Jewsons up for sale
- Thread starter flying haggis
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Phil Pascoe
Established Member
I'm not really surprised. They lost the plot many years ago.
flying haggis
Established Member
I know, I did just under two horrible years working for them as a driver. Our manager didnt have a clue. Wondered why you were still in the yard getting loaded at nine in the morning when he had sent you out to do deliveries the previous afternoon and didnt get back to load for the next day!!!
His management style was to berate everyone around him and when an employee said she was leaving to go travelling he was as vindictave as he could be for her final weeks.
Phil Pascoe
Established Member
They've been dire for as long as I can remember. They took over a local merchant maybe 35 years ago and were always the supplier of last resort for us.
Robbo3
Established Member
& Wickes will be following soon. Toolstation branches that are in Wickes are already moving out.
Bill Derr
Established Member
It will be too expensive - same as everything else they sell...
A problem with firms like Jewsons and Travesty Perkins is that unless you regulary spend a fair amount each month and have an account then they are just way to expensive, they don't seem to want the occasional buyer. A firm I use not far away from them caters for all, cheaper on nearly every product but a lot of their timber is on the rough side.
Will have to keep an eye out for last minute price cuts!
niall Y
Established Member
With Jewsons I think it very much depended on the branch you were dealing with.. In South West London. their pricing was pretty reasonable, even for non-account customers. They did a good line in cheapish hardwood sill - Utile, and later on, Keruing.
It was only after I moved here that I encountered their short-sighted, over-pricing, policy. Needless to say I haven't dealt with them since.
Seems they are now owned by the big French multinational Saint -Gobain, who have their fingers in lots of pies worldwide. It will be interesting to see what else, if anything they are hiving-off. They've obviously come to the conclusion that Jewson isn't worth keeping
It was only after I moved here that I encountered their short-sighted, over-pricing, policy. Needless to say I haven't dealt with them since.
Seems they are now owned by the big French multinational Saint -Gobain, who have their fingers in lots of pies worldwide. It will be interesting to see what else, if anything they are hiving-off. They've obviously come to the conclusion that Jewson isn't worth keeping
I like to know how much I will be paying for something before I arrive there and I also don't like people who are selling me stuff inflating the price just because they think they can get away with it.
Pricing has to be fair, possibly discounted for volume, but transparent at the point that I want to order - so I can decide if i purchase there or elsewhere. For these reasons I have always avoided these types of builder merchants.
Pricing has to be fair, possibly discounted for volume, but transparent at the point that I want to order - so I can decide if i purchase there or elsewhere. For these reasons I have always avoided these types of builder merchants.
Jameshow
Established Member
Looks like Wickes is a stand alone plc?
Why would it be sold / brought!
I quite like mine tbh.
Esp as it's only a mile away!
sploo
Somewhat extinguished member
There was a branch of PBS Buildbase in Harrogate that stocked decent quality softwood timber, and always gave me a good price. Unfortunately it closed at some point during Covid and now the nearest branch to me is well out of my way. Still haven't found a local/decent quality/sensibly priced supplier
sploo
Somewhat extinguished member
Roundabout in Panel? There's the BMW dealership and Crimple garden centre. Are you thinking Dickson Timber maybe?
stuart little
Established Member
I used to buy my sheet & hardwood at a very good price from Gibbs & Dandy on a 'cash' account with FREE delivery from 16 miles away, but now they've 'joined' Jewsons. I've only bought once, but still had the same arrangement & the same 'crew' was still onboard. Since covid I've given up making the 'big stuff' so I have no idea how their prices have risen.
Interesting; when we lived near Bedford, G&D were just expanding from their smallish shop in the middle of town to their yard on the way to Cambridge. Didn't realise they'd expanded as far as Hereford.
Yorkieguy
Established Member
Not sure how people think that the prospective sale of Jewsons is connected with their service standards.
It's no going into liquidation - its owner, the huge Paris based global company Saint-Gobain, which manufactures building materials and glass products among many other things which are energy intensive. Jewson's is a small part of its portfolio, which it's owned for 20 years., The UK construction market is cooling down and maybe Saint-Gobain feels that now would be a good time to sell Jewsons as a going concern. . Saint-Cobain - like many global companies - will be seeking to mitigate the effects of the Ukraine war. It doesn't have any activities in Ukraine, but it does in Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic, though overall, only 0.5% of it's gas came from Russia.
Saint-Gobain is doing rather well:
https://www.saint-gobain.com/sites/saint-gobain.com/files/media/document/CP_S1_2022_VA_t.pdf
Financial results
French building titan Saint-Gobain builds case for Jewson sale
Jewsons, which has 400 branches and 6,000 employees, like its main competitor Travis Perkins is a large-scale builders merchants. 80% of their turnover will come from 20% of their customers. I guess most of the other 80% will be the likes of us who are really the market sector that Wickes, B&Q, Toolstation, Screwfix, and smaller merchants, which most reasonable sized towns have.
Maybe we should be grateful that Jewsons and Travis Perkins don't have a minimum order value or the need for a trade account.
If we don't take our business there, I don't think it will keep them awake at night.
It's no going into liquidation - its owner, the huge Paris based global company Saint-Gobain, which manufactures building materials and glass products among many other things which are energy intensive. Jewson's is a small part of its portfolio, which it's owned for 20 years., The UK construction market is cooling down and maybe Saint-Gobain feels that now would be a good time to sell Jewsons as a going concern. . Saint-Cobain - like many global companies - will be seeking to mitigate the effects of the Ukraine war. It doesn't have any activities in Ukraine, but it does in Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic, though overall, only 0.5% of it's gas came from Russia.
Saint-Gobain is doing rather well:
https://www.saint-gobain.com/sites/saint-gobain.com/files/media/document/CP_S1_2022_VA_t.pdf
Financial results
French building titan Saint-Gobain builds case for Jewson sale
Jewsons, which has 400 branches and 6,000 employees, like its main competitor Travis Perkins is a large-scale builders merchants. 80% of their turnover will come from 20% of their customers. I guess most of the other 80% will be the likes of us who are really the market sector that Wickes, B&Q, Toolstation, Screwfix, and smaller merchants, which most reasonable sized towns have.
Maybe we should be grateful that Jewsons and Travis Perkins don't have a minimum order value or the need for a trade account.
If we don't take our business there, I don't think it will keep them awake at night.
Phil Pascoe
Established Member
Not sure how people think that the prospective sale of Jewsons is connected with their service standards?
Possibly because the lack of service would seem to indicate that they're not making the money they ought to, maybe?
Possibly because the lack of service would seem to indicate that they're not making the money they ought to, maybe?
