Results 1 to 15 of 15

Thread: Electrical Retail Shops - i understand why they arnt making any money

  1. #1
    I Love mike Brewer )o( Monkey's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2005
    Location
    Southampton
    Posts
    16,851
    Rides
    0

    Electrical Retail Shops - i understand why they arnt making any money

    This weekend i moved, and i needed to buy a Fridge freezer for the new place, as the rental i moved from had a build in.

    as i wanted it Saturday i arranged a friend with a large van to meet me at the biggest Electrical retail shop in Southampton. Curry's at Hedge End.

    i knew i would be paying a premium for buying in a shop who had stock, and i was willing to pay that, as i didnt think to order earlier.

    walked in to their vast array of White Goods, myself and my G/F found the one we liked and hailed a sales assistant and this is the conversation:

    Me: i would like to buy this fridge, do you have it in stock?
    SA: No, (didnt even look at a computer)
    Me: can you find out which store does have in it stock?
    SA: no, well non of them
    Me: is it a special item? which fridges do you hve in stock?
    SA: no, we just dont have stock, we have that Beko in stock (pointing to a fridge freezer that was about half the size)
    Me: ok, when can you deliver?
    SA: Tomorrow, maybe
    Me: ok can we arrage that?
    SA: yep, it'll be £22 for delivery.........
    Me: wait, what?!? £22 for delivery? when can i have free delivery?
    SA: 3 weeks
    Me: *laughing* really? Can you deliver to store, and i'll pick up from there?
    SA: No we cant do that
    Me: so because you (as a company) decide NOT to carry any stock, your going to peanilse me for that? your having a laugh.
    SA: thats how it is, do you want me to process the order
    Me: no

    and i walked off, i had a similar conversation in Comet. White goods are considered as a distress purchase, there are really only 2 times people buy white goods,

    1, when theirs have broke
    2, when they move

    the third reason is not all that comon

    3, when they upgrade/refit their kitchen.

    i know i should have ordered it ages ago for delivery on Saturday or the following Monday. but i wasnt expecting to find that these shops carried no stock except for the cheapest ones.

    so i ordered from the internet, Tesco's Direct came up the cheapest.

    £70 off on the ticket price, Free Delivery on Indesit white goods, so theres a £92 saving. and then a voucher for £25 off when spending over £75 on large white good.

    so a total of £117 saving, delivery will be Thursday, i can wait till then for £117 saving. but i was willing to pay more, it was just their delivery charge put me off the sale, because they wont hold stock any more.

    when i was in the Electrical Retail business, we always carried stock of most of our stuff, if we had no stock the customer had 3 choices, but we would charge for delivery if we had it in stock and they wanted it delivered.

    1, get it delivered to the shop for free and they can pick it up
    2, get it delivered to your home for a fee
    3, go else where to buy it

    i do not understand how they think its a good business model.

  2. #2
    Guest Si's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Zanussi service centre
    Posts
    39,282
    Rides
    0
    Because by the time you're in the door and are asking about a certain model, for a large percentage of people, the sale has already been made.

    Storage space is at a premium, especially in city centres, you can't afford to keep stocks of every model in the range in a city centre store.
    Free delivery is a 'we'll fit it on the lorry when there's room' delivery.

  3. #3
    Member alanjuggler's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
    Location
    manchester
    Posts
    9,970
    Rides
    0
    I go to a local independent - if they've got it in the showroom, they've got it in the back - pick up the same day, no faff.

    I've found most chain places tend to be shackled by bloody awful processes / systems intended to make someone's job easier rather than actually provide customer service.
    white '94 s13 200sx scrapped - mapped to 1.45bar. OS giken box, garrett GT2876R, 950cc injectors, ORC twin plate, nistune. 349bhp/325lbft @ 1.3bar CA18DET
    white '96 s13 180sx - type g with more kouki bits - RB25DET, GTR steel twin turbo conversion, RB26 crank & rods. 2.6L VVT twin turbo, SR20 OSG box, OSG STR twin plate clutch, Z32 ECU w/ nistune.

    current status: 180 a bit broken but to be repaired.

  4. #4
    I Love mike Brewer )o( Monkey's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2005
    Location
    Southampton
    Posts
    16,851
    Rides
    0
    Quote Originally Posted by Si View Post
    Because by the time you're in the door and are asking about a certain model, for a large percentage of people, the sale has already been made.

    Storage space is at a premium, especially in city centres, you can't afford to keep stocks of every model in the range in a city centre store.
    Free delivery is a 'we'll fit it on the lorry when there's room' delivery.

    the thing is, this is not in the City Centre, its an out of town retail park, and this Currys/PC world is the second largest shop on the park, only smaller to Sainsbury's.

    my point was, how can they charge me for delivery when there is no other option avaliable? as all they have done is raise the purchase price by £22

  5. #5
    I Love mike Brewer )o( Monkey's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2005
    Location
    Southampton
    Posts
    16,851
    Rides
    0
    Quote Originally Posted by alanjuggler View Post
    I go to a local independent - if they've got it in the showroom, they've got it in the back - pick up the same day, no faff.

