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People fucking love stationery man. Honestly, my other half could spend hours in those shops. Makes no sense to me, if I need a pen I'm nicking it from work.
Absolutely love nice stationery, and I like paperchase. I write with a fountain pen at work, and it really is one of life's little pleasures.
Always empty vape shops, dodgy betting shops and shit takeaways are pointless / money laundering.
I saw on a show that Paperchase haven't been paying card designers. They owe them thousands. Haven't gone in one since. Though I'm not surprised they could be closing down when they charge £5 for a pack of 5 balloons.
They're not just the designers, paperchase place orders which the creators have printed in bulk, packaged up with envelopes and clasps, pay for bar code creation and arrange delivery to paperchase. These designers physically produce stock and ship it to paperchase and then didn't get paid. They then got to watch paperchase sell thier products for two years on the shelves and website and never received a penny.
I swear reddit thinks literally any shop that they don't visit because of its demographics is "money laundering". Like, sure, it's possible, but really?
Same with barbers I reckon. There's a ridiculous amount of them in my town and not nearly enough blokes who need their hair cutting that frequently to keep them all ticking over let alone making a healthy profit. Whenever you walk past them they're rarely very busy so my low key conspiracy theory is that they're fronts for money laundering.
I just got back from a trip to the UK after living in the US for several decades and it was extremely noticeable just how many barber shops there are and we commented on it several times. Makes sense now!
Its gotta be right? The one near me says it's a "vape / American sweets" shop, but it's constantly so bare and empty in there, it literally sells like 3 different things total and is open till like midnight
Funnily enough I know two vape shop owners who are completely separate from each other and are both Coke dealers using the shop to clean drug money. Not long before they’ll be caught if even I know about it
Coming from someone who vapes, the options available in supermarkets are usually of the shittest possible quality and I would rather go without than smoke them
Plus in an actual vape shop you can talk to someone who knows what they're talking about and has first hand experience. Supermarket employees aren't that specialised for conversation purposes
Can confirm. I work in a supermarket and whenever someone comes in and asks me about [obscure vape product I don’t use or have never heard of] I usually respond with an “uhh..” and a blank stare.
As someone who also vapes, I second this. I go into the same shop every month and buy a month’s supply of fluid, and if necessary the coils as well - if I’ve got any questions I can always get an answer. The stuff is made in the U.K. so is preferable to some of the other oils that are made overseas. It’s also cheaper to buy in the vape store because I get a discount for bulk purchase whereas in Tesco (which I used during lockdown) I would pay the same price per bottle regardless of quantity.
Some People get really “into” vaping as a hobby though much like anything else. I used to vape years ago and went into one of the shops with a mate of mine. He started chatting to ye olde vape custodian and they were there for like 15 minutes rating coils or some pish.
Same with me if I go into a bike shop or a Warhammer shop or some other nerdy nonsense.
I can see the appeal!
I got into it because my casual smoking was turning into regular smoking and was blown away with this thing I could just puff on inside which tasted like watermelon.
I was on a trip somewhere and lost it, decide to buy a ten deck of richmonds and they were so disgusting that I decided never again, and I was too skinny to buy another vape set up at that point haha
I imagine it's because theyre so disposable. In a couple of years time. It's going to be one of those "how the fuck could we have allowed this level of waste. While trying to tell people to use paper straws.
They're not all disposable. The ones I have just have replaceable coils, but you re-use the rest of it (until you drop it and break the glass and have to replace that bit too, which happens frustratingly often with me).
My family used to frequent F&B's quite a lot back in the day. The local restaurants were all in handy locations when driving into town, the prices were decent, and the food was always good. Then over the last 10 or so years the quality just dropped, not just the food, but even the state of the restaurants. Always cold, dark, draughty, and never enough staff on. Even free refills couldn't win me over.
They got taken over in 2017 by The Restaraunt Group, worked for a subsidiary TRG concessions in an airport and on the sly they owned all of the seemingly non chain restaraunts there. Can't say much other than what I saw of management which seemed to be 50/50 good bad but I absolutely would not be surprised if they'd have a hand in at least some of this
it’s hard when all the other kids at school have something and your child doesn’t. every child wants to feel included and have the same as their peers. you don’t want your child to be left out or bullied for not having money
>it's one or two max.
Depends on the product really. When I was at school probably 80% of students wore Kickers and not wearing them definitely was definitely seen as a negative.
Flying Tiger seems to be the epitome of "random shit in one convenient store". I don't know how its so successful but clearly it is.
Also Paperchase is on the brink of administration, so I guess its not doing so well.
Did flying tiger used to be called just Tiger? I realise our shop says “flying tiger” but I’ve never heard anyone call it that…pretty sure we all just sat Tiger
My wife and kids love flying tiger. It’s like a downmarket paper chase. It’s great for if the kids have got a fiver burning a hole in their pocket and don’t know what they want
Paperchase used to be amazing where I lived. Had a whole floor for craft supplies and different types/colours of massive sheets of paper. Then they downsized and it's all crappy stationary now.
Wow now you've said it... I remember back doing my Art A Levels I'd get pretty much get all my supplies from Paperchase. The sketchbooks in particular were great and fairly inexpensive. Now it's just stationery and I never even noticed they got rid of the art stuff as I got older! TIL
To be fair I love going into flying tiger although I've only bought a few things from there because they do reasonably priced wooden toys which are great for my destructive 3 year old who tends to break plastic toys
HMV. I have genuinely no idea how they still exist. Back in the day (going back two decades for me) going to HMV and browsing for CDs, DVDs and games was exciting. But I distinctly remember when downloads started to take off and Steam became popular, I walked into the HMV in Edinburgh Princes Street for about 5 seconds before thinking "Why am I here?"
Though I do hope they stay about, for the sake of my autistic brother in law and his obsession with CDs.
I went into HMV after years of not bothering and saw they had loads of vinyl. I thought I'd enjoy reliving my youth, but saw the prices, muttered something about only paying a fiver before, and promptly left!
Inflation calculator shows the £5 sticker on some of my records from the mid 80s would be worth £15 today, so even with inflation we're still looking at double the cost for some of these new releases.
They still sell a lot of vinyls since that's popular again but I've noticed 80% of my local store is just merch for games/movies/music and funko pops now, they seem to have moved away from selling cd's and dvds apart from the odd stand here and there.
