B&Q website

Is it really a list of things that they sell in store, or just things that you can order from the web page?

tim

Do you knock 10% off for over 65s on a Wednesday:-)?

AFAIK the former. They have other instore things listed, like service valves & blanking plugs.

Yes. Closely followed by Homebase.

The "trick" with the B&Q website I found, is that you have to search for exactly the description they use on the label. Otherwise it's a total waste of time.

The other day someone was asking in here about hex drill bits to fit drill drivers. A common enough request you might think.

In fact B&Q don't call these hex bits or mention the word "hex" anywhere in their description. They call them "quick change drill bits".

But if you don't know that's what they call them to start with, then you're sunk. Which sort of defeats the object of the website.

You sometimes get the idea that the B&Q website has been hacked by one of their competitors - or designed by the MD's 14 year son - and nobody has noticed.

The only way you'll ever discover everything they sell in B&Q or Homebase IME is to wander around the stores with a pencil and paper. Or a very good memory. At least with Toolstation and Screwfix they send you a catalogue so that even if the web searches don't get any hits a look in the catalogue might give an idea what to search for.

How the likes of B&Q ever manage to stay in business is a miracle to me.

michael adams

...

They're not scary to Joe Public, the way trade counters are.

Is that really the best way to do it?

As a customer - I would prefer to have the trade discount passed on to me (in fact you should draw attention to it every time you do it) - and then know that everything else I'm paying is for your time and services - no hidden vague additions to the total.

As a trader - you just save yourself the hassle of marking up prices - simple time & miles based billing - nothing else.

I think so, yes.

Few business's work that way. Garages, domestic appliance repair men etc all mark up the parts they fit.

I do pre warn the customer by saying I may need to use certain things to do the job & give a rough figure.

I actually charge out at slightly less than B&Q/Homebase, (I didn't mention that to keep the OP simple).

For example I might charge out 300mm flexibles at £4.99. B&Q/Homebase are around £7 - I will mention that to the customer, so they know I'm supplying at less than they would pay instore.

That would reduce my overall revenue by quite a lot over a year.

The other factor is that marking up covers the cost of consumables I don't charge for, but still have to buy; screws, wall plugs, rubble sacks, tap washers, earth sleeeving, PTFE tape, small quantities of silicone/Gripfill, J cloths etc. These things cost a surprising amount in the course of a year.

I recall reading that there is case law on the subject of hidden profit, where a judge ruled that something bought for a job should be sold on at the purchase price (plus VAT presumably, if relevant). If I have if correctly a labourer should only profit from his labour, not from supplying the materials used to do the job.

Didn't I read somewhere that B&Q own Screwfix and the guy that sold it to them is now trading as Toolstation?

As the MHM says, tell that to a garage ! They charge absolutely extortionate prices for oil, compared with what they pay for it.

I seldom get asked for itemised bills. However I do often get asked "will it be any cheaper if I buy the parts". Well the answer is no. I pay a lot less for my parts than a customer does. I then pass some of the saving onto the customer. I still charge a mark up but keep the prices below what a customer would have paid (when possible).

Yes, HTH

B&Q & SF are both owned by Kingfisher Group. AIUI the former SF guy is now TS which is owned or part owned by Travis Perkins who own Wickes.

That would prevent garages, tyre centres, exhaust centres & domestic appliance repairers from marking up parts as well.

Thanks for that. Guess there is still a spark or two left in the old grey cells.

I've just filled in the online survey on the B&Q website and told them in no uncertain terms that the search was s**te (I used Google shopping

• site:diy.com to find what I was lookng for).

And the cost of going to store to get them. That's cost in terms of mileage and time. One could of course charge them at cost and add a delivery charge to take them to site.

Then TMH would have to charge for 5% of a silicone cartridge, 13 screws, and so on. I think his policy of absorbing the bits and marking up the main items is the only realistic one.

Indeed maybe he should take a leaf out of the automotive business, and add a £1 charge for sundries, and a £1 environmental charge, the garages must make a nice little earner out of those "small" charges.