B&Q to close ~60 stores

[Chris Hogg]

[michael adams]

" But it plans to open 60 new outlets under its Screwfix brand."

Indeed. When they charge astronomical prices for screws and fixings of all sorts, electrics, plumbing and god knows what else, as compared with their own widely advertised Screwfix brand, and run a s**te website to boot what else did they expect ?

michael adams

...

[spuorgelgoog]

"it said it was in discussions with several retailers about sub-letting opportunities."

Probably concessions for fitted wardrobes and the like.

Owain

[spuorgelgoog]

Perhaps they could have a new format self-service Screwfix, where you wander round the warehouse and pick your own order, instead of staff doing it for you.

Owain

[charles]

The safety elf wouldn't like that.

[Andy Burns]

Nor the shrinkage elf.

[Tim Watts]

I was passing today - wanted to have a look at this:

Of course they didn't have one.

Had a look around - nothing else I wanted to buy either out of a list of half a dozen items - except the plywood - for some reason, they sell

18mm ply with quite a nice face to it - and their in store sawmill is handy, when it works...

[whisky-dave]

Maybe amazon could take some on as a delivery points.

[michael adams]

?9.99 cheaper than in Screwfix and despite all appearences ( to my jaundiced eye anyway, tubular legs, plastic top etc ) it got sparkling reviews as well.

With the plywood its probably more luck than anything else. When you go in there again in 6 months time it probably won't be on sale as its probably not sold as matching any particaulr specification just generic Far Eastern Hardwood Plywood. There are various letter grades AA AB maybe down to D etc which cover both the face veneers and the gaps between the inside veneers but you'd probably be wasting your time looking for those in B&Q. Although quite what "untreated" means I don't know. As waterproof plywood is waterproof on account of the glue they use to bond the veneers. While their untreated ply is still claimed to be "weatherproof" whatever that's supposed to mean.

Whereas I can guarentee that the s**te hardwood ply they sell in Wickes is anything but weatherproof. Almost any sort of weather will do.

I should have known better and stuck to rummaging in skips where the quality is invariably better.

michael adams

...

[Tim Watts]

Yes.

For some reason B&Q seem to sell some quite nice "exterior" ply with a really good face (both faces in fact). They sell some crap too and store all of it really badly so it sits on the self with a permanent bend.

I've odd sheets from wood merchants and have had some right crap - mostly because I don't get to choose.

Interesting.

:)

[Brian Gaff]

Besides, I doubt anyone remembers the original Block and Quailed brand after all this time. Brian

[Bob Eager]

I do. SWMBO worked for them for a year when they started their first six stores (other than the first).