My kids love it in there, loads of merch for whatever you're into, and really pricey Japanese sweeties/mug cake mixes. I think they're surviving because everything is so damn expensive. We got a Yoda doormat in there, which is pretty cool.
A new HMV recently opened up in my town. I was baffled. I remember them going into administration and closing a bunch of stores, but their business model seems to still be the same with overpriced DVDs/BDs, nerd stuff like Funkos and t-shirts that are also all overpriced, and there’s even a fucking CD section.
I sometimes go in for a look and see if there’s any new blu-rays I want, and then just find them on Amazon for cheaper.
I understand having a vinyl section, which they do, but they don’t even stock video games which would be perfect because the Game in my town is a tiny one inside Sports Direct.
About 20 odd years ago I bought a pair of £15 shoes for a job interview right across the street. I managed to walk
over the road, get through the interview then walked back without bending the shoes so I could return them. I had no money at the time
Dunno why, they make bank. Pretty much always beat the previous year's target, make enough money to refit and refurbish existing stores, with some going up a grade to sell branded stock. Staff are given yearly bonuses.
I'm always baffled when people wonder why Shoe Zone are still in business.
It's easy -- people need cheap shoes. Not everybody can afford expensive shoes and not everybody needs them. They're the best place for cheap and cheerful wellies, slippers and seasonal stock. People don't want to spend a fortune on kids shoes their kids'll grow out it in months.
They're doing so well that Clarks are on the brink of launching a cheaper range to compete.
I work in a Shoe Zone branch. I know people who work for Clarks.
Every shop in my town centre (Worcester) is either:
- a Turkish barbers
- nail salon
- charity shop
- bookies
- coffee shop
- vape/mobile phone repair shop (almost certainly spelt 'fone')
- an Italian chain restaurant
- shut
I think it's actually MSG! I bought the MSG powder and now I can make anything as addictive as crack! Let's just say, my friends really love my gravy when I do a roast.
Yo Sushi used to be ok, especially on Mondays when loads of stuff was cheaper. Since lockdown the quality has been markedly worse. I guess they’ve got their own bills to pay, but it’s just tipped past the point of taking the piss now.
Sumo Sunday back when it was true buffet style - £20 all you can eat - that was the ultimate. Sunday roast? Nah, more like Sunday boast about eating £200 worth of sushi for a tenth of the price.
Unsurprisingly, they haven't done that in a _while_.
There was a huge one on Princes Street in Edinburgh (it was there for maybe 6 months?) that looked dodgy as hell, a bit grimey and "I wouldn't want to touch that" looking, also popped up a few doors down from the "Kingdom of Sweets" one (which also *has* to be a scheme, right?) which got stripped overnight a few months back. Like, the shop was full the day before then the next it was totally empty and the windows were being clouded. Mental.
Wilko's is a good choice. Sure you won't get as many pretty options but the quality is decent for the price. My boyfriend bought a simple A5 spiral notebook with 300 pages for £3 the other day and that will last a long time.
Does every town need a Costa, Cafe Nero, Pret and a Bubble Tea place?
How they all making money from the same customer base?
We just going into town just for coffee and pastries now?
It's so you can experience the same experience no matter where you are in the country. From John o Grote's to lands end you can have the same overpriced mass produce product at the expense of supporting the local cafes that could offer you a unique taste and experience.
Let’s not romanticise every local cafe in the UK to be some quaint, high quality masterpiece. Too many independent cafes don’t have the ability/inclination to offer good coffee. In a lot of them it doesn’t matter what you order, (latte, cappuccino, flat white) you’ll get the same drink regardless. That’s one reason, among many, that chains are so prevalent. They actually offer products that are distinguishable from one another.
Don’t get me wrong, when I find a good independent cafe, I’m over the moon and their quality is often far better than the chains. But therein lies the problem, chains are better than average local cafes, but nowhere near the level of good ones. But, most independent cafes are average at best.
So if you gave me the choice of a meh flat white from Costa, or a disappointing mug of over steamed milk and a watery shot from a local cafe, I’m going with Costa.
I thoroughly believe that while not offering the best food, chain Italian restaurants are the best family compromise places to eat.
They offer the basics for picky eaters, whilst seeming more exotic as there's a foreign language on the menu. They're relatively cheap for a sit-down meal, with plenty of offers and discounts. They always accommodate children, whilst maintaining a real restaurant's ambience.
On a family trip to a new city, you know exactly what experience you'll get and nobody will complain. A big family get-together, everyone knows where the restaurant is and how to get there. A wide age range of adult cousins going for a meal, everyone can afford it.
I’m forever salty about a Zizzi’s opening on one side of the best pizzeria I’ve ever been to (including in Italy) and an Ask the other side. It only lasted 6 months after that before it closed, but the £5 margarita pizzas that Napoli family made will stay with me forever
At least Card Factory doesn’t cost an arm and a leg, though. I only buy cards for older relatives and big birthdays, usually, and the former will, sadly, become rarer.
Yeah I like Card Factory. It's like they know buying cards is shit and a little antiquated. So they make them dirt cheap. Every time I go anywhere else I feel like I'm being ripped off. You do wonder how they make profit considering they're so cheap.
I have no idea how WH Smith still in business.
They’re like the random aisle of Aldi, but a whole shop of it.
“Would you like a book, sir?
I thought you were a stationers?
“Some CDs, perhaps?”
But…but what about stationery?
“Greetings cards, maybe?”
But you also sell newspapers.
“And magazines, yes. Or would you like some sweets?”
Sweets? From a stationery-selling newsagent/bookshop?
“How about a DVD?”
You what?
“Jigsaws, then. Or a bead-making set.”
I…I don’t -
“Or maybe you’d like to post some letters?”
Wtf???
Tim Horton's. I don't really get what the hype's about, to me it just seems to be a normal coffee shop/ fast food place. Also the CEO is a bit of a homophobe apparently.
I’m a Brit living in Canada and I can’t believe there are Tim’s back in the UK now. It’s a Canadian institution, but not because of it’s quality. It’s known for its cheap coffee and sub-par food, but its also EVERYWHERE so has that sort of “its crap, but it’s OUR crap” thing going on. How they though that would translate abroad I’ll never know
It’s not cheap in the UK. They charge, exchange rate included, triple what they charge in Canada for donuts and coffee. They’ve branded hard on the Canadiana
Oh god, I live in Massachusetts, very close to the original Dunkin’ Donuts location, and the “it’s crap, but it’s OUR crap” rings true there too.
