alison Posted March 13, 2018 Share Posted March 13, 2018 Well, 6 months or so on, it's official: Marks & Spencer in Covent Garden will be closing on 7th April. That is going to be a REAL pain, because I frequently use it before and/or after performances. I'm assuming the staff will be reassigned to other stores. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna C Posted March 13, 2018 Share Posted March 13, 2018 Noooo! It's always packed in there! So handy for flowers, drinks, snacks, sweets and its cashpoint. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Mallinson Posted March 13, 2018 Share Posted March 13, 2018 This article explains more. Seems they may open a new food store in Covent Garden - thank goodness! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sim Posted March 13, 2018 Share Posted March 13, 2018 What a pain. Although I only ever bought food and flowers there, it was a very convenient to pop into between work and ballet, to have something to eat before the show. If a behemoth like M&S can't afford the soaring business rates, then I wonder how long before smaller stores start to close as well? Such a shame. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted March 13, 2018 Author Share Posted March 13, 2018 Blast. I'd forgotten about the cashpoint. Isn't it the only one on that side of the market? Other nearest Lloyds at the top of Southampton Street (does that still exist after the redevelopment?) or NatWest on the Henrietta Street corner of the Piazza? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted March 13, 2018 Author Share Posted March 13, 2018 12 minutes ago, John Mallinson said: This article explains more. Seems they may open a new food store in Covent Garden - thank goodness! I suspect the problem is the size of the building they inherited from what used to be the Covent Garden General Store: it's not small enough to be a Simply Food store, but not really big enough to stock much in the way of clothing. Plus it's in a tourist/office area where I think the majority of the people would be going in for something quick to eat - it's noticeable that they don't always commit to the dining promotions - and I've often found it a good place to pop into during the sale because I can find things in there that they've run out of elsewhere. 8 minutes ago, Sim said: What a pain. Although I only ever bought food and flowers there, it was a very convenient to pop into between work and ballet, to have something to eat before the show. If a behemoth like M&S can't afford the soaring business rates, then I wonder how long before smaller stores start to close as well? Such a shame. I think you'll find the smaller/independent stores have been closing for years, Sim :-( I think it's all part of the Capco grand plan to turn Covent Garden into a Premium Destination - have you noticed all the high-end brands which have moved in in recent years? (Oh, and wasn't East, on the Piazza, closing as well?) 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna C Posted March 13, 2018 Share Posted March 13, 2018 7 minutes ago, alison said: Blast. I'd forgotten about the cashpoint. Isn't it the only one on that side of the market? Other nearest Lloyds at the top of Southampton Street (does that still exist after the redevelopment?) or NatWest on the Henrietta Street corner of the Piazza? Yes, it's the only one I know of on the Longacre side. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted March 13, 2018 Author Share Posted March 13, 2018 There's Barclays down behind the Lyceum, but that's technically on the Strand (where there are still plenty of ATMs). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bangorballetboy Posted March 13, 2018 Share Posted March 13, 2018 I usually use the cashpoint on the corner of Neal Street and Shorts Gardens 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Mallinson Posted March 13, 2018 Share Posted March 13, 2018 Cash? What's that? 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicola H Posted March 13, 2018 Share Posted March 13, 2018 M+S have struggled with estate for a while , they have stores various places too big to be a ' simply food ' with perhaps some flostiry and a rack or two of hosiery but too small do display a decent range of their clothing offer ... - such is the nature of being a 'legacy' organisation add in their business difficulties in finding, keeping and growing their market share , their difficulties with mastering the internet age ( and the trouble they had with staple M+S products working in the Automated warehousing at Castle Donington ... ( such as the Lingerie items which have up to 100 different variants band / cup / colour within a single product ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted March 13, 2018 Share Posted March 13, 2018 I must admit surprised to hear this just because it's always SO busy in there what a shame a great meeting place besides the Nero's it's been for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted March 13, 2018 Share Posted March 13, 2018 Alison I think the Lloyds went a long time ago!! In terested to hear there's a cash point on the corner of Neal st and Shorts Gardens as I've used one on Drury Lane near the London Theatre before but it's not a free one so annoying. Dont know how I've missed the Neal st one. I used to use the Lloyds one a lot but it went about 2 yrs ago now? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted March 13, 2018 Author Share Posted March 13, 2018 Maybe, but then I wasn't around there much last year It was still there when they started redeveloping, because I took some money out of it. Will have to pick up any cash in the Strand on the way in, I guess, unless I'm coming in via Covent Garden tube, which could be tricky. Other sources of bakery-type products are, I guess, the Co-Ops down at Charing Cross and by the Peacock Theatre, and the Sainsbury's at Holborn tube. Plus the more expensive coffee places, of course. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuthE Posted March 13, 2018 Share Posted March 13, 2018 1 hour ago, alison said: Other sources of bakery-type products are, I guess, the Co-Ops down at Charing Cross and by the Peacock Theatre, and the Sainsbury's at Holborn tube. Plus the more expensive coffee places, of course. The Tesco Metro on Bedford Street and Tesco Express on the Strand near Waterloo Bridge are both nearer the ROH than any of these, I think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuthE Posted March 13, 2018 Share Posted March 13, 2018 (edited) I wonder if, given the ambitions of Open Up to make the ROH a more usable place during the day, they might tuck a cashpoint in a corner in one of the public foyers, just inside the doors? There's one in the entrance to the Royal Festival Hall (which is the only one in the immediate area and attracts long queues on Southbank Food Market days). I've just had a thought - I THINK there is also a cashpoint at the back of Jubilee Market somewhere, opposite where the Lloyds one used to be. One of those indoor free-standing ones, and I think fee-free. I'm pretty sure I've seen it signposted. I could just be imagining it. Edited March 13, 2018 by RuthE 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted March 13, 2018 Author Share Posted March 13, 2018 Just think, then people could get cash out to go and buy their ice creams Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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