OT:Why shops continue to die ...

After being snowed in for the week, decided to go for a spin with the Mrs. We didn't feel like going (again) to a shopping centre, so decided to visit a massive Garden Centre, which happens to have a massive Hobbycraft in it. We agreed before we went that it was just to get out of the house (and use someone elses heating ;) ) but while we were there, there were a couple of things we might try and get ...

1) pair of size 11 wellies for sprog 2) pair of fingerless gloves for me (so I can hold a ciggy) 3) a pack of chain loops for hanging coats (modern fabric ones ripping in weeks) 4) a tagging gun for quick temporary clothes repairs 5) another caged birdseed feeder.

1) Only wellies they sold were designer neoprene (although they had handles for pulling then on) £59.99

2) No fingerless gloves (we asked) 3) Hobbycraft don't stock (we asked, had to find the manageress). Despite having 2 entire aisles devoted to buttons & fasteners 4) Manageress looked triumphant when we asked: "Yes, we have those" she said, taking us to the next aisle to look at an empty space. "Oh dear, she said, we're out of stock. You can come back next week." 5) In stock at £18. As SWMBO recalled we could get them for £8 at Wilkinson.

On the plus side, we had a nice run on the motorway, and saw a rainbow.

Today, in 5 minutes on Amazon:

1) Boots - we got 'em £9.00 for a plain size 11 2) Gloves - we got 'em £3.00 3) Coat hanging loops - we got 'em £5.00 for 2 packs of 3 4) Tagging gun - no problem (and cheaper than Hobbycraft). Decided not to buy after reading reviews ... 5) We're in no rush, so might have a look next time we're near Wilkinsons.

So there you have it. It's not hard to see where things are going.

Reply to
Jethro_uk
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WHat did you expect from a "Garden Centre" and Hobbycraft? You know any garden centre that has pine furniture world, maidenhair aquatics and hobbycrime, etc., ... are out to rip you off.

MBQ

Reply to
Man at B&Q

Maybe true to a certain extent. But notice: we *didn't* want to venture to our nearest shopping centre.

As an aside, I wonder if anyone has done an *serious* research to see if Amazons technique of showing you related items, and items "people who bought this also bought" actually leads to any impulse buys, in the same way end-of-aisle and highlighted offers are supposed to in physical shops ?

Reply to
Jethro_uk

Shudda gone to the pound store! :-)

Reply to
harry

On Monday 28 January 2013 16:09 Jethro_uk wrote in uk.d-i-y:

Clarks shoes just lost a sale...

Went on Clarks.co.uk and found some black shoes I wanted. Had them before so knew they would fit.

Went through the ordering process:

1) Collect from store? Yes! I can nip into Tunbridge Wells branch on Tuesday (tomorrow). Oh - Tunbridge Wells is not a participating store for collections. The nearest is Maidstone (WTF!!??). 2) Delivery. OK - I'll pay extra for next day... Oh, there is no "Next day" option. I can have them maybe Friday. Friday is too late. I want them on Wednesday.

Dickheads.

So I went on Google and fond cloggs.co.uk who did a nice line in Doc Martens (which I also know will fit and will outlast the Clarks by years IME). £2.95 for the Next Day option - expecting them tomorrow...

There is no reason on god green earth why Clarks could not offer that level of efficiency *and* a colect from store.

On the plus side, Marks and Spencer did actually have the bits I wanted in stock and they will be in Covent Garden branch (on the way to work) tomorrow.

Reply to
Tim Watts

Might just be able to do it if they sold the left and right boots separately ;-)

Reply to
Andrew Gabriel

On Monday 28 January 2013 17:00 Andrew Gabriel wrote in uk.d-i-y:

Didn't Woolworths have a phase like that pre-70's or something?

Reply to
Tim Watts

At least you found out *without* rocking up at the store. I wouldn't condemn the actual chains, but the nearest Debenhams and M&S to me might be a little rocky. Lost count of the times I've found what I wanted, but not in my/SWMBO size, gone to counter to be told "we're a smaller branch, have you tried the city centre ?".

Well, actually, no, I haven't. And if *you* can't stock it, rather than going to the City, I'd just go elsewhere - even it it means ordering off your website.

To be honest, for family Jethro, physically going to the shops is completely a matter of discretion, rather than necessity. Which (of course) means we are far choosier and fussier.

The plus side is local museums and art galleries have become very attractive.

Reply to
Jethro_uk

Plus - You didn't have crap "music" played at you.

Another Dave

Reply to
Another Dave

In John Lewis the other day - the alarm on their computer goods keeps going off. And the pitch that is at plays merry hell with my tinnitus. I did make a complaint and got a "well we didn't have anyone free to turn it off but we always turn it off as soon as possible..."

Reply to
polygonum

In message , Another Dave writes

I often wonder who chooses it. If I want to be screamed at by a woman I can achieve that without leaving the house.

Reply to
Bill

They need to put the investment in to their systems. Comet found out what happens when you don't. Some companies will survive the Internet age, others won't.

Reply to
Andrew Gabriel

And a lot of the issue is business rates. OK so the gov says that the amount councils can keep will go up soon, but the problem is that its far too high for a small shop with a ever lessening client group because of the Internet. Back in the 70s there were a lot of specialist stores for most everything. Lets take hi fi for a moment, these shops are now quite rare as people went to them, got a cup of tea, listened to lots of stuff, then went down the road to a box shifter warehouse and bought the stuff for a a third less. The same thing is happening now on the Internet. However what happens when the place to go to fondle your prospective purchases is no more? The internet pictures are all fine and good but do not show the build quality, or if some subtle facility is not there. Brian

Reply to
Brian Gaff

Funny you should say that. I had to leave BHS earlier today because the mind numbing Beyonce style racket was doing my head in. How do the staff cope? I would think it constitutes torture

Reply to
stuart noble

The original company are still going in America:-

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chains have an in-house radio studio, and use a satellite feed to the shops. They may use an automatic playlist generator to schedule a semi-random sequence of songs from whatever's in the library, not forgetting the obligatory adverts every few minutes. Yes, Poundland and Welcome Break, I'm talking about *you*. :-/

Reply to
John Williamson

snip

A lot of places are already dead, my town centre consists of a few clothes shops, a few banks & building societies and the rest are either boarded up, fast food outlets or pound shops, coupled with your arguments are the fact that it costs £3.50 to park the car and a couple of quid in petrol to get there and back....my local council has just had the brainwave to alow free parking after 3pm, this is fine, but they are 20 years too late AFAIC as it was this long ago that I last shopped there - I use out of town retail parks and the internet like everyone else under 80

Reply to
Phil L

Reply to
The Natural Philosopher

Even if not impulse buys, it can certainly help find alternative items and related items more easily.

Reply to
John Rumm

Brings to mind an old Goodies sketch where a one legged man is seen pilfering from the single shoe rack on display outside a shoe shop ;-)

Reply to
John Rumm

Makes you wonder if there will come a time for a meta shop with large collection of display stock, and well trained sales people in a variety of specialisms, but no actual stock, and no back end fulfilment belonging to the shop either.

You go, view, try out, select etc, and then the staff simply place your order for you online - perhaps allowing extra flexibility like payment in cash. They get a commission on sales and perhaps get to make a display fee from the actual vendor for slower moving display items, but no stock to hold, other than display items that remain the property of the actual sellers, and practically all the floor space can be used for sales rather than needing lots for storage. Punters would get the shopping experience, but still pay online prices.

Reply to
John Rumm

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