Retailer rant!

[Petrol Pete]

Been to KFC once or twice , never seen the beardy old bloke in the white suit in there. Never been into any one of Jamie Oliver's 367 restaurants....mainly because there would be a one in 367 chance of bumping into the irritating Twot.

That's a chance I am not willing to take.

 

[Petrol Pete]

The number of times I've been in Morrison's and I've never seen him once. Maybe he's out driving a van.

Best thing for him, I reckon, miserable git that he is - and I speak from first hand experience.

Leave him alone , don't you know his girlfriend is in a coma ? Has been for about 33 years now...

 

[Deleted member 37751]

Agree, you just feel like shaking them and saying “Wake up!”

The sales culture in any company will always come from the top yet it’s the poor sap on the shop floor earning £22k a year that gets it in the neck.

I’ve found the biggest problem with massive corporations such as Curry’s is that they are so vast that there’s no one really to take account for things like sales training and having a corporate vision; it’s the type of place where **** lickers become middle management (even more than usual!) and those with enterprise are sidelined to such an extent that they become disillusioned and leave thus leaving useless managers and disincentivized shop floor staff. Throw in a distant - both literally and figuratively - head office and you’ve got the perfect recipe for administration.

There will be a massive collapse at some point in the near future for definite though because, at certain sketchy moments, there’ll be an acquisition which can help muffle the P & L for a little while longer and the parent company essentially becomes a turnover business and not a profit business.

 

[baxlin]

Our experience of Curry’s was a bit better. OK, we’d had a look in the shop, and chosen what we wanted, but they only had the display unit, so we couldn’t buy there (we didn’t want to anyway!)

Went home, and ordered online from Curry’s, via TopCashBack website, to collect later that day at the next closest store - only a couple of miles or so further away than the first one - we live in a small town.

The collection instructions were very clear, park in a designated space outside, text that we were there, giving car reg number and colour.

A couple of minutes later I received a text telling us to open the car boot, and a young lad came out with the item in a sealed box, which he carefully put in the boot, and left us to it. No contact at all.

And I couldn’t find a new unit cheaper online elsewhere, so I’m happy with the outcome.

 

[glojo]

Reading this thread I get the impression that more and more of our shops are becoming 'dead men walking' Yes, for a while we might still want to buy our foodstuffs from some type of shop, but is that even changing? There are exceptions that might make the rule but looking at our high street, oh how it has changed.

 

[Darrell]

The collection instructions were very clear, park in a designated space outside, text that we were there, giving car reg number and colour.

A couple of minutes later I received a text telling us to open the car boot, and a young lad came out with the item in a sealed box, which he carefully put in the boot, and left us to it. No contact at all.

Shopping heaven!

 

[Darrell]

Reading this thread I get the impression that more and more of our shops are becoming 'dead men walking' Yes, for a while we might still want to buy our foodstuffs from some type of shop, but is that even changing? There are exceptions that might make the rule but looking at our high street, oh how it has changed.

I wonder if the little independent high st retailers like the butcher, fishmonger, draper etc said the same when the big supermarkets opened up on retail parks. One big shop selling everything meaning those small shops were dead in the water.

 

[ChrisHGTV]

I wonder if the little independent high st retailers like the butcher, fishmonger, draper etc said the same when the big supermarkets opened up on retail parks. One big shop selling everything meaning those small shops were dead in the water.

I think if the little independents can get the "Value added" part right - with providing expertise/advice backed up by good customer service i think they could make a comeback. But it would really depend on what they're selling. Anything you can buy succesfully without any support or seeing the thing in the flesh or highly perishable i can only see going online. Maybe the high street will become dominated by Patisseries, HiFi shops and artisan coffee roasters! That's my Sundays right there!

 

[ChrisHGTV]

I wonder if the little independent high st retailers like the butcher, fishmonger, draper etc said the same when the big supermarkets opened up on retail parks. One big shop selling everything meaning those small shops were dead in the water.

Actually good point on butchers. The butchers we go to which is insanely good (Conisbees in East Horsley) has been going since 1760 and seems like it is still a thriving business. And interestingly they are proper old school with the customer service and knowledge, even from the younger folk working there. They greet their regular customers by name, they remember what you normally buy (8 chicken breasts in "two's and two partridge in my case). Plus the quality is great. A good recipe, pardon the pun.

 

[Ted]

I’ve found the biggest problem with massive corporations such as Curry’s is that they are so vast that there’s no one really to take account for things like sales training and having a corporate vision; it’s the type of place where **** lickers become middle management (even more than usual!) and those with enterprise are sidelined to such an extent that they become disillusioned and leave thus leaving useless managers and disincentivized shop floor staff.

This is SO true. Yet I can’t understand why nobody seems to see it unless it is the emperor’s new clothes.

 

[flying haggis]

A bit like Mill Hill Circus. A right con, never seen a single bloody elephant there!!

thats cause they are on the other side of the river by the castle

 

[rf065]

Talking of Curry's, the wife wanted a new laptop, they had one that looked just the job at a fair price.
As we were in Tier 4 lockdown and not supposed to travel, she went to order on line.
Half way throught the process their site told her they cannot deliver that particular laptop, it had to be picked up in store.
So her business went elsewhere instead.

 

[Darrell]

Talking of Curry's, the wife wanted a new laptop, they had one that looked just the job at a fair price.
As we were in Tier 4 lockdown and not supposed to travel, she went to order on line.
Half way throught the process their site told her they cannot deliver that particular laptop, it had to be picked up in store.
So her business went elsewhere instead.

And they wonder why they are struggling!!

 

[Deleted member 37751]

This is SO true. Yet I can’t understand why nobody seems to see it unless it is the emperor’s new clothes.

In short, it’ll never be fixed, no-one wants to be the one to say things aren’t working, they’ll all be sat about at meetings patting theirselves on the back.

This will see them go under, loads of jobs will be lost, there’ll be statements like “due to challenging trading circumstances” and someone else will grow to take their place.