customer base. Yes, some other factors have been in play. I hope, for example, that the Telegraph is proud of itself for hounding Sir Philip Green to the point where thousands of people are now going to lose their jobs but these are ephemeral. The major cause of these businesses' demise is simply evolution. 4LikeReplyJessica Clarke 1 Dec 2020 12:03PMBusiness RatesCovid shackles2 big reasons why the high street is under so much pressure. Amazon and online shopping is not the answer to everything. Being able to feel the quality of the product and try stuff on makes buying a pleasure. Not possible under covid... Daily Telegraph...