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Post by Jonnyboy on Jun 15, 2022 22:11:29 GMT
Why are there so many in London?! There’s never anybody in them. Now some have found to be selling fake goods with incorrect allergen labels.
Not to mention they look awful!
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Post by margoc on Jun 15, 2022 22:15:03 GMT
Why are there so many in London?! There’s never anybody in them. Now some have found to be selling fake goods with incorrect allergen labels. Not to mention they look awful! Not to mention they're an absolute eyesore as well, always playing loud music too |
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Post by partytentdown on Jun 15, 2022 22:37:56 GMT
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Post by Jon on Jun 15, 2022 23:26:31 GMT
They're clearly money laundering fronts, if Westminster Council wants to really crack down, they'd shut them all down.
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Post by oxfordsimon on Jun 15, 2022 23:42:42 GMT
Not just an issue in London. Central Oxford has 3 on one short stretch of street
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Post by sph on Jun 16, 2022 1:04:54 GMT
Yes, I can't imagine that the British have such a fascination with American candy that these shops make enough to stay afloat. I always just thought they were a front for other things, and selling counterfeit goods too.
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Post by anthony40 on Jun 16, 2022 9:04:50 GMT
Yes, I heard about some of the bad things that were happening on the radio this week.
I tend to agree with most of the above comments. There are also so many colours and a variety of goods- it's sensory overload!
They're also incredibly expensive!
I know how much I pay for the infamous Tim-Tams which are imported, when I need them.
When I see Tim-Tam's- all varieties- in those American Candy shops, they're valued at twice what I normally pay!
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Post by anita on Jun 16, 2022 9:17:50 GMT
They seem to be popping up everywhere. One in Dartford for a while. Now one in bexleyheath.
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Post by nick on Jun 16, 2022 9:35:33 GMT
A souvenir shop in Greenwich has turned into one of these. Greenwich are usually hot about shops - they kicked Macdonalds out some years ago. However there's an increasing number of empty shops so I'm intrigued to see how it plays out.
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3,791 posts
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Post by anthony40 on Jun 16, 2022 10:13:15 GMT
I actually saw something on the news about this. Oxford Street in London is supposed to be one of the most premium shopping street in Europe- nay, the world I think they said in the report.
Personally, I think its Regent Street.
Needless to say, the sheer number of these stores is bringing the credibility and value of the street down.
Also, on a side note, there always seem to be lecherous men working in then. I'm a guy and at times, even I feel intimidated just walking past them.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 16, 2022 10:20:27 GMT
I thought it was an open secret they were for money laundering.
I wouldn't describe Oxford Street as premium shopping destination either.
Surely regent Street or bond Street (especially for premium) would be better. Oxford Street to me has always looked a bit run down
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Post by Jon on Jun 16, 2022 10:24:27 GMT
I thought it was an open secret they were for money laundering. I wouldn't describe Oxford Street as premium shopping destination either. Surely regent Street or bond Street (especially for premium) would be better. Oxford Street to me has always looked a bit run down The only premium store on Oxford Street is Selfridges. |
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Post by lynette on Jun 16, 2022 11:54:17 GMT
There has been a raid. Illegal imports, fakes etc found. Money laundering a possibility. The thing is these places on Oxford St don't pay the business rate through some chicanery of the ownership deals. They are utterly pernicious and parasitical. They ruin what was a destination shopping street in London. ( it once was magnificent, trust me, theatrefan) Shady goings on doesn’t even come near..
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Post by samuelwhiskers on Jun 16, 2022 13:02:27 GMT
I walk between South Ken and Sloane Square a lot and that’s what I call premium shopping. Even on small side streets it’s all Chanel and Prada and super expensive little independent boutiques selling organic vicuña nappies and things.
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Post by anthony40 on Jun 16, 2022 13:15:19 GMT
I wouldn't describe Oxford Street as premium shopping destination either. I'm just quoting what the reporter said Surely regent Street or bond Street (especially for premium) would be better. I agree Oxford Street to me has always looked a bit run down Especially the second half towards Tottenham Court Road |
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Post by profquatermass on Jun 16, 2022 14:09:52 GMT
They're clearly money laundering fronts, if Westminster Council wants to really crack down, they'd shut them all down. Councils can't just close down traders without actual proof of illegality. They aren't ignoring the problem but it's clearly complicated... www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-61777445 |
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Post by alece10 on Jun 16, 2022 14:41:35 GMT
Of course the "wrong" end of Oxford Street has always been a problem. Before the candy shops we had gaudy souvenir shops and years ago the shop fronts doing auctions getting people to buy total c**p with people planted in the audience in the street.
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Post by Phantom of London on Jun 16, 2022 14:42:47 GMT
You have to ask yourself how not one any of the coffee chains cannot afford the rent to have their shops on Oxford Street, but multiple American candy stores can, that incidentally has few customers because the prices are exorbitant high?
I cycle a lot up and down Oxford Street and it is proper tacky and gaudy.
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Post by Phantom of London on Jun 16, 2022 14:44:43 GMT
They seem to be popping up everywhere. One in Dartford for a while. Now one in bexleyheath. I live in Bexleyheath and haven't seen this candy store yet, I take it is in the shopping centre? Which would explain that as I never venture in there now. |
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Post by anthony40 on Jun 16, 2022 14:59:03 GMT
They're also in Camden
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Post by The Matthew on Jun 16, 2022 15:36:41 GMT
As a child I was impressed by Oxford Street, but as an adult I feel it's where you go if you're a tourist and don't know any better.
