Whos next?

[Turamber]

The recession is rooting out bad businesses.

At some critical point that becomes untrue. The lack of jobs, lack of confidence in the economy can drive things on a downward spiral that kills good businesses too.

A lot of my clients are suffering declining sales and declining profit margins at the same time that the Banks are squeezing them to reduce overdrafts. Not all of them are "bad businesses".

If a soundbite sounds too simple to be true it isn't true.

 

[ford prefect]

If I want pizza I just buy a pizza express ones from the supermarket, they are miles better than dominos, or I just make my own.

I eat in pizza express a lot. Shame they don't deliver really.

 

[cHodAX]

Administrators called in at TJ Hughes, massive stock clearance underway to release funds to pay creditors.

 

[GimmlyThe3rd]

Administrato rs called in at TJ Hughes, massive stock clearance underway to release funds to pay creditors.

Damn, why don't they sell online..... I need a super king size duvet cover from the uk

I eat in pizza express a lot. Shame they don't deliver really.

Last time I was in London I had pizza express for first
and last time. Holy fuck the pizza (12"), garlic bread and a beer for a mate came to like £35 ... and it tasted like shit, could have bought like 5 pizza huts ...

It's like a posh pizza hut but shitty pizzas and crazy prices.

 

[Zarjazz]

Last time I was in London I had pizza express for first and last time. Holy fuck the pizza (12"), garlic bread and a beer for a mate came to like £35 ... and it tasted like shit, could have bought like 5 pizza huts ...

It's like a posh pizza hut but shitty pizzas and crazy prices.

I think that is more to do with London prices than Pizza Express as they are the very, very low end of "posh food".

 

[GimmlyThe3rd]

I think that is more to do with London prices than Pizza Express as they are the very, very low end of "posh food".

I can't tell as I've only ever been in London but doubtful as chain prices are all the same?

It's like a pizza restaurant, I gave it 2/10, was really really bad and wish I went to my local pizza-hut. But the price surprised me the most for a fuckin* pizza and a shit one at that, crazy.

 

[cHodAX]

Damn, why don't they sell online..... I need a super king size duvet cover from the uk

Last time I was in London I had pizza express for first
and last time. Holy fuck the pizza (12"), garlic bread and a beer for a mate came to like £35 ... and it tasted like shit, could have bought like 5 pizza huts ...

It's like a posh pizza hut but shitty pizzas and crazy prices.

The administrators closed down the online ordering side so they don't have the extra hassle of returns and the costs involved. Shame, my nearest TJ Hughes is a bit of a trek and parking is a pain in the balls.

 

[megadave]

Pizzas at Pizza express cost about £10 these days, despite being a fraction of the size they used to be.

I hope dominos goes under, they charge about £10 too much per pizza tbh.

 

[GimmlyThe3rd]

And it's like a small rock hard thin pan? Daylight robbery tbh ....

 

[cHodAX]

I can't tell as I've only ever been in London but doubtful as chain prices are all the same?

It's like a pizza restaurant, I gave it 2/10, was really really bad and wish I went to my local pizza-hut. But the price surprised me the most for a fuckin* pizza and a shit one at that, crazy.

Pizza Express can be very hit and miss quality-wise, those London prices are still bloody insane though. The same thing in Manchester would come in at about half that price. £35 is bordering on Gaucho money tbfh!

 

[GimmlyThe3rd]

Pizza Express can be very hit and miss quality-wise, those London prices are still bloody insane though. The same thing in Manchester would come in at about half that price. £35 is bordering on Gaucho money tbfh!

iirc it was like a 12" very thin and hard pizza, like 4 garlic bread pieces, a slice of cake, a beer and coke. It's probably the most expensive waste of money meal I've ever bought.

Was about 2 days before I had to fly back out last year and I met a mate in Westfields. nandos is always queued out the door to fuck and well, a boys gotta eat my local turk / *insert immigrant here* in NW London would have prob been about 10quid for the lot. I still eat pizza hut here and pizza company, get 2 pizza's, chicken wings and spaghetti on special offer for about a 10er

 

[megadave]

And it's like a small rock hard thin pan? Daylight robbery tbh ....

you mean like an actual real pizza not that horrible american shit?

 

[Punishment]

Lol dominoes largest pizza is 10 euros where i live

 

[GimmlyThe3rd]

you mean like an actual real pizza not that horrible american shit?

Deep pan, stuffed with sussage and cheese is king imo, pretty damn heavy though. Each slice is like 3mill calories

 

[Reno]

It's not a real Pizza though, it's the Americanized fake copy.

