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Author Topic: The end of Maplin ( and Toys 'R us )  (Read 14376 times)

Klunk

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Re: Maplin on the brink
« Reply #25 on: March 01, 2018, 05:44:49 am »

last time i went to maplins for an sla battery.  just 12v 12ah battery for my friends sons scooter. they wanted £35 for the battery. so i went to a motorcycle shop, got the same spec battery for £19. to then top it off , when i went to pay for it, they said there was a sale on these and the second one would be half price. of course i bought it, charged my  friend the £19 for the original battery and a bacon roll for installing it.
unfortunately his son went iver a jump a week later and broke the scooter in half.....so i got the other battery as well!
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Brian60

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Re: The end of Maplin ( and Toys 'R us )
« Reply #26 on: March 01, 2018, 11:26:15 am »

I think part of the problem with Maplin was that a lot of their stock was sourced in China, which in itself wasn't bad - buy it cheap and put a markup on it so that you make a profit.

The problem came with the likes of Ebay and Aliexpress, Banggood etc. People realised they could buy the same stuff that Maplin was selling but at a much cheaper price, albeit with a couple weeks waiting for delivery. For instance I wanted a mosfet a couple weeks back, for the price of just 1 in Maplin, I got a bag of 5 from Banggood, with a 3 week delivery time. OK so I end up with more than I need, but they get filed away for possible future use. Similarly a bag (10) of resistors from Maplin cost more than a bag of 200 from Aliexpress and that bag of 200 was subdivided into 20's so I had a range of resistances.

Certainly online shopping is the death of shops like Maplin, just the same way it has affected the model shops.

terry horton

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Re: The end of Maplin ( and Toys 'R us )
« Reply #27 on: March 01, 2018, 12:00:53 pm »

Went to John Lewis a couple of weeks back to buy some Hooks for our new bathroom..... they didn't have them in stock and the assistant or Associate as they seem to call them these days, ordered them online for me. Basically these stores are turning into showrooms .
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Delboy1958

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Re: The end of Maplin ( and Toys 'R us )
« Reply #28 on: March 01, 2018, 12:09:12 pm »

Hi Guys
Shame to see the end of Maplins but stuff was over priced at least we still have component shop at the shows.
 
Does anyone remember Tandy that used to sell radio shack parts ? that was a great shop.

Derek
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malcolmfrary

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Re: The end of Maplin ( and Toys 'R us )
« Reply #29 on: March 01, 2018, 05:05:13 pm »

After all of the big name high street chains that have vanished over the last few years, I wonder who will be next?  Often, there is a view that "we are too big to fail", but this does get disproved with great regularity.
Maybe start a sweep?  How are Halfords doing?
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Netleyned

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Re: The end of Maplin ( and Toys 'R us )
« Reply #30 on: March 01, 2018, 05:15:33 pm »

Never see more than about three other
customers in Halfords when I visit.
Not the range of car accessories that
were on the shelves a few years back


Ned
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Bob K

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Re: The end of Maplin ( and Toys 'R us )
« Reply #31 on: March 01, 2018, 05:21:21 pm »


Does anyone remember Tandy that used to sell radio shack parts ? that was a great shop.

Derek

I sure do.  My first computer was a Tandy TRS80 Model III.  Cost about the same as good spec desktop does today.
For around £900 extra you could get a 187Kb floppy drive, "unlimited storage" that was then.
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Netleyned

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Re: The end of Maplin ( and Toys 'R us )
« Reply #32 on: March 01, 2018, 05:29:16 pm »

Used Tandy a lot when I was a member
of the Radio Society of Good Buddies 8)
(Radio Amateur)


Ned
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C-3PO

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Re: The end of Maplin ( and Toys 'R us )
« Reply #33 on: March 01, 2018, 05:37:59 pm »

After all of the big name high street chains that have vanished over the last few years, I wonder who will be next?  Often, there is a view that "we are too big to fail", but this does get disproved with great regularity.
Maybe start a sweep?  How are Halfords doing?

W.H.Smith??? _._
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Re: The end of Maplin ( and Toys 'R us )
« Reply #34 on: March 01, 2018, 05:46:09 pm »

W.H.Smith??? _._


Left Grimsby last year.


Ned
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Neil

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Re: The end of Maplin ( and Toys 'R us )
« Reply #35 on: March 01, 2018, 05:49:49 pm »


After all of the big name high street chains that have vanished over the last few years, I wonder who will be next?  Often, there is a view that "we are too big to fail", but this does get disproved with great regularity.
Maybe start a sweep?  How are Halfords doing?


they're as bad pricewise Malcolm..........a 4 kilo tin of polyester filler at crabright in bispham........£11.99 inc vat.............same tin, same make at Halfords at the airport..........£29.99 ex vat..........as for inline spade fuse holders........don#t ask..........need to remortgae for those piddly items..........far rather use the small shops.
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tr7v8

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Re: The end of Maplin ( and Toys 'R us )
« Reply #36 on: March 01, 2018, 06:09:34 pm »


they're as bad pricewise Malcolm..........a 4 kilo tin of polyester filler at crabright in bispham........£11.99 inc vat.............same tin, same make at Halfords at the airport..........£29.99 ex vat..........as for inline spade fuse holders........don#t ask..........need to remortgae for those piddly items..........far rather use the small shops.
Chatham Halfords is always packed. Also open 7 days a week all day which is good. I have a trade card which makes them competitive as well. £54 battery conditioner charger was £40 with trade card.
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Re: The end of Maplin ( and Toys 'R us )
« Reply #37 on: March 01, 2018, 06:20:08 pm »

they were handy for bits needed on a weekend or same day, but couldn't under stand there policy of only holding 2 of each item.

