I have to say that I now only visit this once-great high street name if it’s a necessity (emergency vitamins or paracetamol). The same is true of another great name from childhood years, WH Smith (emergency ink or plastic folders); and Woolies (kids etc.) finally bit the dust, of course, in the last recession. That I can still remember the smell of these shops (that of WHS and Boots is the same to this day) must prove their power and the frequency of our use of them in those days. And my emergency usage must show that there’s still a market for what they sell. The state of most branches shows, however, that the writing has been on their walls for some time,. And here’s some more. When I went to Marks and Sparks last week, I was told that the clothes I wanted were now only available online. In the words of The Jam, This is the Modern World…
“Marks & Spencer profits plunge as clothing sales continue to fall”
So profits are down at M&S. Not really a surprise, I, like many, buy the occasional chicken Kiev but haven’t found anything I’d wear, even in private, for a long time. However, most of us running our own businesses would say, stop moaning, at least you’re making a...