    I've found most chain places tend to be shackled by bloody awful processes / systems intended to make someone's job easier rather than actually provide customer service.
    i agree, but all the Independants near me have gone. i used to work for one and he just closed the business to retire, as no one wanted to take it over - even for just the cost of the stock. sad times

  6. #6
    Flamethrower
    Join Date
    Jul 2002
    Location
    Eaton Bray
    Posts
    18,653
    Rides
    0
    I never understood why I couldn't have our fridge/freezer delivered to the store I had an estate car and could collect the thing

  7. #7
    Guest Si's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Zanussi service centre
    Posts
    39,282
    Rides
    0
    Quote Originally Posted by Monkey View Post
    the thing is, this is not in the City Centre, its an out of town retail park, and this Currys/PC world is the second largest shop on the park, only smaller to Sainsbury's.
    And space is cheap there as well, you think? Bearing in mind how hard most high street (and this includes OOT) retailers have it, if they can rationalise and still make returns, then it must work.
    my point was, how can they charge me for delivery when there is no other option avaliable? as all they have done is raise the purchase price by £22
    Because that's how business models work. Exhibit a: EasyJet.

  8. #8
    Guest Si's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Zanussi service centre
    Posts
    39,282
    Rides
    0
    Quote Originally Posted by Monkey View Post
    i agree, but all the Independants near me have gone. i used to work for one and he just closed the business to retire, as no one wanted to take it over - even for just the cost of the stock. sad times
    And why do you think that is? Because their business mdoel doesn't work as well as the larger chain retailers, perhaps? Hence they can't buy in the volume, can't get the prices, etc etc.

  9. #9
    Engine Builder Mark's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2002
    Location
    Bas Vegas
    Posts
    92,896
    Rides
    0
    Is this just a fridge thing then?

    When we got our Dishwasher, we went to Comet, see the one we wanted and then went to Currys where it was £50 more. They state their price is the cheapest or they will price match plus an extra 10% of the difference so that made it £5 cheaper than Comet

    They had it in stock and I took it with me
    Quote Originally Posted by silverzx View Post
    I like Mark, he seems fair.
    Quote Originally Posted by Slip_n_slide View Post
    Mark is right.

  10. #10
    Guest Jeff's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2002
    Location
    Breeeeeestol
    Posts
    11,399
    Rides
    0
    Quote Originally Posted by Monkey View Post
    my point was, how can they charge me for delivery when there is no other option avaliable? as all they have done is raise the purchase price by £22
    There was another option, you could wait 3 weeks I have a 2nd fridge and freezer in the garage, which would be handy if one conks out but I'd probably buy on-line anyway. I expect to get fecked about if I walk into Comet or Currys, so I don't if at all possible

    Quote Originally Posted by Mark View Post
    Is this just a fridge thing then?

    When we got our Dishwasher, we went to Comet, see the one we wanted and then went to Currys where it was £50 more. They state their price is the cheapest or they will price match plus an extra 10% of the difference so that made it £5 cheaper than Comet

    They had it in stock and I took it with me
    Going on Monkey's logic this is because they know you can do the washing up yourself in the sink, so you won't be desperate enough to pay £22 delivery

    They only charge delivery for tumble dryers when it's raining

  11. #11
    Guest Si's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Zanussi service centre
    Posts
    39,282
    Rides
    0
    Actually, hang on, I walked into Currys about 2 months ago and purchased a Hotpoint fridge freezer and took it home with me

  12. #12
    Flamethrower def's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2003
    Location
    White Hole
    Posts
    14,175
    Rides
    0
    Step one go to Comet and Currys.

    Step two price match at John Lewis with a larger warranty.

    Step Three place beer in it.

  13. #13
    Guest *alansx*'s Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    london
    Posts
    802
    Rides
    0
    Quote Originally Posted by def View Post
    Step one go to Comet and Currys.

    Step two price match at John Lewis with a larger warranty.

    Step Three place beer in it.
    ^^^^^^This

  14. #14
    I Love mike Brewer )o( Monkey's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2005
    Location
    Southampton
    Posts
    16,851
    Rides
    0
    Si,

    i'm not sure what your point is. but mine is:

    Shops are more expensive than the internet, as they have to have a premises, stock space etc, sale staff etc, thus their over heads are more and thus their products are more expensive. but you are paying for convienence of being able to have it that day. if they have to order it in, then its no different than buying online. unless they can offer you a service or a price that is unrivaled any where else.

    yes i am aware how much space costs, but why have shops like Curry's reduced their storage capacity? 5 years ago they would have had it in stock. what i wanted was not a special fridge, just an indesit one, its not an American one, it doesnt play music nor is it a custom colour.

    why cant they get it delivered ot store for free? why di i have to pay for delivery when thats the ONLY option avaliable to be unless i wait 3 weeks. who has the capacity to wait 3 weeks for delivery of a fridge? most people buy a fridge as its a distressed purchase. yes they have the option to buy elsewhere, thus meaning thats less sales for the shop.

    Yes i got it cheaper online, from Tesco Direct actually. yes i got free Delivery, and yes i have to want till Thursday. but even with Curry's and Comet to get a Thursday delivery it would still have been £22 and £10 delivery costs respectivly.

  15. #15
    Flamethrower def's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2003
    Location
    White Hole
    Posts
    14,175
    Rides
    0
    Si is saying space is money and they have a business model that supports that.

    Most things you see on the shop floor at Currys or Comet are the actual stock. They dont have stock rooms for the larger goods. others deal direct with the supplier so they will only send a Hotpoint fridge when you buy it. It isnt delivered or installed by Currys or comet it is delivered and installed by Hotpoint.

    John Lewis however have collection points which are mini warehouses.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •