Two large DIY stores near here (Beeston, Notts) have closed in the past
few
months. One replaced by a Wicks - which is fine if you want 600 tons of
something but not much use for just a few screws or a drill bit - or
even a
pot
of PVA, as I just found out! What's going on? Is this happening
elsewhere?

There is certainly a rationalisation in the Focus/Wickes group right now. In
a town with both, close the smaller store and make the larger/better placed
one a Wickes. Mind you the Focus stores must have been losing money hand
over fist judging by the emptyness/unhelpfullness of the place.
Even our local MFI and B&Q swapped sites about a mile apart to give B&Q the
larger site.
I'll drive past two competitors to get to the large Depot, because I'll know
there's a better chance of getting what I'm after.

It seems bigger/fewer is better, if Home Depot in the US is anything to go
by.

Toby.

In article ,
Dave wrote:


I'm sure Dundee is a great place - but a bit far for me to go :-)

Well I've never been to Bristol, but a Bristolian student of my
aquaintance says its much better than Dundee. Me, I think Dundee's
problem is that people think about it how it used to be, instead of what
it is becoming.

Seriously though I just had some chap hunting around for PVA - "nope we don't
do
it". It's a new store and maybe just getting up to speed. Our partuclar one
seems a very meagre place after the Focus that was there before.

It sounds like a problem with both being new and with undertrained
staff. Ours is getting a minor facelift at the moment and I couldn't
find what I wanted the other day. I wouldn't dream of asking the staff
for much in a Wickes though they do try to be helpful. Our nearest Focus
is in Arbroath and I have to say that having been there twice I was
distinctly underwhelmed. The only good thing I have to say about Focus
is that having taken over Wickes they are leaving it pretty much alone
to occupy its market space.

Peter

--
Peter Ashby
School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Scotland
To assume that I speak for the University of Dundee is to be deluded.
Reverse the Spam and remove to email me.

In article ,
"Toby" wrote:


It seems bigger/fewer is better, if Home Depot in the US is anything to go
by.

that's not what the Americans over in rec.woodworking say. They call HD
the Borg for its habit if assimilating local independents and turning
them all organge. Yup, B&Q borrowed the livery lock stock and barrel.

Peter

--
Peter Ashby
School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Scotland
To assume that I speak for the University of Dundee is to be deluded.
Reverse the Spam and remove to email me.

On Tue, 15 Jul 2003 16:36:30 +0100, Dave wrote:

On Tue, 15 Jul 2003 16:22:30 +0100, Peter Ashby
wrote:

In article ,
Dave wrote:

Two large DIY stores near here (Beeston, Notts) have closed in the past few
months. One replaced by a Wicks - which is fine if you want 600 tons of
something but not much use for just a few screws or a drill bit - or even a
pot
of PVA, as I just found out! What's going on? Is this happening elsewhere?

Come again? I can get all the above in our local Wickes,

I'm sure Dundee is a great place - but a bit far for me to go :-)
Seriously though I just had some chap hunting around for PVA - "nope we don't do
it". It's a new store and maybe just getting up to speed. Our partuclar one
seems a very meagre place after the Focus that was there before.

after metric drill bits I wouldn't go there. As for screws, more are far
cheaper than a few.

Indeed so - I was being figurative.

http://www.screwfix.com

Order one day, it'll be with you the next more often than not. They
hold good stock and they don't exactly over charge most of the time.

OK they don't sell absolutely everything, but they sure ease the
hassle with most of the day to day stuff.

They are trying very hard to get it right while others appear to be
sitting on their laurels!

Hope this helps.

Take Care,
Gnube
I don't want to win the lottery I just want to win a barn full of seasoned timber! ;O)

On Tue, 15 Jul 2003 18:16:41 +0100, "Capitol"
wrote:

Fortunately a lot of places in the US have ACE hardware, their range of
miscellaneous oddments puts all of our places to shame.
Regards
Capitol

If I were orgasmically-inclined over DIY stores, then Home Depot in
the US would be the place to give me one. You could easily spend half
a day looking round one and trying to stop yourself buying half the
stuff.

MJ

MJ wrote
| If I were orgasmically-inclined over DIY stores, then Home Depot in
| the US would be the place to give me one. You could easily spend half
| a day looking round one and trying to stop yourself buying half the
| stuff.

Yeah, but you still wouldn't come out with what you went in for.

Owain

On Tue, 15 Jul 2003 20:05:31 +0100, wrote:

On Tue, 15 Jul 2003 18:16:41 +0100, "Capitol"
wrote:

Fortunately a lot of places in the US have ACE hardware, their range of
miscellaneous oddments puts all of our places to shame.
Regards
Capitol

If I were orgasmically-inclined over DIY stores, then Home Depot in
the US would be the place to give me one. You could easily spend half
a day looking round one and trying to stop yourself buying half the
stuff.

MJ

I know what you mean, although in reality you may have noted that B&Q
Warehouse have tried to copy HD in as many details as they can
including the colours, the signage and even the plastic buckets that
they have at the door on the way in to use instead of baskets.

I think that part of the attraction is that there are a different set
of products available because of the different construction techniques
compared with the UK. For example, a lot more timber products used
in various ways, and a good selection of tools. Then there are the
appalling electrical fittings and archaic water heaters, so it's not
all good.

