Two more shops closed

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alywin
Posts: 920
Joined: 27 Aug 2009 12:33
Location: No longer in Sydenham

Re: Two more shops closed

Post by alywin »

What's K and B?
stuart
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Joined: 21 Sep 2004 10:13
Location: Lawrie Park
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Re: Two more shops closed

Post by stuart »

An electrical goods shop selling TVs, Radios & Dansettes (look it up) in Sydenham Road. A sort of mini Mum & Pop's Currys 1960 style.

Stuart
Eagle
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Joined: 7 Oct 2004 06:36
Location: F Hill

Re: Two more shops closed

Post by Eagle »

Stuart

K and B was an excellent shop . That was also the time when many people rented TV's , seems strange now.

When you get fed up with the number of delivery vans , curse internet sales, especially Amazon
JRobinson
Posts: 1104
Joined: 5 Jan 2010 12:40
Location: De Frene Rd

Re: Two more shops closed

Post by JRobinson »

there will be a lot fewer vans when they start delivering by drone.
When you start complaining about the number of drones, drone accidents, thefts, etc, you can blame Amazon (and all those selfish people who decided to be lazy and not shop on their high street - :shock: )
Eagle
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Joined: 7 Oct 2004 06:36
Location: F Hill

Re: Two more shops closed

Post by Eagle »

JR

I will. The idea of delivery by drone is surely too far. Amazon terrible country destroying our shops.

Why do sane people shop there.
leenewham
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Joined: 2 Sep 2007 11:58
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Re: Two more shops closed

Post by leenewham »

Convenience. It's pretty much trumps everything including cost and quality.

CDs were more convenient than records, ipods more convenient than cds, Spotify more convenient than cds. VHS was more convenient than Betamax. Netflix beats Blockbuster. When they make electric cars more convenient than petrol, they will take over.

Where high streets can challenge online giants like Amazon is on experience. Make it nicer, make it desirable, make it what people want or desire.

When it's something people need, they will go for convenience and cost almost everyy time. Convenience is either something that is easy or a habit that they find difficult to break. As generations become more used to buying online, high streets have to try harder. It's not Amazon's fault for wanting to be successful.
JRobinson
Posts: 1104
Joined: 5 Jan 2010 12:40
Location: De Frene Rd

Re: Two more shops closed

Post by JRobinson »

is that a serious question?! Amazon is often cheaper than buying in a shop, and they deliver to your door. most people are inherently lazy.
stuart
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Re: Two more shops closed

Post by stuart »

Plus when we had the Co-op with Amazon lockers it did encourage footfall down the street. Its up to shops to take advantage of that and similar opportunities to bring internet shopping into the high street. Unfortunately, with a few notable exceptions, they haven't.

Instead they bullied TfL/Lewisham into ignoring the wishes of local people and insisting on maximising on-street parking turning what should be a wide and pleasant visual landscape into a metal alley that is difficult, unpleasant and dangerous to navigate on foot and bike. This in the hope of bringing in outside trade despite all the evidence that it wouldn't work.

But back to K&B. Sorry, Eagle, that scale of business is history. A small unit used to be able to stock a good selection of the ranges available. Compare the TV selection now available at PC World/Currys in Lower Sydenham. And that doesn't match what is available online (and usually at lower price too). Better that site could have been developed for housing and the TVs be delivered by shared van rather than having people drive both ways up and down Sydenham Road making that an even more unpleasant place to shop.

The future for many is not to be a generalist (like K&B) but a specialist that can concentrate on delivering a specific service or product with excellence and with the scale to be competitive with the majors. That means their market has to extend nationally beyond the physical shop. I buy lots of bike bits. Some come from big boys like Wiggle & ChainReaction but just as many come from little bike shops in Northern towns I'd never heard of. They are shining examples of how little boys can beat the big boys and keep their high streets alive.

Those that don't look beyond our High Street may not a bright future. How many of our retail businesses sell beyond Sydenham?

Stuart
leenewham
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Joined: 2 Sep 2007 11:58
Location: SYDENHAM
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Re: Two more shops closed

Post by leenewham »

Spot on Stuart.
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