W H Smith

[ClaretTony]

How long has it been T G Jones?

I’ve just been in the one in Burnley for a stamp and spotted it.

[lakedistrictclaret]

As I understand it, W H Smith are losing every one one of their high street branches, and will only be found in airports and railway stations.

[Jmw]

Earlier this year it was sold by WH Smith and the new owners wanted a name with a similar feel….

[Leon_C]

2-3 months I think. They aren't changing the airport or railway stores though. One of the most bizarre (in my eyes) re-brands of recent years.

[ClaretTony]

Well that one passed me by. Not well branded either, still a lot of W H Smith displayed inside.

I couldn’t afford to buy anything having just bought a stamp.

[tarkys_ears]

Ah yes, train station W H Smiths


If you wanna see what regular shop prices will be like in 10 years, go buy a bag of sweets / a bottle of water from W H Smith today!

[Dark Cloud]

TG Jones is a rebranding (apparently). Nothing has really changed, except a number of stores have (or will be) closed. The news article I was reading a few weeks back poured scorn on the firm because the name TG Jones is entirely made up by "marketing people" and has no historical significance whatsoever, which kind of suggests that the company will just suffer from the same issues it's had for a number of years, but under a different name, making it all rather pointless.

[elwaclaret]

TG Jones is a rebranding (apparently). Nothing has really changed, except a number of stores have (or will be) closed. The news article I was reading a few weeks back poured scorn on the firm because the name TG Jones is entirely made up by "marketing people" and has no historical significance whatsoever, which kind of suggests that the company will just suffer from the same issues it's had for a number of years, but under a different name, making it all rather pointless.

Sure I read at the time that WH Smith has SOLD the high street branches. While you are correct that TG Jones is set up to carry the “WH Smith” vibe it is not the same company. As has been mentioned Smith’s continue, concentrating on the captive audiences in hospitals and train stations etc. Which is where they have (unsurprisingly given their markup) making money as a business.

[DCWat]

I didn’t realise until I went into one in Leeds, the other week. Exactly the same inside and still with Smiths branded items for sale.

The only noticeable difference seemed to be how dull it was in the store. Not sure if they had a lighting issue or are trying to cut costs by reducing the leccy bill!

[martin_p]

TG Jones is a rebranding (apparently). Nothing has really changed, except a number of stores have (or will be) closed. The news article I was reading a few weeks back poured scorn on the firm because the name TG Jones is entirely made up by "marketing people" and has no historical significance whatsoever, which kind of suggests that the company will just suffer from the same issues it's had for a number of years, but under a different name, making it all rather pointless.

No, the company sold all the high street shops and only kept the ones in airports and train stations. Given the prices they charge in airports/stations I suspect it is is a profitable part of the business which is why they kept hold of them.

[Claretnick]

I only go in the Burnley store for the Post office counter

[ClaretTony]

I only go in the Burnley store for the Post office counter

Likewise

[beddie]

How long has it been T G Jones?

I’ve just been in the one in Burnley for a stamp and spotted it.

No doubt you’ve been saving up to buy the stamp CT. My wife bought a book of stamps recently when she told me the price I thought she was joking, she wasn’t.

[martin_p]

No doubt you’ve been saving up to buy the stamp CT. My wife bought a book of stamps recently when she told me the price I thought she was joking, she wasn’t.

Don’t worry, the high price is for the stellar service the stamps guarantee. Like when I sent my sister a birthday card this year, needed it to arrive in the next couple of days, paid almost as much as the card for a first class stamp and it got there ten days later. It would have literally been quicker to walk it there myself.

[claretonthecoast1882]

No doubt you’ve been saving up to buy the stamp CT. My wife bought a book of stamps recently when she told me the price I thought she was joking, she wasn’t.

You and me both, Mrs asked me to pick some up, I bought a book of 6 1st class stamps and gave £10. While waiting for my change I was asked for another 20p.

I thought they were about half that price.

[ClaretTony]

No doubt you’ve been saving up to buy the stamp CT. My wife bought a book of stamps recently when she told me the price I thought she was joking, she wasn’t.

Tell me about it. I've now gone 2nd class only because of the price.

[Swizzlestick]

Hope nobody was paid good money for that rebranding, beacuse it's one of the dullest I've ever seen.

[CaptJohn]

Something must be seriously wrong as their share price has gone down 42% today. Drops in the market like that indicate serious issues.

[Claretfanatic1982]

They have sold the High ST part of the business to Modella Capital.

