Does anyone else in RG-land know about/use this? I'm always gobsmacked (a)
that it's always empty when I go in (I've never met another customer in
there even when round the corner at Screwfix they're queuing round the
block), (b) that they haven't spent tuppence on promoting the place (except
for a vinyl banner on the building).

Much as I like having a staff:customer ratio >1 and practically getting
the red carpet rolled out when I go in, I'm worried they'll close it down
as unprofitable.

At the risk of getting jumped on from a great height by geoff (our resident
spam sniffer dog :-)) I'll mention it's left and left again as you go down
Scours lane (whereas you go right and right again down there for Screwfix).


-- 
John Stumbles

What is a simile like?

On Wed, 17 Sep 2008 00:21:14 GMT, John Stumbles
 wrote:

>Does anyone else in RG-land know about/use this? I'm always gobsmacked (a)
>that it's always empty when I go in (I've never met another customer in
>there even when round the corner at Screwfix they're queuing round the
>block), (b) that they haven't spent tuppence on promoting the place (except
>for a vinyl banner on the building).
>
>Much as I like having a staff:customer ratio >1 and practically getting
>the red carpet rolled out when I go in, I'm worried they'll close it down
>as unprofitable.
>
>At the risk of getting jumped on from a great height by geoff (our resident
>spam sniffer dog :-)) I'll mention it's left and left again as you go down
>Scours lane (whereas you go right and right again down there for Screwfix).

Last week I went to Screwfix in Glasgow for something and as they
didn't have it I went round the corner to Toolstation in the next
street ( a place I'd not been to before )..The two assistants were
standing ouside smoking and I was the only customer whereas any time I
have been to Screwfix it has been reasoably busy .Only reason i knew
about Toolstation was that they sent me ( as an existing online
customer) a catalogue recently .

wrote in message 
news:7bh1d45t92tv6hqjktamtoej9nobn4dc60@4ax.com...

> Last week I went to Screwfix in Glasgow for something and as they
> didn't have it I went round the corner to Toolstation in the next
> street ( a place I'd not been to before )..The two assistants were
> standing ouside smoking and I was the only customer whereas any time I
> have been to Screwfix it has been reasoably busy .Only reason i knew
> about Toolstation was that they sent me ( as an existing online
> customer) a catalogue recently .

I was toolstations best customer in Tipton (a few grand over a 6 week 
period) until I twisted my knee.
Now they just ask where I have been when I limp in for a few bits.
Free coffee though.

They must have upset screwfix as they have now opened another trade counter 
in West Brom.
So now its Screwfix in Dudley, 1.5 miles to Toolstation, another two miles 
to Screwfix if they are all out of stock I use something else.

In article , 
NOSPAMnet@gmail.com writes
>
>Last week I went to Screwfix in Glasgow for something and as they
>didn't have it I went round the corner to Toolstation in the next
>street ( a place I'd not been to before )..The two assistants were
>standing ouside smoking and I was the only customer whereas any time I
>have been to Screwfix it has been reasoably busy .Only reason i knew
>about Toolstation was that they sent me ( as an existing online
>customer) a catalogue recently .

That's my experience too, I can't see them being able to sustain that 
level of emptiness for long. The range isn't as good at SF but at least 
they don't give you the 3rd degree when you just want to be an 
untracked, unspammed cash customer.

For paint, try the Leyland Trade centre opposite (not the dulux trade 
centre next door), they're knowledgeable, helpful and reasonably priced.
-- 
fred
BBC3, ITV2/3/4, channels going to the DOGs

On Wed, 17 Sep 2008 09:56:08 +0100, NOSPAMnet@gmail.com wrote:

> Last week I went to Screwfix in Glasgow for something and as they
> didn't have it I went round the corner to Toolstation in the next
> street ( a place I'd not been to before )

Curiously the Gateshead Toolstation is only a stones throw from the 
Gateshead Screwfix. 

Still a 70 odd mile round trip though. When is either going to open up in 
Carlisle? Only a 50 mile round trip then but we do go that way 
occasionally for other things. There is a huge gap on the map from both of 
them that side of the country.

-- 
Cheers
Dave.

As a matter of interest do any of the Screwfix shops (other than the
one in Cambridge) operate a wheel clamping policy in their car park if
they have one?

I got clamped a couple of years back outside business hours and
although the sinage was correct it was hidden amongst the Screwfix
signs which made it hard to see in the dark.

I haven't been back or bought anything from SF since.

A

On Wed, 17 Sep 2008 09:56:08 +0100  wrote :
> Last week I went to Screwfix in Glasgow for something and as they
> didn't have it I went round the corner to Toolstation in the next
> street ( a place I'd not been to before ).

