30 big W stores to close.

[bob10]

Big W to axe 30 stores but experts predict more to come (https://thenewdaily.com.au/money/finance-news/2019/04/01/woolworths-big-w-closures/?utm_source=Adestra&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=PM%20Update%2020190401)

[rick130]

A friend manages a chain health food store.
She was told the store is closing in early May.
"It's not your stores performance or figures, but the shopping centre isn't updating, rents are going up and we're consolidating"
An investment company bought the chain from the original family several years ago.

Retail is hemorrhaging.

[rick130]

And Big W may affect the business I'm in, the company I work for has the contract for a lot of the east coast NSW stores and we get called into some SE Qld ones too to sort issues

[Saitch]

This must be why what was a proposed Woolies site at Narangba is no longer a Woolies site!

[scarry]

I read in the Australian a couple of months ago,60 Big W stores were going.

As Rick said,the retail sector is in trouble.

Times are changing.

[jonesfam]

If you are good enough you will survive & thrive.
They all complain about On-line stores stealing their business.
Try using their on-line stores, slow, difficult to use, clunky & just plain painful.
The big box retails have rested on their laurels for years gobbling up all the small blokes.
If they actually gave the customer what they wanted & served them instead of expecting them to serve themselves, then maybe?
Jonesfam

[rick130]

Wages stagnation and rent stress doesn't help either, it eats into disposable income.
A lot have no disposable income anymore.
Wages in the regions are significantly lower than the city's but rents are continuing to climb even as housing prices stabilise or fall?

[DiscoMick]

Yes, and household debt is rising too. But profits are rising.

[rick130]

Yep.
People are shocked I took a 20% wage cut moving to where I am, but that's the difference between the regions and city, yet I'm paying the same in rent!!??

[Saulman1010]

Here's the thing tho...
I rarely purchase anything over $100 on line. Would much rather order from OZ and be able have someone to talk to if things go wrong.
I always buy local where I can but use the interweb to compare and research what I want.
I use 'pick and collect' often.
But, I've noticed the shops are rarely open when I want to shop. A major shopping centre near me was closed at 5pm weekdays. Same on weekends.
Dont tell me retail is struggling when the stores aren't bloody open.

[CraigE]

Including the massive distribution centre at Monarto near Murray Bridge my home town. Will be devastating for the area with huge unemployment as it is. Hopefully a major transport chain might purchase the facility.

[Eevo]

But, I've noticed the shops are rarely open when I want to shop. A major shopping centre near me was closed at 5pm weekdays. Same on weekends.
Dont tell me retail is struggling when the stores aren't bloody open.


bingo.
i work 9-5.
shops open 9-5
shops upset i dont shop there.

[rick130]

Big W do extended hours, definitely earlier than 9 (managers are in there at 6:30) and do later than standard centre finishes. All the small shops close at 5:30 in the centres I do work in, the big chains are open later.

[Bigbjorn]

Wages in the regions are significantly lower than the city's but rents are continuing to climb even as housing prices stabilise or fall?

And this is the principal reason why regional unemployed don't want to do farm work and why we have to import slave labour from the Pacific Islands. Much harvest work is piece work, not wages, is often hot, dirty, physically demanding and pays a pittance. If farmers would pay a fair award wage with award conditions they would not have so much trouble attracting local labour.

[4bee]

If you are good enough you will survive & thrive.
They all complain about On-line stores stealing their business.
Try using their on-line stores, slow, difficult to use, clunky & just plain painful.
The big box retails have rested on their laurels for years gobbling up all the small blokes.
If they actually gave the customer what they wanted & served them instead of expecting them to serve themselves, then maybe?
Jonesfam

One of the biggest bastard ideas they use is their own internal website Email System to send them a message.

You fill in all the required boxes, press submit & bugger all happens. Sending an ordinary e-mail (assuming they supply an E- Address) seems to get ignored also. If they can & want to sell online, then why go to the trouble of setting this sort of **** up? Not monitored??:rulez:

[4bee]

Including the massive distribution centre at Monarto near Murray Bridge my home town. Will be devastating for the area with huge unemployment as it is. Hopefully a major transport chain might purchase the facility.



