How the hell do Currys stay in business?

[coolsurfer]

Rant time. I've been to Curry's many, many times over the last 13 years I've lived in the UK. It's always, and I mean always more expensive than I can find online, there and then on my phone. The service is non-existent, to the point I've actually wondered if anyone works there at all. On the very odd occasion I've actually had any service or witnessed their "experts" provide "service" to a customer, it's invariably obvious within seconds that they haven't got a clue what they're talking about.

This hasn't been a one off, this has been consistent, every single time, and when I say don't know what they're talking about, I mean trying to sell me an ADSL modem for a cable connection, or not knowing the difference between Full HD and HD ready (remember those days? heh). I'm not talking about enthusiast level stuff, but the basics, their bread & butter, they know none of it.

Yet there they are, on the high street, selling stuff. I saw a deal on HUKD today and wanted to pop in store to pick one up, walked around for about 15 minutes, nothing. Not a single person. Asked at customer service if anyone was available, was told someone would be with me. Another 10 minutes, nothing. Eventually I collared someone who was clearly dashing through the store in low-profile mode in the hope that nobody saw him, and asked him a few questions. Again, he knew nothing and was more interested in shaking me and buggering off.

I honestly don't know what I was thinking, expecting anything other than such crap service, but my optimism regularly fails me.

The only reason I can think of that this company makes any money is finance, or those who want their stuff right now dammit!

/whinge over

Go to the OLED section; they will all fly at you like you are cash strapped

 

[MagicBoy]

I went into the VAST one off the M6 at Walsall last week, I believe their biggest store.

The one at J9? Was one of the largest PC World stores back in the late 90s when I worked for them. Largest was one down south (Croydon?), the original Manchester store was a similar size to J9, think we were third or fourth on the floor space rank. The later PC World stores from '98 onwards were always a smaller format, the really big ones being built/planned under the original owners. That said my experience was the later smaller stores were taking trade away from the original format large stores. Manchester saw a perceptible drop in turnover after Bolton, Oldham and Stockport opened, all within about 10-15 miles. The Currys that was half a mile away was never any serious competition, neither was the Dixon's in the Stretford Shopping Centre, but in those days they carried a limited computer range.

 

[Housey]

The one at J9? Was one of the largest PC World stores back in the late 90s when I worked for them. Largest was one down south (Croydon?), the original Manchester store was a similar size to J9, think we were third or fourth on the floor space rank. The later PC World stores from '98 onwards were always a smaller format, the really big ones being built/planned under the original owners. That said my experience was the later smaller stores were taking trade away from the original format large stores. Manchester saw a perceptible drop in turnover after Bolton, Oldham and Stockport opened, all within about 10-15 miles. The Currys that was half a mile away was never any serious competition, neither was the Dixon's in the Stretford Shopping Centre, but in those days they carried a limited computer range.

It is 3 times the size of what it was in the 90's

 

[Hagar]

I bought a new battery for my Canon G3 there recently (online with free postage) in preference to Amazon and Ebay. Very good service but it was only a £14.99 spend.

 

[SC0TTRS]

Their online prices can be competitive, and with good free delivery to boot It's a place to shop.

Not sure the last time I stepped foot into a store mind.

 

[Haze]

I have not been in a shop like Currys for about 15 years, buy anything like that on the net

 

[Tom_ed1987]

I found thst Currys were cheaper than online for a few specific kitchen appliances that we wanted a few years ago.
Being able to check that the oven you're about to buy is big enough to take your tagine is useful too.

 

[XeNoN89]

You must have lots of time on your hands, i'm not sure which is worse the ill informed underpaid employee or someone like yourself.

Purchased our Rangemaster from Currys, they had the best price on the internets, so they do occasionally come good.

I wouldn't go there just to do that, but if i was with somebody else who wanted to buy something or if i wanted to browse. I stopped my Dad from getting sold crap he didn't need a few times!

 

[ZG002]

Even if Currys is cheaper, no excuse to shop their. Get a price match at John Lewis or richer sounds.

Currys is a 10min drive and I can park at the front door. If they don't have it in stock I can take a 20min drive to one of two bigger stores.

Nearest John Lewis is 25min drive and I can't park anywhere near it and not for free either, same goes for richer sounds.

I dunno, if you know where they will try and add on warranties or daft cables then just tell them you don't need the extra stuff.

