B&Q

[The Medway Handyman]

B&Q will make its debut in the furniture market. £18m investment will take the retailer head to head with the likes of Argos and Ikea.

[Dave]

Dave

[Roberts]

It will probably be from MFIs old suppliers. You know three pieces where you are supposed to have one and one where you are supposed to have three. Ah bitter memories! Alan

[Tim S]

Dave coughed up some electrons that declared:

I view that as a big mistake. Unless B&Q expand their floor area (unlikley, they had to shrink T Wells branch couple of years back, by about 30%) all this will do is loose their core range (actually I find them quite useful for proper materials these days) and waste space trying to become like Homebase.

You don't see Ikea selling power tools to put up their shelves - they have a plan and they stick with it.

As for Argos - no-one is going to be able to compete with them. Index was established and just s good IMO, but they died.

They'll go the way of Woolworths by loosing their clue and leave Screwfix selling the tools. Unless that's the plan. But there aren't really enough Screwfix branches to fill the void.

Someone's been on the crack again. Seems to be a common British Managment problem.

Tim

[Rod]

Mind in High Wycombe B&Q increased their floor area by, I'd guess, around 80% a year or two back. Added a mezzanine, which is now mostly lighting and kitchen displays.

[Tim S]

Rod coughed up some electrons that declared:

The problem here is possibly that there's a Homebase, B&Q and Wickes virtually in a line down 1/2 mile of road, a Jewsons behind Homebase and a Travis Perkins down the road just past the Screwfix depot.

Plus uncountable tile shops (though after a new one opened right next to Topps, another opposite went splat), a proper trade tool outlet, a mega Argos, "Next" for the missus and a MacDonalds to boost your energy trailing round that lot. Oh and of course a Halfords and an Allied Carpets, next to the dead MFI place, with Comet, Curries and PC World next to each other.

It's a great place to go for and none of the parking hassles of T Wells central, but I do wonder how they all keep going...

And yet, going south, bugger all in the wilderness that lies betwixt T Wells and Hastings. In fact Robertsbridge is pretty central between the two in the middle of this wilderness, and has a big derelict site just off teh A21. I vote for Toolstation to open up there!

[Rod]

Know what you mean! We've got two Homebases, two Jewsons, two Argoses (or is that Argosi?), two Halfords, two Carphone Warehouses, two Three shops, two Tescos (not counting the little ones), and many other duplications. As well as multiples within groups like Build Center/Plumb Center, TP & Wickes. It isn't *that* big a town.

(But we do have some goodies like Axminster.)

[Richard Savage]

Don't forget Curd Brothers for real help with electrical problems in cars, A1 electrical for ditto for houses. SE Tyres for excellent prices on tyres - Ian Burrell is a top bloke 'cos he remembers me even though I only go in once a year. Drakes next to Screwfix.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

My feeling is they'll be very foolish to try and take on Ikea. Argos is a different sort of operation.

[Frank Erskine]

On Thu, 28 May 2009 22:14:09 +0100, Tim S had this to say:

I think B&Q _are_ reducing their stocks of hardware in some of their stores. Let's face it, fewer people are tackling d-i-y jobs themselves (probably largely because of government meddling such as PartP). You do see a larger number of tradesmens' vehicles around the streets these days.

[S Viemeister]

And holes which should have been there, but weren't. Good thing we own a drill...

[Tim S]

Frank Erskine coughed up some electrons that declared:

Make me despair of this country.

But I'm not sure Part P is the root cause - does anyone really care?

I think that the balance has shifted in terms of work time. When I was a lad, it seemed to me that many local men were home in time for supper, whereas now, more and more people seem to be hauling long commutes to work, staying late and generally having less time. Wives are persuing careers so more money but even less time, with blokes being expected to share in the housework (oh the horror) instead of doing manly things with a power drill(!)

So everyone has a career but family units are less self sufficient.

Cheers

Tim

[Mark]

The credit crunch may help DIY a bit if people feel a bit poorer though.

BTW: Doesn't B&Q already sell furniture?

[Dave Liquorice]

Does the great unwashed actually know about Part P and many of the other meddling Building Regs?

