Curry's. - Do NOT buy anything from them at the moment.

[Droogs]

AJB invest in BEV vans builders

 

[Phil Pascoe]

The last time I had this discussion I looked at my Amazon purchase history - eight things out of the first ten I couldn't have bought locally anyway, and even if I could source them locally it would entail a 15 mile round trip and an hour wasted. Amazon Prime - brilliant.
Anyone using Amazon should use Amazon Smile - there's a no cost charity donation for many purchases. It's minute, but if millions do it ...

 

[Rorschach]

Similar to Phil for me too. I buy clothes, shoes and food from brick and mortar shops but almost everything else I buy just isn't available locally.

 

[Doug B]

After all would you rather have a Wadkin Burgessgreen or a Charnwood?

That’s where I find the delusion sets in as folks want the quality of the Wadkin but the price of the Charnwood, they buy the Charnwood then moan on Internet forums about the lack of quality.

Had it yesterday pricing a job,10 minutes of a customer moaning about a shoddy job she’d had done turns out she took the cheapest price & frankly I’d have struggled to get the materials for what she paid for the whole job.
I ran through what I’d do & cost, she’s seen my work at her friends as the friend recommended me but I know I won’t get the job as even though she has been disappointed taking the cheapest quote before she made it obvious it was the route she was going to take again.
Some folks never learn.

 

[Badgersurfer]

do they still do that annoying thing were the staff try to foist an extended guarantee that costs close to purchase price?

You need to understand the reason behind this process. Due to the fact that most large retailers have loss leaders and low profit margins they have to make their money somewhere. They do this by selling FS (Financial Services), as you describe as "annoying". To some it is an irritation, but to many it gives them them a benefit. The unfortunate underlying issues that are far worse than the approach to the customer is the awful draconian deceitful methods the retail companies impose on their staff of which the public are unaware. I.e. performance managing and Mystery Shoppers whereby the Managers have to meet targets for selling so many cards and insurances per month otherwise they are threatened on a monthly basis to be performance managed with the threat of losing their jobs. Along with that they have to endure Mystery Shoppers who are third party entities and could be anyone picked off the street whom may even have a gripe with the specific store they are investigating, enter the stores unannounced and incognito filming the transaction and then if the member of staff fails to ask the customer if they want any FS (along with did they smile or did they offer you accessories) then the staff member is reported and the manager once again has their head on the block because they are considered responsible even though they had nothing to do with the actual transaction.
Nobody would like NOT to offer you those annoying FS than the staff...

 

[Terry - Somerset]

Droogs has it broadly right:

"I believe the situation the high street finds itself in is the direct ultimate end state of capitalist consumerism, nothing else matters but price"

Many on this forum (including me) make decisions based solely on price and convenience (when it comes to delivery). Shops with staff, product displays, rent, overheads etc cannot hope to compete with warehouses largely automated with goods stacked 6m high.

It perhaps reinforces the need for fora like this where there may at least be a moderately informed consensus emerging from like minded people about which products, services etc are best or to be avoided.

 

[Blackswanwood]

It perhaps reinforces the need for fora like this where there may at least be a moderately informed consensus emerging from like minded people about which products, services etc are best or to be avoided.

... but perhaps only when it doesn’t relate to sharpening

 

[Oddbod]

Companies need to stop price matching on appliances.
We used a local company for many years, probably £50-£75K a year of business. In the end they went bust. Talking to the owner he acknowledged that price matching had killed the business. Often selling stuff at a loss. He said how can I price match against AO when what we sell is a day or less sales for them

As a former (retired as soon as I was financially comfortable) high street retailer, I disagree in part.
What I always offered was to price match if possible & if not offer the best price I could.
This satisfied most customers.
What WAS frustrating were those who bought online because they thought it was bound to be cheaper than buying locally & didn't bother checking.
I'll admit to a small amount of satisfaction when they came in for something else, glanced at my price on the item they'd bought & were dismayed to note it was significantly less than they had paid.

 

[AES]

I must agree with Oddbod regarding the specialist local retailer. Although just like anyone else I don't want to pay more than I have to, I will happily pay (a little) more from a retailer who is more or less local to me, who will offer me advice that I know I can trust, and who will "stand by" his sale (e.g. further advice, spare parts, etc). I do not expect such a retailer who is a "one man/shop/band" dealer to be able to match the sort of discounts that a big box shifter/large quantities buyer can offer. As long as he's clearly trying price-wise then that's fine by me.

I stress that I'm talking about retailers of specialist items (such as, but not limited to, tools) and NOT about buying daily staples like food.

The problem here, and from the little I've seen over, say, the last 10 or so years also in UK and Germany, is that fewer and fewer such retailers exist now. I imagine that this is at least partly due to the people that Oddbod refers to indirectly - those that "know the price of everything" - or not in his example! - "but the value of nothing."!

And another possible reason is the relatively new appearance of the likes of Aldi and Lidl. Clearly the likes of Oddbod cannot compete with such "manufacturers", but equally clearly, IF you keep your eyes open there are some remarkably good value for money tools to be had at Aldi and Lidl - I stress for hobbyists like me, I'm NOT talking about professionals.

Interesting "philosophical" thread this, especially now that some members appear to have stopped slinging mud at each other - hopefully permanently!

 

[Trainee neophyte]

We could also have a look at the idea that the current financial environment will exacerbate the decline of the high street: the small retailer will have higher costs and less access to government money than the large retailers, which will mean more fold, so less choice and higher prices for the consumer. If the large chains also go by the board then we will be left with Amazon and Wish. The internet is a weird place where monopoly seems to be the default position. Monopoly is a fabulous idea for the monopolist, but absolutely awful for everyone else.