I also like to get hands/eyes/ears on with some tech.

I get the staff are usless but compared to 2/3 yrs ago I think they are really improved. I'd still go else where to save money but I'm just not finding that's the case a lot of the time.

 

[No-One]

my very best being "you shouldn't use free AV over this Norton we offer, as whenever you come to uninstall the free one, all of the viruses it has caught get released".

I think that beats what I overheard a while back. A couple were looking at the Apple Macs and their Apple sales guy was telling them that an i5 mac is the equivalent to an i7 pc because the Mac OS isn't bogged down with loads of extra software out of the box like PCs are.

 

[kitkat9933]

I think that beats what I overheard a while back. A couple were looking at the Apple Macs and their Apple sales guy was telling them that an i5 mac is the equivalent to an i7 pc because the Mac OS isn't bogged down with loads of extra software out of the box like PCs are.

There’s at least some basis of the truth in that

 

[Terminal_Boy]

I used to use Currys/PC World all the time when they had an item I wanted cheaper than anywhere else. Just say a very firm “No” to the offers of extended warranties/insurance and you’re golden.

That and the Sunday afternoons when one of the womenfolk needed to print something for school in the morning and hadn’t felt the need to tell me that the printer had been out of <insert colour here> ink for weeks...

 

[K.C. Leblanc]

Sorry, can't see it. The financial results are fine. They're a public limited company so have to publish all the accounts.

Maplin are totally different - they were privately owned. They were making an operating profit on the stores, the issue was crippling debt (at extortionate interest rates) they got saddled with after a private equity firm bought them in 2004. Tens of millions every year in interest payments put them into a death spiral.

It's also very apparent that they realise there's a decline in retail and are downsizing with it. I suspect they'll be very much like wimpy or little chef. They'll still be going but only in places on the south coast where the average is in excess of 90.

 

[MagicBoy]

It's also very apparent that they realise there's a decline in retail and are downsizing with it.

Yeah. They canned Dixons via an online only experiment then merged Currys and PC World into one. Which reduces their retail footprint by probably 60% and keeps the existing coverage.

I suspect they'll be very much like wimpy or little chef. They'll still be going but only in places on the south coast where the average is in excess of 90.

Don't agree with the last bit.

 

[adam cool dude]

I have not been in a shop like Currys for about 15 years, buy anything like that on the net

So you will drop 1k + on a TV without viewing it? I have two TV's from Currys and they were the cheapest or the same as the competition at the time. Both with 5 year guarantee as well but I think that was a EU thing.

 

[TheSkateyBird]

Currys are the only big electronic retail store near where I live so they serve a purpose in being a place that I can go and try out things like tablets and laptops etc. Rarely do I purchase from them as there are normally better deals to be had elsewhere. Staff that I have dealt with have been at least somewhat competent. I imagine the staff situation varies wildly store by store.

 

[HangTime]

What you describe is the opposite of Dixons in the old days, literally you couldn't so much as step inside the store without being jumped on by a sales assistant within 30s, step round the corner into another aisle and you'd be ambushed again by someone else.

 

[LeeUK]

They are a joke! I love how they push HDMI cables that cost £50 each and sound bars as the new TV's sound isn't very good when buying a new TV. I friend of mine nearly brought 2 sound bars and 6 HDMI even though she was only having sky plugged into each TV. It was lucky she rang and asked what sound bar to get (I had told her which TV's to buy) that one call ended up saving her over £600. I got her a couple of HDMI's for less than £12.

This is probably why they are still in business as the people who shop there are easily persuaded into purchasing extras and accessories. If I'm after a new TV or white good, I have a budget in mind and there is no chance in hell would some shop assistant persuade me into buying £600 of extras.

 

[Malevolence]

I went in there to look for a TV for the house I was moving into. When the guy saw me and my friend looking he asked could he help us. I said "I'm just looking for a TV for my new place: x spec and x budget" . As soon as I mentioned I was moving out his eyes lit up and he asked did I have internet yet? I said "no, but I'm not really interested in buying internet today" which he ignored, and then spent 15 m inutes trying to sell me internet.

I left, walked across the road to tesco and bought a TV. They lose themselves sales just by being so pushy when the customer is clearly not interested.

You listened to him for 15 minutes before deciding on walking away? Why did you simply use your words and tell him to stop trying to flog you internet as you're not interested?