Did I Miss Something? B&O Gone Belly Up?

[Benedict_Arnold]

 

[The_Lhc]

Wanna put any more meat on them bones?

They announced in January that they were closing 125 stores worldwide but not aware of anything other than that.

 

[Andrew Everard]

They announced in January that they were closing 125 stores worldwide

...And opening new stores in areas where there's more business to be had.

What's more, they seemed to be doing very nicely when our esteemed Dear Leader was in Struer yesterday.

 

[Benedict_Arnold]

They announced in January that they were closing 125 stores worldwide

...And opening new stores in areas where there's more business to be had.

What's more, they seemed to be doing very nicely when our esteemed Dear Leader was in Struer yesterday.

So sales of white melamine coated chipboard are safe for now then. Phew.

 

[Andrew Everard]

So sales of white melamine coated chipboard are safe for now then. Phew.

I think that's B&Q, not B&O. Or B&W. Or indeed BMW.

Mind you, C&A's long gone, at least in the UK.

But then H&M's doing pretty well.

 

[andyjm]

What's more, they seemed to be doing very nicely when our esteemed Dear Leader was in Struer yesterday.

Appearances can be deceptive.

The stock market in Denmark has taken a different view, news that B$O profits were down sharply sent the share price off 14% in a broadly unchanged market.

 

[Andrew Everard]

Appearances can be deceptive.

The stock market in Denmark has taken a different view, news that B$O profits were down sharply sent the share price off 14% in a broadly unchanged market.

That was last week. The price seems to be recovering a bit now, though it's well down on where it was this time last year, not to mention the levels it reached last Autumn. But all of that's a long way from 'going belly up', as the OP was asking.

 

[Andy Clough]

Indeed. Like many companies, B&O has been through a tough time of late, and makes no secret of the fact (hence the store closures in Europe). But given that it makes bespoke in-car audio systems for BMW, Audi and Aston Martin – and in January produced its 5,000,000th car speaker for Audi – it's certainly still trading. And when I was at the factory on Tues/Wed this week the production lines were in full flow.

It's now concentrating on exporting to the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China) which seems sensible given the state Europe's in.

 

[kmlav]

I have B&O speakers in my Audi and will have to say they are more expensive than they are good , premium audio for the today program ... not my wisest purchase, but the grills are cool .......

 

[Clare Newsome]

Also worth noting that B&O may have closed some of its own stores (unsurprising re wider retail situation), but is now working with distributors (including my company) in a range of countries to ensure that the B&O Play range is more widely available than it has been previously.

You'll start to see the B&O Play range - from headphones to speakers to TVs - in a range of retailers, both online and on the High Street. Those retailers will still need to meet certain standards, mind you....

With all the info provided in this thread so far, is it time to change its misleading, scaremongering title? :?

 

[Joshuamessenger]

I think they sound good in the v12 q7, no quibbles at all. I just feel a lot of B&O equipment it overpriced for it is, better equipment out there at lesser price

 

[kmlav]

I would leave the stereo off and listen to that sweet V12 !

 

[Joshuamessenger]

LoL the V12 engine is quiet nothing to listen to; I feel it sounds electric when it pulls off. Saying that for a diesel engine it remarkable

 

[kmlav]

The B&O in my A5 is not as posh as the one they put in the Q7, for my new A6 I could not quite stretch to the £6k they wanted for the B&O upgrade so went for the BOSE.

The annoying thing is it will only play 320kbps files.

 

[matthewpiano]

The trouble with £6k for a B&O upgrade on a car is that it just ends up being an extra £6k you lose at trade-in time.