roz Posted January 26, 2009 Posted January 26, 2009 One of my favourite cheap and cheerful shoe shops, Barratts, has just gone into administration http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Business/Shoe-Shops-Barratt-Shoes-And-PriceLess-Go-Into-Administration/Article/200901415210500?f=rss
astrid Posted January 26, 2009 Posted January 26, 2009 I cant believe that Roz. I remember around xmas posting in a thread by your good self about the final clearance sales. I dont know about the UK but over here they are always packed with guys and girls buying shoes. The guys are buying mens shoes, not all are buying heels. You have to fight your way through the store 9/10 times.
barney15c Posted January 26, 2009 Posted January 26, 2009 I hope they can get through this crisis, I have bought a lot of shoes in their Tall and Small range over the last few years and their styles are really nice and a good alternative to Evans / Essence where also I get my shoes (Size 9/10). Also there is the human cost for all the employees that work for Barratts who could be unemployed should the business fold, I feel sorry for all those who have fallen victim to the credit crunch. In the land of the blind, the one eyed man is king!!!
Tech Posted January 26, 2009 Posted January 26, 2009 Don't you mean bankruptcy? No, Going into administration isnt the same as going bankrupt. Heels for Men // Legwear Fashion // HHPlace Guidelines If something doesn't look right, please report the content ASAP!
roz Posted January 26, 2009 Author Posted January 26, 2009 Don't you mean bankruptcy? No, I mean administration. Administration is when accountants are called in to try and salvage the company, trying to keep it running as an ongoing concern, failing that selling it on to another company, and failing that winding it up as a business. It's yet another shop on the high street that might close, I hope it can be saved.
spiker Posted January 26, 2009 Posted January 26, 2009 Now that's a shame, they do some great shoes for reasonable prices. They're also the only place where we can get shoes for my fianceé (she's a UK 1 1/2!). Spiker.
roz Posted January 26, 2009 Author Posted January 26, 2009 Well, I'm gonna do my bit on Wednesday and try and save them, lol. I've had my eye on a pair of wedged sneakers there, plus I might double up on some of my Gardinia platform heels as they're fantastic shoes. So if they continue trading, you'll know it's down to me!
Tech Posted January 27, 2009 Posted January 27, 2009 Well, I'm gonna do my bit on Wednesday and try and save them, lol. I've had my eye on a pair of wedged sneakers there, plus I might double up on some of my Gardinia platform heels as they're fantastic shoes. So if they continue trading, you'll know it's down to me! Wedged sneakers? Lets see Heels for Men // Legwear Fashion // HHPlace Guidelines If something doesn't look right, please report the content ASAP!
roz Posted January 27, 2009 Author Posted January 27, 2009 Maybe sneaker was the wrong word to use, but they're kinda similar. Pic attached
Tech Posted January 27, 2009 Posted January 27, 2009 Maybe sneaker was the wrong word to use, but they're kinda similar. Pic attached Ahh, more of a "wedge plimsole". Bummer. Wouldnt it be soo cool to find a pair of Nike's with a 4"+ wedge and a huge air-bubble in them... I'd be the first in the queue Heels for Men // Legwear Fashion // HHPlace Guidelines If something doesn't look right, please report the content ASAP!
Bubba136 Posted January 27, 2009 Posted January 27, 2009 Administration in the UK is - perhaps - kinda the same thing as Chapter 11 under US bankruptcy laws....ability to reorganize while remaining in business. Chapter 7 is bankrupt, isn't it? Being mentally comfortable in your own mind is the key to wearing heels in public.
euchrid Posted January 27, 2009 Posted January 27, 2009 I came close to buying a pair of boots in Barratts (Oxford) last weekend. Only £15 for dk.brown leather ankle boots with 4" stiletto. I'm sure i've seen the same ones on sale for £65 in Faith before now. Didn't buy them & regretted it for the rest of the day. Still regretting it now Unlikey to be going back there for a while now so that's them gone Always High-Heel Responsibly
euchrid Posted January 27, 2009 Posted January 27, 2009 I've had my eye on a pair of wedged sneakers there, . ! I've seen some wedge wellies in there too. Not my style but they might be quite appealing to a high-heeling gardener. Always High-Heel Responsibly
roz Posted January 27, 2009 Author Posted January 27, 2009 I came close to buying a pair of boots in Barratts (Oxford) last weekend. Only £15 for dk.brown leather ankle boots with 4" stiletto. I'm sure i've seen the same ones on sale for £65 in Faith before now. Didn't buy them & regretted it for the rest of the day. Still regretting it now Unlikey to be going back there for a while now so that's them gone I personally don't think Barratts is as good quality as Faith, but thier prices reflect that. I'm sure their shops will be around for a while yet, that's even if they do close. I think with most shops now (eg New Look) selling shoes, there's less place for shoe shops but hopefully they'll come through.
