Zavvi in administration

[Guinness_Cat]

It seems obvious that traditional high street chains that sell stuff that can be bought more cheaply on the web are doomed.
The only surprise is how they've survived so long.

This year I've found things cheaper in the high street than I've been able to find online - definite sign of desperation by some shops.

[AtW]

They couldn't get stock because Woolworths owned Entertainment UK was apparently the sole provider and distributor.

Some top brass must have made huge bonus on eliminating all other suppliers and having just one to save costs. Turns out increased risks were big enough to kill the whole shop - I have no doubts that the person who arranged such supplier cutting buggered off to run some other company into the ground.

[Doggy Styles]

Let's be honest here, the retailers who have gone so far (Zavvi, Woolworth, MFI, Whittard, Officers Club) were all the type where you wondered how something run that badly could make any money.

None have come as an "OMG" shock from the blue.

This is capitalism working as it should.

[teclo]

Some top brass must have made huge bonus on eliminating all other suppliers and having just one to save costs. Turns out increased risks were big enough to kill the whole shop - I have no doubts that the person who arranged such supplier cutting buggered off to run some other company into the ground.

I heard or read somewhere that HMV also used Entertainment UK as a main supplier but could see something was going wrong and sourced additional suppliers.

I know that my local council libraries used EUK as a major supplier and they are having issues getting a new source.

[dang65]

I went in looking for a last minute DVD buy yesterday, the shelves were empty.

Same here. Went into HMV yesterday with some vouchers the kids had got and they had four or five DVDs on their wish list, all of which had sold out - stuff like Family Guy Blue Harvest, Dr Who Series 4, Robin Hood Series 2... all common enough stuff which you see everywhere normally. Shelves were stripped.

These shops must be raking in the cash at the moment. Everywhere is packed and always seems to be, Christmas or not. I think the media is making out that any kind of slowdown - 0.32% down on this time last year, or whatever - is some kind of disaster for the retailers, rather than that these places are being massively greedy and should be able to handle a tiny reduction in sales easily. Unless they are managed with complete incompetence, which does seem to be the case a lot of the time.

[AtW]

I think the media is making out that any kind of slowdown - 0.32% down on this time last year, or whatever - is some kind of disaster for the retailers

They do it every year, I think the retailers encourage it to make discounts offered seem "final" and "big" - this year ought to be worse than others, a few shop chains should have gone bust before Xmas not right after.

[BrilloPad]

I am just pleased that Mrs BP used her virgin megastore voucher in November.....

[Bright Spark]

This feels a bit like when all the banks where collapsing in sept/oct.

[lilelvis2000]

I've never walked into Zavvii even when it was Virgin. I found them overpriced - I could easly get the stuff online for much less.

what amazes me is that these book sellers haven't gone bust sooner! And JJB - how do they do it. Pure rubbish I've never managed in five years to use the £10 voucher I have.

[PM-Junkie]

They couldn't get stock because Woolworths owned Entertainment UK was apparently the sole provider and distributor.

Another company that was run by muppets then.