Screwfix about to go belly up?

[Dave Plowman (News)]

The robot breaks down each time it picks something? Then Screwfix are definitely fooked.

[Andy Hall]

True, although hopefully the robot doesn't break down that much.....

.andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

[MBQ]

From the Telegraph:

"But in Stoke-on-Trent a new B&Q warehouse has been unable to meet demand for products sold on its screwfix .com website because of a shortage of 100 employees.

The site, which sells tools and building equipment, has been suspended almost daily recently because it is unable to fill orders. Yesterday it reached capacity before 4pm.

"Recruitment has been harder than we thought and we have had to recruit more people than we expected," said a spokesman for B&Q parent Kingfisher. "But as the new staff join and are trained up we intend to restore the full service to our customers."

The web site has grown rapidly since launched several years ago and last year processed about £70m of orders."

MBQ

[chris French]

In message , MBQ writes

It is too much to expect journalists to get basic facts correct?

how do they expect people to believe what they write when they come out with crap like the above.

[:::Jerry::::]

And you believe the media even when they get their basic facts correct, how naive you are....

[Bob Mannix]

Which bit is crap exactly?

[chris French]

In message , Bob Mannix writes

It's not a B&Q Warehouse - a retail store, it's Screwfix's new warehouse/distribution centre they are referring to presumably .

The websites is not B&Q warehouses of course either.

This is just sloppy reporting, conflating B&Q with Screwfix as if they are the same company, Just because Kingfisher own them both.

[Bob Mannix]

I believe Screwfix operates as a subsiduary of B&Q.

see:

example. A warehouse is not (in general) a retail store. Hence it is a warehouse (and mail order ditribution centre) owned by a subsiduary of B&Q. A little journalistic licence, but hardly crap.

[Pete C]

Maybe they are trying to merge Screwfix with the mail order side of B&Q, and save by having products common to both sites.

cheers, Pete.

[Andy Hall]

I checked into this some while ago when the discussion about Bargain Bob's was going on and in fact there is a fairly complex structure of holding companies in the Kingfisher group.

I am pretty certain the Screwfix is not a direct or indirect subsidiary of B&Q, but I can check if it really matters.

.andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

[IMM]

Screwfix is aimed at the trade, although they welcome DIYers. B&Q is aimed at DIY, except that the newish B&Q Warehouses are aimed at the trade and welcome DIYers. One B&Q Warehouse employee said their direct competitor is Wickes and they aim to be always £1 cheaper. Can't say I've noticed them undercutting Wickes. And every Wickes place I see has builders vans outside which I can't say for B&Q Warehouses.

[chris French]

In message , Pete C writes

I doubt it, I think it was just sloppy journalism.

ISTM that the mailorder side of B&Q and Screwfix are targeting different market segments (though there is of course a crossover of customers who use both) - B&Q/diy.com the 'cosumer' end of the market, Screwfix the trade and more serious DIYer.

I guess that there is probably some joint buying maybe, if the operations are combined enough.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Screwfix have a vastly bigger range than B&Q - of the things they sell, as it were. And I'd guess people would get stroppy if the B&Q website showed things in stock the shops didn't have.

[chris French]

In message , "Dave Plowman (News)" writes

There are quite a few things on the B&Q site either not stocked in shops at all, or only in the larger stores.

[G&M]

They've succeeded here in Stockport. Wickes is nearly empty most of the time and the B&Q trade desk and dedicated entrance/exit is opening for longer hours.

[IMM]

I believe B&Q Warehouse do trade accounts. I don't know if they give extra discounts.

[Christian McArdle]

The Reading one always has loads of vans parked outside. My experience has been that they are cheaper than the local BMs for almost everything, even with a 20% discount. However, the BMs are more convenient for loading up. You just drive around the shop, park next to the concrete blocks and load up! With B&Q you have to use a trolley.

Christian.

[IMM]

The Crickwood B&Q W is near a Wickes and the Wickes always has more builders vans outside.

[Paul C. Dickie]

In article , chris French writes

Then Screwfux should have kept their old warehouse (or "fulfilment centre", though they don't care to say whose "fulfilment" is involved) going until they had completed the transition.

Do they *really* want to drive customers away, never to return?

[Paul C. Dickie]

In article , Owain writes

I'd no idea that Screwfux also ran a sweet shop... o-)