1. Log in now to remove adverts - no adverts at all to registered members!

The death of the High Street

Discussion in 'General Chat' started by Mick, Apr 4, 2014.

  1. Mick

    Mick Probably won't answer PMs
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Jan 20, 2010
    Messages:
    11,325
    Likes Received:
    926
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-26849833

    I was wandering through Douglas high street yesterday and there's **** all left - the only shopping centre on the Island has recently went into administration, and the shops that are left (the likes of HMV and Game) are almost certainly gone in near the future. Everyone buys everything from Amazon with free delivery to the island... and all the local business owners are in the papers bitching about it.

    So is it a bad thing - are we actually losing something of value?
     
    #1
  2. SUPERNORWICH 23

    SUPERNORWICH 23 SUPERNORWICH

    Joined:
    Jan 24, 2011
    Messages:
    15,683
    Likes Received:
    1,320
    I like returning broken stuff to the store i bought it from, a moody email doesn`t quite cut it .
     
    #2
  3. Ciaran

    Ciaran Going for 55

    Joined:
    Jun 20, 2011
    Messages:
    44,657
    Likes Received:
    30,914
    If there was a demand they wouldn't be in the state they are.
     
    #3
  4. Otto Flayshow

    Otto Flayshow Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jan 31, 2011
    Messages:
    14,150
    Likes Received:
    3,751
    Not necessarily so. There's plenty demand for books, but high street stores can't compete with Amazon who avoid paying taxes by being registered offshore.
     
    #4
  5. SUPERNORWICH 23

    SUPERNORWICH 23 SUPERNORWICH

    Joined:
    Jan 24, 2011
    Messages:
    15,683
    Likes Received:
    1,320
    Cough
     
    #5
  6. Gambol

    Gambol George Clooney's wee brother

    Joined:
    Jan 22, 2010
    Messages:
    60,591
    Likes Received:
    18,257
    Redevelop our dying high streets into low cost housing.

    All you really need is a butcher and a boozer. Everything else ye get from the supermarket or online.
     
    #6
  7. Mick

    Mick Probably won't answer PMs
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Jan 20, 2010
    Messages:
    11,325
    Likes Received:
    926
    I lost my Kindle last month while travelling and bought a book from a shop, €15 - it was 3 quid on Amazon when I looked. Can't compete is right - they have rates and rent and staff... but Amazon do pay VAT, the same as the High Street.
     
    #7
  8. ManDingo 20"/20"

    ManDingo 20"/20" MDMA Guru

    Joined:
    Oct 24, 2011
    Messages:
    15,330
    Likes Received:
    1,106
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-22549434

    Sorry.

    You were saying?
     
    #8
  9. Gambol

    Gambol George Clooney's wee brother

    Joined:
    Jan 22, 2010
    Messages:
    60,591
    Likes Received:
    18,257
    They didny break any rules.

    The tax man just disny like it when their own rules set up to benefit the rich are used against them.
     
    #9
  10. Ciaran

    Ciaran Going for 55

    Joined:
    Jun 20, 2011
    Messages:
    44,657
    Likes Received:
    30,914
    Exactly, there is little demand for high street book shops because people can get them online cheaper.
     
    #10

  11. Gambol

    Gambol George Clooney's wee brother

    Joined:
    Jan 22, 2010
    Messages:
    60,591
    Likes Received:
    18,257
    I used to enjoy a good browse around a book shop. I used to treat book shops with almost reverence. You never knew what you could or would find.

    But it has to be said, browsing around Amazon is far easier and more productive in terms of finding new themes/authors/etc
     
    #11
  12. Otto Flayshow

    Otto Flayshow Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jan 31, 2011
    Messages:
    14,150
    Likes Received:
    3,751
    And if there was a level playing field there would be a demand for high street bookshops.
     
    #12
  13. DevAdvocate

    DevAdvocate Gigging bassist

    Joined:
    Jan 21, 2010
    Messages:
    63,752
    Likes Received:
    13,027
    You can't buy a vastly overpriced Capuccino in Amazon <ok>
     
    #13
  14. ManDingo 20"/20"

    ManDingo 20"/20" MDMA Guru

    Joined:
    Oct 24, 2011
    Messages:
    15,330
    Likes Received:
    1,106
    I didn't say they did.

    Gus brought up the fact that they dodge tax and mick tried to completely sidestep it by saying "Aye but they pay VAT"

    So **** you, and him.
     
    #14
  15. Archers Road

    Archers Road Urban Spaceman

    Joined:
    Jun 1, 2011
    Messages:
    56,851
    Likes Received:
    63,751
    It can't be long now til we're all sitting in our self contained pods experiencing a digital recreation of what used to be called "life".
     
    #15
  16. Ciaran

    Ciaran Going for 55

    Joined:
    Jun 20, 2011
    Messages:
    44,657
    Likes Received:
    30,914
    Things change, 'twas ever thus.
     
    #16
  17. Mick

    Mick Probably won't answer PMs
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Jan 20, 2010
    Messages:
    11,325
    Likes Received:
    926
    That doesn't contradict anything I just said (Corporation Tax is not VAT).

    Amazon made $274m profit on $75 billion of turnover last year http://finance.yahoo.com/q/is?s=amzn Income Statement&annual - to put that into context, that is almost 1/3rd of 1 percent (0.36%) profit after costs - which compares to Tesco making over 5% on £72 billion http://www.theguardian.com/business...r-pressure-profit-margin-target-philip-clarke

    So aye, Amazon passes on it's efficiency to the consumer in the form of cheap prices (for the moment at least). If they were paying a government 20% corporation tax it would immediately be put onto all the prices we pay.
     
    #17
  18. Gambol

    Gambol George Clooney's wee brother

    Joined:
    Jan 22, 2010
    Messages:
    60,591
    Likes Received:
    18,257

    You really are a right crabbit **** these days <laugh>
     
    #18
  19. Gambol

    Gambol George Clooney's wee brother

    Joined:
    Jan 22, 2010
    Messages:
    60,591
    Likes Received:
    18,257
    Isn't that what we're doing now on this forum?
     
    #19
  20. Gambol

    Gambol George Clooney's wee brother

    Joined:
    Jan 22, 2010
    Messages:
    60,591
    Likes Received:
    18,257
    You bite on bait far too easily ya baldy Oirish bam.
     
    #20

Share This Page