B&Q sales decline

George_Bray

Increasing competition between DIY stores has driven B&Q into a sales decline for the first time in more than two years, according to the following article:

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,9074-1488035,00.html

Surprise, surprise. I used to shop at B&Q a lot but too many things are way over-priced at B&Q these days. Their so-called 'price reductions' and 'roll backs' are loss leaders to get you into the store and don't persuade me.

Do be careful to think twice about the price of anything you buy there.

Regards
George

JasonW_2

Without reading that, I already knew the sales were falling simply because any B+Q I go to is nowhere near as busy as it was a few years ago. The car park used to be a nightmare, but even on the busy times, can now get a space no problems.

A lot of things are over-priced but the thing that grates me the most is the cost of halogen bulbs!! Ikea can do a pack of 3 x 20W halogen bulbs for around £2 but the same pack in B+Q can be around £7-10!! How can they justify this, except fancier packaging? Single bulbs are around £4-5 and that's only one example. Of course, they have to make a profit but I'm sure Ikea arent making a loss on selling anything, and more people shop around for cheaper prices at all costs, and it has taken them too long to realise this, and have probably relied on their name to keep people shopping there.

You only have to look at homebase and see them selling household cleaners, washing up liquid, air freshners etc is an obvious attempt to increase falling sales as well.

dougk_2

B & Q stands for Browse and Queue.... i get fed up queuing for so long to pay for my items as they only ever have a few tills open!

George_Bray

JasonW wrote:

A lot of things are over-priced but the thing that grates me the most is the cost of halogen bulbs!! Ikea can do a pack of 3 x 20W halogen bulbs for around £2 but the same pack in B+Q can be around £7-10!! How can they justify this, except fancier packaging?

Yes, almost everything at B&Q has fancy packaging which probably costs more than the item inside. It's so sad. Like two or three metal washers in a smart package costing £'s when you should be able to purchase them loose from an ironmonger, if any still exist, for about 2p each.

Their halogen lamps are a good example of B&Q extortion, not just over-pricing. Lidl sometime sell them even cheaper than Ikea. And I've seen them on sale at retailers in China, where most are made, for about 5p each.

Regards
George

Rex_Mundi

On the subject of B&Q...............

A letter received by the B+Q customer services department:

Dear Sir/Madam



My congratulations to you on getting a yacht to leave the UK on 28th November 2004, sail 27,354 miles around the world and arrive back 72 days later.



Could you please let me know when the kitchen I ordered 96 days ago will be arriving from your warehouse 13 miles away?



Yours Sincerely

shrek101

I agree.

I have always thought they were expensive. Sure that sander ro drill you cant get cheap but other things can be alot more than going into your local Ironmongers

George_Bray wrote:

Increasing competition between DIY stores has driven B&Q into a sales decline for the first time in more than two years, according to the following article:

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,9074-1488035,00.html

Surprise, surprise. I used to shop at B&Q a lot but too many things are way over-priced at B&Q these days. Their so-called 'price reductions' and 'roll backs' are loss leaders to get you into the store and don't persuade me.

Do be careful to think twice about the price of anything you buy there.

Regards
George

gromituk

Oh yes, and competition from Screwfix. I went to B&Q (warehouse) recently because I wanted one hanging rail, one end piece (to fit to a ceiling) and one end socket (to fit to a wall). I would have had to buy two of each of these fittings, and they were more expensive than ten of each of the fittings from Screwfix. I also got the tube from Screwfix as it cost less than twice as much for five times the quantity.

The smaller B&Qs are even pricier.

Nile

Rex_Mundi wrote:

On the subject of B&Q...............

A letter received by the B+Q customer services department:

Dear Sir/Madam



My congratulations to you on getting a yacht to leave the UK on 28th November 2004, sail 27,354 miles around the world and arrive back 72 days later.



Could you please let me know when the kitchen I ordered 96 days ago will be arriving from your warehouse 13 miles away?



Yours Sincerely

Thanks for the humour Rex, makes a bright start to a freezing Tuesday morning.

moggins

Sometimes it does pay to make a visit though, especially if you actually want one of their loss leaders.

They currently have interior doors at £16 each. I can't find them cheaper anywhere else.

I certainly wouldn't use them for everything though, as has been pointed out Screwfix and the local hardware shop are generally cheaper for small bits and it would have cost me 5 times more for my taps if I had bought them in B & Q as opposed to Screwfix.

vansboy

I'm not their bigest fan, either.

Virtually EVERYTHING for our extension/do up the house project, (except the actual builders stuff) has come from Focus or Homebse, using 10% or spend n svae cards & 10% off days. Heavier materials from Wickes was often cheaper than builders merchants.

We did special order the Maple coloured laminate floor from B&Q & got a couple of interior doors, too. That was 18months ago.

This weekend they mailed us 2 10% vouchers, to be used by this Thursday! hardly gives you much chance to plan a big job.

But did catch them for the the skirting in the last but 2 bedrooms to be done. Also had some paint at £3 for 2.5ltrs too.

If they'd wanted a bigger spend, the vouchers should have been valid longer.

VB

mike_the_bike_2

Thought I read that somewhere..My advice as a result of building an extension are that

Wickes are very good for a lot of heavy building materials..but have a limited range, although their cement is 1/2 the price of the builders merchants (unbelievable but true!)

Builders Merchants are good for delivering jumbo bags of sand/ballast (if you don't have a Wickes nearby) and is where you have to get your bricks as Wickes do a very limited range house brick

Builders Merchants are good for stuff you can't get anywhere else but are very expensive if you can get items elsewhere e.g Wall ties are twice the price of Screwfix

I've got a feeling the reason builders merchants get away with it is because Builders can't be bothered to shop around as they just pass material costs onto the customers..

If you have to go to the "toy shop" DIY shops as a general point in my experience B&Q seem to be very competitive and in their favour seem to be the best at giving refunds and exchanges without hassle