I also quite enjoy the specialist tool stores and the woodworking
places like Rockler and Woodcraft - they really do have interesting
stuff.



..andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

In article , donotspam (d) writes:

d http://www.screwfix.com

d Order one day, it'll be with you the next more often than not. They
d hold good stock and they don't exactly over charge most of the
d time.

OTOH the delivery charge will kill for small orders. (even if they
want to call it a handling charge). A quid for 200 screws might look
OK, seven quid is another matter.

So there is still a big role for shops you can walk in to.

That would seem to me to imply that those shops should be moving
towards supplying those odds and ends.

Mind you, what would I know, I never worked out why B&Q sells
timber. It's crap, expensive and comes in any size you want so long as
it is one of these three. If they used the space to stock more types
of weird fixing, odd tools etc. ISTM they'd be onto a much better bet.

--
Mail me as _O_
|

"Dave" wrote in message
...
Two large DIY stores near here (Beeston, Notts) have closed in the past
few
months. One replaced by a Wicks - which is fine if you want 600 tons of
something but not much use for just a few screws or a drill bit - or even
a pot
of PVA, as I just found out! What's going on? Is this happening elsewhere?
(OT anyone know if there's a good diy place in the above area?)

You are spoilt for choice !
There is the infamous 'shed run' along Riverside way which has a new large
Homebase, Wickes and B&Q Depot all within a couple of miles (and on the same
road) of each other - perfect !!

Steve

On Wed, 16 Jul 2003 07:01:00 GMT, Richard Caley MY_FIRST_NAME @
MY_LAST_NAME.org.uk wrote:

In article , donotspam (d) writes:

d http://www.screwfix.com

d Order one day, it'll be with you the next more often than not. They
d hold good stock and they don't exactly over charge most of the
d time.

OTOH the delivery charge will kill for small orders. (even if they
want to call it a handling charge). A quid for 200 screws might look
OK, seven quid is another matter.

N.B. Most of the following is written with a certain amount of tongue
in cheek! I may digress here and there too as I write! There's the odd
point worth thinking about too hopefully. ;O)

Delivery is not free when I go to the shop either; Additionally I
figure the vehicle delivering to me will cost about the same to travel
to me no matter what I order. It's nice that delivery is free on
orders over 45 of course. I tend to save it up and do it in batches
that fit with their scheme on that aspect.

I don't own a vehicle (being house bound it's like a fish needing a
bicycle!) However those people I know who do own and use one, often
and increasingly complain that fuel is unreasonably priced, insurance
and road fund license are no better, servicing costs are apparently
pretty diabolical too, and now getting fined for the slightest
speeding error is easier than it ever was before, parking is scarce
and inconvenient as well as being rather pricey in places. By the time
you add all that up, I'm not sure which is the more attractive
proposition.

If one adds the time one spends stuck in traffic, and the time finding
the item you want (coz they have moved everything about in the store
again!) and waiting in line to pay for it, then it's hard to see why
anyone might find it as useful as some seem to.

Heaven forefend you need to ask a member of staff about something, I
understand that getting their attention to start with can be a black
art more or less! (flooof went the big clear plastic flexidoors doors,
and they were never seen again; or so I hear quite often from others
going through that particular wringer!)

I'd be the first to concede that in my position I have no trouble
"being in when it arrives" and that could be more of a problem for
some! (probably out, in a queue, in a shed, waiting to pay a lot of
the time:O) I've noted they have provision for alternate delivery
address details too, although I've never needed to use that facility,
I just know it's there rather than knowing how effective it may be to
use.

So there is still a big role for shops you can walk in to.

Oh yes, you can see it and I can see it, but why can't they see it?
and by all accounts they don't!

That would seem to me to imply that those shops should be moving
towards supplying those odds and ends.

Sure, but will they? The need we are discussing has been around for
many years, but here we are discussing that fact that it still could
do with being addressed properly. Not an overly hopeful track record
on dealing with the issue so far, surely?

Mind you, what would I know, I never worked out why B&Q sells
timber. It's crap, expensive and comes in any size you want so long as
it is one of these three. If they used the space to stock more types
of weird fixing, odd tools etc. ISTM they'd be onto a much better bet.

I've found a couple of timber yards not so far from me and they cut
(and finish to final size - not to length though, obviously!) before
delivering if asked, and I've never been overcharged by them in my
view. Also, I've never spotted a direct charge for any of that so far.
The wood I've had so far has not been any worse than sheds offer, and
often a fair bit better (certainly fewer knots and splits, fewer or
smaller machining marks too)

I'm sure it wouldn't suit everyone to work this way, but I have to say
I've found it more acceptable than many might imagine it to be.

Take Care,
Gnube
I don't want to win the lottery I just want to win a barn full of seasoned timber! ;O)

"Owain" wrote in message ...
MJ wrote
| If I were orgasmically-inclined over DIY stores, then Home Depot in
| the US would be the place to give me one. You could easily spend half
| a day looking round one and trying to stop yourself buying half the
| stuff.

Yeah, but you still wouldn't come out with what you went in for.

Owain

But he could go back in and see if it will grow on him.