In Brentford the two are yards from one another on the same small 
industrial estate. Seems very odd for TS to choose to go into direct 
competition with their better known rival

-- 
Tony Bryer SDA UK  'Software to build on'  http://www.sda.co.uk

On Wed, 17 Sep 2008 12:45:52 +0100, Tony Bryer wrote:

> In Brentford the two are yards from one another on the same small 
> industrial estate. 

Another one...

> Seems very odd for TS to choose to go into direct competition with their 
> better known rival

Isn't there some "history" between the orgins of Toolstation and ScrewFix 
when the latter became part of Kingfisher Group? 

If Toolstations prices are comparable to Screwfix I think I'd prefer to 
support the private UK company rather than a multinational.

-- 
Cheers
Dave.

On Wed, 17 Sep 2008 04:42:11 -0700 (PDT), Andy Barron
 wrote:

>
>As a matter of interest do any of the Screwfix shops (other than the
>one in Cambridge) operate a wheel clamping policy in their car park if
>they have one?
>
>I got clamped a couple of years back outside business hours and
>although the sinage was correct it was hidden amongst the Screwfix
>signs which made it hard to see in the dark.
>
>I haven't been back or bought anything from SF since.
>
>A

Won't happen in Scotland ,of course.:-)

"Dave Liquorice"  wrote in message 
news:nyyfbegfubjuvyypbz.k7cxde2.pminews@srv1.howhill.net...
> On Wed, 17 Sep 2008 12:45:52 +0100, Tony Bryer wrote:
>
>> In Brentford the two are yards from one another on the same small
>> industrial estate.
>
> Another one...
>
>> Seems very odd for TS to choose to go into direct competition with their
>> better known rival
>
> Isn't there some "history" between the orgins of Toolstation and ScrewFix
> when the latter became part of Kingfisher Group?
>
> If Toolstations prices are comparable to Screwfix I think I'd prefer to
> support the private UK company rather than a multinational.

SF was a family business, once sold to Kingfisher, the same people set up 
TS.

Dave Liquorice wrote:
> On Wed, 17 Sep 2008 12:45:52 +0100, Tony Bryer wrote:
>
>> In Brentford the two are yards from one another on the same small
>> industrial estate.
>
> Another one...
>
>> Seems very odd for TS to choose to go into direct competition with
>> their better known rival
>
> Isn't there some "history" between the orgins of Toolstation and
> ScrewFix when the latter became part of Kingfisher Group?
>
> If Toolstations prices are comparable to Screwfix I think I'd prefer
> to support the private UK company rather than a multinational.

AFAIK the bloke what started SF sold it to Kingfisher and  the contract said 
he couldn't start a similar business for 5 years.  5 Years later TS started. 
There is some connection between Toolstation & Silverline tools, but I don't 
know what it is.


-- 
Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

In message <_3Yzk.158600$KJ2.35906@newsfe15.ams2>, John Stumbles 
 writes
>Does anyone else in RG-land know about/use this? I'm always gobsmacked (a)
>that it's always empty when I go in (I've never met another customer in
>there even when round the corner at Screwfix they're queuing round the
>block), (b) that they haven't spent tuppence on promoting the place (except
>for a vinyl banner on the building).
>
>Much as I like having a staff:customer ratio >1 and practically getting
>the red carpet rolled out when I go in, I'm worried they'll close it down
>as unprofitable.
>
>At the risk of getting jumped on from a great height by geoff (our resident
>spam sniffer dog :-)) I'll mention it's left and left again as you go down
>Scours lane (whereas you go right and right again down there for Screwfix).
>
>
I don't know what you mean !


-- 
geoff

On Wed, 17 Sep 2008 20:44:13 +0000, The Medway Handyman wrote:

> AFAIK the bloke what started SF sold it to Kingfisher and  the contract
> said he couldn't start a similar business for 5 years.  5 Years later TS
> started. There is some connection between Toolstation & Silverline
> tools, but I don't know what it is.

Staff in Rdg Toolstation siad the company was part of Travis Perkins.

-- 
John Stumbles

Testiculate [v.t]
    To wave one's arms around while talking bollocks.

On Wed, 17 Sep 2008 04:42:11 -0700, Andy Barron wrote:

> I got clamped a couple of years back outside business hours and
> although the sinage was correct it was hidden amongst the Screwfix
> signs which made it hard to see in the dark.