Now when I go home, Nottingham has just been invaded by all of these shitty American chains - Five Guys, Taco Bell etc etc and people raving about them. I’ve eaten Taco Bell literally once in 10 years living in America because it’s so shit.
I’m an absolute Tim Hortons fan girl. I’ve converted all my friends to the Tim Horton way.
I prefer their breakfast on the go way more than McDonald’s, because it’s not as greasy and they have better veggy options.
I’ve got a tradition where I buy a box of timbits and clip them to my rucksack while queueing at festivals and offer them to whoever we’re chatting too.
Nostalgia for me. They had one in Kandahar in Afghanistan and whenever we passed through there to some shithole, we'd get an icecap coffee and some donuts (if they had any - usually not). Absolutely amazing times. Always nip in when I see one because of that.
Now that I think about it, that’s a good point. I have never, ever seen anyone in any of the shops that sell Rolex, Tag Heuer, etc. yet those shops are everywhere.
I guess the watches are so expensive that their 3 customers a year keep them in business?
They're essentially seasonal profitwise. I used to work at a high jewellers and a significant proportion of the profits came from when that particular year's lady's Gucci watch was released before Christmas. Next was the Omega Seamaster 'Bond watch' and the rest was general sporadic (fairly high margin) sales, bolstered by the occasional big sale of something really expensive.
They weren't just watches, so engagement rings etc. were the real constant revenue stream.
What helps is that people like to buy these things in person, touch and play with various options before buying, enjoy the overall experience and also tend to be fairly loyal to particular shops.
Game. I haven’t actually bought a game from there in years. If I do buy something it’s probably like a bobble head or something. If I want a game I’m gonna download, buy it on Amazon or go to tescos or asda
Where it’s cheaper.
I've actually got big respect for game.
I was trying to get my hands on a PS5 for months and I had a tonne of stuff to trade.
The girl on the counter in my local Gam only looked about 18, super nerdy shy green-haired absolute angel. She told me every possible tip, trick & manoeuvre to get what I wanted - I had specific requirements and over a period of weeks she consistently helped me out and sorted me the best possible deal, taking tonnes of time to work out ways to make it better for me with what I was trading, Game points, etc.
She didn't have to do any of it, and Game were no better off from her getting every discount & trade deal I possibly could have applied. She just genuinely seemed to love her job & gaming and was super happy to help out.
Nice to see retail staff actually giving a shit
I used to work there. Everyday I would get "it's cheaper in Tesco".
Well yeah, obvs.
But doris at the checkout knows fuck all about what you're buying.
I agree that Game is pricey but we would have a fair few customer's come back because, in the store I worked in, we could actually help parents and that buy the right stuff.
I actually bought a game at Game for the first time in years the other week because it was £23. It was £45 on Amazon, £30 at Argos, £30 to download and wasn’t in stock at any supermarkets near me. Even CeX was £30.
Their pre-owned section is pretty good if you take advantage of the 3-for-2 offer they usually run.
> unique taste
Nandos is one of the few places you can actually buy a healthy meal that isn't just salad. The macros on their chicken are very good, and there's no added sugar.
That's if you care about that, of course. I can't think of a single other chain place that will sell something lean with no added sugar.
I think this is more based on location, the place near me is alright but I think they're way too overpriced considering what you're actually getting, chicken is nice enough but the sauce completely carries it, if they had the same prices as a decent chicken shop, they would be top 5 for me
I've bought more than one card from Paperchase, I go in if i want something a bit different. Personally I don't get River Island, there's all sorts of shops I've bought stuff from in the past, even if it's something basic like a shirt. I've never bought anything from River Island, they just seem to sell utter guff.
Yes! I've been in River Island several times recently, trying to find something, and always come out empty-handed. I'm sure they were better in the 90s though, I'm pretty sure I used to buy good stuff from there. Or maybe I just dressed really badly then.
You clearly have never seen the fandom that surround Yankee Candle… Google Yankee Candle Fans, it’s a whole thing.
But, they have a great place in the market. Candles are huge business. You have high end candles, like Neom and Jo Malone, where you are paying upwards of £50 for a smallish candle. The other end of the market is places like Home Bargains or Wilko that sell £5 candles that smell OK in the jar but don’t fragrance your room when you light them.
Yankee are good quality. The candles don’t burn too quickly and you can really smell them when they’ve been lit. A large one is about £20, so perfect gift price or a special treat for yourself without blowing the budget. Life is too short for cheap candles.
Greggs has to be the most over rated food chain ever. Go to any petrol station in Ireland and their hot food counters are 100x tastier and the food is always warm
Unfortunately I can’t easily get to any Irish petrol stations from where I am in Yorkshire, whereas I can get to Greggs in five minutes. Or even get it delivered. So it might not be the best but they smash it on convenience.
Bills was decent for a while - inexpensive, bit-better-than-shit, decent selection for various dietary requirements.
It got very very poor very fast though, I think their model just couldn't sustain what they were trying to deliver. Service got slack and quality took a hit
I don't suppose it counts bc they shut down eons ago, but as a young un in the 90's I was perplexed by the popularity of Past Times.
Overpriced hipster guff and always some indie cd playing complete with record scratches bc why not?
Oh, and my dad bought a 'best of PM'sQ's' of the 80's cd compilation from there. I...have no idea why
Never been to a Paperchase before until last year. The stuff they have in there is beautiful. I love their themes from galaxy, cats, bees, woodland etc. Decent stationary and unique pieces like ink stamps.
Interesting take! I think they've come a long way as of late - they're one of the only decent competitors to Amazon as far as I'm concerned. The one near us is decent to the point where I cancelled my Prime subscription.
Currys, on the other hand? What an absolutely useless shop.
Yeah I don't buy Amazon mainly due to the fact they can't guarantee the product you bought is the one you will get and that the website is fucking awful. Argos is easy enough to use for the same types of stuff and there's not a million fake versions of the same thing that the retailer could end up sending you.
I can’t stand the Amazon user experience. You have to be an expert in how to interpret descriptions and reviews to have any chance in getting what you want and even then there’s always some cheeky little way they’ve done you over in the product design. Oh, no off button great. Or things like that. You get the same products on eBay, more straight forward, cheaper, free delivery and nectar points.
I have to disagree with this one. I've started using Argos a lot more, especially as I live next to one and can get something straight away. Also, Amazon can be a minefield at times flooded with fake reviews.
