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Some of the brands in the designer outlets would not have stores in small towns like Stafford or Cannock or in 'shopping centres' around them. They have them in the outlets because of all the other designer stores which are there which draw people to the places.
Correct, Beatties 'foray' into Birmingham was a huge mistake. They moved away from their tried & tested model of having stores in affluent medium to large towns like Aylesbury, Sutton Coldfield & Solihull etc. where there was little to no competition (believe it or not even Wolvo has some very wealthy areas Ha Ha!). After opening in Brum they were going head to head with House of Fraser, Debenhams & Selfridges. The Birmingham store absolutely hemorrhaged cash which dragged the whole group down & forced the eventual sale to House of Fraser.
True, that is why the department store is effectively 'dead'. Before you could only buy what they stocked. The Internet has turned your phone/tablet into the world's biggest department store & you don't have to get off your sofa to shop in it!.
There was a time, and not that long ago, when people actually used to complain about how many shoe shops were cluttering up Stafford...
Ah, yes, I think I understand that "all the other designer stores which are there which draw people to the places", a bit like places I know with a few good pubs that draw loads of drinkers in especially at the weekend.
Thanks. You've very clearly explained what I understood to have happened.
Yes, "people hark back to the past - pubs etc - as we take great comfort in what is or was good" but Santayana was right in telling us that "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it",
I once told someone that "death is nature's way of telling us to slow down", he started disagreeing and I somehow kept a straight face during the short discussion that ensued.
How many departments did Beatties in Wolverhampton have ?
My main doubt about a so called "designer village" is what happens when you get thirsty ?
Cobblers !
Loads - I worked in toys, menswear, china & glass, stationary, mother & baby, lighting, sports & the Christmas department in the 3 and a bit years I worked there. That was part of the problem in the end, each department was run like an individual shop with a Manager & Assistant Manager etc., massively overstaffed (which is not a major problem when you are making millions every year). First thing HoF did when they took over was make mass redundancies. Very sad story, the old General Manager committed suicide he was so distraught at having to put so many people on the dole.
They are called designer villages as the outlets lean towards designer brands. They aren’t B and M and Home Bargains. Think more along the lines of Hugo Boss and Paul Smith. That sort of thing. As for being thirsty, my experience of Cheshire Oaks designer outlet is that there are lots of food and drink places. I haven’t been to Cannock yet but my assumption is that there would be at least one place selling food and drink.
Yes, and i remember the men working the lifts, something you wouldn't have nowadays.
But "at least one place selling food and drink" wouldn't be much good if it was something like a Starbucks.
