Thomas Cook. Gone 05:43 - Sep 23 with 4246 views | loftboy | Another institution bites the dust. | |
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Thomas Cook. Gone on 05:57 - Sep 23 with 2973 views | Lblock | Get away... | |
| Cherish and enjoy life.... this ain't no dress rehearsal |
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Thomas Cook. Gone on 08:53 - Sep 23 with 2776 views | RangersDave | It was a dinosaur in a computer world. I'm saddened for the employees and travellers, but £2bn in debt????? | |
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Thomas Cook. Gone on 09:06 - Sep 23 with 2731 views | W13R | Thankfully we flew out on Friday and are just sitting tight waiting for the new flight details for coming back this Friday. Hopefully the only slight issue will be sorting out the transfer from the hotel to the airport as that was all part of the package. Must say though I feel for all the people who were meant to travel over the coming days/weeks and hopefully they will get back all their hard earned cash. | | | |
Thomas Cook. Gone on 09:08 - Sep 23 with 2718 views | Mick_S | My wife and I booked with TC a year or so ago without realising the state they were in, so we were very lucky. We considered rebooking with them because we had probably our best holiday ever, but decided against it. Just read of a 30 plus wedding party unable to fly to Greece. They must be utterly gutted. | |
| Did I ever mention that I was in Minder? |
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Thomas Cook. Gone on 09:43 - Sep 23 with 2628 views | CroydonCaptJack | This is all very sad but was always going to happen. With the Internet these days so many people are less reliant on travel agents. I can only really see the more specialist ones (for high value holidays or round the world trips etc) being sustainable. The landscape has been changing for a long time. In the same way I am surprised we haven't seen more estate agents go yet. Maybe because they are not saddles with so much debt. Nevertheless, I wouldn't invest in any traditional estate agents. | | | |
Thomas Cook. Gone on 09:47 - Sep 23 with 2609 views | Mistication92 | How TF do you get 1.5bn in debt?! | | | |
Thomas Cook. Gone on 09:53 - Sep 23 with 2588 views | CamberleyR |
Thomas Cook. Gone on 09:47 - Sep 23 by Mistication92 | How TF do you get 1.5bn in debt?! |
By owning over 500 high street shops with all their associated overheads. In this day and age that's madness. [Post edited 23 Sep 2019 9:55]
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Thomas Cook. Gone on 10:34 - Sep 23 with 2476 views | Toast_R | The High Street will soon be a thing of the past. BHS gone a few years back and I understand Debenham's are is massive trouble. How long before M&S go the same way? You're going to have big purpose built shopping Centres once the hub of the high street now with nothing but boarded up units. What's the answer here? Surely there has to be some give in Business Rates. The Government used to have a centralized pot where the the local Council's would pay all their collections to. This was changed a few years back and the Council's keep their own business rates. With the grant cuts from the Tory party inflicted on the council's, the Business rates collection has been seen as a money spinner for a lot of them and they whack all their businesses for Enforcement costs at any given opportunity. Understandable but surely that can't be right and no good in the long term. | | | | Login to get fewer ads
Thomas Cook. Gone on 10:37 - Sep 23 with 2469 views | Clive_Anderson | Rent too high, business rates too high for the shops and parking too expensive for customers as well as a complete pain in the arse. You can stay at home and click a few buttons and get 10x the choice and normally much cheaper. | | | |
Thomas Cook. Gone on 10:40 - Sep 23 with 2456 views | Mistication92 | Convert any empty HS properties to residential? | | | |
Thomas Cook. Gone on 10:50 - Sep 23 with 2424 views | CiderwithRsie | Business rates are a problem and massive rents charged by landlord who do virtually nothing for it (other than buy the freehold the first place) is another. Upwards-only rent reviews make it worse. But be careful what you wish for as the rent income is a mainstay of pension fund incomes, and more recently, of council incomes (as are business rates obviously) and most of us have a stake in both of those. The biggest issue is that we just don't need to go up the High Street shopping in dozens of separate shops like people did 100 years ago when most were built. Supermarkets started it and the internet is finishing it. OTOH we all like to get into town and mingle a bit with other people - the one bit of the High St booming is coffee shops. Book shops were all supposed to be killed by Amazon but while the crap ones have gone they're one of the success stories because the good ones are selling an experience. IMO travel agents flogging cheap packages are over but niche places where someone who knows the places concerned, sat and talked with you and put together* a holiday you'd love, got you excited about it before you'd even left, might work. High Streets need to get human and personal 'cos that's what the internet hasn't got. * nearly wrote "crafted" which is a bullish*t word but it's the one I'd use if I was flogging this idea. | | | |