went in to buy a load of caps for motor supression  and got told they only hold 3 of each part. ended up buying of a local shop here for about 100 of them for the price they whey were selling for two .

but saying that, i have in the past got stuff from there that i now use every day.
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Paul2407

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Re: The end of Maplin ( and Toys 'R us )
« Reply #38 on: March 01, 2018, 08:57:28 pm »

I wonder if they are going to start selling off there stuff cheap i've got £150 of vouchers to spend
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Peter Fitness

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Re: Maplin on the brink
« Reply #39 on: March 01, 2018, 09:27:47 pm »

Hi Peter, re Dick Smith, I think was last year that they had a big sell off and I bought rechargeables as they were so cheap and brought them back to the UK.  Gone now as you say just got Jaycar left for electronics which is a lot better than the UK.
regards Roy


Yes Roy, the Dick Smith name was bought by Kogan, and are still operating on line, but I don't know whether they sell electronic components. Jaycar are a good source, and we have a store in the town near us, which is quite handy. However it's hard for them to compete with on-line Chinese sellers, for example, I needed some miniature on/off toggle switches for my railway layout, $3.75 each at Jaycar, under $7 for a packet 10 on-line, including postage. As far as I could tell they were identical.


Peter.
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McGherkin

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Re: The end of Maplin ( and Toys 'R us )
« Reply #40 on: March 01, 2018, 11:11:14 pm »


they're as bad pricewise Malcolm..........a 4 kilo tin of polyester filler at crabright in bispham........£11.99 inc vat.............same tin, same make at Halfords at the airport..........£29.99 ex vat..........as for inline spade fuse holders........don#t ask..........need to remortgae for those piddly items..........far rather use the small shops.

Yeah, I wouldn't be too sad to see the back of Halfrauds. Although having said that, they do make good tools. Or rather, they rebrand good tools as their Halfords Advanced range. And they're generally pretty good with warranty.

However, when for example I can buy bulbs over the counter at somewhere like Euro Car Parts for less than half the price Halfrauds charge, it's the least they can do!
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tigertiger

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Re: The end of Maplin ( and Toys 'R us )
« Reply #41 on: March 02, 2018, 02:59:36 am »

Halfords. Here is a trick my brother used, I am not sure it can still be done.


If you buy tyres, go do Halfords on line, buy your tyres there. This is cheaper than the instore price. You go to the store to get the tyres fitted. Same tyre, same stock, but cheaper. It might also work for other items that need to be fitted.
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Brian60

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Re: The end of Maplin ( and Toys 'R us )
« Reply #42 on: March 02, 2018, 08:45:41 am »

The way to get tyres nowadays Tiger is to use Blackcircles website. Very easy to do and they deliver to a local tyrefitter of your choice and book you an appointment time as well. All you do is turn up at the allotted time, drive in, have them fitted and drive away. Couldn't be simpler.

Last time I got some the tyre fitter told me they get paid for fitting without the hassle of sourcing the tyres and Blackcircles can supply them on average £15 per tyre cheaper than he could.

This to me is the way forward, a symbiotic relationship between online and the traditional high st.

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Re: The end of Maplin ( and Toys 'R us )
« Reply #43 on: March 02, 2018, 10:39:29 am »

That is good to know  :-))
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TheLongBuild

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Re: The end of Maplin ( and Toys 'R us )
« Reply #44 on: March 02, 2018, 01:20:23 pm »

Halfords. Here is a trick my brother used, I am not sure it can still be done.


If you buy tyres, go do Halfords on line, buy your tyres there. This is cheaper than the instore price. You go to the store to get the tyres fitted. Same tyre, same stock, but cheaper. It might also work for other items that need to be fitted.


Same with Kwik Fit

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Re: The end of Maplin ( and Toys 'R us )
« Reply #45 on: March 03, 2018, 12:09:44 am »

something went wrong here sorry probably PEBCAK...
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Neil

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Re: The end of Maplin ( and Toys 'R us )
« Reply #46 on: March 03, 2018, 12:26:51 am »


Halfords. Here is a trick my brother used, I am not sure it can still be done.


If you buy tyres, go do Halfords on line, buy your tyres there. This is cheaper than the instore price. You go to the store to get the tyres fitted. Same tyre, same stock, but cheaper. It might also work for other items that need to be fitted.


you're asking a lot...........lol..


the staff at my local Halfords wouldn't know how to change a pedal cycle tyre, never mind a car tyre,  {-) %% %%
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RAAArtyGunner

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Re: Maplin on the brink
« Reply #47 on: March 03, 2018, 03:27:19 am »

Simple answer to the shops closing.


STOP BUYING ON LINE !!!  Stop being lazy get off your a'#'# and go down and support your local shops and buy from them.

 :o :o Mate it is a bit of a walk for me >>:-( >>:-(
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BrianB6

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Re: The end of Maplin ( and Toys 'R us )
« Reply #48 on: March 03, 2018, 05:46:01 am »

Even to Float a Boat in Melbourne! %%
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tigertiger

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Re: The end of Maplin ( and Toys 'R us )
« Reply #49 on: March 03, 2018, 07:09:28 am »

It is not always possible to shop local. A lot of people on here live in rural areas, out of town. Someone posted above about a 40 mile round trip. The cost of a special trip would be a gallon of gas, plus parking (sometimes) plus half a day of time, maybe lunch or a coffee. Not everyone goes into town every week for shopping either. It is often not a case of being lazy.
I also remember a time, not so long ago, when people were blaming the likes of Maplin, Tandy, Comet, etc. for putting small high-street shops out of business. But the world keeps turning.




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