How many more will go bust?

[Tony]

It will be interesting to see how Amazon, and Play for that matter, copes with the closing of the Jersey tax loop hole that they took advantage of. It was one of the reason why Amazon could sell new movies and music so cheaply.

 

I understand that Luxembourg is dropping their VAT rate to 3% for eBooks to allow them to undercut our 20% and other similar VAT rates around the EU. Maybe that offers a clue.

[willman]

It will be interesting to see how Amazon, and Play for that matter, copes with the closing of the Jersey tax loop hole that they took advantage of. It was one of the reason why Amazon could sell new movies and music so cheaply.

 

HMV also have an online presence with goods dispatched from the Channel Islands at a lower price than their own shops and in line with Play etc.

Yet everyone appears to believe HMV are being pressured out of the market.

[Rupert_Baehr]

I understand that Luxembourg is dropping their VAT rate to 3% for eBooks to allow them to undercut our 20% and other similar VAT rates around the EU. Maybe that offers a clue.

 

...Cues a rush of Brits to open accounts with Amazon in Luxembourg.

 

Given that there is no VAT in the UK on printed books and newspapers (and you have to cut down trees and consume significant amounts of energy to make those) why is there VAT on E-books and E-papers anyway?

[Sausage Dog]

Lots of posts about the benefits of internet shopping - mainly about how cheap it is in comparison to the High Street (hardly surprising given the High Street has higher overheads), also comments about the convenience of home delivery. I don't disagree with either point, but a cheap price here, and a bit of convenience there is actually having a fundemental impact, IMO, on wider society.

 

In the past, shops (and pubs for that matter), weren't just a place to get stuff, they were places where you interacted face to face with other people. You'd bump into friends and acquaintances, and all that kind of thing. Bit by bit we are loosing these common places, and bit by bit are becoming more insular and cut off from one another.

[mossdog]

Who told you that?

 

There have been plenty of complaints about the influx of Poles.

 

The Polish economy grew by 4.4% in the first quarter of 2011. They're hardly in recession.

 

Lots of the Poles have gone home. Who can blame them?

 

Growth in the Czech economy was about 0.9% during the same quarter. - Not sparkling, but hardly a recession.

 

The Romanian economy grew by only about 1%, but is predicted to grow by about 4% next year. Romania'a budget deficit is expected to be under 1.9%.

 

Companies tend to move to places where they can find highly-skilled, well trained, reliable - and cheap - workers. Who can blame them?

 

British consumers want high-quality and low prices. Who can blame them?

 

If they choose to buy imported goods because those made at home cost rather more, who is to blame?

True!.........but maybe the time has come for the unthinkable!......to stop consuming so much 'stuff" especially Chinese stuff,lots bunged on credit cards.The high streets and shopping malls have just become warehouses and clearing centres for chinese stuff,is this really growth?

Charity shops now sell stuff now that you could not dream of buying in the high street when I was a kid, for peanuts most with very little use.

Most people in UK have enough stuff to last them for the next five years without more consumption................and don't even get me started about getting on the overinflated" housing ladder",another growth myth trotted out!

[emma royd]

Man goes out and buys Korean built car, Chinese built TV, Italian built washing machine, Chinese built Blue Ray player, Sri Lankan made clothes and drinks German brewed beer. He then wonders why UK businesses are closing down and he's lost his job.

[Sausage Dog]

Man goes out and buys Korean built car, Chinese built TV, Italian built washing machine, Chinese built Blue Ray player, Sri Lankan made clothes and drinks German brewed beer. He then wonders why UK businesses are closing down and he's lost his job.

 

Too true. By same token, companies out source work to India, or award a contract to build new trains to a German company, and lots of men (and women) lose their jobs.

[Rupert_Baehr]

True!.........but maybe the time has come for the unthinkable!......to stop consuming so much 'stuff" especially Chinese stuff,lots bunged on credit cards.The high streets and shopping malls have just become warehouses and clearing centres for chinese stuff,is this really growth?

Charity shops now sell stuff now that you could not dream of buying in the high street when I was a kid, for peanuts most with very little use.

Most people in UK have enough stuff to last them for the next five years without more consumption................and don't even get me started about getting on the overinflated" housing ladder",another growth myth trotted out!

 

Quite true. As I said on another thread, my wife decided she wanted a Wii for Christmas. I could've bought a new one with a year's warranty for about $160.

 

She chose a used one (looks like new) which cost $70 and came with a 2-year warranty.

 

I (like, I expect, most other people) have been inundated with offers for 'reduced price bargains you just can't afford to miss' during the past few months.

 

Some of them were indeed good prices, but I can afford to miss them (and I did, too.)

 

If I need something, I will save up (if necessary) to buy it.

 

If I want something, I might save up to buy it or I might not bother buying it and wait and see if I still want it in a few days' time.

 

If I neither need nor really want an item the price is irrelevant and I'll keep the money thanks.

 

When I see signs in shops which say 'We save you money every day!' I have to agree. I save a lot of money by not using them.

[Harleyman]

Thanks for that, I knew that Sears and K-Mart worked together, but I wasn't aware that K-Mart was the lead partner. I worked for Sears for 6 months when I first came to the US (then we moved.)

 

As you will remember, Sears used to be a 'full-service' store. A bit more expensive than other stores, but when you walked in, there was no shortage of knowledgeable assistants to help you. The company changed its policy (to cut costs and to try to align themselves with other retailers) but that didn't work very well. They also stopped their excellent 'Mail Order' facility. - Another mistake, IMO.

 

There are often significant bargains to be had - particularly in the tools part of the hardware department - at Sears.

 

Sears operate a 'push' supply system. Re-supply is generated by the computers at regional level. - The stores can order specific merchandise, but in general, they get what they'e given. The company's computers monitor each item and if that item doesn't sell, it's assumed that the price is too high and after about 6 months, the computer starts to generate automatic price reductions until the item sells. That sounds logical, but if the staff in the store leave an item on the shelves in the warehouse, it doesn't stand much chance of selling and the computer will reduce the price. That applies to Craftsman tools, too.

 

I bought a number of Craftsman sockets for 5cents each! (They were 'old' stock.:hihi:)

 

Keep an eye open for bargains - particularly in the hardware department.

 

BTW: AAFES (If you have access to one) also sells Craftsman tools.

 

 

If they close the Sears at one of our malls it wont do the mall any good. They already lost the Robinson-May Store when crappy overpriced Macy's bought the chain out then promptly closed the Robinson store and replaced it with one of their own.

 

As for tools I guess I'll have to buy my wrenches and socket sets at Home Depot or Lowes although they dont have the selection that Sears have

 

Never heard of AAFES by the way.

[surveyour]

I agree with most of the posts - a lot of businesses are shifting to online sales (less overheads = more profit)... so we are left with ghost high streets.

 

I know its been said before, but more should be done to help small businesses, new ventures get off the ground.

 

When I tell people I am from Sheffield, bet your bottom dollar, the response will be "Oh, yeah, I have been to Meadowhall!!" theres more to Sheffield than Meadowhall... A lot more.