European Tribune - Comments - Sunday Open Thread

Sunday Open Thread | 47 comments (47 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

Xmas shopping yesterday. Wanted to buy some books for my parents and was faced with the problem that if all the bookshops are closing down, then browsing is going to be difficult. The main Waterstones in Oxford st has closed because of the CrossRail demolitions and Borders has closed dwon. Now I don't know where to go.

Managed to find a 2nd hand shop in tottenham Ct road but I'm gonna have to find some new bookshops to hit when I need to browse.

keep to the Fen Causeway

by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Sun Dec 20th, 2009 at 11:55:51 AM EST

Re: Sunday Open Thread (none / 0)

Lucky you. I'll be doing my shopping on Tuesday or Wednesday by the looks of things ... I managed to get the main monthly-and-xmas food shop done yesterday and a quick trip down to the horses to make sure someone else rode them but other than that we've all been housebound. Sick and cranky, all of us.

by Colman (colman at eurotrib.com) on Sun Dec 20th, 2009 at 12:05:51 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Sunday Open Thread (none / 0)

I'm fortunately recovered from it but I know how you feel and you have my sympathy.

keep to the Fen Causeway

by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Sun Dec 20th, 2009 at 12:26:01 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Sunday Open Thread (none / 0)

It's just an annoying cold for me - enough to make work a struggle, at the busiest time I've had all year - but it's upsetting C, who's teething as well, we think. I don't think anyone got more than a two hour continuous stretch of sleep last night, and we were in bed for more than ten hours.

by Colman (colman at eurotrib.com) on Sun Dec 20th, 2009 at 12:41:08 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Sunday Open Thread (none / 0)

It's years since I've been anywhere near that part of the world. Is Foyles still around?

by ThatBritGuy (thatbritguy (at) googlemail.com) on Sun Dec 20th, 2009 at 12:45:55 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Sunday Open Thread (none / 0)

Yup, foyles is still there, but it's still completely baffling. cos it's catalogued by publisher rather than subject you can't browse to find things.

I have no idea how it stays in business.

keep to the Fen Causeway

by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Sun Dec 20th, 2009 at 01:13:23 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Sunday Open Thread (4.00 / 2)

It's a family company which I believe owns the very valuable site. So the absence of rent helps, I guess.

I've always found it fascinating how great a factor in costs rent actually is, but it's always hidden.

If you buy a pint in a Wetherspoons in bandit country in the East End it's maybe £2.00/pint - the same pint might be £2.60 in a West End Wetherspoons.

That's why Sam Smiths pubs are such brilliant value - they haven't 'sweated' their property assets. eg the Chandos Arms on Trafalgar Square wipes the floor with every other pub on price - dunno about the beer, I drink the lager! :-)

"Any economic unit can emit money. The serious problem is to get it accepted" Hyman Minsky

by ChrisCook (cojockathotmaildotcom) on Sun Dec 20th, 2009 at 01:27:17 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Sunday Open Thread (none / 0)

People underestimate how fixed costs affects small business. The shop has match each pound/dollar/euro of fixed costs, plus the marginal tax rate, plus the cost of goods/service provided, plus the marginal tax rate of that, and then tack on a profit. If a goods provider there will be a re-purchase and re-stocking charge for the good(s) provided

Rule of Thumb: a business needs to bring-in a minimum of 2.5 times fixed costs to break even.

by ATinNM on Sun Dec 20th, 2009 at 01:51:49 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Sunday Open Thread (none / 0)

The beer in Sam smiths pubs is a bit cheap and nasty. Also, rumour within CAMRA circles suggests they are quite a nasty company to work for, paying very low wages and not maintaining their properties very well.

keep to the Fen Causeway

by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Sun Dec 20th, 2009 at 02:03:04 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Foyles (none / 0)

One of my favourite places to visit - and mostly because the staff are knowledgeable about the section they work in and can give useful advice.

You can't be me, I'm taken

by Sven Triloqvist on Sun Dec 20th, 2009 at 02:16:41 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Sunday Open Thread (4.00 / 3)

I'll plug the only person foolish enough to open an independent bookshop in London this year:

http://www.clerkenwell-tales.co.uk/

by Metatone (metatone [a|t] gmail (dot) com) on Sun Dec 20th, 2009 at 03:50:12 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Sunday Open Thread | 47 comments (47 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

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