Bang & Olufsen of Liverpool closing

27 replies
OP
Offline
Opman
Bronze
Posted September 21, 2015 at 13:12 GMT
#2049415

Hello All

For those who don't know me personally, my name is Nick Dale.

It is with great sorrow I have to annunce that the showroom in Liverppol will cease trading on Wednesday 30th September.

The store was opened in 2002 by Nigel Sherlock and his empire grew to take on the existing stores in Bramhall & Macclesfield before opening a four storey showroom on Deansgate in Manchester.

At that time I was managing the King Street showroom in Manchester, a franchise owned and operated by Plumbs. In 2007 Plumbs went into adminsitration and I was made redundant. The following day Nigel invited me to join him to manage the Liverpool store.

I have been based here since. A couple of years later Nigel had to relinquish control and Bang & Olufsen UK took over the running of the showroom.

Times have been challenging in recent years. Each new senior manager has had his own ideas on how to move forward with the company owned stores. The idea was floated to convert the Liverpool showroom into Bang & Olufsen's first official "Outlet". During this period we successfully moved through a great deal of end of line and ex display stock.

At the end of 2014 we were advised that the store may close however that decision was then reveresed. We were told that we would revert back to a premium showroom. We completed a major "re-zoning" of the interior to accomodate all of the brand new products and store elements.

The signs were promising that we could make a success of this new life of the showroom. Sadly our efforts have proved to be not enough for those higher up the  chain.

Maybe I will surface somewhere else in another Bang & Olufsen store, maybe this will bring to an end my 30 year association with the brand I have come to love.

I will let you know where I end up and will continue to offer help whenever I can.

Regards

Opman

Nick Dale

C(
Offline
Chris (archived2)
Bronze
Posted September 21, 2015 at 13:40 GMT
#2049416

Im sure it is a bitter pill to swallow, especially for the loyal customers you had. I wish you all the luck.

vikinguk
Offline
vikinguk
Bronze
Posted September 21, 2015 at 13:41 GMT
#2049417

Nick,

Really sorry to have that confirmation of the Liverpool store closure.

You and Lee have provided great personal service: I hope that B&O can re-emerge in the Liverpool area again at some time in the future, hopefully with you at the helm again.

Graham 

S(
Offline
supercarrambler (archived2)
Bronze
Posted September 21, 2015 at 14:05 GMT
#2049418
really sorry to hear this Nick.

T(
Offline
Tonker (archived2)
Bronze
Posted September 21, 2015 at 14:05 GMT
#2049419
We all wish you the best of luck.
DA
Offline
Davefarr
Bronze
Posted September 21, 2015 at 14:19 GMT
#2049420

It's a sad state of affairs Nick and I wish you well.  Looks like another long motorway trip for Matt and Lee from Lifestyle AV!  Wilmslow are going through a major change at the moment so I hope they can make it work.  Mind you, with the catchment of Wilmslow, Knutsford and Alderley Edge, if they can't nobody can!

Again, it seems that B&O have let down yet another outlet.  Allowing them to upgrade, modernise - probably at their own expense only to pull the plug after messing them around - will it close, won't it close?.  As someone else said recently, 'who'd want to risk being a franchise holder'?.

Dave.

RI
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richhaffner
Bronze
Posted September 21, 2015 at 16:10 GMT
#2049421

Best of luck in your next endeavor.

B(
Offline
Bv7Mk3 (archived2)
Bronze
Posted September 21, 2015 at 16:53 GMT
#2049422

Best of Luck Nick and I wish you well in whatever you do next! Also I have enjoyed reading your very helpful tips and hints on things on the forum!

vikinguk
Offline
vikinguk
Bronze
Posted September 22, 2015 at 09:05 GMT
#2049423

I remember Liverpool Castle Street itself  (not the B&O store!) from my early youth. I guess that as areas change so the shops change.... it's all part of the changing living and business cycle.

Castle Street was once firmly in the business area of Liverpool, full of banks including the Bank of England, and teaming with Insurance and shipping line office staff. A few shops in the area were geared to servicing the wealthy businessman for his weekend relaxation... I can recall at least two gunsmiths  and fishing tackle shops.

Now many banks, insurance offices and shipping company premises have been converted to apartments and hotels, so the lunchtime footfall from business staff has fallen away dramatically. 

B&O Liverpool is right on the boundary of the old business district, and just outside the new retail area of Liverpool One. It's just outside the main walking route from James Street Station to Liverpool One.

So what am I saying? I think that the B&O staff have done a brilliant job to keep this expensive yet less than ideal store location going for so many years! The location might have looked right for the original franchisee 15 or 20 years ago, and it might have done well from the office to apartment or hotel conversions. However, what it needs right now is not closure, but a move into the Liverpool One retail zone!

Graham

vikinguk
Offline
vikinguk
Bronze
Posted September 30, 2015 at 10:38 GMT
#2049424

Removed from the B&O store locator this morning.

 

Graham

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