Should I support my partner's employer or buy the cheapest?

gloriouslyhappy

If the customer service is great and the markup not too high, then support your local shop, but otherwise, as others have said, shop elsewhere, regardless of your partner's job there. Cheapest isn't always best and the post says they pride themselves on personal service, your partner will tell you if that's correct or not, which will make your decision easier.

Mr_Toad

duchy wrote: »

I think the travel agency business is a good example.

Every town had travel agents both multiple and independent . The good ones would give good and personalised advice. You then made your choice which one you booked with. If anything went wrong you got good help in sorting problems out whether it was a weekend at Butlins or a far away holiday. You were also offered the product that suited you best as agencies sold a wide range of tour operators products.

Fast forward and the multiple travel agencies launched an aggressive campaign for market share, buying smaller chains and successful stand alone agencies and removing choice. Most smaller agencies didn't survive .
Look in your high street today few have independents left.

Now agencies are nothing more than retail outlets for their own in house products. Walk into a Thomas Cook and you will be firmly steered towards their own products even if they have access to a more suitable or better priced product. Staff are disciplined if they sell too many non TC products.

People have moved to booking on the Internet because they find better and less biased advice online. Staff in agencies no longer have travelled to multiple destinations and you'll likely be served by a teenager who instead of offering advice will tell you to look in the brochure.

Some people are happy with this others would prefer to still have the more consultative style but that choice is all but gone.

The electrical goods business is following exactly the same path. Ultimately it leads to less choice for the consumer.

Rubbish. It leads to as much choice as the buyer wants. Buying on-line means you have access to just about every available choice, should you want it.

What on-line shopping does mean is that, rather than go into a shop and sit there listening to advice as to what to buy, you have to do your own research. Once you have decided what's best you order it.

People who are unable or unwilling, for whatever reason, to do this end up with less choice of more expensive items from local sellers and the price they pay reflects this.

Often it is peoples impatience that costs them money. They want it and they want it now rather than wait for it to be delivered.

I've just bought some 12v GU5.3 LED light bulbs for my boat. On Amazon you can pay as much as £11 each or as little as £35 for 10. Or I could go to my local DIY store and pay their eye watering prices for the convenience of not having to wait the 2 days my delivery took.

I bought 10 for for £9.99 plus £3 P&P from an on-line UK seller. I fitted them yesterday and they are excellent so I've just ordered 20 more so I can replace the rest of the older halogen lamps on the boat.

tain

Haggle with them. If they're not willing to haggle, then they're going to go out of business anyway.

JayD

If buying elsewhere is going to !!!!! your conscience and/or worry you badly enough to consider it to be a 'Money Moral Dilemma', then you should buy at your partner's shop. I am sure you will only be saving a few of pounds by shopping elsewhere and your peace of mind is surely worth that.

However, if you are in a financial position where saving a couple of pounds on your electrical purchases (and I doubt there are many in the courses of a year) is very important to you, then of course you should shop around for the best price.

Teacher2

It all depends on whether you can afford to pay extra to support the local store where your partner works. If you can then do so. If not, don't.

Leeward

As there should be no variation between the first and last mass produced electrical item to roll off the production line, the item shouldn't vary from shop to shop. Therefore, choose from the balance of price, service, back-up, delivery etc that you're happy with.
Equally, if your partner's employer's pricing policy is fundamentally flawed, your single purchase will do nothing to prevent the shop closing.
I'd offer the shop manager the opportunity to deal with you but if that doesn't happen, buy elsewhere.
As for jolly ole Guilt, you could treat your partner to a little something with the difference between what you were willing to pay his employer and the price you actually paid for the item.
Everyone's a winner...

Mr_Toad

Leeward wrote: »

As there should be no variation between the first and last mass produced electrical item to roll off the production line, the item shouldn't vary from shop to shop. Therefore, choose from the balance of price, service, back-up, delivery etc that you're happy with.
Equally, if your partner's employer's pricing policy is fundamentally flawed, your single purchase will do nothing to prevent the shop closing.
I'd offer the shop manager the opportunity to deal with you but if that doesn't happen, buy elsewhere.
As for jolly ole Guilt, you could treat your partner to a little something with the difference between what you were willing to pay her (I assume your partner's a Lady!) store and the price you actually paid for the item.
Everyone's a winner...

A very naive view.

It's not the manufacturing price that matters, it's the price the seller negotiates with the supplier. The unit cost for a large national or on-line retailer buying 5000 items will be lower than the unit cost for the retailer who buys only a few.

Then there's the overhead costs of the retailer etc.

We are currently going through a revolution in the way we buy and local shops are having to find new ways to compete or they will inevitably close.

Voyager2002

The key is that they have a business model that is different from the major chains and on-line stores: they provide good, personal service. So it is up to every customer (including you) to decide, for each purchase, whether that level of service is needed or not, and to accept that service is not free. What is not acceptable is to go to a shop like this for advice, then use that advice to buy cheaply over the internet (and in the extreme, come back to the local experts for help using the product purchased cheaply elsewhere).

The most helpful thing that you can do is let your friends and acquaintances know that good service and guidance is available, so that on those occasions that they need it they know where to go. However, when a purchase is straightforward and you don't feel the need for service, there is no sense in paying for it.

pennypinchUK

Sometimes it's not the best policy to buy cheaper - for instance if you need advice on the right product to buy. And how much do you value having a small store that gives personal service that you just can't get online or from the impersonal multiples? I have no problem going to small, often more expensive, stores if it means I save money by buying the right product. If it contributes to keeping your partner in employment, all the better.

Leeward

Mr_Toad wrote: »

A very naive view.

It's not the manufacturing price that matters, it's the price the seller negotiates with the supplier. The unit cost for a large national or on-line retailer buying 5000 items will be lower than the unit cost for the retailer who buys only a few.

Then there's the overhead costs of the retailer etc.

We are currently going through a revolution in the way we buy and local shops are having to find new ways to compete or they will inevitably close.

READ WHAT I SAID before jumping to conclusions...!
As the PRODUCT wont vary, the PRODUCT isn't an issue. All the other factors are!

Therefore its a matter of negotiation between retailer & purchaser to reach an amicable deal for both parties. The shop sets its minimum price, the purchaser sets their maximum price and they discuss other pro's & con's to settle on a deal they're hopefully both happy with.

The purchaser isn't interested in the retailers mark up, profit percentages, its rates bill, purchase price, volume discounts, overdraft interest rate, advertising costs, etc. The purchaser just wants the best deal at the best price, don't we? If the retailer can accommodate, great. If not, oh well, someone else will. That's competition for you.

Oh, I ran a successful multi million retail store for 15yrs so have some idea of the concept. Sales don't have to complicated. Buying stuff can be simple. If we want it to be...