Beovision 11-55, Beolab 2, Beosound 2(old Skool) Beolit 15, Beoplay A2 Active
Sandyb:The (UK) high street is not a pretty place at the moment...not that this helps B&O franchises, but lots of businesses are struggling to make the high street work. Coffee shops and cafe's seem to be the only format left that works.
Indeed, that was a bit throw away on my part.
The high street is a bit unforgiving for formats that don't work that well, or who dont have strong brand.
Richer Sounds do have a good name, in so far as they're the go to place for many (outside of the big box retail outlets).
I wasnt trying to downplay the challenges brands like B&O have, believe me.
Indeed, my experience is even more pointed - my close peer group generally earn well into 6 figures, and they wouldn't consider spending 5-10k on a TV. They are happy spending 70k on a Gaggenau equipped kitchen, but that's generally seen as a 20 year investment.
The B&O store near my old office in the city (St.Paul's) literally was known amongst my colleagues as the empty store - now closed of course. And thats an area populated by well paid bankers.
Not sure if the Bose comparison is apt though, they're generally quite a bit cheaper than B&O.
In the end, B&O have always been niche and aspirational - the issues on the forum taken in totality just illustrate that companies like B&O have little wiggle room. Small is not a good place these days, and puts a lot of pressure on getting your products right - which they clearly haven't in recent years, Play aside.
Sandyb: The B&O store near my old office in the city (St.Paul's) literally was known amongst my colleagues as the empty store - now closed of course. And thats an area populated by well paid bankers.
Indeed. If B&O can't make a store work near St Paul's, I'd internally ask a number of key questions. Like you rightly say Sandyb, all the key UK banking and trading is done in this area. One my mates (who moved to the States recently) spent his entire day just going to meetings in this area and couldn't believe how much money they had to invest. And those same guys aren't going in to a B&O store? wow.
Sadly, I'm a massive B&O fan, but have almost completely gone off the brand, bar a few BeoPlay purchases. There's just nothing really happening with the core brand, either, and no-one appears to have noticed this. It's June - half way through 2018 - and what has been released so far? What does a dealer (who generally knows what's coming 6 months in advance) have around the corner? If I was dealer right now I'd be borderline panicking.
Yeah unfortunately tech and AV has gone ever more mass market, and short cycles makes life tough for the likes of B&O, even had they been devoid of software issues, or had some better designers.
So yes, much as though its easy to throw stones at the brand (i had a poor experience with my BV14, so i know, and thankfully exchanged for something better), i still kind of blame broader structural forces every bit as much (arguably more so) than the company specific travails.
Its a shame though - my current setup is so very very good, i don't begrudge its cost, and replicating it with non-B&O products would end with a less well integrated bulkier system.
Thankfully i dont need to upgrade, i can resist the HDR itch for a few years, and from i was told yesterday, there will be a successor BV (down shoot the messenger i plead) and I'd accept the less elegant hybrid LG UI as long as the design is good enough, and the integration with other B&O products remains.
moxxey: Sandyb: The B&O store near my old office in the city (St.Paul's) literally was known amongst my colleagues as the empty store - now closed of course. And thats an area populated by well paid bankers. Indeed. If B&O can't make a store work near St Paul's, I'd internally ask a number of key questions. Like you rightly say Sandyb, all the key UK banking and trading is done in this area. One my mates (who moved to the States recently) spent his entire day just going to meetings in this area and couldn't believe how much money they had to invest. And those same guys aren't going in to a B&O store? wow. Sadly, I'm a massive B&O fan, but have almost completely gone off the brand, bar a few BeoPlay purchases. There's just nothing really happening with the core brand, either, and no-one appears to have noticed this. It's June - half way through 2018 - and what has been released so far? What does a dealer (who generally knows what's coming 6 months in advance) have around the corner? If I was dealer right now I'd be borderline panicking.
Final creditors meeting of B&O St Pauls, looks like customers deposits lost were £30,000
https://document-api-images-prod.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/docs/dVDN0kB_iKIJjVXjfhdfbCVM3imXv7Zv5TXfS7xoVs0/application-pdf?X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Content-Sha256=UNSIGNED-PAYLOAD&X-Amz-Credential=ASIAJ4QHLBBKQOOR5TFA%2F20180605%2Feu-west-1%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Date=20180605T200018Z&X-Amz-Expires=60&X-Amz-Security-Token=FQoDYXdzEJD%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2FwEaDIa8hWS%2FrG0bhnyitiK3A0ex9FuJsChj1NkE%2FenyYJGJz13iZ1ikOcIbwlJqXRFzv37QYUO%2BnPj3%2Fq0YTx%2FoIaZaLztOTKLTY7WbAf9bBDRAxy2MVV7NhZsA6duWV30BKSkdqIrOHMDN1SZcQdtJIRfSA%2FsujXbwgft8ZNss1c%2F0udJzmQob5ZDjfEGQ%2FeNVvRFSnVd6FrSWYTVaWE51V6ow03D%2FttjuOr5YdQzCODYA6kHPdsdknHg1%2FylkHhm5a1E6vTxnm9cvk%2B5Y8uqNVY2ONLiX1M%2BcwPFojl4QAcjA83AWSM3t39ktCdnm9slcReZNEsLL2uNzjofKPqlygack5FidgkqM2jFSXUHkvmyOKJ2Jla94KfbQEwsflh0KfQL%2BgnDM9eVtClyuNUJGElqym6ajSL9HM7C0Tx7LPP0JFXyRytMoSpgn3s9%2FkWyfbqhwHkGqXesPVGn72wvxMqyh2e6X5iNjP1lWxYS9o2VQQSUYS333VYJawCLagTp01%2F2tuEixbHvjuOLe3ds6Ca5fL0FN97UXrFONrYey6RHZM%2B%2Fv7xfxScWSbD53xI5FshU0HCmV5DpgrYbkQkZep3OfKW5X%2FXAousHa2AU%3D&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&X-Amz-Signature=07aa329fcbbd1a1c924cc3dff4023ebd040d43e445d17964671a34b93ba1290f
Where B&O were owed £295,000
the big loss where the investors @ £400,000!! (coincidence that was the figure, IIRC, B&O Bath were up for sale in Dalton's weekly?)
Are all replies to this topic being moderated or is it just me :)
lets use post this as a test then...
Seems its ok now, have a look at my link shows the losses of B&O St Pauls @ companies house.
hmm, link didnt work.
StUrrock: Seems its ok now, have a look at my link shows the losses of B&O St Pauls @ companies house.
Link has timed out. What is the St Paul's registered name at Companies House? (The Bath store was only registered for a short period before being dissolved.... but the Cardiff owner has quite an ownership trail......)
Graham
StUrrock:City Hometech Limited https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/07935954/filing-history
https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/07935954/filing-history
Woah. So B&O St Paul's went bust owing £1 million pounds to creditors, investors and customers? That is simply incredible.
Yes, the previous Bath store went bust owing B&O UK £2xx,000 and looks like St Paul's, too. B&O must have insurance for this. Between two stores, they've lost £500,000?
And, yes, my earlier post went in to moderation about the St Paul's store.