Kendal shop faces uncertain future (From The Westmorland Gazette)
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Kendal shop faces uncertain future
1:05pm Wednesday 21st March 2012 in Business
By Daniel Orr, Reporter
THE future of a Kendal shop is in doubt after the owners admitted it is set to enter administration.
The video game company Game, which has a branch in Westmorland Shopping Centre, has seen its business eroded by competition from online retailers.
Trading in its shares was also suspended yesterday ‘pending clarification of the company’s financial position’.
Ben Berry, who shops at the Kendal shop, said: “Lots of local hard working independent retailers are struggling and going out of business on our high streets, so it’s all the more showing when a massive 1400-shop company starts to crumble.”
Comments(27)
Ben Berry
says...
9:34pm Wed 21 Mar 12
Lakeuk wrote:Thats it.
Sign of the times, games industry and customers moving towards downloads and buying online
60% of my purchases from GAME in the last 12 months have been through their online store. Im being honest when i say i used to shop there more when i got 30 mins free parking at WSC.
Nip to Subway, eat, look round GAME for 5 mins, out before I had to pay.
motherof2
says...
2:46pm Fri 23 Mar 12
motherof2
says...
2:46pm Fri 23 Mar 12
onelocal
says...
7:44pm Fri 23 Mar 12
Ben Berry wrote:Nice to see our local councillor supporting local business and SLDC parking facilities. Some of your constituents can't nip in and out in 30 minutes
Lakeuk wrote:Thats it.
Sign of the times, games industry and customers moving towards downloads and buying online
60% of my purchases from GAME in the last 12 months have been through their online store. Im being honest when i say i used to shop there more when i got 30 mins free parking at WSC.
Nip to Subway, eat, look round GAME for 5 mins, out before I had to pay.
Ben Berry
says...
10:29pm Fri 23 Mar 12
onelocal wrote:Do i sense a hint of sarcasm sir? hehe.
Ben Berry wrote:Nice to see our local councillor supporting local business and SLDC parking facilities. Some of your constituents can't nip in and out in 30 minutes
Lakeuk wrote:Thats it.
Sign of the times, games industry and customers moving towards downloads and buying online
60% of my purchases from GAME in the last 12 months have been through their online store. Im being honest when i say i used to shop there more when i got 30 mins free parking at WSC.
Nip to Subway, eat, look round GAME for 5 mins, out before I had to pay.
Like most people id much prefer to pay 0 for parking, with less to pay I visited more! So im happy not to prop up the Lib Dem administration with their high charges.
Im at a loss to find a local computer game supplier so unfortunately Im more than happy to go to a national chain that has superb staff and customer service.
Subway is a locally owned franchise. The owner is in there nearly every day.
If you would like more information with regards to my support of Kendal's high street may i refer you to the my Mary Portas pilot town bid which goes live at the end of next week.
Kind regards,
Ben Berry
Windermere
Moonbase
says...
7:11am Sat 24 Mar 12
If you think that's going to work you've more faith than Billy Graham!
Simple,there is no money about.
At 30-40 pounds for a game your asking for trouble.
The pubs are dead and soon after the VAT comes in the chippies will start to close.
Too much greed for years from the fat cats.
Wages have'nt kept pace for 15-20 years whilst utilities,petrol etc has rocketed.......somet
hing has to give and here you have it.
And as daft as sounds,cutting benefits does not help,at least they spend the dosh.
On that note perhaps the powers that be should do a string pole in Last Orders,because that always looks busy.........even in the morning.
Mind how you go!!!!!
life cycle too
says...
10:52am Sat 24 Mar 12
It does however illustrate the whole issue of the way our High Streets are changing, and what local councils CAN do to help.
I think most voters seem unaware of how much money is raised from car parking charges.
Last year three car park machines in Bowness were robbed of the takings over just one weekend - £10,000.
If you multiply that sum by the appropriate number of SLDC car parks and busy weekends, you will see just how much money SLDC soaks up from the local economy.
The business rates of course do not go to SLDC.
Most people accept that services cost money, and that a certain level of taxes ar required to pay for them.
It is the leakage in the SLDC collection system that most informed people object to - pointless consultations, needless expenditure on trivial projects, and lack of spending on essential services that is objectionable.
When he oversaw the closure of TICs (and public toilets), Cllr. Graham Vincent said that SLDC is not in the business of serving tourism - yet they are happy to take tourists money from parking!
The Windermere Air Show earned SLDC huge sums in parking charges, and rental of the Glebe - but what did they put into the Airshow?
As peoples spending power reduces, there is less money to go around - and that include car parking - especially where there is no alternative affordable public transport infrastructure.
A family of four can travel between Staveley and Windermere cheaper by taxi than they can by bus!
onelocal
says...
11:20am Sat 24 Mar 12
Ben Berry wrote:I suspect a Conservative led council, if we ever see one, would also charge for parking. Someone has to pay, whether its the motorist or the council taxpayer.
onelocal wrote:Do i sense a hint of sarcasm sir? hehe.
Ben Berry wrote:Nice to see our local councillor supporting local business and SLDC parking facilities. Some of your constituents can't nip in and out in 30 minutes
Lakeuk wrote:Thats it.