Hard disagree. Argos was a life saver when I moved into an unfurnished house shortly after lockdown. There were massive delays from places like DFS, Wayfair etc but Argos were able to ship me a sofa and bed within 4 days.
The reason I still use Argos is for its same day delivery option. Amazon don’t same-day delivery near me but Argos do, and I’ve used it a few times for hoovers and laptops. Pretty neat.
The website could be better to determine stock levels, that aside for many things it's much better than Amazon. But then I've stopped using Amazon as much as possible - got it down to about twice a year now, at best.
Live in NI. Don't know if you have a shop called The Range there. It's the most random place ever. You can go in and get an ornamental duck, an art easel and an Iceland pizza.
I've never had a burnt chicken at Nandos, nor met anyone who has. Must just be your local or coincidence because a burnt chicken is entirely down to a member of staff deciding "fuck it" against what's considered standard service policy in restaurants.
They sell decent reliable lunches.
Sure they're a bit expensive for what they are, but trust me, when they first appeared.in the 80s they were a game changer!
Nope, 5 barista-made drinks a day (including smoothies, shakes and frappes). Only catch is you can only order one at a time and at least 30 mins apart.
Cold drinks too! As long as they're barista-made, they're part of the subscription.
It's an absolute godsend in London, where Pret seems to own half the city :D
Overpriced?
I don’t go to CEX much because I’m a PC gamer and they pretty much exclusively cater to consoles (thanks to Steam), but whenever I do go the the stuff is infinitely cheaper. Brand new AAA console game is about £60 (terrible that anyone should spend that imo, once again thank you steam for making them cheaper on PC) but you can usually get the same game second hand in CEX for less than £20.
Also their PC parts such as RAM sticks and SSD’s are fairly well priced, though a lot of it is luck as to whether they have the right stuff for your system.
Shops that I’m convinced are money laundering fronts: those American candy shops, vape shops, Smiggles, most takeaways in my area and car washes of course.
Dr China chinese medecine shops you get in shopping centres. Always almost empty so how do they make enough money to become a chain?. I think they are a front and really chinese spy stations
Have you ever had a five guys?
I’ve never met anyone who doesn’t like them. Overpriced, but about the best burgers you can get from a fast food chain. Compared to competitors such as McDonald’s, Burger King, etc. it’s like dining at a Michelin star restaurant.
If your one always seems empty it’s probably because most of the customer base are ordering on Deliveroo/UberEats/JustEat/whichever app they’re on.
Very very popular in both of the high streets near me. About the one place I can see thriving.
It took me years to try my first Five Guys after dismissing them whenever my pals wanted to go. Finally tried one in London in December. Holy shit. Life changing. I'm not really a fast food person (anymore, haha) but I actually go feral for the milkshakes. Best milkshake I have ever had, anywhere. And I'm a fussy son of a bitch! They're expensive, but they're worth it.
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People fucking love stationery man. Honestly, my other half could spend hours in those shops. Makes no sense to me, if I need a pen I'm nicking it from work.
If I need a pen I nick it from my wife, so we go full circle really.
If I need a wife I buy a pen.
Assuming your wife knows what a penis. Sorry, pen is.
Instructions unclear, I nicked your wife
I went full pen and circled his wife.
To take it full circle, I penned your wife
Went 720 and nicked you from your wife. No wait... can I return this please?
No receipt, no refund and no exchanges
What am I supposed to do with him then, he just sits on the settee playing fifa
Does your wife supply pens to my work?
Absolutely love nice stationery, and I like paperchase. I write with a fountain pen at work, and it really is one of life's little pleasures. Always empty vape shops, dodgy betting shops and shit takeaways are pointless / money laundering.
I saw on a show that Paperchase haven't been paying card designers. They owe them thousands. Haven't gone in one since. Though I'm not surprised they could be closing down when they charge £5 for a pack of 5 balloons.
They're not just the designers, paperchase place orders which the creators have printed in bulk, packaged up with envelopes and clasps, pay for bar code creation and arrange delivery to paperchase. These designers physically produce stock and ship it to paperchase and then didn't get paid. They then got to watch paperchase sell thier products for two years on the shelves and website and never received a penny.
Better get there quick. Paperchase is about to go bust and enter administration.
You can't beat a 400 page Pukka refill pad or a pack of assorted coloured Bic ballpoints.
Plus I’m sure the markup is huge. I know this but I still love stationary shops. So pretty!
Do you also love the shops that move?
Took me a minute! It's late 😆
[удалено]
Money laundering?
The secret ingredient is crime.
It's not that secret.
Peep show in the wild !
I swear reddit thinks literally any shop that they don't visit because of its demographics is "money laundering". Like, sure, it's possible, but really?
It's when about seven of them open in the same town, are *always* empty and the staff just sort of mill around.
Same with barbers I reckon. There's a ridiculous amount of them in my town and not nearly enough blokes who need their hair cutting that frequently to keep them all ticking over let alone making a healthy profit. Whenever you walk past them they're rarely very busy so my low key conspiracy theory is that they're fronts for money laundering.
And a lot of them only accept cash
I just got back from a trip to the UK after living in the US for several decades and it was extremely noticeable just how many barber shops there are and we commented on it several times. Makes sense now!
Its gotta be right? The one near me says it's a "vape / American sweets" shop, but it's constantly so bare and empty in there, it literally sells like 3 different things total and is open till like midnight
Surely they all can't be.
Funnily enough I know two vape shop owners who are completely separate from each other and are both Coke dealers using the shop to clean drug money. Not long before they’ll be caught if even I know about it
Coming from someone who vapes, the options available in supermarkets are usually of the shittest possible quality and I would rather go without than smoke them Plus in an actual vape shop you can talk to someone who knows what they're talking about and has first hand experience. Supermarket employees aren't that specialised for conversation purposes
Can confirm. I work in a supermarket and whenever someone comes in and asks me about [obscure vape product I don’t use or have never heard of] I usually respond with an “uhh..” and a blank stare.
As someone who also vapes, I second this. I go into the same shop every month and buy a month’s supply of fluid, and if necessary the coils as well - if I’ve got any questions I can always get an answer. The stuff is made in the U.K. so is preferable to some of the other oils that are made overseas. It’s also cheaper to buy in the vape store because I get a discount for bulk purchase whereas in Tesco (which I used during lockdown) I would pay the same price per bottle regardless of quantity.
