WHSmith Peckham to close on May 18th

[Bic Basher]

Big signs have gone up at WHSmith on Rye Lane announcing the closure of the store. Nearest store is Lewisham with no mention that Forest Hill is only 2 miles away.

[pipsky2008]

Bic Basher Wrote:

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> Big signs have gone up at WHSmith on Rye Lane

> announcing the closure of the store. Nearest

> store is Lewisham with no mention that Forest Hill

> is only 2 miles away.

Not suprised. As a publishers, I'm sure they have struggled for many years, as a branch store, poorly managed, appauling layout.

[Mrs TP]

I reckon the Boots will be following suit soon. Was in there yesterday afternoon and the chap in front of us asked for paracetamol - was told he couldn't have the bigger packets from behind the counter as there was no pharmacist on the premises to approve. How bonkers is that - no pharmacist in a Boots on a Saturday afternoon? He asked to speak to the manager and was told there was no manager on the premises either. Massive queues and only 2 staff in whole store.

[Peckhampoet]

Two brands that have really lost their way in recent times. No longer a pleasure to shop in either with their tired interiors and lacklustre offering.

[minder]

Spoke to the young boy in WH Smith yesterday and hopefully he's going to be relocated to another branch.

I've often ordered books there. Where else is there in Rye Lane to get a magazine or book? Let's hope it's not another 99p store. I love the 99p stores/Poundland but Rye Lane has that many.

Mrs TP, I also think that Boots will be following soon. The staff in there have been really complacent and nonchalant for the past year or so.

Went in yesterday and the staff were so rude. No please or thank yous, chucking change at everybody, making one woman with a baby in buggy go to another queue at the other end because they have no clear queue signs.

[UncleBen]

Both stores have been very badly run for years - would prefer it if they were re-furbed and properly managed rather than closed. WH Smith in Forest Hill not much better.

[Girl82]

Oh dear...I hope it's not replaced by yet another betting shop or fast food joint - but I don't hold out much hope sadly.

[Miacis]

That's a shame. Useful to have a smugs reasonably close. What's the alternative for stationery?

[mynamehere]

I use this all the time

[Bic Basher]

UncleBen Wrote:

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> Both stores have been very badly run for years -

> would prefer it if they were re-furbed and

> properly managed rather than closed. WH Smith in

> Forest Hill not much better.

I think Forest Hill's PO franchise and location next door to the rail station has saved that branch.

[Twoddle]

Book shops can hardly survive any more what with cheap books on Amazon and Kindles. So we can look forward to another couple of Pound shops?

[Bic Basher]

-- moved topic --

[JohnL]

Is that s new payday loan shop I spied opposite - or an old one re-done.

Screwfix are welcome :)

Twoddle Wrote:

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> Book shops can hardly survive any more what with

> cheap books on Amazon and Kindles. So we can look

> forward to another couple of Pound shops?

[DulwichFox]

Rye Lane in the 50's

Jones and Higgings (Multi-Departmental Store)

Boots the Chemist

British Home Stores

Marks and Spencers

Walworths

Littlewoods

2 C&A's

2 Co-Op's

2 J Lyons Tea Houses.

Burtons Mensware

Dunnes Mensware

Lillan Skinner Ladies Clothes.

Shoe Shops.

Stead & Simpson

Stylos

Timpsons

Dulce

Saxone

Sydney Ross Toy Shop

Gas Showroom

Electricity Showroom.

Caters (Choumert road or the Market ??) Bacon and Cheese shop

All Gone

Just the ones I can remember..

Foxy

[Drxyster]

I can add a few more Foxy.

Broadmeads, electrical store TVs Radios, Washing machines,Fridges, Radios etc.

Sidney Fox Bespoke Tailors (thought you would remember this one)

James Walkers Jewelers

Fine Fare food supermarket

John Colliers (The window to watch (tailors)

Jacksons the tailors

Rossis Ice cream Parlour.

Sainsbury's

[Otta]

My gripe with Smiths is the prices they charge in train station and hospital shops. It takes the absolute p!ss!

The Forest Hill one is pretty crap, but they have not long (maybe a couple of years) had the post office upstairs, so I can't see it being closed anytime soon.

