- Thread starter Dcal
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Greeves246
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They're back
https://www.maplin.co.uk/
Online only, but hiring staff- hopefully some of their previous employees.
Greeves246
https://www.maplin.co.uk/
Online only, but hiring staff- hopefully some of their previous employees.
Greeves246
Wendelspanswick
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Or hopefully not!
slim_boy_fat
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Brad93
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RS components have expensive and cheap options. I find their stores stock very little of what I ever need.
https://www.insidermedia.com/insider/yorkshire/buy-it-direct-confirms-maplin-offer They are looking at the home automation area and drones etc, not the odd resistor or pot sales of old maplin
james butler
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i used to like going into maplins to look at componenets to see if it really was what im after, a generic picture online doesnt do it for me.
i dont mind paying more if i get to see it first and be sure its what im after and then use the serial numbers to order more online form a cheaper source if needed.
i dont mind paying more if i get to see it first and be sure its what im after and then use the serial numbers to order more online form a cheaper source if needed.
Thats one of the reasons they go bust...lol
But i fail to see how they intend to compete selling drones etc...
MattF
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No idea, but they're not setting the bar very high in other areas:
"...we will offer Maplin customers the same level of product expertise and customer care they're used to..."
Seeing as the group already own https://www.dronesdirect.co.uk I imagine alot of the expense of company is already dealt with, all they really wanted was the name.
Morris
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To be fair they are not intended as stores to drop into and browse for stuff. RS stocks something like 70,000 lines, there's not enough room! Common items are stocked or order online and pickup at your local counter the next day.
I should state that I work for RS Components
Oooer staff discount lads (and lasses) lolTo be fair they are not intended as stores to drop into and browse for stuff. RS stocks something like 70,000 lines, there's not enough room! Common items are stocked or order online and pickup at your local counter the next day.
I should state that I work for RS Components
Morris
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By the time I add my postage on...
So true about their prices, I'm surprised that they haven't gone bust by now, surely they must be struggling for customers??
Morris
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You're having a laff surely. Growth has been 10%+ for some time. Turnover is close to £2B globally. We're acquiring other businesses for further growth. Share price is up from about £1-20 after the 2008 crash to £7-00 ish (it does vary a bit day to day) now. We've never been so busy!
rtbcomp
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If they deliver quickly, don't hassle over returns, keep everything in stock, hold a technical library &c then that has to be reflected on the price. I haven't used RS since the 1980s after they summarily closed my account, I moved to Verospeed and CPC. I still buy from CPC now.
zx9
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Similar dealings with them myself. They (RS) wrongly delivered a package to a house three doors from me which must have been signed for by builders working there, it surfaced months later when the house owner found it whilst clearing out the rubbish left by said builders. It was only £20 or £30 value but as it had been sign for RS refused to re supply or credit the order, I refused to pay for it until they threatened to go legal so I settled the account in full and decided never to deal with them again. That was around 2006 so they have probably lost out on £50k turnover from me, small fry for a company that has done £24B in that period (by @Morris 's quoted figures above) so I don't suspect they have missed me.
I used to regularly use Maplin until they stopped doing 100M cable roll prices and wanted to charge the overpriced per 1M x 100 for a drum of cable, that was around the time they tried to become an electronics version of Toys are Us which proved to be an excellent business model, not!
My spend has been mostly with CPC and a couple of smaller component suppliers though recently CPC have been loosing out to Amazon for the likes of Cat6a patch leads which can be ordered in the morning and be with me the same evening ready for an early start the next day.
I don't like Amazon as a business but like what they can do for my business.
rtbcomp
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CPC need watching on price though. I saved £50 on the price of a printer from a supplier on Amazon. I was a bit apprehensive as I hadn't dealt with this supplier before but for a £50 saving was willing to take a punt!
For smaller components Cricklewood Electronics is my first go-to. They've been around for ever, I remember their adverts in Practical Wireless from when I was a kid.
In fairness to RS their rep did give me a wall-chart when he called round to tell me they were closing my account.
For smaller components Cricklewood Electronics is my first go-to. They've been around for ever, I remember their adverts in Practical Wireless from when I was a kid.
In fairness to RS their rep did give me a wall-chart when he called round to tell me they were closing my account.
MattF
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With RS, they hold a good position due to them supplying decent gear, and they also have a product line which is comprehensive. Not oft I use them, due to them not usually being the cheapest option, but there are some things you're only likely to find at RS. Hard to find components spring to mind.
