No doubt chart CDs will be at least £13.99 and DVDs a similar price. And people will still buy them.
And why not? £14 for your own private copy of an entire movie, with colour and sound, is not unreasonable. (How much would a 16mm (=DVD) or 35mm (=Bluray) print have cost?)
It's just all these online suppliers selling them for 1p each plus £1.26 postage that make £14 sound expensive.
Not much to understand: they know how to make a profit.
(sorry - others got there first. But it bears repeating)
People think expensive shops in the recession are struggling.
That's not the case it's the middle market ones who built up debt shutting shop and niche stores and ones not embracing the digital technology.
Expensive stores and bargain ones are making alot of money right now. People always walk around with G star clothes yet they cost alot.
It's all about a good business plan. WH Smith have repeatedly said they are doing well yet people who snub the prices think "because they don't use it" others don't. WH Smith is a retail success.
But a can of Coke in there was £1.05 last time I went in. That was about 2 years ago so it's probably about £1.50 by now. Crisps 95p too. Who willingly pays that? Fair enough if they're doing well but I can't imagine why someone would want to pay that much for something they can get much cheaper elsewhere.
I can't understand how WH Smiths are still in business.
I think it's the airport and train station stores that are keeping them in business. That's obviously a big market for them. I think of them as a glorified newsagent's really. It's fine for magazines, newspapers and lottery tickets but rubbish for everything else. Waterstones is a much better place to go for books.
WH Smith also distribute newspapers & magazines to most of the corner shops in the U.K. including most of the Tesco/Sainsbury Metro/express/local stores.
One billion in revenue in 2005 from the newspaper distribution business alone.
They have also signed deals with the government to allow the Royal Mail to operate branches inside their stores.
As stated by other posters, they have a captive market in many parts of the country.
Dvds & cds are a low margin business- but it's possible that the studios - having witnessed the travails of HMV - are looking to offer better terms to high street retailers such as WHSmith.
(The history of the company is quite interesting.... The chairman of Whsmith met with the prime minister when the railway boom was taking place in the 1840's- and the prime minister agreed to let Whsmith have the station franchises for their stores- on the proviso that they did NOT stock porn.... The prime minister argued that, the railways were to be used by the common man- who would be corrupted by porn..... The chairman agreed- which is why you have had the historical position that porn is not available in its own stores- but as it is /was profitable, they distribute it, to corner shops via the distribution arm)
WH Smith in Middlesbrough still sells DVDs, but at silly prices. You can buy them online for far less, such as Tesco.com.
In any case, tne boro store is not big enough to stock further DVDS and other merchandise unless they move to a bigger store and what with landlords charging these days for floor space, that is highly unlikely. That is one of the reasons why HMV nosedived cos of greedy landlords.
(The history of the company is quite interesting.... The chairman of Whsmith met with the prime minister when the railway boom was taking place in the 1840's- and the prime minister agreed to let Whsmith have the station franchises for their stores- on the proviso that they did NOT stock porn.... The prime minister argued that, the railways were to be used by the common man- who would be corrupted by porn..... The chairman agreed- which is why you have had the historical position that porn is not available in its own stores- but as it is /was profitable, they distribute it, to corner shops via the distribution arm)
Are you sure you didn't dream this bit - you were certainly able to get standard top-shelf jazz mags in WH Smith up until a few years ago. I'm sure I remember the company's decision to stop selling it in their branches in the 1990s.
Are you sure you didn't dream this bit - you were certainly able to get standard top-shelf jazz mags in WH Smith up until a few years ago. I'm sure I remember the company's decision to stop selling it in their branches in the 1990s.
The definition of porn is fairly elastic !!!
They sold 'vanilla' titles like Penthouse, Playboy, For Women, Mayfair - which they then stopped selling in 1997 at most of its stores... However- they never (AFAIK) sold the more extreme 'anatomical' stuff- which they did distribute to corner shops.
(The decision in the 1840's was a gentlemens agreement- and not legally binding- just the way things were done in those days)
They sold 'vanilla' titles like Penthouse, Playboy, For Women, Mayfair - which they then stopped selling in 1997 at most of its stores... However- they never (AFAIK) sold the more extreme 'anatomical' stuff- which they did distribute to corner shops.
(The decision in the 1840's was a gentlemens agreement- and not legally binding- just the way things were done in those days)
I recall, when our local WHS stopped stocking CD's and DVD's, asking the manager why, and he told me it was because WHS purchased their entertainment stock from Woolworths, who obviously no longer exist. Not sure how true that statement was though.
That was the case. Smiths were stocked by Entertainment UK which was a company owned by Woolworths and when Woolies went down it took E-UK with it.
I worked on the entertainment section of a Smiths store around Christmas 2008 and as a result of the collapse we had basically no stock of any of the latest releases, which made things interesting to say the least. I can see why you'd question the explanation as a lot of customers I said it to seemed confused by the situation, like I was when I first found out.
With W.H.Smiths it is a case of last man standing in that they owe their continuing existence to the fact that many of their competitors in the high street have gone.
