"The Medway Handyman" wrote in message
om...
Steve wrote:
On Sun, 20 Sep 2009 16:54:32 +0000, The Medway Handyman wrote:

Steve wrote:
On Sun, 20 Sep 2009 12:13:50 +0000, The Medway Handyman wrote:

Bertie Doe wrote:
New catalogue compared with previous shows an increase of 25% on
bulk screws and fixings. It's not SF's fault - with the £ in
freefall, anything that's made abroad is rocketing in price.

If you're planning a major project, you may strike lucky an find a
warehouse with old stock at last years prices.

Quick check on a popular (with me anyway) size 1.5" x 8 twinthread
c/s pozi, box of 200;

SF £1.50

TS £1.14.

Hmmmm. And Toolstation have free delivery over £10.

I like Toolstation and have moved most of my purchases there from
Screwfix.


I hadn't realised how much cheaper they were, those screws for
example are 24% less. Nothing to worry about on a box of screws,
but in general worth keeping an eye on.


Strangely though, despite generally cheaper prices, the trade
counter here in Crawley is normally very quiet indeed and I have
never had to queue up. I'm not complaining though!


Alas our nearest TS is in Dartford, fair bit further away than SF and
not in my normal operating area. I've ordered a few bits to be
delivered though now its only a £10 order. And it might be silly,
but I like getting parcels :-)

I suppose I'm lucky then :-) Toolstation is about 2/3 of the distance
of Screwfix, but as that is only a couple of miles it makes little
difference. Parking does though, as well as the prices and the
service. Our SF is located in an industrial park where people
double-park all over the place and is inhabited by other companies
that drive fork-lift trucks around unloading HGVs with little or no
regard to other traffic!

Whilst Toolstation is in a similar estate, there is always somewhere
to park with the only occasional hazard being "white van men", but
you get them wherever you go.

I don't think I mentioned that beverages are free, apparently. I've
never sampled them though because my orders have taken so little time
to complete!

In case anyone thinks this is a plug for Toolstation - it is! But
from a satisfied customer with no other reason to promote them other
than what I have written.

I wish them well and hope that they don't slip into making the same
mistakes as Screwfix.

Apparently TS was started by the guy who owned SF. When SF was sold to
Kingfisher it was part of the contract that he couldn't start a similar
business for 5 years. 5 years after he started TS.

Thas what I heard anyway.

You heard correctly.

Peter Crosland