This was pretty much the over-arching point. H&S problems are an added overhead that just aren't appealing for most investors.
Maplin to be sold (surprise surprise) - What would you change to make it survive?
- Thread starter Hades
- Start date
Good, hope they go under good and proper, just dressed up shysters preying on the ill informed. Add a £1 mouse, £2.50 USB hub to a RaspberryPi and sell it for £80. They deserve to sink.
https://www.maplin.co.uk/p/quad-core-raspberry-pi-v2-development-kit-n01ea
Seems they've at least reduced it to £50 now the RaspberryPi model is outdated.
https://www.maplin.co.uk/p/quad-core-raspberry-pi-v2-development-kit-n01ea
Seems they've at least reduced it to £50 now the RaspberryPi model is outdated.
I'be used them quite a lot over the years, but only for electronic components and only really because I was impatient and didn't really know what I wanted. Being able to go in and browse all the components etc allowed me to build a mental picture of how whatever I could achieve whatever I needed to for the project I was doing. I'll miss that. I won't miss the prices though, even on small components they were much more expensive
Amazon will be the highest value company in the world soon.
I know people who dislike amazon for the way it (supposedly, I dunno if it's true) treats its workers, but still use it.
That's how good they are.
I wouldn't be surprised if they swallow everything. There soon won't be any UK based companies left
I know people who dislike amazon for the way it (supposedly, I dunno if it's true) treats its workers, but still use it.
That's how good they are.
I wouldn't be surprised if they swallow everything. There soon won't be any UK based companies left
Soldato
The only thing I could see they could have done is a) match online prices and b) go more specialist/B2B. The B2B side is the only time when getting something within a few hours and paying more is worth it over waiting a day because of the cost implication.
There's been a few times where as a small business (and managing our own IT) I've need a new hard drive or peripheral ASAP and been shocked at the lack of supply from shops. But that's very niche and a small market!
There's been a few times where as a small business (and managing our own IT) I've need a new hard drive or peripheral ASAP and been shocked at the lack of supply from shops. But that's very niche and a small market!
Or go to poundland and get 4-8 for £1.
Or go to poundland.
Or go to poundland.
Permabanned
Only vaguely aware it exists!
Never been there. Never needed to.
It's probably more so for younger people who grow up with Amazon.
Never been there. Never needed to.
It's probably more so for younger people who grow up with Amazon.
It was a thing in the late 80s and early 90s I think. Used to here about them all the time, but it was never a place I had reason to go to.
e: Or was that RadioShack/Tandy...
Do you have shares in Poundland?
Nope I don't like their business practices.
They had items for £2 and £5! o_OBut I did go in both stores on Saturday, spent money in poundland.
Raspberry Ruffles are too nice.
Caporegime
Being sold for the real estate rather than the going concern, I assume? Otherwise who would buy such a dinosaur as Maplin?
Soldato
Maplin attracts a lot of 'older' not really tech savvy sort of people now. It's people like these that I and my colleagues had to pounce on and get as much out of them, including up sales on installs and services etc. Personally I use to do the opposite though and just be completely honest and give correct advice and point them to other places that were cheaper ie. HDMI cables. Didn't look good on my sales targets mind you.
As for electrical components, the company doesn't make hardly any profit on. So basically we'd just give resisters, LEDs etc etc away for nothing.
Also expecting colleagues to know every product and know everything about what it can do was not even funny and was a joke for minimum wage.
Hated the place and as such, it's their own fault.
As for electrical components, the company doesn't make hardly any profit on. So basically we'd just give resisters, LEDs etc etc away for nothing.
Also expecting colleagues to know every product and know everything about what it can do was not even funny and was a joke for minimum wage.
Hated the place and as such, it's their own fault.
Caporegime
By 'a lot' do you mean 'hardly any'? Or a lot relative to young people, but still not many?
Maplin seemed like the place where you could overpay for a limited range of electronic components or garbage tools, or overpay for something that supermarkets also sold. The electronics hobbyist niche hasn't been served by them for a couple of decades.
Soldato
No, i mean a lot more than youngsters. The majority of the latter just came in to browse or play on the PC, but the former were there to spend, hence they took priority and you was instructed to up sell on everything to them, explaining how they needed it, ie. £80 HDMI cable to go with some crud converter or £200 home plugs to go with their £900 CCTV along with service installs and extended warranties on everything. It was awful and sad practice. Most defo not their 'believe' ethos.
Could be different from store to store, but, that's what ours was like.
Soldato
Needs to be cheaper. It just cannot compare to Amazon Prime, unless you have a same day emergency.
Soldato
***** tried to get me to buy a 3m Cat5 cable for £25 not long back, when the one I wanted was a fiver on their website. Apparently, it's so much more expensive because it transmits the data 5 times quicker - or at least that's what the idiot assistant told me.
Ended up laughing at his face and getting in the car to OcUK and grabbing a 3m Cat6 for £2.99
Ended up laughing at his face and getting in the car to OcUK and grabbing a 3m Cat6 for £2.99
B
I am pleased for you.