Sign of the times, games industry and customers moving towards downloads and buying online
60% of my purchases from GAME in the last 12 months have been through their online store. Im being honest when i say i used to shop there more when i got 30 mins free parking at WSC.
Nip to Subway, eat, look round GAME for 5 mins, out before I had to pay.
Like most people id much prefer to pay 0 for parking, with less to pay I visited more! So im happy not to prop up the Lib Dem administration with their high charges.
Im at a loss to find a local computer game supplier so unfortunately Im more than happy to go to a national chain that has superb staff and customer service.
Subway is a locally owned franchise. The owner is in there nearly every day.
If you would like more information with regards to my support of Kendal's high street may i refer you to the my Mary Portas pilot town bid which goes live at the end of next week.
Kind regards,
Ben Berry
Windermere
£1.20 for an hour is not extortionate, compared with the price of computer games. In fact if you support local retailers and employers such as Booths or M&S, then the first hours parking is free.
Being an elected councillor is not just about opposing the party in power, it's also about supporting the local community in its entirety.
If no one pays for parking, we will have no parking. If no one supports all our retailers, we end up with a town full of fast food outlets and charity shops, not that both don't have a role to play in a thriving community.
Lakeuk
says...
12:27pm Sat 24 Mar 12
At peak times I'd expect an usage rate of 80%+ in urban areas (another council uses this as a measure). Off peak you'd expect less but not so low that cost is the reason that's putting people of (night time parking?)
I think if usage was the measure then this would lead to better, more flexible pricing structures
Has anyone noticed how LDNPA is putting up car parking meters everywhere. I used to park at the top end of Thirlmere when out walking which could take around 10 cars. Now it has a parking meter charging £2.50 for 2 hrs, £4.50 for 4 hrs, £7 upto 12hrs or £28 !! for a week - tickets are not transferable. As expected the car park was empty on a sunny day last week and I like others parked a 100m up the road where it's impossible for them to charge
Airfix
says...
10:16pm Sun 25 Mar 12
Lakeuk
says...
7:44pm Mon 26 Mar 12
Ladyxxmacbeth
says...
9:06pm Mon 26 Mar 12
Airfix
says...
11:38pm Mon 26 Mar 12
Lakeuk wrote:Yes I fully understand economics but the last game we looked at was £29.99 instore, £21.99 on their website and £17.99 at amazon. Now if you were 8 year old and earned £1odd a week what would you do?
Airfix- Shops have to pay rent, staff etc...
life cycle too
says...
10:01am Tue 27 Mar 12
The trouble with electronic games shops is that many of the visitors to the shop, simply want to try the games before buying cheaply elsewhere.
GAME had to join the online process to stand a chance of competing - for financial expediency, they should have closed down nearly all their shops sooner.
I am of the opinion that the game and music producers are responsible for much of the ills of the electronic media retailing problems, as they want to maintain THEIR margins, while the retailers are forced to cut theirs to compete.
Spies
says...
2:59pm Tue 27 Mar 12
People don't have the money themselves to support their local businesses, would you spend an extra £10 on a game in the hopes it means that they might be able to afford to pay their wages for another day?
Lakeuk
says...
10:19pm Tue 27 Mar 12
In fact I was that 8 year old back in the 80's saving up my 20p weekly pocket money for a commodore 64 game, now I could of saved and saved for the latest game that would of cost me £9.99 but I was taught the value of money and would settle for saving for a game from the budget range that cost £2.99
Kendmoor
says...
1:42pm Wed 28 Mar 12
Spies
says...
2:54pm Wed 28 Mar 12
life cycle too
says...
3:37pm Wed 28 Mar 12
Spies wrote:I'm worried that LXMB DOES want GAME to fold so thatshe can snap up an ex-member of staff for employment in her household!
Don't worrry LXMB, I'll let Chris know you find him 'tasty'. You should maybe refrain from licking him though.
I think licking is outside of the usual terms of employment!
Moonbase
says...
7:09pm Wed 28 Mar 12
life cycle too wrote:Perhaps LXMB could open one of the wings at 'MB Towers' and gainfully employ this obvious Adonis.
Spies wrote:I'm worried that LXMB DOES want GAME to fold so thatshe can snap up an ex-member of staff for employment in her household!
Don't worrry LXMB, I'll let Chris know you find him 'tasty'. You should maybe refrain from licking him though.
I think licking is outside of the usual terms of employment!
Lakeuk
says...
8:38pm Wed 28 Mar 12
Kendmoor
says...
10:57am Thu 29 Mar 12
Spies
says...
10:58am Thu 29 Mar 12
life cycle too
says...
11:33am Thu 29 Mar 12
My eldest son is very careful with money, and prefers to buy on the High Street - also realising the benefit of their "free" advice.
Ladyxxmacbeth
says...
9:54am Fri 30 Mar 12
They are all lovely but Chris wasn't the one I had in mind!!!! :-P
life cycle too
says...
6:39pm Fri 30 Mar 12
Ladyxxmacbeth wrote:I wonder if Mills and Boon would be interested in this plot...? :-)
I meant to say I don't want it to go under....yes, a slip of the pen !!!
They are all lovely but Chris wasn't the one I had in mind!!!! :-P
Lakeuk says...
8:28pm Wed 21 Mar 12