[OT] sheds, the B&Q type

[Fred]

Hi,

Places like Wickes and B&Q are often called "sheds" in here and I always thought that it was a derogatory term but was never sure why they deserved it. Now I am not so sure. I saw a job advert for someone (I don't know who, they were hiding behind an agency) who wanted someone who had previously worked for a "large shed retailer". So I am wondering whether "large shed" is some retail jargon?

The opening paragraph of:

about "large shed retail outlets" in France. Are sheds only DIY stores or is it any large store? Why are they called sheds. The only reason I could think off is because they have four walls and a roof but doesn't every building?

TIA

[Dave Plowman (News)]

I'd say two reasons:-

A shed as a building usually lacks any architectural values - simply a basic structure to keep things dry. ;-)

Sheds can contain just about anything.

[Nightjar]

The job didn't involve selling sheds then?

Shed has long meant a structure with a large span roof, such as the train shed at many large railway stations. OTOH, it might simply be due to them resembling large agricultural buildings.

Colin Bignell

[The Medway Handyman]

Plus you couldn't call it a shop because the staff have little/no product knowledge.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Do you expect that in any self service outlet?

[NT]

the nature of the buildings they sell from

NT

[Halmyre]

There's usually someone older than the rest of the staff who knows more than they do but he tries to keep schtum because he's on minimum wage and buggrit if he's going to be the fount of all knowledge for the same pay as the button pushers on the tills.

-- Halmyre

[Fred]

Thanks, I hadn't thought of that.

I think it must be retail jargon for any shop with a large roof because another advert was talking about groceries, suggesting that supermarkets are also large shed retailers, and that it is not just DIY stores.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

But perhaps the most common shed is the common or garden garden variety. ;-)

And that has anything but a large span roof. I'd say that was more in the mind than an engine shed when using the term for a DIY store was conceived.

[Nightjar]

On the principle that it contains just about everything, but you can't find anything you want when you want it?

Colin Bignell

[The Medway Handyman]

No, thats why i would call the a shop.

[Halmyre]

Is that where the a team get their supplies?

"If you need a left-handed nadger grommet and don't who to turn to, maybe, just maybe, you can call the a shop"

-- Halmyre

-- Halmyre

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Sort of. I've always thought of shed being used as a derogatory term when referred to a DIY store.

[Alan Braggins]

Maybe it's not so much the span of the roof, as that the whole of the interior is (generally) one space going all the way up to the roof - single story, no interior walls, no flat ceiling below roof level. (Or where there are interior walls e.g. for an office in a corner, they are generally effectively a smaller building within the large one, not an integral part of the main construction.)

[Nightjar]

That is a fairly good description of a large span building :-)

Colin Bignell

[Alan Braggins]

The point is that it's _also_ a description of a "common or garden garden" shed even though that has what Dave described as "anything but a large span roof".

[John Rumm]

,

Nadger grommets in BA not not metric presumably ;-)

[John Rumm]

perhaps its also a place where men go to keep out the way of spouses and offspring ;-)