Then you'd have a good case for getting back any money you paid to have it
unclamped. In a test case (Vine v. Waltham Forest) where a driver got
clamped and the court decided that they genuinely hadn't *seen* the signs
(not just hadn't bothered to read them) they hadn't therefore entered into
a contract with the car-park owners who were therefore not entitled to
clamp, and charge a fee for un-clamping, her car.
	http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWCA/Civ/2000/106.html

-- 
John Stumbles

A backstreet vasectomy left me sterile

In article <LkyiFIA48M0IFw4L@y.z>,
   fred  wrote:
> The range isn't as good at SF but at least they don't give you the 3rd
> degree when you just want to be an untracked, unspammed cash customer.

I'm 'registered' with Screwfix and don't get any spam from them at all.
The occasional catalogue through the post, though.

-- 
*Why does the sun lighten our hair, but darken our skin?

    Dave Plowman        dave@davenoise.co.uk           London SW
                  To e-mail, change noise into sound.

On Thu, 18 Sep 2008 08:48:06 +0100, "Dave Plowman (News)"
 wrote:

>In article <LkyiFIA48M0IFw4L@y.z>,
>   fred  wrote:
>> The range isn't as good at SF but at least they don't give you the 3rd
>> degree when you just want to be an untracked, unspammed cash customer.
>
>I'm 'registered' with Screwfix and don't get any spam from them at all.
>The occasional catalogue through the post, though.

Nor me but if I give them my Customer Number or details  when I go in
to the branch my purchases are put on to my on-line account so that is
useful .

In article , 
NOSPAMnet@gmail.com writes
>On Thu, 18 Sep 2008 08:48:06 +0100, "Dave Plowman (News)"
> wrote:
>
>>In article <LkyiFIA48M0IFw4L@y.z>,
>>   fred  wrote:
>>> The range isn't as good at SF but at least they don't give you the 3rd
>>> degree when you just want to be an untracked, unspammed cash customer.
>>
>>I'm 'registered' with Screwfix and don't get any spam from them at all.
>>The occasional catalogue through the post, though.
>
>Nor me but if I give them my Customer Number or details  when I go in
>to the branch my purchases are put on to my on-line account so that is
>useful .

It is the insistence of logging every sale that I don't like, I'd like a 
choice.
-- 
fred
BBC3, ITV2/3/4, channels going to the DOGs

In article <DP5Q$KAU0n0IFwLx@y.z>,
   fred  wrote:
> In article , 
> NOSPAMnet@gmail.com writes
> >On Thu, 18 Sep 2008 08:48:06 +0100, "Dave Plowman (News)"
> > wrote:
> >
> >>In article <LkyiFIA48M0IFw4L@y.z>,
> >>   fred  wrote:
> >>> The range isn't as good at SF but at least they don't give you the
> >>> 3rd degree when you just want to be an untracked, unspammed cash
> >>> customer.
> >>
> >>I'm 'registered' with Screwfix and don't get any spam from them at
> >>all. The occasional catalogue through the post, though.
> >
> >Nor me but if I give them my Customer Number or details  when I go in
> >to the branch my purchases are put on to my on-line account so that is
> >useful .

> It is the insistence of logging every sale that I don't like, I'd like a 
> choice.

It's common practice with most of these sort of places. I don't mind that
with a reputable good value company - such information can help keep their
prices low.

-- 
*Monday is an awful way to spend 1/7th of your life *

    Dave Plowman        dave@davenoise.co.uk           London SW
                  To e-mail, change noise into sound.

In article , Dave Plowman (News) 
 writes
>In article <DP5Q$KAU0n0IFwLx@y.z>,
>   fred  wrote:
>
>> It is the insistence of logging every sale that I don't like, I'd like a
>> choice.
>
>It's common practice with most of these sort of places. I don't mind that
>with a reputable good value company - such information can help keep their
>prices low.
>
I'm surprised by that reaction, a) Kingfisher group is not a reputable 
organisation, b) data mining is a high price to pay for a few pennies 
off the top line.
-- 
fred
BBC3, ITV2/3/4, channels going to the DOGs

NOSPAMnet@gmail.com wrote:
> On Thu, 18 Sep 2008 08:48:06 +0100, "Dave Plowman (News)"
>  wrote:
>
>> In article <LkyiFIA48M0IFw4L@y.z>,
>>   fred  wrote:
>>> The range isn't as good at SF but at least they don't give you the
>>> 3rd degree when you just want to be an untracked, unspammed cash
>>> customer.
>>
>> I'm 'registered' with Screwfix and don't get any spam from them at
>> all. The occasional catalogue through the post, though.
>
> Nor me but if I give them my Customer Number or details  when I go in
> to the branch my purchases are put on to my on-line account so that is
> useful .

I like that as well.  I might want to buy something I last ordered 6 months 
ago & its dead easy to check out 'all your purchases' online & find the 
right size etc.

I'm signed up for their e-mail newsletter as well, some useful bargains come 
to light.


-- 
Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk