buctootim Posted 9 November, 2011 Share Posted 9 November, 2011 (edited) Only took online retailing maybe 10 years to turn Comet from probably the biggest electricals retailer in the country in to one you can buy for £2 - less than the price of their cheapest products. Where will I go now to check out goods in the flesh before buying cheaper online? http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-15650763 Edited 9 November, 2011 by buctootim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pap Posted 9 November, 2011 Share Posted 9 November, 2011 I used to work at Comet, selling computers in the late 90s. Like many electrical retailers, their main reason for existence was actually selling insurance. I gave it up because my colleagues were sharks, my manager was a **** and the customers were basically treated like potential victims. Got a bar job to supplement the rest of my Uni education. Made a lot less money, but had a lot more fun and a lot less stress. As for online vs physical store presence, I'll stick my neck out. There are very few things that you need to buy in person these days. Food, furniture and clothes. That's it, really. For anything that is mass produced, there is practically no advantage to going to the shop over looking at some trusted product reviews online. I would expect most of these shops to be gone in the next ten years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bridge too far Posted 9 November, 2011 Share Posted 9 November, 2011 My daughter's experience (as a Deputy Store Manager) of Comet was that they were a dreadful company to work for, with a bullying ethos. Fortunately, my daughter (with my help) took them to an industrial tribunal. They settled in her favour before the case was heard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Cat Posted 9 November, 2011 Share Posted 9 November, 2011 Best Buy are closing down their UK operation too. http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2011/nov/07/best-buy-uk-five-reasons-it-failed What with the amount of online sites now it seems a bit of a waste of time to haul huge electrical appliances into a massive warehouse sized shop to sell them and paying staff to do it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Special K Posted 9 November, 2011 Share Posted 9 November, 2011 I used to work at Comet, selling computers in the late 90s. Like many electrical retailers, their main reason for existence was actually selling insurance. I gave it up because my colleagues were sharks, my manager was a **** and the customers were basically treated like potential victims. Got a bar job to supplement the rest of my Uni education. Made a lot less money, but had a lot more fun and a lot less stress. As for online vs physical store presence, I'll stick my neck out. There are very few things that you need to buy in person these days. Food, furniture and clothes. That's it, really. For anything that is mass produced, there is practically no advantage to going to the shop over looking at some trusted product reviews online. I would expect most of these shops to be gone in the next ten years. If true, it will leave many an unpleasant sight - vacant, decaying out of town shopping areas that were hardly aesthetically valid in the first place. Personally, i have always found shopping in these types of stores a pretty miserable experience, so your post confirms my suspicions, especially about those awful warranty agreements. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pap Posted 9 November, 2011 Share Posted 9 November, 2011 If true, it will leave many an unpleasant sight - vacant, decaying out of town shopping areas that were hardly aesthetically valid in the first place. You may well be right, but you've no right to be It'll probably go the way you say, but if we were smart about it, we'd knock it down and put some housing there. Personally, i have always found shopping in these types of stores a pretty miserable experience, so your post confirms my suspicions, especially about those awful warranty agreements. Yeah, I moved £11.5K worth of machines in one week, and got a bollocking because I'd only done about £500 worth of guarantees. When you join, they make it very clear that the G ( industry term for extended warranty ) was effectively "pure profit". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ecuk268 Posted 9 November, 2011 Share Posted 9 November, 2011 Bit of a revolution when they first opened at Eastleigh in the mid 70s. No other retailer had such a range at such competitive prices. Unfortunately, when they got absorbed into Currys, PC World etc they became box shifters and they dropped the high-quality brands. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pancake Posted 9 November, 2011 Share Posted 9 November, 2011 Unfortunately, when they got absorbed into Currys, PC World etc they became box shifters and they dropped the high-quality brands. Dixons isnt Comet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pedg Posted 9 November, 2011 Share Posted 9 November, 2011 Currys and PC world apparently not doing too well either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trousers Posted 9 November, 2011 Share Posted 9 November, 2011 Stopped going to Comet years ago. Dreadful customer service. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pedro Posted 9 November, 2011 Share Posted 9 November, 2011 John Lewis every time, customer service excellent, no hassle *****il someone on here says differently) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bridge too far Posted 9 November, 2011 Share Posted 9 November, 2011 Luckily for us, we have an excellent local electrical retailer in my town. For example, a rack has just broken on my dishwasher. Technically it's out of warranty (just over a year old) but when I asked the shop if they could get a replacement rack for me, they said 'leave it to us, it won't cost you anything'. When we bought the machine there was no charge for delivery, disposal of the old machine, or installation (even though the installation necessitated cutting through the side of a cabinet that had been installed around the old machine) and the price was very competitive Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pap Posted 9 November, 2011 Share Posted 9 November, 2011 Luckily for us, we have an excellent local electrical retailer in my town. For example, a rack has just broken on my dishwasher. Technically it's out of warranty (just over a year old) but when I asked the shop if they could get a replacement rack for me, they said 'leave it to us, it won't cost you anything'. When we bought the machine there was no charge for delivery, disposal of the old machine, or installation (even though the installation necessitated cutting through the side of a cabinet that had been installed around the old machine) and the price was very competitive That's the sort of place that it's worth going to. It's always nice when you find a little indy full of people who care and know their stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RonManager Posted 9 November, 2011 Share Posted 9 November, 2011 You could die waiting in the queue at Screwfix, only to be told they haven't got it in stock. How they survive is beyond me, they truly are sh*t. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miserableoldgit Posted 9 November, 2011 Share Posted 9 November, 2011 Only took online retailing maybe 10 years to turn Comet from probably the biggest electricals retailer in the country in to one you can buy for £2 - less than the price of their cheapest products. Where will I go now to check out goods in the flesh before buying cheaper online? http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-15650763 Thats £2 + a bloody extended guarantee I expect Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Boy Saint Posted 10 November, 2011 Share Posted 10 November, 2011 I had a mate who was an account manager at Electrolux with Comet as one of his responsibilities. One Boxing Day at 9 o'clock in the morning he got a phone call from the buyer demanding to know why 2 competitors were selling their washing machines at 2p cheaper and what was he going to do about it!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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