The last challenge for Hyper Value
A huge “store closing” sign has been hanging outside a Hyper Value store located near Cardiff city centre for more than a month. And recently, a new “50% price for Christmas” advert has been prominently displayed nest to it. The cut-price shopping chain announced last month that 9 of its 15 stores in Wales are to close.
When I walked around the city centre branch which is on the “to be closed list”, I realized why discount stores have been so popular and at the same time, why they had lost their buoyant market status in recent years.
In contrast with the deserted scene of recent months, the store is now busy and full of Christmas atmosphere. The clearance advertisements attract many more customers than at any other time and people fill their shopping basket as if all the merchandise is free.
In fact, I was a little shocked by the low prices, such as children’s thermal gloves at £1 for three pairs, Christmas cards less than 2p each and Christmas decorations selling for just 30p.
Crossing over the road to Sainsbury, I could only find a few fine Christmas cards and bells on a small shelf. Of course, they all cost more than £1.5 each. When I asked whether there were some Christmas pompoms or colored lights, the answer from staff was “Not yet… Maybe in a week…” Obviously, the store has not yet plunged into the commercial Christmas period.
“When I first passed by this store, I believed that it was an old storehouse rather than an open shop,” said a new Korean student at Cardiff University. “Now I think there are some good things with really amazing prices and it is a clever choice to shop for Christmas there.” But she added: “Despite low prices, I would not shop there very often because in my mind, the bargains always lack good quality.”
As she mentioned, the merchandise in store stacked in a disorderly fashion. Some bath towels and children’s gloves are even thrown on the floor. Moreover, various knick-knacks and bits and pieces on the shelf seem to be fragile and only fit to be used once.
Generally, most of the Christmas party goods will no doubt end up in the bin when December 26 comes. So the majority of people would not care too much about the quality and durability of their Christmas stuff.
However, Christmas only comes once a year. Other times, as Mr Morgan, a director at Cardiff Business School asserted, “people would camouflage themselves to walk into Hyper Value and wouldn’t want to be seen there.” He pointed out, “Young people, especially teenagers would never be seen walking round with a Hyper Value carrier bag.”
The city centre store will close on the Saturday before Christmas. Consequently, with much lower prices than other competitors and much earlier engagement in the Christmas commercial competition, it is the last challenge for the South Wales-based retailer to struggle for profit.