Thomas Cook. Gone on 11:04 - Sep 23 with 2380 views | Mick_S | @jet2tweets so firms like yours making money out of this thomas cook... Just looked at the holiday I was GOING to book and it's gone up £400 Jet2tweets ✔ @jet2tweets Hi Gary, we are very saddened by the news of Thomas Cook. As always, our flights and holiday prices work on a live system which means prices can (and do) fluctuate based on various factors, including demand, availability etc. Thanks, Tom Darling hold my hand. | |
| Did I ever mention that I was in Minder? |
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Thomas Cook. Gone on 11:11 - Sep 23 with 2373 views | CroydonCaptJack |
Thomas Cook. Gone on 10:50 - Sep 23 by CiderwithRsie | Business rates are a problem and massive rents charged by landlord who do virtually nothing for it (other than buy the freehold the first place) is another. Upwards-only rent reviews make it worse. But be careful what you wish for as the rent income is a mainstay of pension fund incomes, and more recently, of council incomes (as are business rates obviously) and most of us have a stake in both of those. The biggest issue is that we just don't need to go up the High Street shopping in dozens of separate shops like people did 100 years ago when most were built. Supermarkets started it and the internet is finishing it. OTOH we all like to get into town and mingle a bit with other people - the one bit of the High St booming is coffee shops. Book shops were all supposed to be killed by Amazon but while the crap ones have gone they're one of the success stories because the good ones are selling an experience. IMO travel agents flogging cheap packages are over but niche places where someone who knows the places concerned, sat and talked with you and put together* a holiday you'd love, got you excited about it before you'd even left, might work. High Streets need to get human and personal 'cos that's what the internet hasn't got. * nearly wrote "crafted" which is a bullish*t word but it's the one I'd use if I was flogging this idea. |
Some very good points made here. I would just add though that a lot of the major supermarket chains are investing in 'local' smaller versions of their big stores. This is to cater for peoples changing shopping habits away from the 'weekly shop'. This is a welcome move imo as it fills some of the empty spaces. As a lot of the retail units are emptying there needs to be far more encouragement towards mixed use units where apartments and workspaces are built together over retail units etc. This will mean more people in the town centres all of the time instead of just at the weekend for shopping. This in turn will make it feasible for new types of retail shops and restaurants to be profitable. As you say, the rents and rates will need to reflect this new norm. | | | |
Thomas Cook. Gone on 11:14 - Sep 23 with 2353 views | CliveWilsonSaid | ...And another set of directors taking huge dividends prior to the closure. | |
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Thomas Cook. Gone on 11:27 - Sep 23 with 2296 views | BostonR |
Thomas Cook. Gone on 09:47 - Sep 23 by Mistication92 | How TF do you get 1.5bn in debt?! |
Poor Boardroom management. This company has been in trouble for almost 10yrs. It should have adapted and cut costs to compete. Having said that it is an iconic brand and some investors will surely resurrect it in some form. If I were an employee, I would be fearful for my pension as it appears the cupboard is bare. | | | |
Thomas Cook. Gone on 11:50 - Sep 23 with 2234 views | CiderwithRsie |
Thomas Cook. Gone on 11:11 - Sep 23 by CroydonCaptJack | Some very good points made here. I would just add though that a lot of the major supermarket chains are investing in 'local' smaller versions of their big stores. This is to cater for peoples changing shopping habits away from the 'weekly shop'. This is a welcome move imo as it fills some of the empty spaces. As a lot of the retail units are emptying there needs to be far more encouragement towards mixed use units where apartments and workspaces are built together over retail units etc. This will mean more people in the town centres all of the time instead of just at the weekend for shopping. This in turn will make it feasible for new types of retail shops and restaurants to be profitable. As you say, the rents and rates will need to reflect this new norm. |
Another side of this (warning! Actual football and QPR related content!!) is that clubs like ours can be part of the answer. Obviously not too many clubs are down the High St but a place like Loftus Road brings thousands of fans into Shepherds Bush every other Saturday. Not too many of us are going shopping if we can help it, but we do go in the pubs, we buy food, maybe stick a few quid on in the bookies, we bring a bit of life to the place. Keeping small clubs going and keeping them in town should be part of keeping towns alive. There's a big market going missing IMO if traders can find a way of being part of the match day experience (and not just milking fans of a few quid for terrible beer and crap souvenirs) | | | |
Thomas Cook. Gone on 12:13 - Sep 23 with 2188 views | derbyhoop |
Thomas Cook. Gone on 09:43 - Sep 23 by CroydonCaptJack | This is all very sad but was always going to happen. With the Internet these days so many people are less reliant on travel agents. I can only really see the more specialist ones (for high value holidays or round the world trips etc) being sustainable. The landscape has been changing for a long time. In the same way I am surprised we haven't seen more estate agents go yet. Maybe because they are not saddles with so much debt. Nevertheless, I wouldn't invest in any traditional estate agents. |
