shopping locally

[lisagrace]

I had a new DVD player delivered the other day and was disappointed there was no HDMI cable supplied, I found one on amazon for £1.39 with free p&p. Now because I wanted it up and running I went to a local shop thinking that even if it was £5/6 it would be ok for the convenience of having it straight away. Turns out the cheapest one was £15.99 - is this a joke? No wander people are shopping online and local shops are closing. I do not feel bad in any way for not shopping locally if this is the way we are being ripped off.

[Shaggy]

yeah i try my best to shop locally whenever possible but when a select few in the town think its their god given right to charge extortionate prices (Tesco too!) then best of luck to them when they close down through lack of custom. I have just bought several items online because they were cheaper (including postage) than buying locally and even when i said to some that i can get it online cheaper and would they perchance lower the price to get the sale, they bluntly refused and just said to buy it online. I'm not proud of what i've done as local businesses need all the custom they can get but with the attitude i got over the last few months then they can go shovel it.
On the plus side, for a few items i needed recently, i went to Biron's first but unfortunately he didn't have all the items i needed and they were genuinely apologetic about it but i needed them quickly so i bought the item i needed from him and the rest online and they arrived within 48 hours. I must add that they were available elsewhere in town but i wouldn't buy them off of, nor accept them if they were free, off the clowns who think they are "in business".
Last time i wanted a couple of items, it was cheaper, diesel included! to travel to Thurso and buy it! one item was £4.50 in Thurso and £12 in Wick and the other was £9 in Thurso and an unbelievable £20 in Wick. So £13.50 & £7.00 diesel v £32.00?? ripoff aint the word

[secrets in symmetry]

Birons are great. They're one of the few shops in the town who know what customer service is.

[Shaggy]

Birons are great. They're one of the few shops in the town who know what customer service is.

totally agree SiS, long may it continue too!

[Phill]

It's worth bearing in mind the quality of the kit your buying online. The overheads that 'local' shops have and the taxes they pay in the UK. Paying the minimum wage and possibly the living wage. [Thread drift]Interesting that when we want to buy something the service providers are racketeering rip off merchants but when they are an employer they are screwing the poor by paying in beans[/thread drift]

Now I'm not saying there isn't any profiteering going, and with the likes of Tesco's you really need to watch them and price check them (they had HDMI cables going for £1 at one point, normal price £12.99).

Sometime ago we made a split second decision that we wanted a dishwasher and we wanted it yesterday, did the online googly nonsense and anything we could afford was either out of stock or a ridiculous surcharge for being on the Islands. Called Beggs in Wick and they had one in stock for £10 more than getting it online and waiting a week, now that cannot be complained about. (and they are still going unlike Comet).

And couldn't agree more about Birons, just don't listen to that Welsh eejit, deal with the Boxer, he knows where it's at.

[lisagrace]

I haven't shopped in Tesco since before Christmas - they are constantly and deliberately making 'mistakes' on offers, their online service/direct is shambolic as is customer service, not to mention animal welfare in their Chinese stores. phill i agree with you about the costs shops have to cover which is why i expected a mark up of £4/5. I don't know much about quality of the item but it works, the only difference i can note is it didn't come in a stupid plastic cover which you can never open and is not suitable for recycling. I really don't enjoy shopping locally anymore, many of the shops don't seem to want to help themselves by maybe lowering prices or having sales or at the very least a smile on their faces. Was just saying the other day it used to be the done thing on a Saturday everyone would go down the street a look and as a special outing a trip through to wick lol

[Ash]

I got an hdmi cable from factory shop for £ 4

[vwgolf]

AMAZON ALL THE WAY, I HAVE HUNDREDS OF ITEMS FROM THEM WITH FREE SUPPER SAVER DELIVERY.
LIVING UP HERE YOU JUST CANT BEAT THEM FOR PRICE, SERVICE OR DELIVERY.
LOOK NO FURTHER THAN AMAZON (i am not a shareholder)

[Gizmo]

For most non-food products, I simply can't afford to shop locally. About 3 years ago I went to a local retailer with the intention buying a new mattress, but I ended up buying it online, as the one that I wanted was just over £600 in the local store, and just under £300 online, for the exact same product, and I didn't get stung extra for delivery either.

[roadbowler]

Birons is ACE! Unbelieveable the variety he has in that tiny shop, a wee aladdin's cave! If you don't see it in the shop, ask, they've surprised me a few times with pulling stuff out of the back room that doesn't fit in the front that was exactly what I was looking for. My favourite shop in Wick hands down, his prices are fair, great customer service you won't find many other places in the area and his storefront looks fabulous. Well done to them! Tesco is annoying having something one week then not the next. Some prices are ok but, some are ridiculous. Get a delivery from Goodness Direct once a month then local shop and bigger shops for all the other basics.Some things though you go into the likes of Allan of Gillock's for and look at the price and go "Aye, right" and order online at half the price.

[Kodiak]

Called Beggs in Wick and they had one in stock for £10 more than getting it online and waiting a week, now that cannot be complained about. (and they are still going unlike Comet).



Graham Beggs in Wick might still be in Business but their shop in Thurso is Closed.