flyshooter Posted March 31, 2015 Report Share Posted March 31, 2015 Block and Quayle. Ours is closing down soon and being turned into another mahoosive Sainsburys. It's about a 2 minute walk to the nearby mahoosive Tesco. It's very close to the university so will no doubt have to start stocking up with the value brand beans, pot noodles and cheap alcohol. Rumour has it, it is to reopen at Tollgate along with a cinema etc. (plans submitted) Not all on the same site off coarse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keg Posted March 31, 2015 Report Share Posted March 31, 2015 I think you are right about structure, I saw this when i worked for Sony, failed to adapt. My late father in law was on the board at Asda when they merged with MFI in the 80s. He voted against it ( only one that did) was voted out but was proved right a year later... I don't agree with the comment of " in market terms once you stop expanding and/or show a dip in profits then the writing is on the wall" Yes, in certain cases it can mean trouble but the wider picture needs looking at first. Sadly, the city want a quick buck these days. Another friend of the family owned a building firm which he floated and his only complaint was the view from the city. He always made a good profit, paid a dividend to shareholders and employed many people but if he didn't build more houses year on year the city slated him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digger Posted March 31, 2015 Report Share Posted March 31, 2015 I only use them in an emergency after normal hours. Their heavy side prices are high to say the least. only time they are competitive is with a trade card on 25kg bags of aggregate or dust. timber is always bent as an mp and the prices they charge for ironmongery is daylight robbery. screwfix for consumables,local merchants for materials and power tools from the Web. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krugerandsmith Posted March 31, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 31, 2015 So your answer is for the Government to tell Kingfisher how to run their business because Governments are so good at running companies? Nothing to do with Governments and Kingfisher .... its about people losing their jobs ... A nations wealth is its people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krugerandsmith Posted March 31, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 31, 2015 B&Q and Screwfix have a very different view on staff requirement,i have noticed Screwfix employ some tidy looking counter staff (female) that said blokes are lookers as well, where as B&Q are very much aligned to the semi retired (that said they are like a ninja when you see them at the end of an isle, 6 paces to get up to them and gone) B&Q employ a lot of older people .... many ex trades men and women .... A lot of knowledge will be lost. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveyg Posted March 31, 2015 Report Share Posted March 31, 2015 B&q...Morrison's...tesco are all cutting their wage bill...they will not be the last Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunman Posted March 31, 2015 Report Share Posted March 31, 2015 We have 2 B&Q stores there original and a newer bigger store on opposite sides of the town .I suspect the smaller one will close which would be a shame as the staff are far more helpful and friendly . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paddy Galore! Posted March 31, 2015 Report Share Posted March 31, 2015 B&Q have been slowly cutting down over the last few years, firstly they reduced staff numbers and installed self service checkouts, my local store then halved the floor space and sold the rest off. it's a shame as I remember many moons ago they were really cheap for gear, I think there demise set in when they started their own brands and got into the whole "home design" malarkey, all of a sudden their prices started to creep up. Lawrence Llewellyn bowen has a lot to answer for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
islandgun Posted March 31, 2015 Report Share Posted March 31, 2015 B&Q have been slowly cutting down over the last few years, firstly they reduced staff numbers and installed self service checkouts, my local store then halved the floor space and sold the rest off. it's a shame as I remember many moons ago they were really cheap for gear, I think there demise set in when they started their own brands and got into the whole "home design" malarkey, all of a sudden their prices started to creep up. Lawrence Llewellyn bowen has a lot to answer for. lawrence lewellyn bowen has a lot to answer for full stop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pegasus bridge Posted March 31, 2015 Report Share Posted March 31, 2015 Problem with b and q is they mistakenly believed you could combine sky high prices with self service. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paddy Galore! Posted March 31, 2015 Report Share Posted March 31, 2015 lawrence lewellyn bowen has a lot to answer for full stop. crimes against fashion, hair, and masculinity for starters Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AVB Posted March 31, 2015 Report Share Posted March 31, 2015 I think you are right about structure, I saw this when i worked for Sony, failed to adapt. My late father in law was on the board at Asda when they merged with MFI in the 80s. He voted against it ( only one that did) was voted out but was proved right a year later... I don't agree with the comment of " in market terms once you stop expanding and/or show a dip in profits then the writing is on the wall" Yes, in certain cases it can mean trouble but the wider picture needs looking at first. Sadly, the city want a quick buck these days. Another friend of the family owned a building firm which he floated and his only complaint was the view from the city. He always made a good profit, paid a dividend to shareholders and employed many people but if he didn't build more houses year on year the city slated him. You are right to some extent but your friend was also chasing the quick buck by floating the company. He could have kept it in private ownership and then he would have been in control of his own destiny. When you sell your Soul to the devil.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Browning 425 clay hunter Posted March 31, 2015 Report Share Posted March 31, 2015 As someone who works for a small builders merchant the less B&Q's the better. I hope the people (if any) find work but the small family run business have really struggled to compete with the size and buying power of these huge company's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazooka Joe Posted March 31, 2015 Report Share Posted March 31, 2015 my local store then halved the floor space and sold the rest off. They done the same in China a couple of years ago, so have decided to do the same here then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