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Post by anita on Jun 17, 2022 9:18:38 GMT
They seem to be popping up everywhere. One in Dartford for a while. Now one in bexleyheath. I live in Bexleyheath and haven't seen this candy store yet, I take it is in the shopping centre? Which would explain that as I never venture in there now. No outside. |
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Post by jojo on Jun 17, 2022 14:57:55 GMT
There has been a raid. Illegal imports, fakes etc found. Money laundering a possibility. The thing is these places on Oxford St don't pay the business rate through some chicanery of the ownership deals. They are utterly pernicious and parasitical. They ruin what was a destination shopping street in London. ( it once was magnificent, trust me, theatrefan) Shady goings on doesn’t even come near.. I was advised that nail bars are often used as money laundering fronts, as are equivalent businesses places that deal mainly in cash, with hard to define sales and a high turnover of staff and customers. Unfortunately, a number of nail bars have been involved in modern slavery too. See also car washes. Council's often have suspicions about particular premises, but these sorts of businesses are used for shady goings on because it is hard to prove what they are up to. If ever you are wondering how on earth a shop can possibly be making money - it's possible they aren't trying to. |
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Post by Jon on Jun 17, 2022 15:19:55 GMT
I was advised that nail bars are often used as money laundering fronts, as are equivalent businesses places that deal mainly in cash, with hard to define sales and a high turnover of staff and customers. Unfortunately, a number of nail bars have been involved in modern slavery too. See also car washes. Council's often have suspicions about particular premises, but these sorts of businesses are used for shady goings on because it is hard to prove what they are up to. If ever you are wondering how on earth a shop can possibly be making money - it's possible they aren't trying to. I'm surprised that some nail salons are used as money laundering fronts as those offer a genuine service. |
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Post by NorthernAlien on Jun 18, 2022 11:51:40 GMT
There's a similar issue in Edinburgh - we have at least two of these American Candy Shops on Princes Street. They're also still using the previous model which was 'tourist shops' - up here it's obviously stuff around products made from / referencing tartan etc. There's a shopping centre near me (I'm very, very west Edinburgh), that has two of the 'Scottish products' shops, and I reckon at least one of them is a front for something, because that shopping centre is used by precisely no tourists, given its location.
Surely all those dessert shops are a similar idea? One opened around the corner from my old house in England, and the location again means that there's precisely *no* customers for their 'service' - but again, 'desserts' are theoretically high turnover and difficult to quantify etc...
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Post by lichtie on Jun 18, 2022 12:00:58 GMT
In Edinburgh, if it's a tat shop it probably belongs to the Gold brothers... Or the other split off part of the family empire. However they manage it they've become very wealthy on the back of the crap they flog to tourists.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 20, 2022 18:50:50 GMT
In early 2000's I worked in an office right by New Street Station in Birmingham and one of the fashion shops opposite that was rumoured to be a front for drug dealing and money laundering. The Police actally came into our building and watched the shop front from an empty floor wing for a few days so I could see things like that happening. No arrests were made but proves that sort of thing does happen.
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Post by jojo on Jun 21, 2022 17:25:41 GMT
I was advised that nail bars are often used as money laundering fronts, as are equivalent businesses places that deal mainly in cash, with hard to define sales and a high turnover of staff and customers. Unfortunately, a number of nail bars have been involved in modern slavery too. See also car washes. Council's often have suspicions about particular premises, but these sorts of businesses are used for shady goings on because it is hard to prove what they are up to. If ever you are wondering how on earth a shop can possibly be making money - it's possible they aren't trying to. I'm surprised that some nail salons are used as money laundering fronts as those offer a genuine service. It's not all of them, but there's no reason why money launderers' would avoid businesses that also offer a genuine service. It's no disrespect to the people who run legitimate establishments, but if you think of the business model, it's easy to set one up wherever money might need laundered. Or at least it was. I was first told by someone who investigated these things around 15 years ago. They probably switch things up whenever a business comes under too much scrutiny. |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 21, 2022 17:35:10 GMT
I'm surprised that some nail salons are used as money laundering fronts as those offer a genuine service. It's not all of them, but there's no reason why money launderers' would avoid businesses that also offer a genuine service. It's no disrespect to the people who run legitimate establishments, but if you think of the business model, it's easy to set one up wherever money might need laundered. Or at least it was. I was first told by someone who investigated these things around 15 years ago. They probably switch things up whenever a business comes under too much scrutiny. Someone might have dodgy businesses but they might also have legit ones so well said JoJo. Police and authorities may start looking when someone looks to be living beyond their means but when the bloke in the big house with the 40k car is known to own a string of "candy stores" for example people may not look so hard. It might just be where has the money come from to start these businesses up. Plus they often have several owners/silent partners. I've been to bars/concert venues over the years and helped run gigs and got to know managers or duty managers pretty well and often they don't even know who really owns the venue. These are totally legit guys, one guy was a millionaire several times over but he was never seen at the venues the only time anyone ever saw him was when the business won a prestigious local business award and he attended. The guy was totally legit but he was low profile so those with dirty money could easily have this sort of profile. Anyone says they were dodgy they now claim to have reformed etc. |
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