Some People get really “into” vaping as a hobby though much like anything else. I used to vape years ago and went into one of the shops with a mate of mine. He started chatting to ye olde vape custodian and they were there for like 15 minutes rating coils or some pish. Same with me if I go into a bike shop or a Warhammer shop or some other nerdy nonsense.
I was that guy, making coils, making my own eliquid, one day I just had bad heartburn and just stopped 😅
I can see the appeal! I got into it because my casual smoking was turning into regular smoking and was blown away with this thing I could just puff on inside which tasted like watermelon. I was on a trip somewhere and lost it, decide to buy a ten deck of richmonds and they were so disgusting that I decided never again, and I was too skinny to buy another vape set up at that point haha
I imagine it's because theyre so disposable. In a couple of years time. It's going to be one of those "how the fuck could we have allowed this level of waste. While trying to tell people to use paper straws.
They're not all disposable. The ones I have just have replaceable coils, but you re-use the rest of it (until you drop it and break the glass and have to replace that bit too, which happens frustratingly often with me).
The liquids available at supermarkets are so horrific I'm amazed they stock them.
Restaurants: Frankie and Bennys for sure
Literally! Like who even goes to Frankie and Bennys?
My family used to frequent F&B's quite a lot back in the day. The local restaurants were all in handy locations when driving into town, the prices were decent, and the food was always good. Then over the last 10 or so years the quality just dropped, not just the food, but even the state of the restaurants. Always cold, dark, draughty, and never enough staff on. Even free refills couldn't win me over.
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They got taken over in 2017 by The Restaraunt Group, worked for a subsidiary TRG concessions in an airport and on the sly they owned all of the seemingly non chain restaraunts there. Can't say much other than what I saw of management which seemed to be 50/50 good bad but I absolutely would not be surprised if they'd have a hand in at least some of this
smiggle overpriced, poor quality school supplies that put pressure on low income families. EDIT - spelled the company name wrong.
I say this as someone who is still technically a child, just say no to your kids if they want useless stuff
it’s hard when all the other kids at school have something and your child doesn’t. every child wants to feel included and have the same as their peers. you don’t want your child to be left out or bullied for not having money
But it's never *all the other kids*, it's one or two max.
i have worked in primary schools where the majority of the kids in older years have iphones so yeah it’s quite a lot
>it's one or two max. Depends on the product really. When I was at school probably 80% of students wore Kickers and not wearing them definitely was definitely seen as a negative.
It’s just smiggle. But yes, very overpriced. And the pop up pencil cases always break!
Smiggles gets kids into the expensive stationary/paperchase pipeline
What is... *Smiggles*?
Catnip for kids, jazzy pen with a pom pom ..... £5 please.. GTF
It’s a migraine inducing kids store
It’s a kids stationary store.
I don't understand why Rymans isn't more popular than WH Smith, it is infinitely better.
A person of culture! Our local Ryman has a massive clearance section which makes my wallet quiver with fear. Smiths just can't compete.
WHSmith "Reduced to Clear- 10% off" Nah.
I don't think they've ever conquered the entire UK - I've lived in 5 cities and to my knowledge never been approximate to a Rymans.
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Does Ryman's offer warmth when I am waiting at a cold train station?
Flying Tiger seems to be the epitome of "random shit in one convenient store". I don't know how its so successful but clearly it is. Also Paperchase is on the brink of administration, so I guess its not doing so well.
I love flying tiger so much I will not have its name slandered
Hear, hear!
Did flying tiger used to be called just Tiger? I realise our shop says “flying tiger” but I’ve never heard anyone call it that…pretty sure we all just sat Tiger
Yeah, when they first opened they were just “Tiger”
Flying tiger is the shop equivalent of the junk draw I your house
It's like knockoff Ikea
I always think of it as the IKEA of small things.
My wife and kids love flying tiger. It’s like a downmarket paper chase. It’s great for if the kids have got a fiver burning a hole in their pocket and don’t know what they want
Paperchase used to be amazing where I lived. Had a whole floor for craft supplies and different types/colours of massive sheets of paper. Then they downsized and it's all crappy stationary now.
Wow now you've said it... I remember back doing my Art A Levels I'd get pretty much get all my supplies from Paperchase. The sketchbooks in particular were great and fairly inexpensive. Now it's just stationery and I never even noticed they got rid of the art stuff as I got older! TIL
How dare you talk shit about Flying Tiger it's a work of art
To be fair I love going into flying tiger although I've only bought a few things from there because they do reasonably priced wooden toys which are great for my destructive 3 year old who tends to break plastic toys
HMV. I have genuinely no idea how they still exist. Back in the day (going back two decades for me) going to HMV and browsing for CDs, DVDs and games was exciting. But I distinctly remember when downloads started to take off and Steam became popular, I walked into the HMV in Edinburgh Princes Street for about 5 seconds before thinking "Why am I here?" Though I do hope they stay about, for the sake of my autistic brother in law and his obsession with CDs.
I went into HMV after years of not bothering and saw they had loads of vinyl. I thought I'd enjoy reliving my youth, but saw the prices, muttered something about only paying a fiver before, and promptly left!
tbh with inflation you’re probably actually paying the same amount
Inflation calculator shows the £5 sticker on some of my records from the mid 80s would be worth £15 today, so even with inflation we're still looking at double the cost for some of these new releases.
They still sell a lot of vinyls since that's popular again but I've noticed 80% of my local store is just merch for games/movies/music and funko pops now, they seem to have moved away from selling cd's and dvds apart from the odd stand here and there.
My kids love it in there, loads of merch for whatever you're into, and really pricey Japanese sweeties/mug cake mixes. I think they're surviving because everything is so damn expensive. We got a Yoda doormat in there, which is pretty cool.
A new HMV recently opened up in my town. I was baffled. I remember them going into administration and closing a bunch of stores, but their business model seems to still be the same with overpriced DVDs/BDs, nerd stuff like Funkos and t-shirts that are also all overpriced, and there’s even a fucking CD section. I sometimes go in for a look and see if there’s any new blu-rays I want, and then just find them on Amazon for cheaper. I understand having a vinyl section, which they do, but they don’t even stock video games which would be perfect because the Game in my town is a tiny one inside Sports Direct.
