GreiginFife
Money List Winner
Just saw that Blockbuster has gone down the spout. Not looking good for the retail sector just now. Wouldn't want to be in retail just now.
Good luck to those that are.
Good luck to those that are.
Blockbuster joins Jessops and HMV
- Thread starter GreiginFife
- Start date
rob_golf1
Q-School Graduate
Retail is suffering loads right now! Im a student and work at Homebase and yes times are hard and the shop floors are ever so quiet!
GreiginFife
Money List Winner
TBH Rob, don't think I have ever been in a busy Homebase, not even the big one in Edinburgh.
Fader
Tour Winner
More jobs down the pan then, but with things like NetFlix and LoveFilm it was always likely that Blockbuster was next out the door. People are getting to the point where they can't be bothered to leave the house to get what they want.
Wayman
Tour Winner
Just heard about this and I'm very shocked it actually scary that all these companies going bust!
drawboy
Tour Winner
I'm afraid that in the case of Blockbuster they have to have an 'It was good while it lasted' attitude. They really held on to an outdated idea, in reality they rented off dvd's for not a lot less than anyone could buy one for. They made their money 10 years ago.
Wolfman
Tour Rookie
Quick guys get out and support your AG and DG stores before they go under !
Its a changing world and the Internet is the future to shopping, next thing all be it in years to come no more supermarkets, all ordered and delivered to the house, makes you think
Its a changing world and the Internet is the future to shopping, next thing all be it in years to come no more supermarkets, all ordered and delivered to the house, makes you think
Phil2511
Global Moderator
Can't disagree with this. ^^^
But regards NetFlix and Lovefilm. They are hardly having an effect on the market. The movies they supply are generally outdated or worse than B movies.
It's the likes of illegal downloads and streaming sites and fast internet speeds that allow people to view the latest movies online without loss of quality.
Plus again the supermarkets retailing movies out at low prices making purchase more appealing.
I remember years ago movies hit the cinema and then perhaps 6-12 months later came out for rental, then perhaps 6 months after that you could purchase them. And it took about 2 years to go from cinema to Sky.
Now its for rental and sale at almost the same time and that's happening only a few months after finishing in the cinema. After a few months from then its on Sky. Quite alot if movies are on Sky 6-12 months after cinema.
Only recently I bought 2 ex rental movies on a Saturday that were only just on the sale shelf and came home and they were the weeks latest additions to Sky. Noticed it quite a few times. When the rental stores are starting to sell off as a movie loses its rental demand they are hitting Sky TV.
Plus I find its harder and harder to find good movies, how many remakes has their been over the past number of years?
I was forced to close my retail business in December just before Christmas. Other than food, I think retail is on a hiding to nothing and what we are seeing now is just the start of even worse things to come.
The hundreds if not thousands of people a day that are arriving on the job market is frightening and I'm not sure how we can find or produce enough new jobs for everyone who is finding themselves suddenly unemployed.
We are not just in a recession, we are bordering being in a depression.
The hundreds if not thousands of people a day that are arriving on the job market is frightening and I'm not sure how we can find or produce enough new jobs for everyone who is finding themselves suddenly unemployed.
We are not just in a recession, we are bordering being in a depression.
GreiginFife
Money List Winner
Both AG and DG probably do more online business than they do face to face. So I reckon they are safe. Although as I stated in an earlier thread, they are close to becoming the DFS of golf with never ending sales.
SaintHacker
Journeyman Pro
At £6 to rent a film thats out on sky a few weeks later I'm amazed they lasted as long as they have.
Kellfire
Blackballed
Only last year Blockbuster announced new plans to deal with the threat of LoveFilm and NetFlix in a preemptive strike. So they themselves disagree with you, the two were definitely a threat and this has played out in an incredibly short period of time.
The ability to download illegal content hasn't improved recently and with the likes of Virgin Media actively targeting P2P it has actually gotten hard for the everyday, technically unsavvy computer user. Admittedly anyone even slightly into their computers will have quickly moved to proxys and anonymous torrent clients to get around the minor measures, but this is still slightly more difficult.
We aren't even in a recession...
Phil2511
Global Moderator
Perhaps Lovefilm DVD rental service may be the issue, but Netflix and Lovefilm online offerings are very basic. I was forgetting about the DVD rental part as I have the online only deal.
Downloads may have gotten harder but streaming is so easy its unreal. I have never had to use a proxy nor am i techno minded, and can watch almost every new movie going before its hit the likes of Blockbuster with ease and no loss of quality.
I disagree.
The correct view of determining a recession is taken from general business activity in the economy by looking at things like employment, industrial production, real income and wholesale-retail sales.
There not very rosy figures are they!
Some analysts and economists don't take unemployment into consideration which is just plain daft IMO.
Massive falls of unemployment can create a depression without a recession being announced, although some economists don't accept the term at all.
SwingsitlikeHogan
Major Champion
Likewise my daughter - she tells me that the Camberley store closed recently. Fingers crossed that the one she works in (Farnham) is OK.
SwingsitlikeHogan
Major Champion
...unless you are a member of a club when I'd say you really do need to support your Club Pro. I don't buy golf gear from anywhere but from my pro. He can usually 'price-match'. Only exceptions being things like trousers and jumpers - more to do with the fact that he stocks recognised 'golf labels' and they tend to be a fair bit more expensive that - say - M&S.
How much does the club pro depend on sales revenue? after-all, there on a retainer from the club, get lesson money & comp money. Not sure what they would pay, if anything, for their shop building (rent, heating etc) so do they have any overheads?
I'd love to know the breakdown of a typical pro at a club. (Started a new thread on this)
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wrighty1874
Journeyman Pro
Only a matter of time before AG or DG go under. The country is sinking fast.
I don't think they would go under, they would just do what Argos are going to do, remove all retail shops unless they are within a club or range and go fully on-line with less overheads.
Fader
Tour Winner
As long as there are people buying golf gear they will be ok, as they do most business these days online. Plus as long as they can offer custom fit it will give customers a reason for being there. Its when manufacturers start offering custom fit with local pro and buy online direct at discount prices that the likes of AG & DG will suffer.
But the difference with that being local Pro's would get something from the CF session. As long as people can afford to play golf, specialist retailers like AG& DG will be fine as their isn't the general market for stores like Asda & Tesco to dip into it. The problems will come when the rest of the economy goes tits up and people can't afford to play golf!
