Thomas Cook In Financial Trouble

[tinfoilhat]

6 hours ago, sheffbag said:

Good news today for some of the staff with Hays travel buying the stores and pledging to keep them open.

I walked past the Worksop branch yesterday - it’s a triple fronter. The business rates alone would be eye watering. It’s an out of date model that will be defunct in 12 months taking Hays with it.

[alchresearch]

12 hours ago, tinfoilhat said:

I walked past the Worksop branch yesterday - it’s a triple fronter. The business rates alone would be eye watering. It’s an out of date model that will be defunct in 12 months taking Hays with it.

I was thinking the same.  Hays are crazy to just buy all the shops without looking at the size and rents of each first.

 

The one in Southport is on the most expensive street, where shops are closing left, right and centre.  The council's rates are just crippling so many businesses, and their solution is to bring in more parking meters and raised parking costs, so people are deserting the town and going to the retail parks or to other resorts where parking is free.

[francypants]

If Hays are going to reopen the Thomas Cook shops, there will be two Hays Travel shops in the small shopping area of Chapeltown ( Sheffield ).    Doesn't seem viable to me especially when more and more people are booking  holidays on line .....  but I'm not a business person so who knows ?

[Bargepole23]

1 hour ago, alchresearch said:

I was thinking the same.  Hays are crazy to just buy all the shops without looking at the size and rents of each first.

 

The one in Southport is on the most expensive street, where shops are closing left, right and centre.  The council's rates are just crippling so many businesses, and their solution is to bring in more parking meters and raised parking costs, so people are deserting the town and going to the retail parks or to other resorts where parking is free.

Business rates are set by central government, not councils, or so I thought.

 

Without parking meters those spaces would be filled long before shoppers got near them.

[melthebell]

2 hours ago, francypants said:

If Hays are going to reopen the Thomas Cook shops, there will be two Hays Travel shops in the small shopping area of Chapeltown ( Sheffield ).    Doesn't seem viable to me especially when more and more people are booking  holidays on line .....  but I'm not a business person so who knows ?

they did mention it needs looking at, some may close, but somes better than all

[alchresearch]

1 hour ago, Bargepole23 said:

Without parking meters those spaces would be filled long before shoppers got near them.

There was nothing wrong with the "1 hour's parking for free" scheme which was previously in place.

 

Perhaps you have to know more about Sefton council and their milking of residents and tourists to Southport.

[lil-minx92]

2 hours ago, Bargepole23 said:

Business rates are set by central government, not councils, or so I thought.

 

Without parking meters those spaces would be filled long before shoppers got near them.

Correct- local councils have nothing to do with rates other than collecting the money. Rateable value is linked to market rental values, and the sum actually payable is determined by the government.

 

I was surprised Hays took all the shops. Cant see them lasting long.

[Chez2]

Has anyone had any updates? I phoned my credit card company today as I booked two flights for two dates next year. Fight only aren't ATOL  protected. My credit card company said a letter went out on Saturday advising me that a full refund has been made to my credit card balance for the full amount. 

[Lockdoctor]

I noticed yesterday a Thomas Cook shop was open again on the high street.  The company who have bought the shops have moved quickly and have helped to save some jobs.