B & Q to vastly reduce over 60s discount

Started by Newportnobby, August 22, 2018, 09:24:30 PM

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Izzy


To get back on track - ouch - I do wonder with todays news that Homebase might go into administration whether they believe there isn't any real competition at present. There is Wickes/Focus, which I prefer (along with Homebase) for what bits they do, and a lot of the newer discount stores do quite a bit of basic DIY stuff, but they don't mostly do the same wide range of goods, when you can get them.

Having had experience of Bunnings in Australia - like a superior B&Q in terms of range of goods available to my mind - I must express surprise with the mess they made of Homebase. But then I am not sure there is any real competition to Bunnings, well not in the areas of Sydney I have stayed over the years. Perhaps it's different in Australia as a whole. 

Oh sorry - I've taken it off-topic again.........ahem.....

cheers,

Izzy

Railwaygun

Quote from: daveg on August 31, 2018, 09:22:59 AM
Quote from: ntpntpntp on August 22, 2018, 09:55:17 PM
We lost our Our B&Q, it closed and the site became a Bunnings (and the old Homebase site became a bargain store), and is now a Homebase. Ho-hum.   It's still full of expensive barbies that no-none wanted.  Bunnings really got their target demographic wrong where we are.

Still wish we could have a B&Q back.

Homebase perhaps at risk again as they try and negotiate lower rents for their non-profitable sheds.

Dave G
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Newportnobby

Many of the Homebase 'sheds' in this area disappeared and their premises were occupied by 'The Range'

ntpntpntp

Quote from: Newportnobby on August 31, 2018, 03:19:23 PM
Many of the Homebase 'sheds' in this area disappeared and their premises were occupied by 'The Range'
Not really a fan of The Range - they have some useful stuff but too much naff tatt for my taste, (all that "love my home" type stuff!) However the boxes of broken choccy biccies are good!
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Newportnobby

Quote from: ntpntpntp on August 31, 2018, 05:38:14 PM

Not really a fan of The Range - they have some useful stuff but too much naff tatt for my taste

But their 'naff tatt' was the source of the 2 shaving mirrors I use to see into my fiddle yards :D
Some tatt has its uses

The Q

Well homebase, seems to have been rescued however with the loss of 42 stores, I think their problem is being a DIY chain that concentrated on pretty stuff not real DIY.

Bunnings took over and converted our nearest store,  but I saw no advertising in our area of the change., so they lost their previous buyers of pretty stuff, without gaining genuine DIYers .
I see The Range as a pretty stuff store usefull for nothing.

DIY chains are feeling the squeeze, because  builders merchants now will take any punter,  whereas before they used to discourage non trade.
Wickes /focus are part of the Travis Perkins builders merchant chains,  I could see the stores merge at some point.
Similarly  I could see screwfix joining BQ in some stores.  As they are both owned by kingfisher. I know  I recently bought some boxes of screws recently  in BQ labeled Screwfix.

Bealman

#66
There's a Bunnings in my home town, but there is also a store which is part of a chain called the Hardware Man which is just around the corner from Chez Bealman. It's a lot smaller but the service is much better and it's very convenient.
Vision over visibility. Bono, U2.

daveg

I guess the news is nothing but good for those working at Homebase but it's tough for folk who may lose their job by the announced closures.

Our local Homebase is a tatty looking place. Bunnings had it filled with huge tool chests and trolleys priced at hundreds, way beyond what the average DIY-er would need. More a Machine Mart type product really.

Worcester has several timber yards that now supply and will deliver to us humble home owners. Their products are often far superior to that which is on the racks at the DIY sheds. Perhaps it's because they know how to look after the stock rather than just put the stuff out on display.

I'll opt for Screwfix over B&Q mainly due to knowledgeable staff and pricing. Hope they keep separate!

Dave G

trkilliman

Some while back Homebase gave this as a reason for closing stores.

They said that the younger people in society were much less likely to take on DIY, as they have not accrued the skills as previous generations did. They said that many younger people tended to get in a tradesperson to carry out work, including decorating, and they sourced their materials from a builders merchant at discounted price.

I can see this as a career change later in life had me teaching woodwork to teenagers. (I had trained as a carpenter after leaving school) My young students had not been taught woodwork/metalwork during school as these subjects had been dropped, just as they had dropped the old Home economics/cookery in many schools(we now have health problems due to ready meals and high salt/sugar content)  Who are the bod's who give such educational/curriculum advice?

It was an uphill struggle with the woodwork, as they could recognise a hammer and a saw and little else. They had never been shown so just did not know.  It's not the whole story with Homebase though, they are/were damned expensive with many items as are B&Q. Just my two pennyworth.

Bealman

Interesting! Here in Oz, in high schools there was a most definite intake of kids doing those subjects during my career.

I didn't get too many signing up for Physics!
Vision over visibility. Bono, U2.

njee20

Many schools here still teach DT type subjects like electronics, woodwork etc. It was made optional by Labour in 2004. Prior to this it was a requirement at GCSE.

Homebase is just too expensive IMO. It's up against the likes of Wickes, which is so much cheaper. Ok Wickes is marginally more 'trade' focused, you need to know what you want, but Homebase is hardly somewhere to go for a browse, so it's oretty moot!

guest311

for more years than I care to list I have been loyal to Do it all / Focus / Wickes.

name changes, but staff [helpfull, friendly / knowledgable in my local store] seem to remain the same.
local old style family timber merchant who cut to order closed many years ago, when B & Q opened, so only reason to go to  B & Q was to get sheets cut,  anything else was Wickes.




njee20

Champion Timber for wood for me, vastly superior to anything from the big 'sheds', otherwise Wickes or Amazon, unless I'm in a hurry then Homebase must suffice!

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