OTish: End of an era?
 

'Eulogy to RadioShack':

http://www.sbnation.com/2014/11/26/7...eulogy-stories

Can't help thinking Maplin's gone much the same way.

--
Cheers, Rob

OTish: End of an era?
 

"RJH" wrote in message
...
'Eulogy to RadioShack':

http://www.sbnation.com/2014/11/26/7...eulogy-stories

Can't help thinking Maplin's gone much the same way.

--


Maplin's problem is price - 44p for a resistor that cost
them perhaps 2-3p?

Do also remember that Radio Shack is a franchise operation
just as its UK arm, Tandy, was here.


--
Woody

harrogate three at ntlworld dot com

OTish: End of an era?
 

Yes I think most component shops of any size suffer from the making ends
meet problem these days due to ridiculous business rates etc.
Maplin leads are ridiculously expencive as I found this week. OK I needed
some high quality leads that have to last, but one 6 way five mtr 56 way 13
amp socket bar, two each 3.5mm plug stereo to phono plug and phono male/
female adaptors set our charity back 48 quid. The charity wanted to see
the items otherwise over the web it would have cost less than half that.
Brian

--
From the Sofa of Brian Gaff Reply address is active
"Woody" wrote in message
...
"RJH" wrote in message
...
'Eulogy to RadioShack':

http://www.sbnation.com/2014/11/26/7...eulogy-stories

Can't help thinking Maplin's gone much the same way.

--


Maplin's problem is price - 44p for a resistor that cost them perhaps
2-3p?

Do also remember that Radio Shack is a franchise operation just as its UK
arm, Tandy, was here.


--
Woody

harrogate three at ntlworld dot com

OTish: End of an era?
 

On 27/11/2014 07:55, Woody wrote:
"RJH" wrote in message
...
'Eulogy to RadioShack':

http://www.sbnation.com/2014/11/26/7...eulogy-stories

Can't help thinking Maplin's gone much the same way.

--


Maplin's problem is price - 44p for a resistor that cost
them perhaps 2-3p?

What the resistor costs them to buy is irrelevant, een if the resistor
costs them a fraction of a penny. What they offer is the convenience of
being able to drop in to the store and pick one up, rather than wait up
to a week for one to be delivered. It also costs them *at least* 20p in
wages to handle the order, assuming they pay the legal minimum wage, and
their overheads are *much* higher than somebody with a few racks of
shelving in a warehouse in an industrial estate somewhere.

Not only that, you can go in to Maplin and buy and pay for a single
item, as there is no minimum order and no delivery charge, whereas most
of the online suppliers either have a minimum order or charge a few
pounds for delivery.

On the other hand, if you can do what Maplin do more cheaply, go for it.
They need the competition. ;-)

--
Tciao for Now!

John.

OTish: End of an era?
 

In article ,
John Williamson wrote:
What the resistor costs them to buy is irrelevant, een if the resistor
costs them a fraction of a penny. What they offer is the convenience of
being able to drop in to the store and pick one up, rather than wait up
to a week for one to be delivered. It also costs them *at least* 20p in
wages to handle the order, assuming they pay the legal minimum wage, and
their overheads are *much* higher than somebody with a few racks of
shelving in a warehouse in an industrial estate somewhere.

Not only that, you can go in to Maplin and buy and pay for a single
item, as there is no minimum order and no delivery charge, whereas most
of the online suppliers either have a minimum order or charge a few
pounds for delivery.

That would be fine if every shop stocked the full range of resistors. But
they don't. And their online price is the same.

They seem to be simply clearing out existing stocks of such things -
without clearance prices.

I used to buy a lot from Maplin. Enjoyed the trip to my local shop and
having a browse. Not any more. They decided they could make more money by
changing their direction. But then so many others sell what they went into
- and often at better prices.

--
*Those who live by the sword get shot by those who don't*

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

OTish: End of an era?
 

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in
message ...
In article ,
John Williamson wrote:
What the resistor costs them to buy is irrelevant, een if
the resistor
costs them a fraction of a penny. What they offer is the
convenience of
being able to drop in to the store and pick one up,
rather than wait up
to a week for one to be delivered. It also costs them *at
least* 20p in
wages to handle the order, assuming they pay the legal
minimum wage, and
their overheads are *much* higher than somebody with a
few racks of
shelving in a warehouse in an industrial estate
somewhere.

Not only that, you can go in to Maplin and buy and pay
for a single
item, as there is no minimum order and no delivery
charge, whereas most
of the online suppliers either have a minimum order or
charge a few
pounds for delivery.

That would be fine if every shop stocked the full range of
resistors. But
they don't. And their online price is the same.

They seem to be simply clearing out existing stocks of
such things -
without clearance prices.

