Rick

On Thu, 15 Sep 2005 16:52:50 GMT, Rick  wrote:


>Rick


ARe B&Q in *that* much financial trouble?

sponix

On Thu, 15 Sep 2005 21:39:51 +0100, --s-p-o-n-i-x-- 
wrote:


>On Thu, 15 Sep 2005 16:52:50 GMT, Rick  wrote:
>
>>Rick
>
>ARe B&Q in *that* much financial trouble?
>
>sponix



They have simply restructured their retail capacity to match changed
market conditions.   This is a responsible thing to do to protect the
business in the longer term.


-- 

..andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

On Fri, 16 Sep 2005 22:18:05 +0100, Capitol
 wrote:



>
>	They should send their buyers to look at say "Menards" in the USA to 
>find a few new diy products which would attract some customers.
>


I tend to agree.  It is surprising, because they did a slavish job of
copying Home Depot almost to the finest detail including logo, colours
and concepts.

With this latest chosen change, it will be interesting to see if they
clean up their act.


The borg has split out "fashionable" products for the home into an
operation called Expo Design Center.   www.expo.com.   These stores
are typically next to HD stores but separate.



-- 

..andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

Capitol wrote:
|| The point which I notice is that the B & Q stores have lost any
|| semblance of order or cleanliness. I guess the staff have become
|| demoralised.

I'd agree with that, but it varies.  I live on the edge of Strood, Kent, so 
I'm about equidistant between a B&Q in Strood, a Wickes in Chatham and the 
same two stores in Gravesend.

The difference is incredible, both the Gravesend stores are cleaner, tidier 
and have much more of what you want in stock.  Staff are more helpful & 
knowledgeable - different world.  Must be the managers.

|| Also, the stock is virtually identical to
|| Homebase/Focus/Wickes, it is what I understand as  "Sheep Syndrome"
|| (copyright CSLtd), ie all stores have the same suppliers and stock.

I'd defend Wickes, they are more heavyside than B&Q or Homebase, not to 
mention cheaper on most stuff.

Homebase is turning into a toyshop, not a DIY store.  Only saving grace is 
the panel cutting service.  Focus is cramped, dirty and the staff have an 
attitude problem round here.

|| B & Q are also uncompetitive on simple products such as replacement
|| lampshades and "Chinese" tools. They are just not in touch with the
|| market and rely on customer ignorance to get away with ridiculously
|| high prices for many cheap products.

No doubt about that, local plumbing shop regularly kicks B&Q's ass on price.


Dave

Well, our local B&Q here in Lincoln is having a hard time by the look of it. 
Their plumbing/heating range has been 50% missing for 3 months and when I 
enquired as to why there was virtually no stock of toilet valves/parts I was 
told that their supplier had gone bust.  Sounded like a tall story to me. 
The one thing that jumps out at me every time I go in there is a lack of 
customers.  Midweek, you're lucky if there are three (of 14) checkouts 
going.  The demoralised attitude of the staff - and the frequency of staff 
turnover - is there for all to see.  How they pull it round is anyone's 
guess.  I would imagine the sales of the big ticket items has gone seriously 
tits up and they won't make money selling packets of woodscrews.  I was in 
there a couple of days ago on a Thursday late morning and the car park was 
10% full.  Desperation hangs heavy in the air.

One of the things that grates with me is that I have been going there three 
times a week on average for small plumbing bitrs - mostly toilet but a 
number of showers/trays/low level toilet suites -  and there is no regular 
customer recognition.  The staff are not trained or geared for it.  They're 
not there long enough anyway.  When is someone at high level going to 
recognise that to pull themselves out of the deep deep mire that they are 
in, they are going to have to hire - and pay for - better quality staff who 
dig in and who will stay longer than 3 months.  They have built a business 
on nothing other than perceived price with poor staff and now they are 
reaping what they've sown.  It is not enough to post a greeter at the door 
with a rictus grin trying to shove a leaflet at you and hoping they'll ride 
this out.  They have lost sight of their core business and now the internet 
operations are hovering like vultures. 22 closures and undoubtedly more to 
come. A good example of greed once again.  The size of the stores tells you 
that.

I hope screwfix don't go down with them.

"wounded horse"  wrote in message
news:5ZUWe.6294$ws4.4038@newsfe5-win.ntli.net...

> Well, our local B&Q here in Lincoln is having a hard time by the
look of it.
> Their plumbing/heating range has been 50% missing for 3 months and
when I
> enquired as to why there was virtually no stock of toilet

valves/parts I was

> told that their supplier had gone bust.  Sounded like a tall story
to me.
> The one thing that jumps out at me every time I go in there is a
lack of
> customers.  Midweek, you're lucky if there are three (of 14)
checkouts
> going.  The demoralised attitude of the staff - and the frequency
of staff
> turnover - is there for all to see.  How they pull it round is
anyone's
> guess.  I would imagine the sales of the big ticket items has gone
seriously
> tits up and they won't make money selling packets of woodscrews.  I
was in
> there a couple of days ago on a Thursday late morning and the car
park was
> 10% full.  Desperation hangs heavy in the air.
>
> One of the things that grates with me is that I have been going
there three
> times a week on average for small plumbing bitrs - mostly toilet
but a
> number of showers/trays/low level toilet suites -  and there is no
regular
> customer recognition.  The staff are not trained or geared for it.
They're
> not there long enough anyway.  When is someone at high level going
to
> recognise that to pull themselves out of the deep deep mire that
they are
> in, they are going to have to hire - and pay for - better quality
staff who
> dig in and who will stay longer than 3 months.