islandgun Posted March 31, 2015 Report Share Posted March 31, 2015 crimes against fashion, hair, and masculinity for starters crimes against humanity he should be lined up and shot, he makes Gengis Khan like look like a martyr, long cuffs bah Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AVB Posted March 31, 2015 Report Share Posted March 31, 2015 As someone who works for a small builders merchant the less B&Q's the better. I hope the people (if any) find work but the small family run business have really struggled to compete with the size and buying power of these huge company's. But if B&Q are ripping off the public by selling Screws with a 1,500% markup as some people claim then surely a smaller business could undercut them? The problem is that there is not enough margin in low price items and, as somebody else commented, for the higher price goods people tend nowadays buy online. It's the Internet that is killing the retail trade not the price of screws. Nor the Government (sorry all you Libour fans). The losers are of course the workforce but the consumers are, in general, getting better and better deals. If you want to protect the workforce then buy stuff in a shop not online. But of course the majority won't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cannon Posted March 31, 2015 Report Share Posted March 31, 2015 Smaller businesses don't have the buying power that Kingfisher has, so they don't get as good a price on bulk buys as what the larger companies get. Most of the time the smaller businesses just can't undercut the larger businesses, as it just doesn't pay to do so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Browning 425 clay hunter Posted March 31, 2015 Report Share Posted March 31, 2015 To give you an idea the company I work for are in the BMF (builders merchant federation) Basically all the merchants around the country chip in and bulk buy the stock for the coming year but even with hundreds of company's involved we still can't compete with travis Perkins and B&Q. Online business doesn't affect the building trade significantly because a builder/plasterer needs screws/ sand or plasterboards and so on, on the day. They can't wait around for a few days for some cheap nails to be delivered. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AVB Posted March 31, 2015 Report Share Posted March 31, 2015 To give you an idea the company I work for are in the BMF (builders merchant federation) Basically all the merchants around the country chip in and bulk buy the stock for the coming year but even with hundreds of company's involved we still can't compete with travis Perkins and B&Q. Online business doesn't affect the building trade significantly because a builder/plasterer needs screws/ sand or plasterboards and so on, on the day. They can't wait around for a few days for some cheap nails to be delivered. I'm not a builder so can't comment on the practicalities but somebody quoted the following on here earlier "I priced a box of 200 woodscrews in B&Q last year - £11.99 I went to Screwfix, same screws same make, same box-£3.99" So some people think that B&Q rip people off. So if B&Q is ripping people off at £11.99 surely you can compete with them at less than this? Anyway you have missed my point slightly. There is no margins in screws for the volumes being bought. Or at least not enough to pay for the large warehouse. What they need to sell are high value goods and it is these that Joe Public shop for on-line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scotslad Posted March 31, 2015 Report Share Posted March 31, 2015 B Q and even screwfix advertise heavily some things that are cheap but a lot off stuff even out of screw fix is not cheap, in fact some things are a total rip off even from screw fix. B & Q's market is diyer's so they have deceided they don't know any better lets have a few eye catching things cheap and charge a fortune for eveything else, screw fix is a lot more reasonably but some things are a totlal rip of too. And some of the cheap stuff is just not up to the job. The 2 local ironmongery shops i use, it's amazing how often there same price if not cheaper than these big companies but most folk just assume there not. Plus the biggest benefit is the time if saves u travelling to get something and these small shops will order anything u want. Cannae beat them. Was after a BIG 2 wheeled barrow few weeks ago (sort of 300ish litre size) looked online lots of choice from 180 upwards, went into local shop reccommended me the better and cheaper 1 of the ones he could order in, 110 quid. Couldnae beleive how cheap it was and he only sells decent tackle, must admit i almost ordered online as i thought he would be no where near on price Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamster Posted April 1, 2015 Report Share Posted April 1, 2015 Anyway you have missed my point slightly. There is no margins in screws for the volumes being bought. Or at least not enough to pay for the large warehouse. What they need to sell are high value goods and it is these that Joe Public shop for on-line. That's kind of my point. What did we all do before these various retail giants such as DIY stores or food outlets sprang up ? They did to smaller retailers what the internet is arguably doing to them now. They ran the small guy out of business by selling wares cheaper than he could buy initially, the profits generated paid for bigger and smarter mega stores with parking for hundreds of cars and of course fed a few morbidly obese cats rather well too. Then one day they awoke to find all these palaces ain't all that cheap or cost effective to run unless you can charge silly money - which we now know they can't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keg Posted April 1, 2015 Report Share Posted April 1, 2015 But if B&Q are ripping off the public by selling Screws with a 1,500% markup as some people claim then surely a smaller business could undercut them? The problem is that there is not enough margin in low price items and, as somebody else commented, for the higher price goods people tend nowadays buy online. It's the Internet that is killing the retail trade not the price of screws. Nor the Government (sorry all you Libour fans). The losers are of course the workforce but the consumers are, in general, getting better and better deals. If you want to protect the workforce then buy stuff in a shop not online. But of course the majority won't. Well said, but as a society in general we want low prices and good service, can't have both. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spanj Posted April 1, 2015 Report Share Posted April 1, 2015 Well said, but as a society in general we want low prices and good service, can't have both. & in the case of B&Q get neither IMO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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