I used to buy a lot from Maplin. Enjoyed the trip to my
local shop and
having a browse. Not any more. They decided they could
make more money by
changing their direction. But then so many others sell
what they went into
- and often at better prices.

--

+1


--
Woody

harrogate three at ntlworld dot com

OTish: End of an era?
 

I used to buy a lot from Maplin. Enjoyed the trip to my local shop and
having a browse. Not any more. They decided they could make more money
by changing their direction. But then so many others sell what they went
into - and often at better prices.

There are no Maplin or equivalent shops near me. So all my orders are via
post/phone/etc.

The main reason I switched from Maplin to CPC some years ago was simple.

Maplin never told me when a new catalogue was available, and when I found
out I had to pay for one.

CPC used to send me a free catalogue without prompting.

This has now deteriorated a bit as I have to notice that the new catalogue
is out and ask for it. Still free though.

Shame as Maplin did have a better range for some items.

Jim

--
Please use the address on the audiomisc page if you wish to email me.
Electronics http://www.st-and.ac.uk/~www_pa/Scot...o/electron.htm
Armstrong Audio http://www.audiomisc.co.uk/Armstrong/armstrong.html
Audio Misc http://www.audiomisc.co.uk/index.html

OTish: End of an era?
 

On Thursday, November 27, 2014 9:11:17 AM UTC, Brian Gaff wrote:
56 way 13 amp socket bar

Yes, they are expensive :-)

Owain

OTish: End of an era?
 

On 27/11/2014 07:55, Woody wrote: "RJH" wrote in
message
...
'Eulogy to RadioShack':

http://www.sbnation.com/2014/11/26/7...eulogy-stories

Can't help thinking Maplin's gone much the same way.

--


Maplin's problem is price - 44p for a resistor that cost
them perhaps 2-3p?


I don't think that's the main problem - but price is obviously part of
it. The main issue is the tat they sell, and the other tat they should
but don't but should as part of their 'high street advantage'.

In fairness, they will order to the stop (FOC) anything from their
catalogue. I recently bought something for £3. Took 2 working days to
get to the shop, delivered 150 miles by tracked Yodel. I could have
bought it for £2.20 (ex-delivery) from Toolstation but thought I'd give
this a go. And had I bothered I could have price matched.

That experience and a bit of reading prompted the post.


Do also remember that Radio Shack is a franchise operation
just as its UK arm, Tandy, was here.


Well, I know, but it seems to be from those anecdotes a stupidly
centralised franchise. 'Labour of love' must surely be the key motivator
for buying in. That and the capital base seems to be what's kept it
afloat. And probably some idiot of a mate consultant.

And a lot of those anecdotes rang true from my experiences of Maplin.
High street/high value shops selling mounds of poorly chosen overpriced
stock in large displays, no customers, plenty of staff.

The main thing they had going for them was niche products that captured
knock-on (solder leads to a soldering iron while you're in there) and
associate (family-friends etc) business, locally.

I see they've just sold - again - to an equity company. Price of
everything/value of nothing.


--
Cheers, Rob

OTish: End of an era?
 

On 27/11/2014 07:55, Woody wrote:
"RJH" wrote in message
...
'Eulogy to RadioShack':

http://www.sbnation.com/2014/11/26/7...eulogy-stories

Can't help thinking Maplin's gone much the same way.

--


Maplin's problem is price - 44p for a resistor that cost
them perhaps 2-3p?


I don't think that's the main problem - but price is obviously part of
it. The main issue is the tat they sell, and the other tat they should
but don't but should as part of their 'high street advantage'.

In fairness, they will order to the stop (FOC) anything from their
catalogue. I recently bought something for £3. Took 2 working days to
get to the shop, delivered 150 miles by tracked Yodel. I could have
bought it for £2.20 (ex-delivery) from Toolstation but thought I'd give
this a go. And had I bothered I could have price matched.

That experience and a bit of reading prompted the post.


Do also remember that Radio Shack is a franchise operation
just as its UK arm, Tandy, was here.


Well, I know, but it seems to be from those anecdotes a stupidly
centralised franchise. 'Labour of love' must surely be the key motivator
for buying in. That and the capital base seems to be what's kept it
afloat. And probably some idiot of a mate consultant.

And a lot of those anecdotes rang true from my experiences of Maplin.
High street/high value shops selling mounds of poorly chosen overpriced
stock in large displays, no customers, plenty of staff.

The main thing they had going for them was niche products that captured
knock-on (solder leads to a soldering iron while you're in there) and
associate (family-friends etc) business, locally.

I see they've just sold - again - to an equity company. Price of
everything/value of nothing.


--
Cheers, Rob