I went into our local builder's merchant to get a length of drainpipe at the weekend and walked straight back out again when I discovered they wanted £11 for a 2m length (and £5 for an outlet shoe). I bought the 2m of pipe from Homebase in the end for £5.
So how much discount do tradesmen get at builder's merchants? At those prices I would think it would have to be at least 60% for anyone to even bother using them.
Martin.
It varies widely according to product line (and the volume of business from that customer) but could be as high as 90% off list on some things.
Of course, builders' merchants offer other incentives, like free trade magazines eg Roofbodgers Quarterly, and a free baseball cap for every 20 manhole covers purchased in June.
Owain
Travis Perkins? These shower of s**te have different 'discounts' for different areas, the result is a bag of sand in the St Helens branch is £2.50 while in Warrington it is close to £4....and in B & Q it's £1.20
Most tradesmen use B&Q for a lot of things unless they have accounts at BM's, in which case it's about the same price as B&Q but usually less hassle parking etc.
I assume the £11 was the sticker (list) price, actual price is always negotiable at the counter, Trade account or not. Hint a Screwfix catalogue is a handy price reference haggle guide.
-
I went to buy a saw in Travis Perkins (it was near, I needed it quickly). When I went to pay, I must have reeled backwards at the price, not with a view of bargining but just with genuine surprise. Anyway, seeing my reaction, the price instantly got halved.
OTOH, Jewsons wanted £3 for a bag of sand which cost 99p at Wickes. Again, I was there and needed it. There was no bartering to be had. I did buy it, but I've never bought anything from them since.
All the tradesman that I know go to those yards for the credit they get, and sometimes the choice, but not the price. I do get tradesman discount from all the local yards, and even with those they are never competitive compared to what you can find with minimal effort. Any I also compared the prices that I was given with those given to tradesman friends who buy in much larger volume. ...and guess what, just as uncompetitive...
One reason the yards get away with it is because you never know the price you pay until you are already in the queue with a few people behind you waiting. Not the best time for haggling...
That's my experience anyway.
Ha, Don't know that the prices are any cheaper. Cement is probably 50p a bag cheaper from Focus than my local builders merchant and I am getting a beter deal than most from them. The only thing that is probably cheaper is sawn timber which the sheds don't stock in any larger sections or length's. Gutters and down pipes I have negotiated
60% in quantity but just makes a mockery of the list price.Legin
It varies between products. The discount is anywhere up to 50% but normally around 30%. They make extra profit from retail which claws back some of the discount they give to the trade. Even the sheds (B&Q, Wickes etc) are in on the racket. An item my company sells to B&Q for =A30.58 ends up at =A34.50 on their shelves. Ask the price at the Builders Merchants before buying and tell them to get stuffed if it is too high. Dont worry about offending them. They are used to it and have hides like a Rhinoceros.
Yep have a requirement at the moment for a hot water cylinder £125 best price "won't find cheaper guv" from local plumbing dept of large merchants, £94 quid from Screwfix!...
Plumbers Merchant probably paid around =A350 -=A360 for it. Whenever I am waiting at a Plumbers/Builders Merchants Trade Counter to see the buyer, my toes curl when I see what they are charging Retail Customers. I used to sell a Manual Shower Mixing Valve, (Chinese, but never had one back), for =A319. Most Merchants sold it at around =A360 - =A380.
|> >
|>
|> Yep have a requirement at the moment for a hot water cylinder ?125 best |> price "won't find cheaper guv" from local plumbing dept of large |> merchants, ?94 quid from Screwfix!... |> -- |> Tony Sayer | | |Plumbers Merchant probably paid around ?50 -?60 for it. Whenever I am |waiting at a Plumbers/Builders Merchants Trade Counter to see the |buyer, my toes curl when I see what they are charging Retail Customers. |I used to sell a Manual Shower Mixing Valve, (Chinese, but never had |one back), for ?19. Most Merchants sold it at around ?60 - ?80.
Ah Yes, but you can get almost anything (plumbing), in small quantities, from a plumbers merchant over the counter, complete with advice on how to use it. The Sheds will just sell you a very restricted selection at a slightly lower mark up.
Swings and Roundabouts!
My local plumbers merchant is cheaper the B&Q etc for everything I have bought. Radiator spanner ? 1 british pound please mate. B&Q would charge a few quid for such a thing. However, for baths, taps, basins etc, merchants seem to have some poor quality stuff at a low price, the other stuff is very expensive. In general, it seems like the comsumables are cheap, other stuff not so. Simon.
No, Ridgeons in Cambridge. 15 years ago I didn't think their prices were too bad, memory says they had comparable prices to the likes of B&Q but with a better selection.
Then they discovered the DIY market, started staying open on Saturday afternoons and bumped the prices up.
Martin.
I've never seen a japanese hornet wasp, but I've been stung badly by Travis Perkins. NEVER again!!
A few years ago when we were doing a lot of work here, I went to our local builder's merchant three times in a week to buy sand (among other things) and was charged a different price for the sand each time.
Jonathan
Did you not know? Sand is silicon dioxide which is mined, and is traded on commodity markets, so the price you pay is tied to the spot price on the commodity markets on the day? :-)
I have the same issue when sellign scrap metal to scrap dealers, teh price they pay me is tied ot the spot prices on the London Metal Exchaneg in London..
Its the same with buying currency through a foriegn exchange......
Discounts depend a lot on who you are and on your purchasing power. Many years ago I was sent to make an unusual across the counter purchase of some electric equipment for a LA, normally these things are done through a requisition order and therefore you never see the cost. On this occasion I did and the discount on the retail price was 80% that is some mark up for Joe Public, and I am sure the distributor still made a profit on the transaction.
Richard
Funnily enough, I'm interested in know who the major distributors are for satellite and TV gear, I already know about Solutions group and Vanjak.
S.
Agreed. Forty plus years ago many "trade" counters would not serve the general public at all. I worked for the CEGB and my site purchasing department would, on request, give you a "trade note" that said something like "Supply goods as requested for cash payment". The discount on their "book" price was typically 35%. But their book price was usually better than the sheds of the day too. More recently a mate of mine had a Radiospares account for his business. IIRC his discount was also 35% on their catalogue price.
I considered RS to be expensive in the first place but for a business prompt next days delivery can be very important.
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.