Blockbuster - Another one bites the dust...

[LosOjos]

I think Maplin's days are numbered. Ludicrously expensive no matter what you're buying from them. It'll be a shame as all the Maplins I've been in have had at least one very helpful and knowledgeable member of staff on shift to give advice and find exactly the component I'm looking for even when my descriptions have been flaky at best, but when you can buy the product half the price elsewhere, why wouldn't you?

Add to that the fact they're a fairly specialist store anyway and you have a recipe for disaster I think...

[mmoseley]

I think Maplin's days are numbered. Ludicrously expensive no matter what you're buying from them. It'll be a shame as all the Maplins I've been in have had at least one very helpful and knowledgeable member of staff on shift to give advice and find exactly the component I'm looking for even when my descriptions have been flaky at best, but when you can buy the product half the price elsewhere, why wouldn't you?

Add to that the fact they're a fairly specialist store anyway and you have a recipe for disaster I think...

I half and half agree, they are expensive but where else can you find "bits" that you need? ebay...amazon...?

[Oaktech]

I half and half agree, they are expensive but where else can you find "bits" that you need? ebay...amazon...?

Well, excluding the tat (kids toys etc) yes, ebuyer, amazon, ebay, RS, Farnell, CPC (who are essentially farnell) Rapid...

It will only be a problem when you need a bit in a real hurry and like me, your nearest RS counter is 50 miles away.

[GREED]

How on earth did Blockbusters not pioneer the LoveFilm or Netflix route of internet-streaming movies... talk about fall on your own sword!

[mattlynch]

I'm not sad, blockbuster's opening shut down my local video store when i was 9, she used to give me free popcorn

[hardtailstar]

I thought they went last week, our shop had a notice in the window saying about it being in administration.

[gshaw]

Maplin would be stuffed if RS / Rapid Electronics would sort put their ludicrous postage costs. Priced up some LEDs from Rapid... about a fiver for the LEDs with £8 p&p?!

Lovefilm is useless for games, the new releases are always conveniently out of stock.

GAME must still be on the edge as well...

[SpuffMonkey]

Amusing yet sad...

Jessops_window.jpg

[Arthur]

Any predictions who (if any) could go next?

What do you reckon...

• Arcadia Group (BHS, TopShop, TopMan, Miss Selfridge, Burton, Dorothy Perkins, Wallis, Evans etc.) « This would wipe out a good chunk of the high street!
• GAME (for the second time)
• Maplins
• W.H. Smith
• Build-A-Bear Workshops
• Games Workshop
• Holland & Barrett / Dr & Herbs
• La Senza
• The Perfume Shop
• The Works Bookstore
• Thomas Cook and/or Thomson

[GREED]

Game will go next

[rich_tech]

game are circling the plughole again I think - I hate how in both HMV and this shop PC gaming is like a dirty word, they got rid of it in HMV and have just a single rack of it in the local Game

Maplin - I think that they will be around for a bit, they fill the niche of a couple of fields sound equipment / electronics and replaced shops like Tandy/Radio Shack though they are expensive for some things

Smiths is another wierd one I think thats quite right that they will be concession only stands eventually, our local one here gave away its upstairs floor space to the main town post office and I personally think that book days are numbered, but hardbacks even more at the prices these places charge.

[CAM]

The games industry is a funny one though. Consumers will happily let themselves be ripped off for the sake of convenience online and then ripped off again as companies go for the double dip. Some of the products aren't even finished and publishers are actively seeking to force consumers to use their distribution platforms and shut down the second hand market which makes up such a large portion of the brick and mortar retailer's income.

[localzuk]

What do you reckon...

• Arcadia Group (BHS, TopShop, TopMan, Miss Selfridge, Burton, Dorothy Perkins, Wallis, Evans etc.) « This would wipe out a good chunk of the high street!
• GAME (for the second time)
• Maplins
• W.H. Smith
• Build-A-Bear Workshops
• Games Workshop
• Holland & Barrett / Dr & Herbs
• La Senza
• The Perfume Shop
• The Works Bookstore
• Thomas Cook and/or Thomson

Arcadia are safe IMO. People still like buying clothes on the high street.
GAME - quite possibly. They have *still* yet to update their business model, even though Game Station was killed by them.
WH Smith - I dunno, they're always pretty busy. People still like buying magazines and the like.
Build-A-Bear - how is this business still alive!?!
Games Workshop - nah, they'll survive. They're niche, and expensive but still sell a lot of stuff. The company will be fine, even if they end up closing a load of shops.
Maplins - not sure, its possible they'll disappear. They are expensive and kinda niche too.

[synaesthesia]

How on earth did Blockbusters not pioneer the LoveFilm or Netflix route of internet-streaming movies... talk about fall on your own sword!

The same reason Game will fail (again). Both had the ability. Game actually had something already completed that would almost certainly have been what we now call "Steam". But they didn't see the market for it yet. Now, they've had it. Hindsight is wonderful but it's also proof that sometimes you need to take the risk and read the future. Blockbuster were no different.

If you make mistakes, you can expect to fall onto the sword, be it your own or someone elses. These companies need to accept that and stop dragging on public resources to attempt survival.

[sonofsanta]

What do you reckon...

• Games Workshop

GW will be fine, their business plan is pretty sound as there's always more middle-class-adolescents to sell to, and where else are they going to get that particular brand of crack from? I say all this as someone who went through all that 10-15 years ago. GW's stock has gone up over the last year, and their shares are still at 657.50 each, which is quite frankly obscene.

There'll be a travel agent or two go down yet, though, who buys a holiday in a high street store anymore?