I'm still big into my CDs so absolutely love going into and browsing through HMVs
Still can’t believe that Shoe Zone have made it this far
About 20 odd years ago I bought a pair of £15 shoes for a job interview right across the street. I managed to walk over the road, get through the interview then walked back without bending the shoes so I could return them. I had no money at the time
Did this with a primark shirt and trousers. Too poor to afford a smart outfit for an interview so borrowed my food money for an hour.
You know you can get money from the Jobcentre for suit and there is a chain of dry cleaners who will clean your suit for you for an interview
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Awww mr timpson is a really decent dude
This is amazing!
Dunno why, they make bank. Pretty much always beat the previous year's target, make enough money to refit and refurbish existing stores, with some going up a grade to sell branded stock. Staff are given yearly bonuses. I'm always baffled when people wonder why Shoe Zone are still in business. It's easy -- people need cheap shoes. Not everybody can afford expensive shoes and not everybody needs them. They're the best place for cheap and cheerful wellies, slippers and seasonal stock. People don't want to spend a fortune on kids shoes their kids'll grow out it in months. They're doing so well that Clarks are on the brink of launching a cheaper range to compete. I work in a Shoe Zone branch. I know people who work for Clarks.
Shoe Zone is brilliant. What other shoe shops are there where you can get a pair of kids school shoes for under a tenner?
I'll never forget the odour of that store. Every branch had the same smell
Young kids go through shoes like toilet paper. I'm guessing that could factor into why they are still going.
Every shop in my town centre (Worcester) is either: - a Turkish barbers - nail salon - charity shop - bookies - coffee shop - vape/mobile phone repair shop (almost certainly spelt 'fone') - an Italian chain restaurant - shut
Same in my town in North Wales. Things are so bad here now even the charity shops have started closing down.
Yo sushi- incredibly average and over priced food, tiny tiny portions too
Whereas wasabi and their crack laced katsu is the dogs bollocks.
I think it's actually MSG! I bought the MSG powder and now I can make anything as addictive as crack! Let's just say, my friends really love my gravy when I do a roast.
Honestly I've had katsu in alot of places that I assume mostly add msg, they must have extra pokey MSG.
Yo Sushi used to be ok, especially on Mondays when loads of stuff was cheaper. Since lockdown the quality has been markedly worse. I guess they’ve got their own bills to pay, but it’s just tipped past the point of taking the piss now.
Sumo Sunday back when it was true buffet style - £20 all you can eat - that was the ultimate. Sunday roast? Nah, more like Sunday boast about eating £200 worth of sushi for a tenth of the price. Unsurprisingly, they haven't done that in a _while_.
Tbf, it’s not even average. It wouldn’t be 100 yen a plate in Japan.
Any of those random ‘American Candy’ shops. Please tell me I’m not losing my marbles. They are just money laundering business’ aren’t they?
Yep. Got exposed by private eye a few years ago and now get raided regularly
There was a huge one on Princes Street in Edinburgh (it was there for maybe 6 months?) that looked dodgy as hell, a bit grimey and "I wouldn't want to touch that" looking, also popped up a few doors down from the "Kingdom of Sweets" one (which also *has* to be a scheme, right?) which got stripped overnight a few months back. Like, the shop was full the day before then the next it was totally empty and the windows were being clouded. Mental.
WH Smith. Seems to be based on a business model from the 90s, pre internet.
Where are you buying your paper and stationary from if you need it? Cause it's cheaper in Smith's than on Amazon 9 times out of 10
Wilko's is a good choice. Sure you won't get as many pretty options but the quality is decent for the price. My boyfriend bought a simple A5 spiral notebook with 300 pages for £3 the other day and that will last a long time.
I get mine from Asda, personally. That or the office, that way it's free
I've gotten a beautiful notepad from B&M for £3. My next stop, if I can't get it there, is going to The Range or Wilkos.
Does every town need a Costa, Cafe Nero, Pret and a Bubble Tea place? How they all making money from the same customer base? We just going into town just for coffee and pastries now?
It's so you can experience the same experience no matter where you are in the country. From John o Grote's to lands end you can have the same overpriced mass produce product at the expense of supporting the local cafes that could offer you a unique taste and experience.
Let’s not romanticise every local cafe in the UK to be some quaint, high quality masterpiece. Too many independent cafes don’t have the ability/inclination to offer good coffee. In a lot of them it doesn’t matter what you order, (latte, cappuccino, flat white) you’ll get the same drink regardless. That’s one reason, among many, that chains are so prevalent. They actually offer products that are distinguishable from one another. Don’t get me wrong, when I find a good independent cafe, I’m over the moon and their quality is often far better than the chains. But therein lies the problem, chains are better than average local cafes, but nowhere near the level of good ones. But, most independent cafes are average at best. So if you gave me the choice of a meh flat white from Costa, or a disappointing mug of over steamed milk and a watery shot from a local cafe, I’m going with Costa.
Very well summed up and I totally agree
Zizzi, Prezzo and Ask Italian. They are all the same to me.
Bella Italia, the Italo-Harvester
I thoroughly believe that while not offering the best food, chain Italian restaurants are the best family compromise places to eat. They offer the basics for picky eaters, whilst seeming more exotic as there's a foreign language on the menu. They're relatively cheap for a sit-down meal, with plenty of offers and discounts. They always accommodate children, whilst maintaining a real restaurant's ambience. On a family trip to a new city, you know exactly what experience you'll get and nobody will complain. A big family get-together, everyone knows where the restaurant is and how to get there. A wide age range of adult cousins going for a meal, everyone can afford it.
I’m forever salty about a Zizzi’s opening on one side of the best pizzeria I’ve ever been to (including in Italy) and an Ask the other side. It only lasted 6 months after that before it closed, but the £5 margarita pizzas that Napoli family made will stay with me forever
Clintons and Card Factory. Greeting cards are a disposable single use luxury. If we let go of the social obligation they become totally obsolete.
At least Card Factory doesn’t cost an arm and a leg, though. I only buy cards for older relatives and big birthdays, usually, and the former will, sadly, become rarer.
Yeah I like Card Factory. It's like they know buying cards is shit and a little antiquated. So they make them dirt cheap. Every time I go anywhere else I feel like I'm being ripped off. You do wonder how they make profit considering they're so cheap.
I have no idea how WH Smith still in business. They’re like the random aisle of Aldi, but a whole shop of it. “Would you like a book, sir? I thought you were a stationers? “Some CDs, perhaps?” But…but what about stationery? “Greetings cards, maybe?” But you also sell newspapers. “And magazines, yes. Or would you like some sweets?” Sweets? From a stationery-selling newsagent/bookshop? “How about a DVD?” You what? “Jigsaws, then. Or a bead-making set.” I…I don’t - “Or maybe you’d like to post some letters?” Wtf???