[Michael Palaeologus]

Just as Peckham may be on the up, with the Overground link and refurbished station planned, Bellenden coming into its own. Seems an odd time to bail out. Short sighted or a sign that WH Smiths is suffering.

[DulwichFox]

Drxyster Wrote:

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> I can add a few more Foxy.

> Broadmeads, electrical store TVs Radios, Washing

> machines,Fridges, Radios etc.

> Sidney Fox Bespoke Tailors (thought you would

> remember this one)

> James Walkers Jewelers

> Fine Fare food supermarket

> John Colliers (The window to watch (tailors)

> Jacksons the tailors

> Rossis Ice cream Parlour.

> Sainsbury's

Yes.. I remember them now.

There was also Colliers Furniture store.

Peckham was one of the Best shopping areas around..

What's there now.

Hair extention shops, Nail bars, Phone unlocking stalls, Piles of un-refridgerated chicken and meat..

Dear oh dear.

Foxy

[Girl82]

Very sad to read the list of Peckham's retailers of old :( Hopefully with all the regeneration that's (hopefully) going to take place at the station, things might start to improve?

[Jeremy]

Otta Wrote:

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> My gripe with Smiths is the prices they charge in

> train station and hospital shops. It takes the

> absolute p!ss!

Could be a reflection of the increased rent they're charged? Just guessing.

[StraferJack]

First of all, as with Woolworths let?s not get too parochial about this Smith?s closing down. WH Smiths have been closing shops at a rate of knots all around the country. It has relatively little to do with Peckham now versus some Golden Age.

In fact most of those shops mentioned on the ?so sad to think of? posts have been companies which have disappeared completely, not just from Peckham

But Smith?s aren?t gone yet (sadly) across the country. I say sadly as I used to be a regular customer but since they changed their shops to

- make the floor stands much higher to pile ?em high

- stopped selling DVDs and Games

- pester me every time to buy some freaking chocolate or a newspaper I don?t want

- charge 100% more than some places just for a pack of Extra gum

They can?t die off soon enough (from a brand perspective ? the usual job considerations still apply)

[Otta]

Jeremy Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Otta Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > My gripe with Smiths is the prices they charge

> in

> > train station and hospital shops. It takes the

> > absolute p!ss!

>

> Could be a reflection of the increased rent

> they're charged? Just guessing.

More than likely, but the prices do seem very high.

[JohnL]

Apparently they'll stick around airports/train stations and did well to get rid of games/dvds

and this is a good strategy if you read this unreadable article :)

http://www.retail-week.com/city-and-finance/whsmith-what-the-analysts-say/5048145.article?blocktitle=Retailer-in-the-news:-WHSmith&contentID=7926

StraferJack Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> First of all, as with Woolworths let?s not get too

> parochial about this Smith?s closing down. WH

> Smiths have been closing shops at a rate of knots

> all around the country. It has relatively little

> to do with Peckham now versus some Golden Age.

>

> In fact most of those shops mentioned on the ?so

> sad to think of? posts have been companies which

> have disappeared completely, not just from Peckham

>

>

> But Smith?s aren?t gone yet (sadly) across the

> country. I say sadly as I used to be a regular

> customer but since they changed their shops to

>

> - make the floor stands much higher to pile ?em

> high

> - stopped selling DVDs and Games

> - pester me every time to buy some freaking

> chocolate or a newspaper I don?t want

> - charge 100% more than some places just for a

> pack of Extra gum

>

> They can?t die off soon enough (from a brand

> perspective ? the usual job considerations still

> apply)

[Bic Basher]

Otta Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> My gripe with Smiths is the prices they charge in

> train station and hospital shops. It takes the

> absolute p!ss!

>

> The Forest Hill one is pretty crap, but they have

> not long (maybe a couple of years) had the post

> office upstairs, so I can't see it being closed

> anytime soon.

The Forest Hill PO at WHSmith has been open since 2008.

WHSmith as a business makes a profit of over 5% from their travel shops, which include rail stations, airports etc.

The Retail section makes a tiny profit, yet clearly they need to improve on that by streamlining the amount of stores they have. They can't convert the store in Peckham to PO use as it's already based in the High Street and just too far to replace the Rye Lane PO which is expected to be a franchise.

[rupert45]

I have been told that WHSmith Surrey Quays is also closing.