Drop shipping.... :(

[ukracer]

It's selling items you don't have in your possession, but B&Q aren't actually selling them, just like eBay aren't actually selling anything, as they're only acting as marketplaces for other sellers in this case.

What does b and q get out of it?

 

[RichardM]

If you have a Pound Stretcher locally they are in stock at the Belper branch.

 

[s410man]

I set up a drop shipping website many years ago: bitsforbikes.com

You buy an item off my website, I buy that item from Motrax and get them to ship it to you. The key feature being Motrax used to be a motor factor and were not themselves allowed to compete with their own customers by selling directly to the public.

BitsForBikes was very successful, very quickly more than doubling sales every month. Problem was cashflow. Even though there was an average 40% margin (!) I didn't get your money in my hands for a month whereas I had to pay Motrax immediately.

Would have been fixable if my business partner hadn't decided to run off with the money...

Why couldn't you get the money for a month? Not trying to be clever but I thought drop shipping was a good business to start with little upfront money as everything is paid to you before you need to buy it in? Were you selling to trade customers with credit accounts?

 

[pedrobedro]

What does b and q get out of it?

A warm feeling for helping out I'll nip to Belper for one if you're desperate.

 

[mart]

B&Q at least give you the option to select 1 hour click and collect in the filters so you know it’s in stock at a store or not. The range is useless as a website with all this marketplace rubbish. I generally steer clear of them if I can use a more local indy, even if it costs more.

Generally use toolstation now because they have more stock on the shelves, screwfix is too much next working day apart from a lot of their very cheap stuff, LAP and the likes.

I’m finding I’m going more old school now and valuing using physical shops that keep stock.

LAP ??

 

[Blobber]

LAP ??

A cheap brand of electrical accessories I believe

 

[daedalusminos]

I wouldn't have dreamt of trying B&Q, B&M nor The Range for a bicycle puncture repair kit.

Why didn't you go straight to an independent cycle shop....or as you've discovered, Halfords?

 

[GRW]

What does b and q get out of it?

B&Q business model is one not many realise with their in-store sales - & its been like it for maybe 30-years.

B&Q never owned most of the stock (if not all of it) in store. They supplied the Sales Outlet & building, & the promotion only.... the Stock was supplied by the Suppliers on a "Stock Depletion" basis - I.e. B&Q only paid the supplier for items that sold through their tills - so they had the money & their markup before they settled up with the Supplier.

It also explained why their stores used to have woeful security and a lackadaisical attitude to punters taking the mick returning clearly used/abused items..... they just didn't care, as if it got nicked / credited / refunded - THEY weren't picking up the cost, their Suppliers were.

 

[Erie Fred]

Physical size of store prevents from stocking everything without it being an actual warehouse closed to the public. To compete with the likes of Amazon and other online retailers they become an online store front, so sales not accounting.

Some is driven by retail theft.....Why does Walmart offer bonus's for "pick up in store, stay in your car, free local delivery" ?

Also, walking into a store and simply buying it, they can't track you so easily, purchase online, and they have your ID along with e-mail address, which they sell for marketing.

 

[Craig-SM]

Some is driven by retail theft.....Why does Walmart offer bonus's for "pick up in store, stay in your car, free local delivery" ?

Also, walking into a store and simply buying it, they can't track you so easily, purchase online, and they have your ID along with e-mail address, which they sell for marketing.

Never even thought of that as something I don't use. I prefer to pick my own food instead of someone else doing it for me.

As for all the tracking and email stuff that they are going to be disappointed with what they find and unsubscribe works for email but if that fails then there is always junk mail

 

[ukracer]

I wouldn't have dreamt of trying B&Q, B&M nor The Range for a bicycle puncture repair kit.

Why didn't you go straight to an independent cycle shop....or as you've discovered, Halfords?

Simply because I found I needed a patch after 8pm and Halfords was shut. I also live very close to B and M.

Our last cycle shop closed about 7 years ago.

 

[ukracer]

B&Q business model is one not many realise with their in-store sales - & its been like it for maybe 30-years.

B&Q never owned most of the stock (if not all of it) in store. They supplied the Sales Outlet & building, & the promotion only.... the Stock was supplied by the Suppliers on a "Stock Depletion" basis - I.e. B&Q only paid the supplier for items that sold through their tills - so they had the money & their markup before they settled up with the Supplier.

It also explained why their stores used to have woeful security and a lackadaisical attitude to punters taking the mick returning clearly used/abused items..... they just didn't care, as if it got nicked / credited / refunded - THEY weren't picking up the cost, their Suppliers were.

Interesting.....

 

[Erie Fred]

Never even thought of that as something I don't use. I prefer to pick my own food instead of someone else doing it for me.

As for all the tracking and email stuff that they are going to be disappointed with what they find and unsubscribe works for email but if that fails then there is always junk mail

Yes, and your a good customer.
However Retail theft has risen dramatically in the last few years.
If your not in the store, you can't steal anything.