High Street chain collapse sweepstake

[JAS84]

Im surprised half the B&Q are still going, since there own Scew fix which are sometimes cheaper, while up north you have Dobbies for gardening etc

Hmm, that's odd. If they own Screwfix, then shouldn't any item sold both there and at B&Q be the same price in both?

[Pete]

Extra was a strange concept, they never really went into it full pelt and the stores are still consistently referred to as Warehouse except on their own signs.

The rainbow stripes were a failed branding concept from 2007ish that still litter the stores. The colours were for different depts, so for example Fires and Heating was red, with a set of squares going from 100% to 20% red on their banners.

Since then, the new concept stores came in. They have a much softer colour scheme than the main black and orange stores.



Look at the directional signage in the background, all blue and white and orange and white. The red and yellow pricing matches that of Castorama, the French subsidiary and were brought in at the same time as significant pricing and offer simplification.

In both the increasing use of Soft Grey 3 and the Marydale font as a secondary font, plus the phasing out of BQ Stroke aside from for name badges seems to be one of the more lasting branding ideas they've gone for.

[Whataday]

Im surprised half the B&Q are still going, since there own Scew fix which are sometimes cheaper, while up north you have Dobbies for gardening etc

Hmm, that's odd. If they own Screwfix, then shouldn't any item sold both there and at B&Q be the same price in both?

More bizarrely, rather than have Screwfix concessions within B&Q, they have a totally separate brandcalled Tradepoint which is pretty similar in concept.

[bilky asko]

Im surprised half the B&Q are still going, since there own Scew fix which are sometimes cheaper, while up north you have Dobbies for gardening etc

Hmm, that's odd. If they own Screwfix, then shouldn't any item sold both there and at B&Q be the same price in both?

Funnily enough, I have frequently found Screwfix to be more expensive. However, only Screwfix is a 30 second walk away at work.

[thegeek]

Im surprised half the B&Q are still going, since there own Scew fix which are sometimes cheaper, while up north you have Dobbies for gardening etc

Our local store is closing - it was always pretty rubbish, but my wife went last week and was greeted by three members of staff hanging around by the front door telling customers that most of their stock had moved, and redirecting them to another store. Though not the Screwfix across the road.

I've also had an email from Screwfix saying they've extended their opening hours, and three of the London branches have gone 24 hours. Apparently the Argos model is the way to go.

[JAS84]

Im surprised half the B&Q are still going, since there own Scew fix which are sometimes cheaper, while up north you have Dobbies for gardening etc

Hmm, that's odd. If they own Screwfix, then shouldn't any item sold both there and at B&Q be the same price in both?

More bizarrely, rather than have Screwfix concessions within B&Q, they have a totally separate brand called Tradepoint which is pretty similar in concept.

Is that because that brand existed before Kingfisher took over Screwfix?

[Whataday]

Hmm, that's odd. If they own Screwfix, then shouldn't any item sold both there and at B&Q be the same price in both?

More bizarrely, rather than have Screwfix concessions within B&Q, they have a totally separate brand called Tradepoint which is pretty similar in concept.

Is that because that brand existed before Kingfisher took over Screwfix?

I don't know... Tradepoint is a relatively new brand to me, and Kingfisher have owned Screwfix for nearly 20 years.

[WillPS]

I once arrived got bounced from B&Q.

"Are you in 'the trade'?" the Orange apron wearing man enquired. Apparently that evening was an exclusive one for members of the trade. There was not a single van in the car park (and there were only a dozen cars, I imagine belonging to staff). Can 'the trade' not bear to be around 'non trade' people?

Had all the hallmarks of a rubbish locally driven initiative.

[Whataday]

I once arrived got bounced from B&Q.

"Are you in 'the trade'?" the Orange apron wearing man enquired. Apparently that evening was an exclusive one for members of the trade. There was not a single van in the car park (and there were only a dozen cars, I imagine belonging to staff). Can 'the trade' not bear to be around 'non trade' people?

Had all the hallmarks of a rubbish locally driven initiative.

Or perhaps the equivalent of a doorman telling someone they can't come in to a nightclub because there's a dress code, as an excuse to keep undesirables out

[thegeek]

I'd never wondered how faded my local B&Q's paintwork was, but now they've closed, I can see the answer is 'quite a bit'.

[Philip]

I'd never wondered how faded my local B&Q's paintwork was, but now they've closed, I can see the answer is 'quite a bit'.

That's not unusual, particularly on the older smaller stores