Hopefully a major transport chain might purchase the facility.


Or Big W will lease it to them to retrieve some income & in the hope things will improve, but they shouldn't hold their breath for that to occur.[bighmmm]

[Tote]

It's interesting to note that in the US they offer two day shipping as an option for some companies. I have ordered some widgets on two day delivery that are now going to be three days before they arrive. This is not because the transport logistics do not exist to make it a two day delivery, its because they did not ship the goods before it was necessary to meet the two day timetable.
Another example of enterprise exploring how far they can push their customers to gain a profit. (OMG I'M sounding like discomick[smilebigeye])


Regards
Tote

[4bee]

Another example of enterprise exploring how far they can push their customers to gain a profit.



Sorry, but where does the extra profit come from, does a 3 day delivery cost more for some reason or did you pay extra for two day but got three?

Most places state that "providing the [B]order is in before a certain time it will make that delivery" or words to that effect. It doesn't usually say "shipped by".

Trouble is they have probably got your dosh by now.

It might pay to look at the conditions of sales & take it up with them if you believe you may have been done.

[bob10]

Another example of enterprise exploring how far they can push their customers to gain a profit. (OMG I'M sounding like discomick[smilebigeye])


Regards
Tote

Perhaps we shouldn't shoot the messenger .

[Tote]

Yep, should have explained, extra $$ for expedited delivery which really amounted to only delaying the order by a day instead of 3 at dispatch. With order tracking it is pretty easy to see where the delay is.
Same model that Australia post use, there is only one delivery system through which parcels move at a speed determined by logistics. Non express parcels are moved at the default speed, everything else sits in a warehouse to generate a delay which customers can pay to remove.
In this instance there were 3 levels of shipping, free, $17 for 2 day and $50 for overnight.

Regards,
Tote

[DiscoMick]

It's interesting to note that in the US they offer two day shipping as an option for some companies. I have ordered some widgets on two day delivery that are now going to be three days before they arrive. This is not because the transport logistics do not exist to make it a two day delivery, its because they did not ship the goods before it was necessary to meet the two day timetable.
Another example of enterprise exploring how far they can push their customers to gain a profit. (OMG I'M sounding like discomick[smilebigeye])


Regards
ToteHow did I get dragged into this? "I didn't do it, you can't prove a thing."

[4bee]

Just your lucky day, Mick. [biggrin]

[4bee]

Yep, should have explained, extra $$ for expedited delivery which really amounted to only delaying the order by a day instead of 3 at dispatch. With order tracking it is pretty easy to see where the delay is.
Same model that Australia post use, there is only one delivery system through which parcels move at a speed determined by logistics. Non express parcels are moved at the default speed, everything else sits in a warehouse to generate a delay which customers can pay to remove.
In this instance there were 3 levels of shipping, free, $17 for 2 day and $50 for overnight.

Regards,
Tote

Changing course a bit, I very often, suspect the low item price that attracts you in the first instance is made up for by excess postage & freight charges & the supplier gets a backhander from the delivery "service". Garn, prove me wrong.

Shonky as a ****house rat? You bet.

[3toes]

I was booking a hire car in Australia. First obtained a price from the firm I use on a regular basis. Then had a look on the internet for the competitions prices. These were half the price of what my regular company had quoted. Truth came out when you clicked through to book and the price doubled due to various mandatory fees and supplements that were not disclosed. When these were added in to reach the actual price my usual company were cheaper.

[CU55TM Disco]

I dunno whats up with this country, maybe the good ol' Aussie "shell be right" attidude has gotten us into some strife. I dunno. its a concern for everyones future tho.

Its all a viscious circle tho, retail is a **** game, and people are tight-arses (myself included) however, retail outlets need to remember that "U cant sell it if its not on the shelf" but how much can one store actually keep on the shelf?

There is very little to zero sales skill anymore, its easier to slash the price to undercut the competitor, than to actively SELL something.

Whilst the stores are probably still making a profit, they arent making the required 16% ROI that investors are demanding, and so they get the chop. Unfair, greedy etc etc.

Why should I pay MORE at a physical retail outlet for the same product that I can buy online and have DELIVERED to my door for the same/less price. I have to wait for it to turn up wether I order online or at the shop. AND, after ive done all the legwork/research and worked out which product/part I require.