I think it's the airport and train station stores that are keeping them in business. That's obviously a big market for them. I think of them as a glorified newsagent's really. It's fine for magazines, newspapers and lottery tickets but rubbish for everything else. Waterstones is a much better place to go for books.
So all their other stores are making losses? Is that what you're saying?
My local Smiths has always sold DVDs, but brought back a very limited selection of CD's this week, including the Call the Midwife album and others targeted at an older consumer.
So all their other stores are making losses? Is that what you're saying?
No but the airport and train station stores are obviously helping to keep them in business. It doesn't mean they're the only ones keeping them in business. I presume some of their other stores are making profits as well.
No but the airport and train station stores are obviously helping to keep them in business. It doesn't mean they're the only ones keeping them in business. I presume some of their other stores are making profits as well.
I'd assume their deal with the Post Office to replace Crown PO's in their stores has helped as footfall would have obviously increased.
My local PO has been inside WHSmith since 2009 and I personally prefer visiting it to the old PO as it's more central in the town centre and opens until 5.30pm on Saturday. The old crown PO would close at 12.45pm.
Comments
It's countless the amount of times I've seen this post by many different posters.
The business is hugely profitable and is not just due to the airport ones.
Strange really considering how their accounts are freely available on the internet and show them making huge profits.
Exactly, some people just don't think about these things. They think just because they don't shop there, they must be in the pits!
And why not? £14 for your own private copy of an entire movie, with colour and sound, is not unreasonable. (How much would a 16mm (=DVD) or 35mm (=Bluray) print have cost?)
It's just all these online suppliers selling them for 1p each plus £1.26 postage that make £14 sound expensive.
Not much to understand: they know how to make a profit.
(sorry - others got there first. But it bears repeating)
People think expensive shops in the recession are struggling.
That's not the case it's the middle market ones who built up debt shutting shop and niche stores and ones not embracing the digital technology.
Expensive stores and bargain ones are making alot of money right now. People always walk around with G star clothes yet they cost alot.
It's all about a good business plan. WH Smith have repeatedly said they are doing well yet people who snub the prices think "because they don't use it" others don't. WH Smith is a retail success.
I think it's the airport and train station stores that are keeping them in business. That's obviously a big market for them. I think of them as a glorified newsagent's really. It's fine for magazines, newspapers and lottery tickets but rubbish for everything else. Waterstones is a much better place to go for books.
One billion in revenue in 2005 from the newspaper distribution business alone.
They have also signed deals with the government to allow the Royal Mail to operate branches inside their stores.
As stated by other posters, they have a captive market in many parts of the country.
Dvds & cds are a low margin business- but it's possible that the studios - having witnessed the travails of HMV - are looking to offer better terms to high street retailers such as WHSmith.
(The history of the company is quite interesting.... The chairman of Whsmith met with the prime minister when the railway boom was taking place in the 1840's- and the prime minister agreed to let Whsmith have the station franchises for their stores- on the proviso that they did NOT stock porn.... The prime minister argued that, the railways were to be used by the common man- who would be corrupted by porn..... The chairman agreed- which is why you have had the historical position that porn is not available in its own stores- but as it is /was profitable, they distribute it, to corner shops via the distribution arm)
In any case, tne boro store is not big enough to stock further DVDS and other merchandise unless they move to a bigger store and what with landlords charging these days for floor space, that is highly unlikely. That is one of the reasons why HMV nosedived cos of greedy landlords.
Are you sure you didn't dream this bit - you were certainly able to get standard top-shelf jazz mags in WH Smith up until a few years ago. I'm sure I remember the company's decision to stop selling it in their branches in the 1990s.
The definition of porn is fairly elastic !!!
They sold 'vanilla' titles like Penthouse, Playboy, For Women, Mayfair - which they then stopped selling in 1997 at most of its stores... However- they never (AFAIK) sold the more extreme 'anatomical' stuff- which they did distribute to corner shops.
(The decision in the 1840's was a gentlemens agreement- and not legally binding- just the way things were done in those days)
www.marketingweek.co.uk/wh-smith-drops-porn/2044907.article
One wonders what might have constituted extreme porn in the 1840s - anything on display above the ankle, presumably...
Same.
If you join the British Library- you can view all the magazines/books that were published in that period of history !!!
That was the case. Smiths were stocked by Entertainment UK which was a company owned by Woolworths and when Woolies went down it took E-UK with it.
I worked on the entertainment section of a Smiths store around Christmas 2008 and as a result of the collapse we had basically no stock of any of the latest releases, which made things interesting to say the least. I can see why you'd question the explanation as a lot of customers I said it to seemed confused by the situation, like I was when I first found out.
So all their other stores are making losses? Is that what you're saying?
No but the airport and train station stores are obviously helping to keep them in business. It doesn't mean they're the only ones keeping them in business. I presume some of their other stores are making profits as well.
I'd assume their deal with the Post Office to replace Crown PO's in their stores has helped as footfall would have obviously increased.
My local PO has been inside WHSmith since 2009 and I personally prefer visiting it to the old PO as it's more central in the town centre and opens until 5.30pm on Saturday. The old crown PO would close at 12.45pm.