On Thu, 14 Jan 2010 05:52:26 -0800, G.Mo wrote:

Hey everybody,
I'm working with a big DIY retailer to create a better home
improvement store, kind of like a B&Q of the future. The question is
what's the best/worst thing about DIY stores today?? Expert advice and
guidance seems the first thing for the public DIY-ers but what about
people that work in the industry?

Things I'd like:

Space, and lots of it. Room to swing a cat, or at least to get three
carts side by side in the aisles so there's room to get through even
when two people are browsing on either side.

A good *range* of products, from cheap to expensive.

Spares. One of my local places sells lawnmowers - but I can also get
blades, pulleys, belts, silencers, throttle cables etc. from them, too,
right there on the shelves, for the same price they are online.

Small items sold by weight. Aforementioned place has big bins with
different fixtures and fittings in; I can bag 'em myself right there,
weigh them with the provided scales, and pay up front. No acres of
overpriced packaging involved, and I can get the exact quantity I need.

Computers in the store for public use, so I can search for an item and
it'll tell me if they have it, how much it is, and *where* it is.

Things I don't like:

Self-service checkouts. Employ some real human beings to do the job far
quicker than I can do it myself, please, and without all the frustration
involved.

Staff pouncing on me every two minutes to see if they can help. If I
need help, I'll ask.

Lack of metal stock. Seriously, most places are happy to sell all manner
of tools for working with metal, but they're crap when it comes to
metal bars / rods / sheets.

cheers

Jules