 

[GimmlyThe3rd]

It's not a real Pizza though, it's the Americanized fake copy.

People wouldn't know a authentic Italian pizza if it bit them in the ass (unless they are Italian). Even in Italy, the pizzas are heavily different from the old authentic Italian. All of European and American food hasn't been authentic for a long long time ... It just evolves over time like anything adopted in different country's.

It's personal preference, I prefer pizza hut style pizzas to "Authentic Italian" and yes I've had it. One of my former room mates was Italian doing a year out MA in London, she use to make pizzas all the time. But I still prefer the "american style copy" and my own pasta ....

I was watching some celebrity chef on tv a few weeks that specalises in Asian food making a Thai green curry. It was laughable, him talking about how this is soo authentic and what thai's put in it. It was a joke, it wasn't anywhere near real thai curry, that I can walk down the road and buy for 80p which is delicious.

People buy into all this original and authentic food bs, it's a load of crap. There is no authentic European or American food anymore. Only thing authentic is Asian, apart from bastardized Indian, Chinese and Japanese takeaways ... mostly because importing real ingredients is too expensive and they want quantity and speed not quality.

 

[Killswitch]

Annoyingly I've yet to find a really good take-away pizza in Dublin (I've found a couple of really good restaurants, but not a take-away); in London I had at least three awesome pizza places nearby.

Not sure about now but when I lived in Dublin this place was just unbelievable;

Independent Pizza Co - 28 Drumcondra Rd Lower, Drumcondra, Dublin 9 - DublinTourist.com

They did a sweet-chilli garlic bread starter that was so good it almost made up for earning less than I paid in rent and living in East Wall.

my bro is a h00ge fan of reggae reggae sauce, loves it to bits so ordered dominoes reggae regae sauce pizza's, possibly the worst pizza ever

Bad, bad, bad idea...

If I want pizza I just buy a pizza express ones from the supermarket, they are miles better than dominos, or I just make my own.

I'm becoming less impressed with Dominos...I had one last night and it was generally greasy and unpleasant. I've found that the Asda "Create Your Own" pizzas they make fresh at the Deli counter are damn good (and cheap!) but I think I'll give the Pizza Express ones a try from the supermarket.

 

[Killswitch]

People wouldn't know a authentic Italian pizza if it bit them in the ass (unless they are Italian). Even in Italy, the pizzas are heavily different from the old authentic Italian. All of European and American food hasn't been authentic for a long long time ... It just evolves over time like anything adopted in different country's.

It's personal preference, I prefer pizza hut style pizzas to "Authentic Italian" and yes I've had it. One of my former room mates was Italian doing a year out MA in London, she use to make pizzas all the time. But I still prefer the "american style copy" and my own pasta ....

I was watching some celebrity chef on tv a few weeks that specalises in Asian food making a Thai green curry. It was laughable, him talking about how this is soo authentic and what thai's put in it. It was a joke, it wasn't anywhere near real thai curry, that I can walk down the road and buy for 80p which is delicious.

People buy into all this original and authentic food bs, it's a load of crap. There is no authentic European or American food anymore. Only thing authentic is Asian, apart from bastardized Indian, Chinese and Japanese takeaways ... mostly because importing real ingredients is too expensive and they want quantity and speed not quality.

I think it's what you're used to as well...I'd imagine a lot of people who are used to Indian food in the UK (even "proper" Indian food) wouldn't be too impressed with the real thing, which tends to have less meat, thinner sauces and actually be less spicy.

It's something Malcolm Gladwell wrote about regarding ketchup actually. Heinz ketchup (and stuff like it) is a worldwide-standard, despite being pretty much nothing like "real" ketchup but everyone loves Heinz and every time someone brings out a real ketchup, it flops.

 

[DaGaffer]

I think it's what you're used to as well...I'd imagine a lot of people who are used to Indian food in the UK (even "proper" Indian food) wouldn't be too impressed with the real thing, which tends to have less meat, thinner sauces and actually be less spicy.

It's something Malcolm Gladwell wrote about regarding ketchup actually. Heinz ketchup (and stuff like it) is a worldwide-standard, despite being pretty much nothing like "real" ketchup but everyone loves Heinz and every time someone brings out a real ketchup, it flops.

Same with Mexican food; first time I went there (nearly 20 years ago) I was shocked at how bad "authentic" Mexican food is (its pretty damn bland). The stuff we eat is actually Tex-Mex. The Mexicans themselves have got wise to this and restaurants in the touristy areas rarely sell real Mexican food anymore.

