js.b1
wibbled on Thursday 14 January 2010 18:01

Product range in 2-3 grades only.
- Pro - Good - Disposable
- Screwdrivers from CK, Stanley & cheap clone
- Not a store sprawling in screwdrivers

Agreed. I'd like to see that with power tools. I think they could do worse
than just go with Blue Bosch, Green Bosch and random-crap brand. Green's
perfectly decent for DIY, IME Blue is tough enough for pro-DIY and if you're
really picky, you'll buy exactly the make and model you want from a
specialist or off the web anyway. I have trouble placing
Makita/Metabo/Green/Blue Bosch/DeWalt in any sort of pecking order (other
than Green Bosch is probably the base) - keep it simple, it's a general
store... Or arrange the tools uniformly into "Pro", "DIY" and "Value" and
label the areas as such.

Product range based on solutions.
- Marmox in various thicknesses
- Kingspan/Celotex in various thicknesses and half-sheets
- Prices to match the best online without 10-min order & £20 delivery

They've (T Wells) have really cracked this WRT Ply and other related sheet
materials. There's a whole section of precut sheet materials in small
sections. And the instore whole-sheet cutting service is good.

As you say, if they could extrapolate to other materials. I think wickes do
some cut down Celotex - but the problem is it really is Celotex at Celotex
prices (ie stupid). 44 quid a full sheet for 50mm(!). Even being able to buy
1ft and 2ft-square of PB would be useful for patching jobs.

And sell vapour barrier PB - there are enough places in a typical house that
need it.

More cable options.
- BS7211 1.5mm for lighting re insulation level (50m & 100m)
- BS8436 1.5mm & 2.5mm (50m & 100m)
- If you extend a non-RCD circuit you a) need to add a RCD spur or b)
use BS8436 cable yet sod all places carry it
- If you want a circuit without RCD protection for freezer, boiler,
storage heaters, alarm you need BS8436 cable yet sod all places carry
it

More info on the IEE regs too. I'm pleased to see, after all the Part P
nonsense, that example wiring boards (or equivalent diagrams) are coming
back. But some summary leaflets describing when you want an RCD, fan
isolator and stuff like that. And sell some electrical guide books,
including the OnSite (that's easy enough to follow for the average
intelligent person). I lent mine to one of the mums at nursery so she could
check if the sparkies who were coming to quote for work were talking rubbish
or not. as it happened one was a panic merchant who wanted to strip the
house out, and the other was far more pragmatic and suggested some remedial
work that wasn't much different to what I'd concluded (although I'd only had
a cursory look).


PVC coated copper pipe.
- I suspect water regs require pipe buried to be PVC coated
- Whatever, many houses use clinker block which in 20yrs trashes
copper pipe (ask me how I know)

Less product breadth, more best of breed in quantity.

Like Ubuntu Linux - why install 25 email readers, when 21 are utter crap
and/or minority interest.

- Get rid of tower oval crap, it compresses if you look at it, stock
MK Egatube oval & conduit

Yes!

- Cable by the metre is now viable because you have electronic
weighing scales - it's now possible!!

They've always sold chain by the metre anyway. And rope.

- Get rid of "every kind of tape except the good stuff", Asda duck
masking tape was good, now rubbish and falls off everything. Stock a
few good products vs a wall of every solution except the right one

And, those product search terminals/kiosks - have a product suggestion, eg
"I want aquapanel". At least all the things they don't sell can be more
readily profiled. I'm damn sure that when I whine at the lad, none of it
ever gets back to a manager who can get more lines on the shelves.

Then ask Pro's how to do them, since many DIY stores employ such after
they are physical wrecks(!).
Then stock parts to achieve it, rather than a lot of tat which sits
there forever.

It might be worth breaking the bigger stores down into "sub-
companies".
Why have wandering idiots when the electrical area could be a counter
like screwfix manned by 1-2 people and back-end onto the warehouse
carrying *everything*, like an electrical factor.

Good idea. They can have display boards showing one example of *everything*
(down to the last cable clip and section of wire, boards are 2D - use the
height, and wrap them around the waiting area). Put numbers on each item.
Then punters ask for 2 number-502s, 5 number-223s etc. It would also avoid
the plonkers putting stuff back in the wrong place but still allow
unhindered touch-feely browsing (which is what I like about B&Q over the
wholesalers).

Repeat for the areas you suggest. Leave the tools, gardening, misc boxed
items and lighting out in normal shop format with the trade counters
arranged along the rear (next to the warehouse).

Basically
ElecCentre, PlumbCentre, TileCentre, ConstructionCentre.
Disintermediate out the specialist factors. Why do I see a warehouse
on the back of B&Q warehouses? It should be done as "multiple factors
under one roof" and get the economy of scale and footfall in one place
that used to trudge to CEF, N&E, Edmonson, Screwfix - only to find
they have 1 screw, not that bit, wrong make of that bit, that bit is
special order, that bit will be 3 days, that bit will be 2 days.

--
Tim Watts

Icicles - nature's way of pinpointing all the leaks in your guttering...