Given that governments seem to think that planned economies are the new big thing, expect more monopolies and cartels. Free markets have always been a bit of a pipe dream, but are now looking to be virtually extinct.

 

[lurker]

As a former (retired as soon as I was financially comfortable) high street retailer, I disagree in part.
What I always offered was to price match if possible & if not offer the best price I could.
This satisfied most customers.
What WAS frustrating were those who bought online because they thought it was bound to be cheaper than buying locally & didn't bother checking.
I'll admit to a small amount of satisfaction when they came in for something else, glanced at my price on the item they'd bought & were dismayed to note it was significantly less than they had paid.

Well this was me until this week, if I am honest.
The place were we got the oven and hob are a local company, well known their customer service. About a year ago I looked in there when I wanted a telly and they were 3 times the price of tesco, where I bought.
So when her majesty said she wanted to check them out, I insisted we look in currys and set a ballpark figure. I was convinced that we were wasting our time going to the local company. But as I say, there was £2 difference on a £700 bill. Delivered yesterday by two cheerful chaps who were employees rather than subbies.

 

[HappyHacker]

I try to buy locally, especially from those retailers I know I will get good support from, even if it costs a bit more.

BUT

Retailers trying to compete with the large warehouses of international corporations who pay little in terms of Business Rates compared to high street retailers, with the tax deals in Luxembourg and Ireland with high interest loans and "rights fees" to reduce the tax paid in any particular country mean the bricks and mortar retailer is on a hiding to nothing in the long term unless the tax structure is changed.

Jeff Bezos did not get $176 Billion by paying every local tax he could. Personally I try to avoid Amazon if only so that I do not have to spent time playing hunt Wally trying to find the buttons that let me buy without subscribing to prime.

 

[AJB Temple]

We could also have a look at the idea that the current financial environment will exacerbate the decline of the high street: the small retailer will have higher costs and less access to government money than the large retailers, which will mean more fold, so less choice and higher prices for the consumer. If the large chains also go by the board then we will be left with Amazon and Wish. The internet is a weird place where monopoly seems to be the default position. Monopoly is a fabulous idea for the monopolist, but absolutely awful for everyone else.

Given that governments seem to think that planned economies are the new big thing, expect more monopolies and cartels. Free markets have always been a bit of a pipe dream, but are now looking to be virtually extinct.

Re the high street. This is my prediction.

• City centre office space is 50% over capacity post Covid. Employers don't want staff back - they want to save on leases and business rates and will keep staff working from home.
• Eventually government will wake up that we are in a permanent change, and allow office space to be converted to housing with few planning constraints.
• This will deal with housing crisis and also regenerate the high streets to a degree as people who were driven out of the urban centres return and want local convenience shopping for food etc.
• But we have about a 5 year lead time.

 

[powertools]

Strange idea that people who no longer want to work in office blocks in city centres would be quite happy to live in them.

 

[AJB Temple]

Why? Many city office blocks are in great areas, very highly specified. You can walk or cycle to many local attractions. Prices will shoot down once freeholders realise they have a glut. We are always being told we need lots of new homes. Here we have them, already built - just needing a fit out.

I recently sold up, but I had three floors of a 6 story building in the City. I would happily live there. It will revitalise city centres, but the unimaginative politicians have not woken up yet.

 

[Blackswanwood]

Why? Many city office blocks are in great areas, very highly specified. You can walk or cycle to many local attractions. Prices will shoot down once freeholders realise they have a glut. We are always being told we need lots of new homes. Here we have them, already built - just needing a fit out.

I recently sold up, but I had three floors of a 6 story building in the City. I would happily live there. It will revitalise city centres, but the unimaginative politicians have not woken up yet.

I agree with you - it’s opportunity that politicians should embrace to make sure it happens in the best way.

Planning laws have already been relaxed on office to residential conversions. The results are mixed - some are excellent but unfortunately also including some that the developers should be ashamed of.

 

[AJB Temple]

I used to own a property development business (sold a good few years ago) and the current environment might tempt me back. However, leveraging opportunities are not there yet for the small developer. It needs city office property prices to crash first. I suspect this may well happen, but people are still optimistic thus far into the pandemic.

 

[Rorschach]

I'm not so sure about how things will turn out. At the moment we are in unusual times and for some (not us) staying in isolation seems a good option. However as time goes on people will start to miss the benefits of office life and I think they will want to go back.
London types commuting long distances to anonymous offices with expensive lunches and long days, they might enjoy working from home, especially if they live in the suburbs with a nice house and a garden. Those who live in the smaller cities who only travel a few miles to a friendly office full of their friends however might not feel the same in 6 months and might miss the personal touch.

The problem we have is that the media only voices the views of the chattering classes, those original proponents of lockdown sat at home with their G&T saying everyone should enjoy a bit of working in their home office. They are not real people living in the real world and we should be wary of what they say, look at the trouble it has got us in.

 

[Blackswanwood]

I used to own a property development business (sold a good few years ago) and the current environment might tempt me back. However, leveraging opportunities are not there yet for the small developer. It needs city office property prices to crash first. I suspect this may well happen, but people are still optimistic thus far into the pandemic.

Not sure it will be that far off ... Property Funds are under significant pressure for liquidity on redemptions already.

 

[AJB Temple]

Not sure it will be that far off ... Property Funds are under significant pressure for liquidity on redemptions already.

I agree really. The issue I see is that planning policy has typically taken a while to change and finance will be an issue for at least two years. Hence I am being conservative. I think our Agent Provocateur has a point, but in my world pretty much everyone over 30 that I employed, had moved into commuter zones to have children and a garden. Only the 20-30 staff lived in London as such. 90% of them rented. There is an opportunity here I feel. But I think I will probably keep further thoughts to myself now.