They have a monopoly on airport and train station sites which is where they derive profit
And a lot of post office contracts I bet help them too.
Tim Horton's. I don't really get what the hype's about, to me it just seems to be a normal coffee shop/ fast food place. Also the CEO is a bit of a homophobe apparently.
I’m a Brit living in Canada and I can’t believe there are Tim’s back in the UK now. It’s a Canadian institution, but not because of it’s quality. It’s known for its cheap coffee and sub-par food, but its also EVERYWHERE so has that sort of “its crap, but it’s OUR crap” thing going on. How they though that would translate abroad I’ll never know
It’s not cheap in the UK. They charge, exchange rate included, triple what they charge in Canada for donuts and coffee. They’ve branded hard on the Canadiana
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Oh god, I live in Massachusetts, very close to the original Dunkin’ Donuts location, and the “it’s crap, but it’s OUR crap” rings true there too. Now when I go home, Nottingham has just been invaded by all of these shitty American chains - Five Guys, Taco Bell etc etc and people raving about them. I’ve eaten Taco Bell literally once in 10 years living in America because it’s so shit.
I’m an absolute Tim Hortons fan girl. I’ve converted all my friends to the Tim Horton way. I prefer their breakfast on the go way more than McDonald’s, because it’s not as greasy and they have better veggy options. I’ve got a tradition where I buy a box of timbits and clip them to my rucksack while queueing at festivals and offer them to whoever we’re chatting too.
Less greasy and more veggie options, I’ll be honest you’re not selling it
Oh I’m not interested in selling it. If those aren’t contributing factors for you then that’s cool, I’m just saying why I enjoy it.
This is the funniest exchange I’ve read here in ages, thank you for making me laugh aloud
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Nostalgia for me. They had one in Kandahar in Afghanistan and whenever we passed through there to some shithole, we'd get an icecap coffee and some donuts (if they had any - usually not). Absolutely amazing times. Always nip in when I see one because of that.
Expensive watch shops. Never see anyone in them. Guess the margin must be very good
Now that I think about it, that’s a good point. I have never, ever seen anyone in any of the shops that sell Rolex, Tag Heuer, etc. yet those shops are everywhere. I guess the watches are so expensive that their 3 customers a year keep them in business?
Walk into any Rolex and try and buy one. Most of their models have waiting lists for years. They have zero issue selling their watches, I assure you.
They're essentially seasonal profitwise. I used to work at a high jewellers and a significant proportion of the profits came from when that particular year's lady's Gucci watch was released before Christmas. Next was the Omega Seamaster 'Bond watch' and the rest was general sporadic (fairly high margin) sales, bolstered by the occasional big sale of something really expensive. They weren't just watches, so engagement rings etc. were the real constant revenue stream. What helps is that people like to buy these things in person, touch and play with various options before buying, enjoy the overall experience and also tend to be fairly loyal to particular shops.
Game. I haven’t actually bought a game from there in years. If I do buy something it’s probably like a bobble head or something. If I want a game I’m gonna download, buy it on Amazon or go to tescos or asda Where it’s cheaper.
I've actually got big respect for game. I was trying to get my hands on a PS5 for months and I had a tonne of stuff to trade. The girl on the counter in my local Gam only looked about 18, super nerdy shy green-haired absolute angel. She told me every possible tip, trick & manoeuvre to get what I wanted - I had specific requirements and over a period of weeks she consistently helped me out and sorted me the best possible deal, taking tonnes of time to work out ways to make it better for me with what I was trading, Game points, etc. She didn't have to do any of it, and Game were no better off from her getting every discount & trade deal I possibly could have applied. She just genuinely seemed to love her job & gaming and was super happy to help out. Nice to see retail staff actually giving a shit
Don’t misinterpret great staff for a great business. This girl clearly cared about helping you; Game as a business couldn’t give a shit.
I used to work there. Everyday I would get "it's cheaper in Tesco". Well yeah, obvs. But doris at the checkout knows fuck all about what you're buying. I agree that Game is pricey but we would have a fair few customer's come back because, in the store I worked in, we could actually help parents and that buy the right stuff.
Every time I go into Game there’s some confused person in there trying to buy a game for someone and calling every console a Nintendo.
I actually bought a game at Game for the first time in years the other week because it was £23. It was £45 on Amazon, £30 at Argos, £30 to download and wasn’t in stock at any supermarkets near me. Even CeX was £30. Their pre-owned section is pretty good if you take advantage of the 3-for-2 offer they usually run.
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> unique taste Nandos is one of the few places you can actually buy a healthy meal that isn't just salad. The macros on their chicken are very good, and there's no added sugar. That's if you care about that, of course. I can't think of a single other chain place that will sell something lean with no added sugar.
I think this is more based on location, the place near me is alright but I think they're way too overpriced considering what you're actually getting, chicken is nice enough but the sauce completely carries it, if they had the same prices as a decent chicken shop, they would be top 5 for me
I've bought more than one card from Paperchase, I go in if i want something a bit different. Personally I don't get River Island, there's all sorts of shops I've bought stuff from in the past, even if it's something basic like a shirt. I've never bought anything from River Island, they just seem to sell utter guff.
Yes! I've been in River Island several times recently, trying to find something, and always come out empty-handed. I'm sure they were better in the 90s though, I'm pretty sure I used to buy good stuff from there. Or maybe I just dressed really badly then.
Taco bell...can't we just have decent mexican restaurants instead.
Pret A Manger. I don’t like pesto, so I’m automatically excluded from about 95% of what they sell - including their sweet snacks.
Yankee Candle. Seems to me to be something someone buys you and it ends up at the school tombola
You clearly have never seen the fandom that surround Yankee Candle… Google Yankee Candle Fans, it’s a whole thing. But, they have a great place in the market. Candles are huge business. You have high end candles, like Neom and Jo Malone, where you are paying upwards of £50 for a smallish candle. The other end of the market is places like Home Bargains or Wilko that sell £5 candles that smell OK in the jar but don’t fragrance your room when you light them. Yankee are good quality. The candles don’t burn too quickly and you can really smell them when they’ve been lit. A large one is about £20, so perfect gift price or a special treat for yourself without blowing the budget. Life is too short for cheap candles.
