B & Q to vastly reduce over 60s discount

Newportnobby · August 22, 2018, 09:24:30 PM

I took my Mum to B & Q today and was informed next Weds is the last Weds that 10% off everything for the over 60s will be allowed. After that, it's only 10% off gardening stuff. I saw on the news late last week that their profits were up by 5%. Personally I think they'll regret this as their car park is always rammed on Wednesdays so their trade is good and their café does good business too.
TBH I never see folks buying much gardening stuff in there as proper garden centres with decent cafés seem to be much preferred.
We shall see

ntpntpntp · 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.

PLD · August 22, 2018, 10:14:55 PM

There is a growing school of thought that all such age-based discrimination should be ended...

If you can have "10% off for over 60s on Wednesdays", why isn't there "10% off for under 40s on Thursdays" etc??

B&Q are one of the few left that have an age based scheme - most others who previously offered them have shifted to 'membership' schemes open to all regardless of ages.

acook · August 22, 2018, 10:32:47 PM

Probably realised I will be 60 in November and was looking forward to a discount.
Still be another 6 years to wait for the bus pass to get there.
"£$%^&* typical.

Alan

Paul-H · August 22, 2018, 10:49:04 PM

Only 2 weeks till I am 60 so now only got the free prescriptions to look forward to now

Paul

Ian Morton · August 22, 2018, 10:51:37 PM

Obviously there were just too many pensioners building model railway layouts

Bealman · August 23, 2018, 12:05:31 AM

I have an Australian seniors card which actually isn't too bad. It gets me cheap bus fares and even got me a discount into Minatur Wunderland, Hamburg!

However to get cheap medicine, etc I have to apply for a pension. Having held a reasonably paid job, it won't amount to much, but still worth doing for the medical.

However, as I commented to NewportNobby recently, the application form is 27 pages long! So I am currently living on my super.

Phoenix · August 23, 2018, 12:25:48 AM

Bugger ......

Was 60 nine days ago and started a shopping list

Philip. · August 23, 2018, 07:59:53 AM

Shame, my wife gets all her DIY tools from B&Q

Bealman · August 23, 2018, 08:14:28 AM

dannyboy · August 23, 2018, 08:20:46 AM

Here in Ireland we have a DIY chain that gives 10% discount on anything, that is not on special offer, to over 60s on a Thursday - hope they are not reading this! Having said that, the local hardware shop does sell stuff at prices which can be cheaper even taking the discount into account.

Bealman · August 23, 2018, 08:24:53 AM

Having just turned 66, all these discounts wouldn't be much use.... I'm scared of power tools these days

The Q · August 23, 2018, 08:28:53 AM

Typical, I've only had the old gits card for 9 months, and I use BQ a lot (£300 in the last couple of weeks)... I suspect it will be standing room only next Wednesday.
Before that I was on their normal card for which they do send you an email voucher each time you spend. Often it is 10% but:
A, there is the faff of printing it and bringing it with you to be scanned,
B, it's say £5 off 50 pound spend, so every penny you spend over the £50 is a reduction in discount.

daffy · August 23, 2018, 08:32:59 AM

This change will maybe be a retrograde step for B&Q, but much of what they sell can be found at the sister company, Screwfix, which primarily targets the Trade buyer. Trouble is some, but by no means all, items are sold at Screwfix in packs rather than as individual items, or in larger sizes, say 5 litres rather than 500 mls.
All in all I have found Screwfix prices are frequently less (but not always) than those at B&Q for identical items even after the 10% Wednesday discount had been applied.
Biggest annoyance will be with the stuff Screwfix doesn't sell, particularly wood and main brand paints like Dulux, Crown and Valspar.

The Q · August 23, 2018, 08:44:23 AM

Screwfix are cheaper for the small Items, but I found for the larger items like, say decking they are more expensive than BQ.
Meanwhile at Screwfix they've dropped their own brand Stainless screws in favour of expensive one from Spax.
So I tried toolstation, a company started by the same people that created Screwfix,. That was two years after they sold ScrewFix to Kingfisher.
They, Toolstation, have stores in many towns and are as good if not better than Screwfix.
Tuesday night I ordered more stainless screws from Toolstation and a big bundle of wet and dry sandpaper at about 20:00, they were delivered Wednesday by 15:00!!!