News - Comet now charging just to display products

[HEXUS]

Electrical retailer risks alienating vendors as it looks for additional revenue in the downturn.

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[Funkstar]

I had assumed everyone already did this. I know it is common place in supermarkets and the US electrical retail industry. I would assume they already did this with some partner brands, such as Monster Cables going by the dominating display they have in Comet stores.

[scaryjim]

I would assume they already did this with some partner brands, such as Monster Cables going by the dominating display they have in Comet stores.

That's probably a reasonable assumption in terms of large, branded merchandising displays, but as I understand the article they are now going to charge *all* suppliers, essentially just for stocking their product. If I'd known that was common practice when I was self-employed, I'd've written to AMD, ASUS and Antec asking them to pay me to use their components in my custom built systems! Looks like I might have missed a trick...

[DataMatrix]

This will only drive up the prices of the devices sold.

Anyway, what'll they do when the manufacturers say "Get stuffed! We're taking our business to other outlets!"?

[mayhem]

What are they trying to do shoot them selfs in the foot so they have a excuse on why they are going bust ..

No wonder shopping on line is cheaper.

[Workaholic]

And I thought that the only thing suppliers/manufacturers did was hand over some nice POS signs and stands

[Funkstar]

And I thought that the only thing suppliers/manufacturers did was hand over some nice POS signs and stands

Oh far from it.

Vendor-managed inventory is part of it, then there is Consignment Stock, Scan Based Trading and Just In Time delivery.

Big business is pretty complicated these days.

Shopped by Joanna Blythmangoes into a lot of detail of how Supermarkets get vendors and manufacturers to pay for a huge amount of thing.

[staffsMike]

Well for me personally, I only use places like PC World and Comet to try out things like laptops etc.. I would only buy them there if I knew it was a better deal than online.. essentially never.

So, in light of this manafacturers still reap the benefits of the stores having them on show. As such they have every right to charge for it imo.

[Funkstar]

Well for me personally, I only use places like PC World and Comet to try out things like laptops etc.. I would only buy them there if I knew it was a better deal than online.. essentially never.

There are times I'll shop in box shifters like DSGi and Comet. There are times when I want something now. Not tomorrow when CityLink appear, but right now. I don't have much of a choice up here other than the likes of PCWorld. Also, sometimes you want to look at something, pick it up and touch it before you buy. If the price is acceptable then I'll just buy it then. Sure it might be cheaper online, but if I'm prepared to pay x for it then I will, I won't feel ripped off, it was my choice.

When I buy a new TV, I'll get it in a retail store, but probably JohnLewis due to customer services, extended warranty, my Partnership mastercard and the fact I'm a bit of a JL whore


But all this has been covered before in various threads, so I guess this post is redundant.

[staffsMike]

Yeah TV's I'm much the same, I don't know why. I want to see it in store obviously.. but I feel more comfortable getting it from a store (last one came from comet due to the previous one dying within warranty).

They are often more competetive on this sort of thing anyway.

[Bob Crabtree]

Well for me personally, I only use places like PC World and Comet to try out things like laptops etc.. I would only buy them there if I knew it was a better deal than online.. essentially never.

So, in light of this manafacturers still reap the benefits of the stores having them on show. As such they have every right to charge for it imo.

Not sure I'd think of it as a "right" but, I suspect, soon, that we'll start seeing shops that aren't shops at all but, in essence, only showrooms.

The cost of running retail premises is huge and when, as is now increasingly the case, people check out their potential purchases in shops before buying more cheaply online, the logical consequence, to me at any rate, is a move towards premises that are nothing more than showrooms and for which the makers have to pay for shelf space.

What possible alternative could there be?

Bob C

[Blademrk]

Not sure I'd think of it as a "right" but, I suspect, soon, that we'll start seeing shops that aren't shops at all but, in essence, only showrooms.

The cost of running retail premises is huge and when, as is now increasingly the case, people check out their potential purchases in shops before buying more cheaply online, the logical consequence, to me at any rate, is a move towards premises that are nothing more than showrooms and for which the makers have to pay for shelf space.

What possible alternative could there be?

Bob C

Argos type shop, where all stock is out back and all that's in front in the store is a terminal.

[Funkstar]

Argos type shop, where all stock is out back and all that's in front in the store is a terminal.

I think Bob meant the opposite to Argos. Where you don't have any stock (or just minimal stock) and a large show room. If you want it you order it and it is either delivered to the store or to your home the next day.

[PeterStoba]

I think Bob meant the opposite to Argos. Where you don't have any stock (or just minimal stock) and a large show room. If you want it you order it and it is either delivered to the store or to your home the next day.

I think you mean delivered the next month. Why is it, sofas, tvs, alot of things take like a week to come when ordering from the likes of comet, currys etc..

[Funkstar]

If it was next month, no-one would bother buying from them, they would just get from a proper online store that would deliver tomorrow. Thats what I would do.

A week I could understand if it was a high price, low demand item like a Miele washing machine or something, but not a Panasonic TV I could get in Tesco there and then.

[Bob Crabtree]

No, what I meant is what I said.

...the logical consequence, to me at any rate, is a move towards premises that are nothing more than showrooms and for which the makers have to pay for shelf space.

Of course, it might be that they'd have terminals there for people to order but they could do that at home - the key thing about it is that it's just a showroom and makers would pay to have their goods shown.

Bob C