Big W was one of the few stores left that wasnt full of CHinese crappy knock off junk, there was still name brand items on the shelf! If any storse should go, it should be K-Mart, what an absolute Poop-Hole Dollar-store those have turned into...

[DiscoMick]

I agree tight-arse consumers demanding everything be dirt cheap are part of the problem. For example, a friend refused to pay more than $30 for a collapsible kettle and asked us to look for a bargain at the 4WD Show. They were about $50 there, depending on size. Yesterday in Anaconda they were either $50 or $60 depending on size. We'd pay it, but she won't. Seriously?

[Eevo]

its a kettle. a very simple heating element with a jar on top.
$20 is too much

[DiscoMick]

It's collapsible, so it's more complicated and expensive than a normal kettle. Also, the cheap ones develop leaks and spray people with hot water, which is a problem.

[Eevo]

$25 then

[4bee]

A Refrigeration crowd I once worked for had a quotation folder with a saying printed inside the cover. I always thought it be quite true & if i can still recall it it went something like this.......................

It said something about "buying too cheap & if you do then you have to add a value for the risk you run & by then you will have enough to buy quality"

Seems fair, ".pay **** you get ****"[bighmmm]



Re above post #28. When you are sitting in A&E waiting treatment for scalding & scarring, a few bucks isn't going to seem a lot of money & I bet they wish they would have had spent it.

[Eevo]

i think your missing my point.
stuff in Australia is overpriced.

[Bigbjorn]

i think your missing my point.
stuff in Australia is overpriced.

I fully agree. I imported engineer's tools and machine shop supplies for nearly 20 years. I could purchase US made taps and dies and profitably sell the same brand items for sometimes 30 to 40% of the prices asked by my principal competitor. Sheer greed. A horrible example is the time I bought some aftermarket Land Rover accessories from the USA. These were made in Australia and I bought them in the USA and had them air-mailed here and landed cost was less than 2/3 the Oz selling price.

[4bee]

Just another thing that ****es me of is how a Supermarket is aware of another competitor opening in the same town & has had months of notice. Do they lift their game? Not on your nelly. The staff are still uncaring, inept, stock availability doesn't improve, yada yada yada.


Then they wonder why they need to close their doors after the new joint opens..

[LRJim]

$25 then
Popup Billy Kettle 0.8L | Snowys Outdoors (https://www.snowys.com.au/pop-up-billy-kettle-08l?c=Grey&gclid=CjwKCAjwhbHlBRAMEiwAoDA34yOxI8gV8ugD93_EFH4B LmOpifUobqJNLFXhkEcKSVsk8fnZ9dG2OBoCzegQAvD_BwE&AcceptsCookies=yes)

[Eevo]

Popup Billy Kettle 0.8L | Snowys Outdoors (https://www.snowys.com.au/pop-up-billy-kettle-08l?c=Grey&gclid=CjwKCAjwhbHlBRAMEiwAoDA34yOxI8gV8ugD93_EFH4B LmOpifUobqJNLFXhkEcKSVsk8fnZ9dG2OBoCzegQAvD_BwE&AcceptsCookies=yes)

dammm tempting

[4bee]

Go on Eevo, you know you want to.[smilebigeye]

[4bee]

Here it is in it's full text & attributed to John Ruskin. (I knew i was in good company [biggrin])

https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/236559-it-s-unwise-to-pay-too-much-but-it-s-worse-to


We were/are great thinkers.:Rolling:
(https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/236559-it-s-unwise-to-pay-too-much-but-it-s-worse-to)

[DiscoMick]

dammm temptingCompanion Pop Up Kettle | BCF (https://www.bcf.com.au/p/companion-pop-up-kettle/368882.html)

[DiscoMick]

Companion Popup 240V 800 ml Kettle Blue (https://www.anacondastores.com/camping-hiking/camp-cooking/cookware-utensils/companion-popup-240v-800-ml-kettle-blue/BP90099926)

[DiscoMick]

https://www.ebay.com.au/b/Camping-Kettles/181384/bn_10581932

That enough ads?