On Fri, 5 Nov 2004 11:03:22 -0000, ":::Jerry::::"
wrote:


"Andy Hall" wrote in message
news snip

The local little shop would do far better if it had some quality
and/or differentiated product lines. People would go there for
that. As it is, it is clear that the business is in a slow decline
and the owner seems unwilling to make changes.

And why is it, if people bought form them perhaps they would stock more...
As for the "business is in a slow decline", I'm nor surprised if no one buys
for them !

The problem is not the quantity of stock - they have limited space -
but the profile of what they have.

They operate as though there is no competition for 50km and sell a
small subset of what can be obtained in any shed but at higher price
and typically poorer quality tat.

Really they are totally missing the plot. Any business needs to
offer what its customers want to buy and at the price and level of
convenience that suits them. Either that or they have to spend a
massive amount on marketing to convince people that they want to buy
what's on offer - not an option ofr the small shopkeeper.

The smart move would be to offer better quality items than the sheds
or things that can't be found in them. It's a reasonably affluent
area and people would take the trouble to go to the town centre if
there was something worth having. As it is, they have a price,
product, parking and time disadvantage and are on a loser all the way
round.




When it inevitably closes, which I am sure will happen in the next few
years because there is hardly ever anybody in there, it won't be
missed.


Until such time that you haven't got that screw (or what ever) and you need
it now and not when ever SF or TS decide to deliver it.

I've never had any critical delivery problems with any of the online
suppliers.

For the odd thing I can go to the shed. The only issue that I have
is that all the stores irritatingly have restricted Sunday opening
hours.



--

..andy

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