The way they recruit staff doesn't help, all they seem to want is
someone who can jump when told to whilst being able to read a string
of numbers, knowing the actual difference between a set bolt and a
coach bolt (or what ever) doesn't come into the equation....

  They have built a business

> on nothing other than perceived price with poor staff and now they
are
> reaping what they've sown.  It is not enough to post a greeter at
the door
> with a rictus grin trying to shove a leaflet at you and hoping
they'll ride
> this out.


The problem is often made worse by, when actually finding something
in stock, not being able to get through the check outs in a
reasonable time - I've lost count of the times that either myself or
some other customer has chucked the goods onto a staff-less counter
and walked out, having waited for service whilst members of staff
chat with each other in the aisles... This at a store that does seem
to have full shelves and 'motivated, and some long standing, staff.

 They have lost sight of their core business and now the internet

> operations are hovering like vultures. 22 closures and undoubtedly
more to
> come. A good example of greed once again.  The size of the stores
tells you
> that.
>
> I hope screwfix don't go down with them.
>


Unless they recover quickly, or close / dispose of B&Q, I suspect all
the companies within the Kingfisher group will suffer - if not
Kingfisher it's self, this sort of problem have dragged other groups
down before, and I'm sure we haven't seen the last of such collapses
either...

wounded horse wrote:
|| Their plumbing/heating range has been 50% missing for 3
|| months and when I enquired as to why there was virtually no stock of
|| toilet valves/parts I was told that their supplier had gone bust.

My local B&Q has been out of plastic carrier bags for the last three weeks 
:-)

Supplier blamed again!

Dave

david lang wrote:

> Homebase is turning into a toyshop, not a DIY store.  Only saving grace is
> the panel cutting service.  Focus is cramped, dirty and the staff have an
> attitude problem round here.
>


I used to have that attitude and also a feeling that they (Homebase)
were expensive. That was all changed at the weekend. First of all we
found a bathroom suite we liked in the "half price sale". When I asked
when the next 10% off day was, they did a deal by marking down the
items that were in stock such that I got 10% off the whole order (the
rest to be delivered). I don't know if the fact B&Q were running a 10%
promo at the weekend was relevant.

Then, wanting some plumbing fittings, off we went to B&Q. The display
was absolutely appaling, with hooks crammed in everywhere, half of
which had the wrong items hanging on them. The queues were long
(probably due to the 10% promo) and they didn't have half of what I
wanted either. Back to Homebase, the store is clean, bright and every
item was in stock, correctly priced and labelled and the prices weren't
all that bad. Guess who got the business. In future, Homebase will be
first, rather than last resort as it is actually more convenient for
me.

MBQ

manatbandq@hotmail.com wrote:

> They're going the same way as Homebase "Out go hundreds of lines of
> nuts and bolts, in come DVD players and television sets."
> 
> Although they try to deny it "When asked whether the move was merely
> copying Homebase, which is owned by GUS, he said: "Our proposition will
> be very different from Homebase... but if we stay in the same market it
> is unclear why we would ever increase sales"
> 


	The point which I notice is that the B & Q stores have lost any 
semblance of order or cleanliness. I guess the staff have become 
demoralised. Also, the stock is virtually identical to 
Homebase/Focus/Wickes, it is what I understand as  "Sheep Syndrome" 
(copyright CSLtd), ie all stores have the same suppliers and stock. This 
is certain death to any business. The success of Texas Homecare 20+ 
years ago was their willingness to take risks with the products that 
they were offering. B & Q have lost this ability. They are well behind 
Homebase, in say stocking  a complete steam shower cubicle and their 
brassware selection is utterly unimaginative. ( Even Lidl can outsell 
them!!) Their general product range condemns them to low profit margins 
and "poor" customers. MFI have at least recognised that there are 
profits in stocking Neff, Miele and Fisher & Paykel products.

	B & Q are also uncompetitive on simple products such as replacement 
lampshades and "Chinese" tools. They are just not in touch with the 
market and rely on customer ignorance to get away with ridiculously high 
prices for many cheap products. Competitors such as "Pound shops", 
"Wilkinsons" or "Range" are running rings around them in terms of 
persuading the customers to part with their money!! To quote the old 
maxim, " 2.5% of something is worth a lot more than 50% of nothing." 
Even the pensioners have given up spending their money there on a 
Wednesday!!

	They should send their buyers to look at say "Menards" in the USA to 
find a few new diy products which would attract some customers.

	Regards
	Capitol