Re: FW: The final reply RE: The demise of Maplin

[Stuart Grimshaw <stuart@xxxxxxx>]

>I agree that any website has a long way to go to emulate the
convenience of
>'paper browsing', ours is no exception.

hmm. I'm not a web designer by profession (but I do play one on TV), and I
find this comment quite offensive. Like I said, I'm no pro, but the website
I designed for my Mum's schools was infinatly better than the paper version
she gave me as the copy. "The Register" is far superior to say
"Computer
Weekly" or "Computing" and Dabs website (much as it pains me
to say it,
their webmaster is that friend of mine) is an excellent site, if quite
slow.

>Again there is some merit in your comments about Maplin changing its
stock
>lines.  Please understand that the items that have been discontinued
have
>had sales in some cases of single figures, and certainly less than
three
>figures.  This is much a reflection of the changing consumer as
anything
>else.  The hobbyist today buys software and hardware for the computer
rather
>than  a germanium diode for his crystal radio.
>
>Failure to recognise this would take us out of business.  Of course it
is
>true that RS and Farnell have excellent ranges of products, but in the
main
>no retail presence.  It could be argued that Maplin is the only company
>committed to electronics on the high street, I know of no other.  If
someone
>wants to get into robotics for example, or walks in to buy a computer
part
>then in the Maplin store they will continue to see electronics on show.
>Specialist magazines do not fill the void as the casual reader does not
buy
>them.

These 2 paragraphs just contradict each other!! We're dropping lines in
favour of the crap Tandy used to sell, but we're dedicated to
electronics!?!. For fucks sake.

>Unfortunately no one company, especially a medium sized company such as
>ourselves can afford to ignore the economic necessacities. We are at
present
>giving free gifts and creating  national competition in schools to
promote
>electronics in the younger section of our community, and I believe that
we
>do try to service this market.

How does this help us get our bits?

>On the subject of catalogues, we found that we sent many catalogues
free of
>charge but received very little in return sales.  I do accept your
point
>about shop sales not being recorded against your account.  We are
trying to
>do something about that but again the things that consumers (myself
>included) such as fully integrated EPOS systems  take for granted do
cost
>hundreds and thousands of pounds to buy and maintain.
>
>I wish you well in your search for the products that you need.

Or, in plain english "Fuck off"

,,,

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Stuart Grimshaw                                             sg@xxxxxxx
Special Projects Developer   www.schoolsnet.com               t: 07976
625221
Schoolsnet LTD                 .oooO  Oooo.                   f: 0870
7060260
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