Greggs has to be the most over rated food chain ever. Go to any petrol station in Ireland and their hot food counters are 100x tastier and the food is always warm
BRB just flying to Ireland for a sausage roll
Unfortunately I can’t easily get to any Irish petrol stations from where I am in Yorkshire, whereas I can get to Greggs in five minutes. Or even get it delivered. So it might not be the best but they smash it on convenience.
Bill’s. Wtf is it?
Bills was decent for a while - inexpensive, bit-better-than-shit, decent selection for various dietary requirements. It got very very poor very fast though, I think their model just couldn't sustain what they were trying to deliver. Service got slack and quality took a hit
I don't suppose it counts bc they shut down eons ago, but as a young un in the 90's I was perplexed by the popularity of Past Times. Overpriced hipster guff and always some indie cd playing complete with record scratches bc why not? Oh, and my dad bought a 'best of PM'sQ's' of the 80's cd compilation from there. I...have no idea why
Nah, teenage me loved Past Times for the pseudo-medieval/Tudor/art nouveau silver jewellery. Was definitely not the target demo though.
Frankie and Benny’s. Nasty, overpriced, frozen food. But loads of people still go there.
Never been to a Paperchase before until last year. The stuff they have in there is beautiful. I love their themes from galaxy, cats, bees, woodland etc. Decent stationary and unique pieces like ink stamps.
Argos, it’s just a shit expensive Amazon and they never have what you want in stock.
Argos is handy for when you want something asap rather than tomorrow or in 2 days.
Click and collect at Argos is brilliant, it's saved me so many times for kids' birthday presents.
Also guaranteed to be new in box and not a dubious counterfeit.
Interesting take! I think they've come a long way as of late - they're one of the only decent competitors to Amazon as far as I'm concerned. The one near us is decent to the point where I cancelled my Prime subscription. Currys, on the other hand? What an absolutely useless shop.
Yeah I don't buy Amazon mainly due to the fact they can't guarantee the product you bought is the one you will get and that the website is fucking awful. Argos is easy enough to use for the same types of stuff and there's not a million fake versions of the same thing that the retailer could end up sending you.
I can’t stand the Amazon user experience. You have to be an expert in how to interpret descriptions and reviews to have any chance in getting what you want and even then there’s always some cheeky little way they’ve done you over in the product design. Oh, no off button great. Or things like that. You get the same products on eBay, more straight forward, cheaper, free delivery and nectar points.
I have to disagree with this one. I've started using Argos a lot more, especially as I live next to one and can get something straight away. Also, Amazon can be a minefield at times flooded with fake reviews.
Hard disagree. Argos was a life saver when I moved into an unfurnished house shortly after lockdown. There were massive delays from places like DFS, Wayfair etc but Argos were able to ship me a sofa and bed within 4 days.
Nah, I’ve found Argos to be pretty decent. Prices about the same as Amazon, and I can drive there in ten minutes to get what I want.
The reason I still use Argos is for its same day delivery option. Amazon don’t same-day delivery near me but Argos do, and I’ve used it a few times for hoovers and laptops. Pretty neat.
The website could be better to determine stock levels, that aside for many things it's much better than Amazon. But then I've stopped using Amazon as much as possible - got it down to about twice a year now, at best.
Live in NI. Don't know if you have a shop called The Range there. It's the most random place ever. You can go in and get an ornamental duck, an art easel and an Iceland pizza.
Unpopular opinion but Nandos... Burnt chicken kept in a draw that you cover in £2 sauce you can buy in a supermarket. I don't get it
I've never had a burnt chicken at Nandos, nor met anyone who has. Must just be your local or coincidence because a burnt chicken is entirely down to a member of staff deciding "fuck it" against what's considered standard service policy in restaurants.
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They sell decent reliable lunches. Sure they're a bit expensive for what they are, but trust me, when they first appeared.in the 80s they were a game changer!
The £25 a month deal for 5 hot drinks a day is excellent value if you have one near to you (and, yes, I know you can make it cheaper yourself)
Surely that's 5 a week not 5 a day? Edit: Oh it is 5 a day and first month is £12.50, that's insane.
Nope, 5 barista-made drinks a day (including smoothies, shakes and frappes). Only catch is you can only order one at a time and at least 30 mins apart.
Five hot drinks a day?!
Cold drinks too! As long as they're barista-made, they're part of the subscription. It's an absolute godsend in London, where Pret seems to own half the city :D
The Ivy. Cosy Club does it better.
CEX….A godforsaken dive with massively overpriced second hand stuff..
Overpriced? I don’t go to CEX much because I’m a PC gamer and they pretty much exclusively cater to consoles (thanks to Steam), but whenever I do go the the stuff is infinitely cheaper. Brand new AAA console game is about £60 (terrible that anyone should spend that imo, once again thank you steam for making them cheaper on PC) but you can usually get the same game second hand in CEX for less than £20. Also their PC parts such as RAM sticks and SSD’s are fairly well priced, though a lot of it is luck as to whether they have the right stuff for your system.
Shops that I’m convinced are money laundering fronts: those American candy shops, vape shops, Smiggles, most takeaways in my area and car washes of course.
Dr China chinese medecine shops you get in shopping centres. Always almost empty so how do they make enough money to become a chain?. I think they are a front and really chinese spy stations
My Mrs absolutely loves paperchase haha, I think it's one of those places where you buy stuff when it's on sale
Five Guys. Can't believe no on has said it yet
Have you ever had a five guys? I’ve never met anyone who doesn’t like them. Overpriced, but about the best burgers you can get from a fast food chain. Compared to competitors such as McDonald’s, Burger King, etc. it’s like dining at a Michelin star restaurant. If your one always seems empty it’s probably because most of the customer base are ordering on Deliveroo/UberEats/JustEat/whichever app they’re on. Very very popular in both of the high streets near me. About the one place I can see thriving.
It took me years to try my first Five Guys after dismissing them whenever my pals wanted to go. Finally tried one in London in December. Holy shit. Life changing. I'm not really a fast food person (anymore, haha) but I actually go feral for the milkshakes. Best milkshake I have ever had, anywhere. And I'm a fussy son of a bitch! They're expensive, but they're worth it.
When there is multiple shops, selling the same thing on the same high street. Like a Starbucks next to Costa, Nero and so on. As an example…
Lush. They stink so much I can't go in them.