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Robbie Parry Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 17 June 2007 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 12186
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Posted: 07 November 2018 at 8:31am | IP Logged | 1
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I prefer to go to high streets.
I love visiting Waterstones and HMV. I love browsing bookstores and music stores. Why? Two reasons: specific purchases and serendipity ("I came in for a Led Zeppelin album, but there's a new rock band CD on the shelf?").
It's also about being outdoors. Bromsgrove is a nice place to visit. Found a nice alcohol shop there. My job means I can rarely drink alcohol, but it was nice to visit such a place. The Works is another good store.
There's also a nice tobacconist in Birmingham (Great Western Arcade) for those of us who smoke very, very rarely.
So I do enjoy visiting high streets and shopping malls as opposed to ordering online.
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Bill Collins Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 26 May 2005 Location: England Posts: 11245
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Posted: 07 November 2018 at 8:39am | IP Logged | 2
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Wolverhampton is all the usual chain stores, the little independant record and comic stores are long gone, this leaves me with HMV, which to be honest doesn`t stock music that caters to my tastes, plus most of the stuff i would buy is much cheaper online.As for Forbidden Planet, i just don`t buy hard copies anymore.In the 80`s and 90`s i used to travel weekly to Birmingham for my comic fix, now there is actually a big shop in Wolves, my buying habit has changed.As i get my car serviced and MOT`d on the outskirts of the city, i usually drop it off at 8am and walk into the city to do some Christmas shopping, but it gets increasingly hard to kill the time it takes my car to be finished in the shops.There is not a lot to interest a mid-50`s male!
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Robbie Parry Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 17 June 2007 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 12186
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Posted: 07 November 2018 at 9:21am | IP Logged | 3
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There's a merchandise shop in Wolverhampton, Bill, that may well have some comics in (it's more of a toy shop).
It's on King Street.
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Michael Roberts Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 20 April 2004 Location: United States Posts: 14812
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Posted: 07 November 2018 at 10:12am | IP Logged | 4
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And a bit ludicrous, too. Wouldn't two separate entities WANT to be distinct?
——
Of course they would. But tell me how you would determine who keeps the established brand and who would have to start over with a new name.
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Robbie Parry Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 17 June 2007 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 12186
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Posted: 07 November 2018 at 10:16am | IP Logged | 5
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Coin toss, Michael.
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Michael Roberts Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 20 April 2004 Location: United States Posts: 14812
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Posted: 07 November 2018 at 10:19am | IP Logged | 6
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The one that confuses me is Target in the US and Target in Australia. They are two entirely separate companies that use the same logo and color scheme. Also some of the same marketing, but I think that is Target Australia capitalizing on some of the brand confusion with the US Target.
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Robbie Parry Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 17 June 2007 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 12186
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Posted: 07 November 2018 at 10:26am | IP Logged | 7
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When Judge Dredd's world becomes a reality, and I become Chief Judge, capitalizing on brand confusion will result in a mandatory prison sentence!
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Glenn Brenner Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 20 December 2008 Posts: 353
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Posted: 07 November 2018 at 10:38am | IP Logged | 8
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Is the Forbidden Planet in NY affliated with FPI?
I remember back in the 80s and 90s, there was a big comic shop/fantasy book store across the street and a block south of the current FP in NY that at was called Forbidden Planet. I just assumed they moved across Broadway at some point, but now I'm wondering if they closed down, only to be replaced by these new Forbidden Planet stores.
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Robbie Parry Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 17 June 2007 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 12186
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Posted: 07 November 2018 at 11:10am | IP Logged | 9
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Yes, the New York store is FPI.
On a related note, we used to have a lot of non-FP comic stores around. There are some - check out Dave's Comics in Brighton if you're ever there - but there was one called Another World in Wolverhampton.
I think most either "died" or became absorbed by FP or FPI.
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Bill Collins Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 26 May 2005 Location: England Posts: 11245
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Posted: 07 November 2018 at 11:47am | IP Logged | 10
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I have no idea where King Street is Robbie! Another World if i remember correctly, is on the site of FP, there was a small independent shop in Worcester St in the mid-80`s, but it didn`t last long. There was also one in Broad Street around the same time, but it was sandwiched between a load of marital aid and grot book shops, so i avoided that as it was on the main bus route, and i feared someone i knew seeing me going in the comic shop, but thinking it was a grot shop!
The High Street IS changing, charity shops get favourable business rates, whilst small independant and major stores are hammered, no matter what their takings.Then there`s the change in buying habits, people are increasingly buying online. As Greg said, people prefer to go to out of town retail parks, where parking is free. The local councils also, have made driving into local cities a nightmare of high cost parking, confusing road layouts that trick you into edging into bus lanes, then fine you for your mistake!
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Greg McPhee Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 25 August 2004 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 5064
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Posted: 07 November 2018 at 1:10pm | IP Logged | 11
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I've received 2 fines thanks to the Council's confusing signs around Manchester.
Krypton Komics in London is still an independent run shop. Has a great selection.
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Bill Collins Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 26 May 2005 Location: England Posts: 11245
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Posted: 07 November 2018 at 1:26pm | IP Logged | 12
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Greg, my uncle ventured into Wolverhampton by car at night to visit the theatre, he hadn`t driven in the city for a couple of decades.Confused by the road layout and poor signage, he merged into a lane a couple of metres too early and got TWO fines for being in a bus lane.He vowed never to visit the city again.
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