Dawn HH Posted January 27, 2009 Posted January 27, 2009 Roz:-) I wouldn't call that a sneaker---Isn't it a wedge? Cheers--- Dawn HH High Heeled Boots Forever!
roz Posted January 28, 2009 Author Posted January 28, 2009 Wedge is the shape, but like I say, sneaker was probably the wrong word for it
jmc Posted January 28, 2009 Posted January 28, 2009 Well they do look a little bit sneaker-ish with the white toe caps, the white soles and the stripes on the side. Of course, sneakers don't have the bows and they are not cut that low. Have a happy time!
Firefox Posted January 29, 2009 Posted January 29, 2009 I think Barratts may well be finished like Woolworths. The market is very competitive now. This is another area where Tescos and Asda have made big inroads. There is great choice in the bigger Tesco stores, and they have proper 4 inch plus heels on some of the styles. A far cry from the more mundane and conservative stuff that Tesco used to do.
roz Posted January 29, 2009 Author Posted January 29, 2009 I agree, although I don't think Tesco is as big a competitor to Barratts as places like New Look, Top Shop and other clothes shops. I think Woolworths was a jack of all trades, master of none. I think ultimately that was its downfall. I think Barratts is more likely to survive than Woolies, although I think they'll have to get rid of a lot of their less competitive shops. I can't imagine myself or my girlfriends ever going to Tesco specifically to buy shoes, although we'd probably buy some if we saw a pair we liked. I can imagine ourselves going to Barratts speculatively, though, with £40 or £50 with the intention of buying a pair of heels and nothing else. But the problem is while that can be said of Barratts, it can also be said of New Look, Top Shop*, Debenhams*, Moda In Pelle, Office, Faith etc etc [*Although these shops are billions of pounds in debt too]
Firefox Posted January 30, 2009 Posted January 30, 2009 I reckon what matters is that one goes in the shop at all. With Tesco I'm in there 5 days a week to buy food and I guess most women are too. And once in there to buy food, who can resist trying a pair of shoes on or looking for the latest styles. They are also picking the trends very well now. For any shy ones among you, Tesco is also ideal for a stealth purchase. One can use the self scan checkouts and buy the shoes with food if you don't fancy using the normal checkouts. I always reckoned New Look and Faith were aimed at a slightly younger market so Baratts may still have a place if they restructure it. It's going to be very tough though.
Puffer Posted February 2, 2009 Posted February 2, 2009 Don't you mean bankruptcy? Administration in the UK is - perhaps - kinda the same thing as Chapter 11 under US bankruptcy laws....ability to reorganize while remaining in business. Chapter 7 is bankrupt, isn't it? Almost spot-on, Bubba. In the UK, the term 'bankruptcy' is reserved for an individual who has become formally insolvent and whose assets are seized to pay his debts, etc. A company that becomes formally insolvent would ultimately go into liquidation if it cannot be saved, and thus realise its assets and be wound-up. The usual preliminary is for an administrator to be appointed (typically at the instigation of a bank to which the company is indebted) to explore the possibilities of salvation; he acts much like the traditional receiver and manager. Both individuals and companies can sometimes do a deal with creditors and avoid the ultimate sanction of bankruptcy or liquidation. That has happened with Stylo (the parent company of Barratt), which is intended to become subject to a 'Company Voluntary Arrangement', under which the controlling family will put more money into that company to allow its various subsidiaries to be refinanced and restructured. But that's enough of insolvency law and practice! Meanwhile, the intention is to carry on trading and no doubt there will be further discounts and sales to raise cash. It is quite possible that some shops will close, with the inevitable redundancies. Another of the Stylo companies in administration is the Priceless Shoes chain; much of its stock is Barratts shoes (discontinued lines etc) at very low prices and it may well be worth a look. The website shows all sorts of goodies (inc large sizes) - but beware, many items are then shown as out of stock if a purchase is attempted.
Dawn HH Posted February 5, 2009 Posted February 5, 2009 Thats good information to know at this time. Thanks for sharing, Puffer. Cheers--- Dawn HH High Heeled Boots Forever!
at9 Posted February 13, 2009 Posted February 13, 2009 Looking worse for them today. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7887674.stm The administrators may be able to sell some of the business as a going concern it looks a bit doubtful to me.
heelma Posted February 13, 2009 Posted February 13, 2009 One of my favourite cheap and cheerful shoe shops, Barratts, has just gone into administration http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Business/Shoe-Shops-Barratt-Shoes-And-PriceLess-Go-Into-Administration/Article/200901415210500?f=rss For the non-UKer ... could you please describe what kind of store this is? Not sure if you have any experience with Payless in the US, but does their quality compare with Payless? At Payless, most shoes go for $30 and less, sometimes much less, but you get what you pay, so they most often break very easily or at least hurt your feet more so than higher quality shoes.
roz Posted February 13, 2009 Author Posted February 13, 2009 This is their website: http://www.barratts.co.uk/ I would say they're cheap and cheerful, and while they used to focus I think on guys' shoes, over the last few years they've been working on increasing the amount of party heels and shoes like that. Most shoes are about £35-45 ($50ish) but I think the problem is there are a lot of other shops like New Look that also do a lot of shoes.
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