No More Dixons. Website to Close Today

mystic_trev

Last time i used Dixons online was about three years ago. I needed new white goods and they worked out about 10% cheaper than Currys. Got cash back through Quidco as well:money:

quantic

CLAPTON wrote: »

Of course, it helps that apparently Amazon make no profits in the UK so pay no (very little) UK corporation tax; it's amazing how much business is done in Luxembourg.

I meant more in terms of customer service/satisfaction... PC world is one of the only companies I know of which prices certain items as much as three times more expensive in the stores compared to their own online shop.

Its actually possible to reserve an item online for collection in store, they will go and pick the same item and charge you a different price to those who went in themselves.

Why else would they do this other than to rip off people?

By comparison, Amazon actually emailed me recently because an item I had bought had been reduced after I bought it, 2 days later, so they gave me a refund on the difference, I had not even noticed it had gone down in price!

sheffield_lad

I think a few are waving goodbye to a retailer when only the Dixons name is going. They are also trading a year high lol.

I worked for the group and loved every minute, I also worked for independents and it had nothing to do with the RPI nonsense it cam down to location. Independents are mainly located on the high streets, dying town centres nowhere to park and it costs. Nip onto a retail park, park for free often take the goods home with you as they carried the stock. No brainer.

As for service, I actually don't think it was that bad! Yes we often had complaints from customers who purchased a PC and expected the instruction book to tell them how to use it, sadly just like a car manual won't teach you to drive its not going to give you the information you need to email etc. Similar I remember having to change the colour/contrast etc of several tv's showing the customer how it worked etc, yet saw customers in supermarkets put it in a trolley all from the description on the box so don't tell me the service wasn't that good.

sheffield_lad

quantic wrote: »

I Its actually possible to reserve an item online for collection in store, they will go and pick the same item and charge you a different price to those who went in themselves.

Why else would they do this other than to rip off people?

!

Errm maybe its more expensive to employ staff and rent shops on retail parks so they need higher margins?

DOH!! lol

Graham_Devon

Trip down memory lane...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2SWx-dkTrA

Ahh, floppy disk slotted into a keyboard....good old days!

A._Badger

howee wrote: »

I think a few are waving goodbye to a retailer when only the Dixons name is going. They are also trading a year high lol.

I worked for the group and loved every minute, I also worked for independents and it had nothing to do with the RPI nonsense it cam down to location. Independents are mainly located on the high streets, dying town centres nowhere to park and it costs. Nip onto a retail park, park for free often take the goods home with you as they carried the stock. No brainer.

I suspect you are conflating Dixons, the store, with DSG - even if you did work for them!

Dixons was originally in the high st along with the independents. Other DSG stores pioneered the shed model and left Dixons behind. DSG tried moving the brand to retail parks but, clearly, it hasn't worked for them.

sheffield_lad

Badg, yes sorry I never think of Dixons the shop always the group PCW & Curry's.

Just thinking back to my days there circa 1996-2004 and there WAS a need for a seperate PCW and Currys. You should have seen what ££££ the bigger PCW stores took it was a massive amount compared with the simmilar size Currys and at the time when PC expertise was limited the geeks often did shop in PCW they had the range to fill a shed not just a corner of one.

Those were also the start of the boom times I think it was 1996 when the group smashed targets as the building societies changed to banks and folk walked into Curry's with £1k cheques from the likes of the Halifax. It was like taking candy from a baby lol. Same with selling PPI back then we were commissioned to sell it £2 per agreement if I recall, most didn't care if they had it or not as most agreements had the 'option' to settle interest free but may never bothered settling and paid the interest over 48mths kerching for the salesmen on good commison, DSG and the finance houses. Happy days lol

quantic

howee wrote: »

Errm maybe its more expensive to employ staff and rent shops on retail parks so they need higher margins?

DOH!! lol

Ah so thats why it cost me more to buy an iphone in the apple store... oh wait.

Their online prices are more expensive than other shops INSTORE prices... they must be incredibly inefficient.

sheffield_lad

quantic wrote: »

Ah so thats why it cost me more to buy an iphone in the apple store... oh wait.

Their online prices are more expensive than other shops INSTORE prices... they must be incredibly inefficient.

Maybe I have sentiment for them as I worked there for 12yrs but here is my take, I walked into one of the new re designed stores today. The place looked fantastic, plenty of staff and on the opposite side of the park stood an empty Best Buy who were 'supposed' to show the Brit's how electrical retailing is done lol. Their mistake was giving DSG a 3yr start by letting them know they were coming over. DSG saw the threat and have improved the stores layout, product mix, and staff.

A store of that size could not run on low margin web prices alone & they need too sell warranties, add on's etc to survive. Your comparison with apple is really apples and pears as apple subsidise the stores for a brand presence which given DSG don't have products in their own name is not needed.

I suspect Dixons/DSG/Currys/PCW to be around in one form or another for a lot longer than apple will grace us with their shops. Time will tell.

grizzly1911

Over the last couple of years I have brought a few small domestic appliances at Dixons on line. Branded items at prices that undercut other online offerings. products arrived as promised.

I agree that the DSG were/are dreadful shops - particularly customer service and dealing with faults. They always tried to shift the blame or avoid responsibility. Even in the 80s they use to have "guarantees" based on price, the length of which increased (from next to nothing) as the price increased.

If all the sheds go where will be able to go and browse products prior to purchase elsewhere?

Interesting how the likes of John Lewis own brands seem to have seem to be doing well. Free delivery/click & collect and excellent (IMO) care no doubt.