Which is odd considering that the Working Time Directive should be limiting the vast majority of workers to an average 40hr week. Maybe these wage slaves are doing the overtime for nowt?

I think it's more down to a knock on effect of the current crop of parents not having parents that did much themselves. The general population really are now just "consumers". If something stops working or performing quite as it should you throw it away and buy a new one. See the tales of perfectly servicable things picked up at dumps that just need the manufactures recomended maintenance carried out or just a bit of TLC.

Possibly people are just to frightened to have a go, "I might break something". Whats the problem? It's not working now so if you do break it what have you lost? If you fix it you have gained and maybe even (shock horror) *learnt* something in the process.

[Man at B&Q]

Quite possible. Ours received a new mezzanine sales floor a few yeasr back, as did the local Homebase.

MBQ

[Man at B&Q]

B&Q would be far more convenient for many people. If they get it right, they could be on to a winner.

Do Ikea still force you to follow their route through the whole shop, pay at the end, then have to go collect the goods somewhere else, only to find they haven't actually got some of what you've just paid for? Put me off for life, and I don't rate their designs anyway.

MBQ

[Mike Clarke]

Well some of them will have heard so called experts in the media telling them that it's now "illegal" to do any electrical work yourself.

[Tim S]

Dave Liquorice coughed up some electrons that declared:

I must admit I don't really think a lot of notice is made of that.

In my last job, come crunch time, I was doing 60+h weeks for several weeks. No-one forced me (or they would have been told where to go) but it was pride and a sense of duty (by the same cut, I did recoupe some of that time later in some approved skives, but I know of people who would be expected to still do 9-6pm even after a massive crunch). People who whine "aren't team players" so people don't whine.

Also, companies keep moving around for no apaprantly good reason. The wife works locally. Being kicked upto London in a few months, for some reason I can't fathon - surely any sensible employer who is internet and phone based should be doing their damndest to escape the city to save costs?... I don't think the WTD covers the commute? or does it...

Schools don't help. One of mine built an excellent "den" at school in the woods, with some classmates (infants school, quite young). I got to see it one day - only to find warning tape around it, as some t*t obviously had a touch of the H&S.

Apparantly, I believe the tape may have fallen off some time later *cough*.

This sort of activity needs to be encouraged, not bolloxed up by fecking H&S. BTW, I checked the "den" and it was sound. Very well built in fact. I was proud. Never shown said kiddie how to do that.

Cheers Tim

[Tim S]

Mike Clarke coughed up some electrons that declared:

I must admit, I hav heard that from people. I put them straight though. My recourse, is to point out that you can build a whole house from ground to roof, subject to building control.

[Dave Liquorice]

I guess it depends on the sector you are working in, most ordinary jobs don't have "crunch times", it pretty much the same week in week out. Project based jobs still shouldn't have a crunch time if the project manager is doing his job properly. B-) Very few jobs *really* require to be done under 60 hr week conditions for an extended period of time.

This is where it falls down unfortunately. Trouble is being in a team that is dead on it's feet is counter productive but the suits working the M-F

9-5 with POETS don't realise that.

You would have thought so, if they are worried about not having a central London address or phone number there are simple and cheap ways around that.

I don't think it covers home to normal base but if you are working away from that normal base then it does. It's not simple as there are lots of different scenarios but excess travel time is "working time".

Quite agree, wrap kids up in cotton wool and they will never learn anything of real value. Yes, you take precautions but you also need to explain what those precautions are and why you are taking them. Kids are not daft, they have a brain just as capable (if not more so) of thought as your own. Feed them information, ask them questions, make 'em think about what they have experienced or what you have told them, get them make connections between apparently unrelated bits of information, get them observing what they see around them, what happens when such and such occurs and why that happened not some other event. Feed that brain... The biggest problem is keeping up with the little blighters!

Maybe I'm spoilt in having two very bright kids. But are they bright because from the moment they popped into the world we have been feeding their brains by talking to them as inteligent beings, answering their questions, providing plenty of books (fact and fiction), letting them learn from their own (minor) mistakes in relation to dangers such as "sharp", "hot", "cold", "slippy", "windy" and involving them in "doing things" where they can help. Not just sticking a dummy in their mouths and plonking then in front of the telly.