talkmagic.co.uk

I am just curious about something and perhaps some of you who live in Britain can supply the information. In Canada and America magic shops are going out of business right left and centre. Dying like flies. The main reason for this is the internet. Over here people are buying online to a remarkable degree and this is affecting the brick and mortar magic shops considerably.

I am curious to know if the same phenomena is affecting magic dealers in the United Kingdom. Since I haven't been living there for the last twenty years I am out of touch with the purchasing habits in that country. Somebody suggested to me that the British in general are far more reluctant to buy online than their North American counterparts and I would like to find out how true this is. Of course even British magicians are going to buy online. However, I am wondering if they do it to the extent they do over here and to the extreme of even putting physical magic shops in jeapourdy of continuing. One UK magic dealer mentioned to me that "the internet is a nuisance" but did not seem very concerned about it and seemed to have the attitude that it was an irritant rather than a serious threat to his business.

I am just wondering if it is a cultural thing where UK people are less inclined to buy online than Americans or is it just the same? Can anyone enlighten me? Is the internet a serious thread to UK magic dealers or merely an irritant?

Sadly i think people in England now buy most of their products on line, due to the reasons mentioned. I recently moved away from London, and there are only 2 bricks and mortar shops up and running, which is a big surprise, considering the size of London.. So your question, is the internet spoiling the enjoyment of these high street magic shops ?? That's a big question to answer I would love to see more shops around the UK, but I also like to buy online, especially as I have a busy life style.. Lets see what all the other members say about this ?
Regards Garry.

I can understand someone buying online if they live in an area where there are no physical magic shops but does the same thing happen if there is a brick and mortar shop within a reasonable distance. For example when you lived in London did you still buy online just as much? And when I lived in London there were about EIGHT magic shops! But that was a long, long time ago.

Yeah, every week i visited my local magic shop, sadly there is none where i am now.. But to be fair although i did visit my local shop, i still bought items on line.

Most bricks and mortar shops in the UK also sell online so they get a slice of both methods. Commercial/Retail premises are quite expensive these days, high rates and rent make them unattractive unless a high turnover and profit level is likely - as evidence, count the number of charity shops taking over shops previously used for private enterprise or 'normal' retail operations.

The traditional magic shop where the owners demo stuff to customers is certainly in decline apart from the few stalwarts who, as mentioned above, also sell online. Newbies seem to no longer need to visit a shop and be shown stuff, they view on Youtube and buy online.

Yes. The magic shops over here also sell online but that doesn't seem to stop them going out of business. For some reason they don't compete well with people who sell exclusively online.

Hi, this is Mike Danata (Mike Danata's Magic Studio, Bournemouth U.K.). Just to let you know that just a couple of miles down the road from me ANOTHER magic shop has opened!!! I am hoping (Fingers crossed!!) that MORE people will come to the area to visit us BOTH. I'm not sure if this will happen though, but I am living in hope................ here is some info from the local paper: http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/busine ... _in_Poole/

Two have recently closed in Canada, Morrisey Magic and Tony's Trick and Joke Shop. Both were staples and well established for years. Both sold online as well as Brick and Mortar. It is just cheaper to go online for the seller (rent and all) and in many ways easier on the consumer. I know Tony's Trick and Joke Shop in Victoria BC is still functioning online even though they closed the brick and mortar portion. I think Morrisey is closed completely but unsure. I can tell you, our shop in Montreal has been going since 1974 started in mail order and brick and mortar and still going. The last five years have been the toughest and I think most magic shop owners would agree.

danata wrote:Hi, this is Mike Danata (Mike Danata's Magic Studio, Bournemouth U.K.). Just to let you know that just a couple of miles down the road from me ANOTHER magic shop has opened!!! I am hoping (Fingers crossed!!) that MORE people will come to the area to visit us BOTH. I'm not sure if this will happen though, but I am living in hope................ here is some info from the local paper: http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/busine ... _in_Poole/

This is great news as business creates business. I hope both your shop and the new one can hang in. Best of luck to you both.

With large areas of the UK not having a bricks and mortar shop it's a pity that a new one chose to open so close to a long established one.......

I was astonished a few years ago to see in Las Vegas two magic shops just a few doors away from each other. I asked a staff member at one of the shops about it and he shrugged his shoulders and said, "Well, that's Vegas!"

Yes. Morrisseys have completely closed down both online and offline after decades of being in business.

And pardon me for being cynical but I don't think two magic shops will survive in Bournemouth. One will no doubt go under and that will probably be the new one. I think it is a suicide mission to open a retail magic shop in the present climate. I certainly couldn't do it. Even if there was no internet competition the customers would drive me up the wall and I would growl at them with such great ferocity that they would never return. I think that working in a magic shop is akin to working in a psychiatric ward.

But it isn't just magic shops that are having trouble. A lot of retail shops are going out of business and they are not magic related at all.

mark lewis wrote:But it isn't just magic shops that are having trouble. A lot of retail shops are going out of business and they are not magic related at all.

Check any High Street in the UK and chances are that many long established shops, small and large, have closed down and are either still empty or taken over as charity shops who seem to get preferential terms on Rates and so on. If only the same terms were offered to the existing business they might still be trading.....

When you consider the HUGE Big Name business's that have gone under, it's a miracle that there are any actual "Magic Shops" at all!!!

Use Em or Lose Em!!!! it really is as simple as that.............

Is it me, or is there a general "Lethargy" around magic at the present time? even the forums like this one, are not exactly "Buzzing" with news & excitement concerning our "Magic World" maybe we've all been "Magicked Out!!"

Yes, things do seem to have gone a bit quiet all round lately.

I think this happens when there is not much money around.................