Modella are a private equity firm who have been quite busy recently , snapping up the company called Hobbycraft. They have also recently purchased The Original Factory Shop and moved the Head office and Distribution Centre out of Burnley, seeing Burnley as town lose over 200+ jobs

[JR1882]

No, the company sold all the high street shops and only kept the ones in airports and train stations. Given the prices they charge in airports/stations I suspect it is is a profitable part of the business which is why they kept hold of them.

The prices in airports just reflect..
- a captive audience
- the huge rents they pay to be there
- the high staffing costs for airport work

The margins are small but the footfall is huge and that’s their profit.

[ijkay]

hospitals are also included in that

[kentonclaret]

You and me both, Mrs asked me to pick some up, I bought a book of 6 1st class stamps and gave £10. While waiting for my change I was asked for another 20p.

I thought they were about half that price.

The Penny Black eh!

We won’t be seeing those days again

[IanMcL]

Well that one passed me by. Not well branded either, still a lot of W H Smith displayed inside.

I couldn’t afford to buy anything having just bought a stamp.

I have an idea to save on my huge (but dwindling) Christmas card bill.

Buy one stamp and sort out a card leftvover from last year.

Write inside the card and send it to person on my list, about mid November.

Enclose list of names and addresses of my other card recipients. Message being - now you have received my Christmas greetings, please cross out your name/address. say 'not known' and 'forward to' next name and address, whilst crossing out that name/address on the list. The last one to receive it should be the one you want to have it.

Think of the tree saving and yet Christmas card plopping on doormat lives on.

[ClaretDiver]

Something must be seriously wrong as their share price has gone down 42% today. Drops in the market like that indicate serious issues.

It’s something to do with dodgy accounting for their American business that means the projected profits are about half what they were thought to be…

[ecc]

Well that one passed me by. Not well branded either, still a lot of W H Smith displayed inside.

I couldn’t afford to buy anything having just bought a stamp.

Was it a Penny Black, Tony?

[ClaretTony]

Was it a Penny Black, Tony?

You could probably get a Penny Black for less than they charge for a first class stamp. I keep postage to an absolute minimum these days.

[ecc]

Is there no Post Office in Burnley town centre (that's a genuine question)?

[Claretnick]

Is there no Post Office in Burnley town centre (that's a genuine question)?

No main Post Office since it closed on Hargreaves Street, just the counter service based in the ex WH Smith store

[ClaretTony]

Is there no Post Office in Burnley town centre (that's a genuine question)?

It closed early 2014 and they shifted into the back of WH Smiths.

[FCBurnley]

Well that one passed me by. Not well branded either, still a lot of W H Smith displayed inside.

I couldn’t afford to buy anything having just bought a stamp.

What is a stamp ?

[ecc]

It closed early 2014 and they shifted into the back of WH Smiths.

Tony, whilst you know I believe you, I honestly find that inconcievable. Burnley has a population of circa 75,000 people.

[dsr]

You could probably get a Penny Black for less than they charge for a first class stamp. I keep postage to an absolute minimum these days.

Fortunately the second class service is just as good* as the first class, in that second class stamps will take a fortnight to be delivered while first class can expect to get there in just 14 days.

(* "good" in this case being a synonym for "bleeding awful").

It's a bit like the WH Smith / TG Jones thing above., The GPO only make money out of parcels, so they ignore the rest. Though a large part of the problem was the anti-monopoly laws introduced under EU law and never repealed, whereby other companies can undercut the post office and yet the post office still has to deliver all their letters at half the price.)

[GetIntoEm]

Tony, whilst you know I believe you, I honestly find that inconcievable. Burnley has a population of circa 75,000 people.

There's not 75000 people in the town centre though.

There's plenty of post offices around still, just the one in the town centre moved from Hargreaves street to WH Smiths. It's still a sizeable setup, although not used much

[Corky]

Fortunately the second class service is just as good* as the first class, in that second class stamps will take a fortnight to be delivered while first class can expect to get there in just 14 days.

(* "good" in this case being a synonym for "bleeding awful").

It's a bit like the WH Smith / TG Jones thing above., The GPO only make money out of parcels, so they ignore the rest. Though a large part of the problem was the anti-monopoly laws introduced under EU law and never repealed, whereby other companies can undercut the post office and yet the post office still has to deliver all their letters at half the price.)

That’s interesting. Do you still or did you used to work for the GPO. Interesting that they only make money out of parcel work.

