Not news ...

[Andy Burns]

Homebase and B&Q have the worst online shops

[alan_m]

Surprise, a failing company that changes ownership on a daily basis don't spend any money on their on-line software.

It's a Which? survey so take the results with a large pinch of salt!

[Jethro_uk]

I bet they spent a lot (hence their failing). It's just they spent it in the wrong place.

I never cease to marvel at companies (or official bodies) that are willing to splurge *millions* on developing their own - inevitably pisspoor - web offering, when a tenth of the money would have secured something FOSS and a team of experts to shape it into a decent tried/ tested web site.

[The Natural Philosopher]

I never cease to marvel at companies (or official bodies) that are willing to splurge *millions* on developing websites that simply do not fulfil their primary function. That of delivering a service to the customer. That actually works. The problem is that they are commissioned by 'marketing' not by 'operations'

Marketing is about how to make people want your products. Operations is about making sure they can actually buy it.

I have been using Homebase quite a bit lately. They are not bad. The website at least tells me which of the nearest stores has stock

[Theo]

I have to say I was astonished that Bunnings launched without a website that showed what they sold. I can understand that the Homebase website was creaking, but to at least show a catalogue of what they carried in-store, even if they didn't do online orders?

Do they not use websites in .au?

A basic function that the Bunnings site didn't do.

When a big chunk of your competition is SF and TS with all the usual click-and-collect stuff (and you cull all the soft-furnishings ranges who aren't covered by those) it's not terribly surprising it's going to go badly.

I think the Homebase site is now the creaking old site resurrected, but at least it exists.

Theo

[Jethro_uk]

This is a more subtle dimension to the introduction of online shopping to the real world ...

I wonder how many shopping centres or retail parks have suffered as a result of shoppers (like me ...) checking online before venturing out (a) what sort of stock is sold, and (b) whether they have it or not. Certainly chez nous, the days of going somewhere to browse the shops are a thing of the past.

[The Natural Philosopher]

What was more amusing was the wickes employee checking the public website to see what he had in stock at the store he was working in.

[Jethro_uk]

We like a nice cappuccino, so a milk thermometer is a handy tool. (Experience says to have a spare ...).

When our last one broke, I was pleasantly surprised to see that Currys/PC World sold them - at a decent price to. Having checked the stock of the branch next to the Sainsburys we were visiting, I was even more pleasantly surprised to see a few in stock.

Of course, on arrival, the assistant took 8 minutes "out back" to tell me that they hadn't any, but "had I tried the website ?".

I suspect we'll be hearing about C/PCW closing a few stores soon.

(In hindsight I should have ordered for click'n'collect, but part of me was curious as to whether they'd have these tiny items on a shelf somewhere. They didn't.)

[alan_m]

My local Homebase closed down recently and had a 25% off everything sale. This brought their prices in line with B&Q (at least for the items that I was looking for).

[newshound]

I regularly use click and collect at SF these days. Usually very efficient.

[Andy Burns]

Don't make the mistake of using paypal though, or you'll need a passport/photo driving licence in order to collect.

The local SF has changed to the toolstation model, instead of one person taking your order, then waiting for another person to appear from round the back with you item(s), the person who takes the order goes and grabs it from the racks which are no longer hidden from view ... seems a few (presumably less popular) items aren't on the racks.

[alan_m]

Its not just the customer facing IT. I've had poor customer experience with in-store employees having to sort out payment using their own point of sales software.

[John Rumm]

I bought a tool in Wickes once where I needed to refer to a link in uk.d-i-y to enable them to find it!

[alan_m]

I wouldn't bother with click an d collect with C/PCW. When the item doesn't turn up you will be told by the store staff that the on-line facility has nothing to do with the C/PCW physical stores and they have no way of knowing where your on-line order has gone. They will even suggest that you directly contact the third party delivery carrier - the one you, and they, have no knowledge of.

[Andy Burns]

Whenever I've used click'n'collect from Currys, it just involves a staff member leaving the service counter to grab an item from the shelves and stick it it a bag with my name/order number on it, ready for when I arrive a few minutes later ...

[Jethro_uk]

SF *and* TS (they are next door to each other near me :) )

I bought some roof patching roll during the summer, TS were nearly 50% cheaper than SF.

[Jethro_uk]

The problem is I was already working back from a position of simply not bothering at all with C/PCW anyway. Which is now re-entrenched.

Default mode for anything non-grocery now is Amazon, with eBay second, and then individual websites.

I ordered *2* milk frothing thermometers from eBay - including P&P - for the price of 1 if C/PCW had it in stock. I didn't mind waiting a few weeks for it to be shipped from middle earth.

[spuorgelgoog]

Not just my local one, then.

The worst has to be Maplins when closing down, when staff were using their phone calculators to work out the discounts.

Owain

[Dave Plowman (News)]

I recently bought a mouse from them - on their website, but not stocked by any local store.

Said would be delivered to my store of choice the next day, and I'd be informed by email when it arrived. Neither happened.

[Dave W]

I always use PayPal. The other day I ordered a £1.50 packet of shower curtain hooks and turned up with my photo bus-pass ready to show, but wasn't asked. Perhaps the value of the item determines whether they want to see your ID.