There's all sorts of reasons for Thomas Cook going under. The market has been changing for years and things you used to do in shops can now be done online. Travel agencies selling standard package holidays has been superceded by other methods. Unless you are doing something niche. It could be a similar story with estate agents,but it is a bit different. Good agents know their area and can discuss client's requirements with knowledge. But, a solid internet presence is a starting point. That's working for me in France See my portfolio here - www.frenchestateagents.com/allproperties/agent/kevin-cole/13694 | |
| Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the Earth all one’s lifetime. (Mark Twain)
Find me on twitter @derbyhoop |
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Thomas Cook. Gone on 13:06 - Sep 23 with 2088 views | loftboy |
Thomas Cook. Gone on 09:47 - Sep 23 by Mistication92 | How TF do you get 1.5bn in debt?! |
Does TF stand for “the fûck” or Tony Fernandez? | |
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Thomas Cook. Gone on 16:54 - Sep 23 with 1880 views | Boston | ...,as small boats from all over Britain head out to rescue and bring home their fellow citizens stranded on foreign shores. That’s the spirit. | |
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Thomas Cook. Gone on 17:30 - Sep 23 with 1806 views | paulparker |
Thomas Cook. Gone on 10:34 - Sep 23 by Toast_R | The High Street will soon be a thing of the past. BHS gone a few years back and I understand Debenham's are is massive trouble. How long before M&S go the same way? You're going to have big purpose built shopping Centres once the hub of the high street now with nothing but boarded up units. What's the answer here? Surely there has to be some give in Business Rates. The Government used to have a centralized pot where the the local Council's would pay all their collections to. This was changed a few years back and the Council's keep their own business rates. With the grant cuts from the Tory party inflicted on the council's, the Business rates collection has been seen as a money spinner for a lot of them and they whack all their businesses for Enforcement costs at any given opportunity. Understandable but surely that can't be right and no good in the long term. |
Totally agree Town centres are fully of chavs , crack addicts, Turkish barbers, betting shops and pound stores Really sad in a way that 30 years ago town centres were thriving places and a good place to meet teenage girls ( if of course you are the same age) the amount of family businesses as well that have gone it’s tragic As for booking holidays I quite like the fact you can go in and view where your going and ask questions, pay in deposits etc in the old days you had the added bonus of chatting up the rep as well | |
| And Bowles is onside, Swinburne has come rushing out of his goal , what can Bowles do here , onto the left foot no, on to the right foot
That’s there that’s two, and that’s Bowles
Brian Moore
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Thomas Cook. Gone on 17:54 - Sep 23 with 1762 views | dolcelatte |
Thomas Cook. Gone on 10:34 - Sep 23 by Toast_R | The High Street will soon be a thing of the past. BHS gone a few years back and I understand Debenham's are is massive trouble. How long before M&S go the same way? You're going to have big purpose built shopping Centres once the hub of the high street now with nothing but boarded up units. What's the answer here? Surely there has to be some give in Business Rates. The Government used to have a centralized pot where the the local Council's would pay all their collections to. This was changed a few years back and the Council's keep their own business rates. With the grant cuts from the Tory party inflicted on the council's, the Business rates collection has been seen as a money spinner for a lot of them and they whack all their businesses for Enforcement costs at any given opportunity. Understandable but surely that can't be right and no good in the long term. |
I was chatting to the ceo of an investment company who own several shopping centres last week. He told me of one they own where half are empty and of the other half only 5 are currently paying rent. All vacant shops are available rent free just so they can stop paying rates on them. They plan to knock them all down and convert to residential... | |
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Thomas Cook. Gone on 17:59 - Sep 23 with 1755 views | Sonic_Hoop | And I was planning on booking two 18-30 holidays for my 60th birthday, typical. | | | |
Thomas Cook. Gone on 18:02 - Sep 23 with 1750 views | thame_hoops | Shame on them all weekend saying to customers ‘it’s all fine travel, travel as normal” when the directors and the media knew that on Sunday they would go into administration | | | |
Thomas Cook. Gone on 18:36 - Sep 23 with 1705 views | Boston |
Thomas Cook. Gone on 17:59 - Sep 23 by Sonic_Hoop | And I was planning on booking two 18-30 holidays for my 60th birthday, typical. |
Two! Little bit of middle age spread going on old chap? | |
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Thomas Cook. Gone on 18:46 - Sep 23 with 1676 views | smegma | Ive only used a travel agent twice in my life, both with Nielsen for skiing holidays in 92 and 95. | | | |
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