BHS

[Deleted]

I suppose if a massive fall in profits is fine, you're right.

[perrykneeham]

Like just about everyone else in their sector. Not surprising really givem what a bloody horlicks they've all made of recent PR campaigns.

[Deleted]

Be interesting to see the thriving sector anywhere. Seriously.

[perrykneeham]

Defence.

[perrykneeham]

Oil & Gas
Public Utilities
Consumer Goods

According to the FT.

markets.ft.com/data/sectors

[Deleted]

That fits. Sounds better than 'arms sales'. The world's gone mad.

[Deleted]

^^^^ To your first reply. I can't access details to your second without subscribing.

[Deleted]

But the (world) economy's not looking good overall. We've done growth, that's the thing. Now it's all about hanging on or finding another angle, like fracking, or any other pillage-type enterprise. Fcuk the planet.

[moggyonspeed]

Apr 16, 2018 7:02:08 GMT perrykneeham said:

Apr 15, 2018 20:11:19 GMT moggyonspeed said:

FYI Martin Sorrell owns 1.39% of WPP shares; no other individual owns more.

The largest institutional investor owns 5.25%.

That's for WPP Group as a whole, as listed in the UK; WPP plc is listed on the NYSE, where Sorrell drops off the radar completely.

No other individual owns more, eh?  Okay Stato, who are the main institutional investors?

In order ...
Massachusetts Financial Services Co.
Harris Associates: 5.05%
Vanguard Group: 2.76%

[flatandy]

The Death of Retail is massively overstated. Everyone seems to think that online shopping is going to kill all retail stores. This seems to be nonsense. Certain kinds of non-specialist shops - basically department stores - seem to be f**k*d.

But most retail failures recently haven't come from online taking all the market: many shops have recovered once they realised they needed to offer a combination of services, knowledge and convenience you can't get from Amazon. No. The trouble is that a ton of investors have come in and massively leveraged their buyouts of retail chains. And when shops need to re-tool/re-equip, and retrain staff, in order to adjust to a changing market, nobody can afford it because what cash there is has to be paid to the banks to service the whopping great big debt burden.

[perrykneeham]

I agree. I wonder if perhaps what we'll end with is a smaller, distilled high street where the shops will be, in essence, just showrooms so that people can come and see stuff in the flesh or try them on before going online.

Branding and control of outlets will, in this scenario, become very important. I believe we see this more and more today. I was trying to buy some nice garden furniture the other day and it was bloody difficult to find a deal online which was much better than the shops. Very tightly controlled. Which is fine, I suppose.

[Deleted]

Death of the salesman. Unless the customer signs up for delivery on the spot. Then there's the added cost of delivery or a smaller margin for the vendor. Hmmn.. dunno.

The buyer's becoming increasingly smart, checking out stuff online first, then sourcing it locally, then going to have a look. Also, after-sales service online's not so clever.

[perrykneeham]

Yeah, that' s why I think the shops will be showrooms, heavily spomsored by the manufacturers and able to offer preferential discounts and exclusive ranges.

[Deleted]

If the product's quality, it can't go wrong.

[moggyonspeed]

I think what andy and pk and others have said here is correct.

To survive, I think that some "classic" retailers need to change their model to be less about selling a commodity, and more about engaging the customer in an experience; the recent demise of Toys R Us is perhaps testament to that.

I remember 20-odd years ago being told that Amazon was going to sound the death-knell of booksellers worldwide, and while, for some, that has been the case, many have survived by broadening their offer with in-store coffee shops, after-hours theatre presentations etc.

[perrykneeham]

Waterstone's seems to be doing okay.

[mids]

BHS, and others like it, went under because shopping there was a grim, depressing experience, with tired-looking, faintly grubby shops and racks of uninspiring clothes hanging limply from 1970s clothing racks.

[perrykneeham]

Here's fun:

uk.businessinsider.com/martin-sorrell-denies-prostitution-claims-at-cannes-lions-on-stage-event-2018-6

Dunno how I missed that. I heard it mentioned on R4 this morning. Odd.

[perrykneeham]

Okay, leydeeez an gennelmen ..... this afternoon's Daily Telegraph Gagging Order Sweepstake is underway ....

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-45964165

The runners and riders are:

Green
Sorrell
Sugar
Berkow (heavily handicapped as he's not a businessman, but is a bullying little prick who'll soon be on the job market.)

Place your bets.

[mids]

Branson?