[mikeS]

If it wasn't for national lottery tickets and scratch cards, Smiths in Burnley would have closed already.

[Venkys4eva]

WH smiths was one of my favourite stores growing up in the 80s. They had books, magazines and even computer games. I bought all my books from there and won a few competition s for book tokens. A shame its going but we all use Amazon etc now and they just can't compete.

[dsr]

That’s interesting. Do you still or did you used to work for the GPO. Interesting that they only make money out of parcel work.

No, it's all from newspaper reporting.

The problem with the delivery system, so I'm told, is that some court decided that the cost of a stamp should be split half between collection of the post and taking it to the sorting office, and the other half to sorting it out and delivering it. Which means if the GPO decides (for example) to charge £1 to deliver second class mail, another company can set up a contract with any large mail user to pay 80p, and tell the mail user to take their letters to the sorting office. That company has to pay 50p tot the GPO to sort and deliver the mail, and keep 30p for itself.

Round numbers, but that was the principle and so far as I know still is.

[ecc]

There's not 75000 people in the town centre though.

There's plenty of post offices around still, just the one in the town centre moved from Hargreaves street to WH Smiths. It's still a sizeable setup, although not used much

I am actually aware of that but I still find it staggering.

[Clovius Boofus]

WH smiths was one of my favourite stores growing up in the 80s. They had books, magazines and even computer games. I bought all my books from there and won a few competition s for book tokens. A shame its going, but we all use Amazon etc now and they just can't compete.

Yes, it was good, but sadly, it's been on its arse for years. Underinvestment, changing shopping habits, rundown unwelcoming stores selling a lot of tat that that could be had elsewhere at cheaper prices. They made The Works look like an upmarket brand.

[Clarets4me]

I have an idea to save on my huge (but dwindling) Christmas card bill.

Buy one stamp and sort out a card leftvover from last year.

Write inside the card and send it to person on my list, about mid November.

Enclose list of names and addresses of my other card recipients. Message being - now you have received my Christmas greetings, please cross out your name/address. say 'not known' and 'forward to' next name and address, whilst crossing out that name/address on the list. The last one to receive it should be the one you want to have it. Think of the tree saving and yet Christmas card plopping on doormat lives on.

You're not doing much to disprove the stereotype about the Scots being tight with their money here Ian ...

[Tribesmen]

No main Post Office since it closed on Hargreaves Street, just the counter service based in the ex WH Smith store

Err is that now called Casey Jones or BJ Jones ?

[Clarets4me]

Tony, whilst you know I believe you, I honestly find that inconcievable. Burnley has a population of circa 75,000 people.

The council leader held a public meeting with interested parties, Julie Cooper, various Union reps, Town Centre manager, Chamber of Commerce etc ... I understand there were more people on the platform, than there were in the audience ... There are Post-Offices on Padiham Road, Lowerhouse Lane and Coalclough Lane. The Padiham Road Office is open until 8pm most days, provides most of the services of a Main Office and is open Saturday afternoon and Sundays, which the main GPO never was ...

In terms of Parcels getting priority, they have to ! When sorting offices were built or planned, no-one ever foresaw the advent of on-line shopping and the volume of parcels it's now producing. They get them out to make room. Personally I'd make postal deliveries to homes on alternate days ... Monday, Wednesday & Fridays for half the addresses, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday for the rest. It would certainly be an improvement on the sporadic service we've had recently ...

[Corky]

No, it's all from newspaper reporting.

The problem with the delivery system, so I'm told, is that some court decided that the cost of a stamp should be split half between collection of the post and taking it to the sorting office, and the other half to sorting it out and delivering it. Which means if the GPO decides (for example) to charge £1 to deliver second class mail, another company can set up a contract with any large mail user to pay 80p, and tell the mail user to take their letters to the sorting office. That company has to pay 50p tot the GPO to sort and deliver the mail, and keep 30p for itself.

Round numbers, but that was the principle and so far as I know still is.

THIS ABOVE and his earlier post are why you should never believe everything you either read in the papers or are told by casual acquaintances.

[dsr]

THIS ABOVE and his earlier post are why you should never believe everything you either read in the papers or are told by casual acquaintances.

So how does it work?

[LoveCurryPies]

Business has been in trouble for years with no clear identity as to what they are. A few CD’s but not really a music shop. A few toys but not a toy shop. A bit of this and a bit of that but not really outstanding at anything. There is a lesson to be learnt for any business!