Bakery chain Percy Ingle to close all branches including Woolwich?
For a few weeks there’ve been murmors that all branches of Percy Ingles bakers could be shut for good, and today a paper over in Romford appears to put more credence on the news.
The company have traded for 66 years and have (or had) branches in Woolwich, Lewisham and Deptford.
If it does close it’ll be another vacant unit in Woolwich. A number lie empty years after business vacated.
Another chain in trouble with a presence in Woolwich is Poundstretcher.
Greggs can’t have helped the company. They have a branch just across on Powis Street. Personally I’m still mourning the loss of Baker’s Oven who were taken over and killed off by Greggs. In my experience a sausage roll (and pretty much everything else) from Greggs isn’t stone cold about 1 in 10 times. No idea what people see in them.
If you can’t do a half decent sausage roll, give up and go away.
I suspect there will be more retail casualties to come soon.
Specifically on Poundstretcher, the few times I have ventured into the Woolwich store it has been almost empty and the selection – given the size of the store – is surprisingly poor. The Poundland on Powis Street seems to always have a good footfall.
Poundstretchers are always empty which is partly why I love them. Always get lots of good stuff. They had some homebase stuff when they closed most branches. Lots of interesting food too that doesn’t sell elsewhere but still in date. Heinz products for example. Lots of soup and sauce flavours that no one else stocks. All sorts of weird and wonderful bits. American products at times like root beer that were £3 in Tesco, didn’t sell and then 30p in Poundstretcher. It’s a goldmine and surprises everytime compared to many boring shops.
Great shame about Percy Ingle. They offer flexibility with their offering.
Precy Ingle provided a much better range of products than Greggs with some very tasty cakes and bread. It will be such a shame to see the Percy Ingle Bakers close.
Another casualty on the High Street.
Terrible shame I like Percy Ingle’s Bakery. They gave you a real choice of cakes and bread. A proper bakers. They will be missed on the High Street.that’s for sure.
The Percy Ingle’s in Lewisham town centre has already been stripped out and fascia sign removed. It didn’t help that it was right next door to a Gregg’s and had an old fashioned look.
I used to frequent the now gone poundstretchers in Lewisham and found a lot of things that I still have. I occasionally find myself in Catford and always go in just because.
Percy Ingle didn’t revamp itself in the way Greggs managed, which is a shame. The interior looks cheap and dated, as does the colour scheme and of course the tabards. The food itself though is closer to real old-school bakery rather than ghastly frozen stuff that Greggs sells and for the money better than its rival, let alone any supermarket bake-off offering. Hopefully a deal can be struck, perhaps taken under the wing of Costa or similar company that could use the high street presence
Yep, failing to update the look of the shops must have played a part in the demise. Gregg’s is slick and glossy looking and the company regularly updates the shops. The one in Lewisham town centre has undergone at least two refurbs.
I agree with the shop refurbs, but if the rent and rates are so high, there’s little spare funds to update the shop or properly maintain the property.
Undoubtedly, business rates and rent plays a big factor in profitability. Gregg’s has cracked the market and evolved its offerings. There is something to suit everyone from the sausage roll and pie eaters to those wanting soup and salads. It doesn’t hurt that the shops look attractive, too.
The only thing I find with Greggs is their range of sandwiches do not give you much of a choice. The shops look attractive though.
Shops on our high Streets now need to open later after 17:30 hours on Monday to Saturdays so people can shop after work and at the weekends. if more High Street busineses and our High Streets themselves are to survive.
Later opening is not necessarily the answer. There isn’t much on the high street that I couldn’t have bought in my lunch hour when I worked in the City and after a long day a work, I really wanted to just go home.
The Lewisham branch of H Samuels has gone. The unit is empty and the fascia signs removed. There was no indication that the shop was closing prior to lockdown.
I think H Samuels was one of the original shopping centre stores but if not, has been there for as long as I can remember.
Given how easy it is to get to Stratford (Westfield) or Charlton (Retail Park), I’m really not surprised Powis Street is shedding small high street shops. Buying online is the other obvious killer, and why not?
I reckon Woolwich needs more activities, like a board game cafe. Something people have to come to that attracts more footfall, especially from the RA residents.
There are some large units toward the north end of Powis and sone on Hare Street that could be used this way instead of yet another cheap tack shop that will start having ‘closing down sales’ 5min after it opens.