 

[cHodAX]

People wouldn't know a authentic Italian pizza if it bit them in the ass (unless they are Italian). Even in Italy, the pizzas are heavily different from the old authentic Italian. All of European and American food hasn't been authentic for a long long time ... It just evolves over time like anything adopted in different country's.

It's personal preference, I prefer pizza hut style pizzas to "Authentic Italian" and yes I've had it. One of my former room mates was Italian doing a year out MA in London, she use to make pizzas all the time. But I still prefer the "american style copy" and my own pasta ....

I was watching some celebrity chef on tv a few weeks that specalises in Asian food making a Thai green curry. It was laughable, him talking about how this is soo authentic and what thai's put in it. It was a joke, it wasn't anywhere near real thai curry, that I can walk down the road and buy for 80p which is delicious.

People buy into all this original and authentic food bs, it's a load of crap. There is no authentic European or American food anymore. Only thing authentic is Asian, apart from bastardized Indian, Chinese and Japanese takeaways ... mostly because importing real ingredients is too expensive and they want quantity and speed not quality.

Totally agree, most of the food we eat these days is a long way from the authentic recipes.

 

[Zarjazz]

Taken from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-16481995

Troubled video game retailer Game Group reported a slump in Christmas sales.

For the eight weeks to 7 January, like-for-like sales fell by 12.9%. The company also said promotional activity had hit margins, which would now be almost 2% lower for the full year.

The group also said difficult trading conditions had raised the likelihood that it may breach some of its banking covenants when they are next tested on 27 February.

Game Group struggled last year and has seen its business eroded by competition from online-only retailers such as Steam and Amazon.

That banking breach really doesn't sound good at all.

 

[MYstIC G]

That banking breach really doesn't sound good at all.

Hardly surprising though. Too many brands, too many stores, buying back old (shit) stock, trying to sell old (shit) stock as new [tried this on me when I went in recently and bought a Kinect], not being competitive on price online, etc, etc.

I'd rather order online from Game because of the reward scheme but 10/10 they're nowhere close to being competitive.

 

[Wazzerphuk]

Yeah, they've done it to themselves. Refused to move with the times.

 

[MYstIC G]

Actually M&S one gets me, to chase "turnover" is fucking awful business strategy. Profit > Turnover ffs.

 

[Raven]

Well, not necessarily during a rescission, sustaining turnover and survival >> short term profits.

As for Game. It's been coming for years, surprised they have clung on for so long. I feel for the staff naturally but the company as a whole is stuck in the nineties.

HMV and Waterstones next, will be a shame if Waterstones go but again, refusal to move with the times and a hard up economy is death. Not been in HMV for about 10 years, the whole concept of having to tramp off to a shop to buy a CD just seems an utter waste of time. Though the same can be said for any disk media these days.

 

[Raven]

Totally agree, most of the food we eat these days is a long way from the authentic recipes.

It is if you buy it in a cardboard box Most of what I cook is home made, several of the recipes are photocopies of recipes that have been in the family for generations.

As for foreign stuff, yeah "real" indian food, as in cooked in India is pretty poor but some of the stuff cooked by "real" Indians in the UK is superb and much of it based on real Indian recipes, at least the home made stuff anyway.

None of that is necessarily a bad thing ofc, with herbs and spices so easily available it would be silly to just cook meat and seasoned gravy all the time.

 

[Wazzerphuk]

Waterstones would be a shame but they don't really have a lot of choice. Sell at normal price and have some profit coming in on what you do sell, or sell close to web prices and make nothing.

HMV have tried to turn it around going more and more into Tech. It won't last. Most people I know go into HMV and walk out within about 5 minutes. Gone are the days of looking around in there for 30 mins or more. There's just no value and no stock anymore.

 

[MYstIC G]

Waterstones would be a shame but they don't really have a lot of choice. Sell at normal price and have some profit coming in on what you do sell, or sell close to web prices and make nothing.

HMV have tried to turn it around going more and more into Tech. It won't last. Most people I know go into HMV and walk out within about 5 minutes. Gone are the days of looking around in there for 30 mins or more. There's just no value and no stock anymore.

Plus why the smeg would you want a CD and an iPad to listen to it on (which is what their sales strategy strikes me as).

 

[Wazzerphuk]

It's really telling that you can walk into an HMV and sometimes there's not even a music dvd/bluray section AT ALL. Let alone anything good in that section.

 

[MYstIC G]

It's really telling that you can walk into an HMV and sometimes there's not even a music dvd/bluray section AT ALL. Let alone anything good in that section.

The one in Croydon might as well be called "BoxSetWarehouse" now. It's just sad.