Midland Chandelry

[Tonyl]

Hi All,

 

Could anyone confirm if they have, or expect discount on general purchases of around 10% at our well known "Midland Chandlery" ( I know the other name ,but best not use it). I asked today for it on a purchase of over £100, and was looked at like something that had dropped from another planet. "No such thing, never heard of it here mate". I know for a fact that I have had discount before at the same branch, but was made to feel I was speaking another language.

 

It would also seem that the staff think that the 20% discount days that they have occasionally is a bad thing, and they totally disagree with it ?. Their goods are allready fairly priced apparently, and they see no need for discounting.

 

Anyone have any comments ?.

 

Tony

Edited December 6, 2008 by Tonyl

[alan_fincher]

Well I'm not the most aggressive barterer, but I'm not sure I'd expect to get a discount on a purchase of "over £100".

 

Maybe in the current climate, I should be trying it, I don't know ?

 

I'd say if you were spending (say) £300 or more, it's worth trying, but I still am not sure that many chandleries would play ball.

 

I am interested what others think, though - maybe I'm just silly to never ask.

 

I know that once when we placed a big order with Uxbridge Boat Centre they gave a 10% discount, without us asking. Definite Brownie points to them.

 

I'm a bit of a cynic about discount chandleries. Many people on here are huge fans of Limekiln, but having driven a long way to sample their discounted wares I was sadly dissapointed. It's definitely "stack em high, sell them cheap", but their range is desperately resticted. If you are happy with the one type of stove, fridge, cooker, water pump, calorifier, etc. that they actually stock, then fine, but don't expect a choice. They have twice let me down by saying that something was in stock, that was not when I got there, (once at their "original" branch, and once when we were cruising through Stourport.

[chris w]

I ask for, and usually get, a discount on virtually everything I buy, whether chandlery or not. It's simple, you say for example, "If I buy X and Y what discount would you give me? There are many ploys like this.

 

Even today I needed a pane of 2' x 4' safety glass replaced in a garden shed and was quoted £55. I eventually negotiated it down to £35 including his coming out to my house and fitting it.

 

Negotiating is great fun; I have even negotiated prices down in Harrods. I always take "No" to be a request for more infomation.

 

Chris

[Smelly]

MC do a 10% for 6 months deal if you're fitting out, or pretend to be, and spend more than £1k at once. I found it lasted much more than 6 months as I was nice and chatty and made sure I always appeared at roughly the same time when certain staff were working.

 

You get a little card that you're supposed to flash when buying.

[carlt]

I moved my custom from MC to Rose Narrowboats when MC's manager took over Rose (and took practically the whole of Midland Swindlers workforce with him.

[kitman]

I am interested what others think, though - maybe I'm just silly to never ask.

 

I would say always ask. I don't know if its the same now but I worked for a while in a large department store in year 2000 and they would give 10% off to a customer at the drop of a hat if they asked, so I'd say with large chain stores it's definately worth asking.

 

Personally I love a saving money when buying something, who doesn't?

 

It doesn't always work for me though. When buying at a certain DIY store we all know, they wouldn't give me 10% off a pair of £4.50 safety specs! I know it was only 45p but I thought they were over priced plus I wanted a goodwill discount based on the fact the packet had been opened but no joy at all. The shop assistant looked at me like I was a mental patient just because I'd tried to haggle abit, quite funny really.

 

I think the discounts retailers give have their advantages for them in terms of encouraging more custom and more money. But it is not an advantage to the retailer if they are loosing a great deal of the money they would have gained because of the discounting. I think with smaller businesses it is harder to get the 'discount incentive' to work for them in terms of increasing their turnover and that is probably why the staff that Tonyl talked to were against the idea of the 20% discount days. I think alot of people who buy at that chandlery just wait to but all the stuff they need on the 20% discount days! I know I would

[david and julie]

I moved my custom from MC to Rose Narrowboats when MC's manager took over Rose (and took practically the whole of Midland Swindlers workforce with him.

Why?

[bag 'o' bones]

If you don't ask you don't get.

 

Simple.

 

The trick with batering is to say things like 'I like the product but I don't like the price' and then wait for the response.

 

Thing is if you mention discount straight off all you will get is a 'standard' discount if at all.

 

Just about every shop can move on the published price its just most of us for whatever reason never ask.

 

For example try it on Halfords you would be surprised on what 'discounts' you can get if you stand your ground, although to be fair its no use talking to the saturday boy you need to speak to a manager.

 

Cheek can get you a long way, trust me.

[carlt]

Why?

Because Anthony (who now runs Rose) and his team are friendly, knowledgeable and always ready to help.

 

The Braunston MC went downhill when he left and I can still get everything I need from people I trust, which is far more important, to me, than a bit of discount.

[Semitrad]

I ask for, and usually get, a discount on virtually everything I buy, whether chandlery or not. It's simple, you say for example, "If I buy X and Y what discount would you give me? There are many ploys like this.

 

Even today I needed a pane of 2' x 4' safety glass replaced in a garden shed and was quoted £55. I eventually negotiated it down to £35 including his coming out to my house and fitting it.

 

Negotiating is great fun; I have even negotiated prices down in Harrods. I always take "No" to be a request for more infomation.

 

Chris

Must be great fun, beating down a tradesman trying to make a decent profit even though you have enough money not to need to do it and because you have the blarney to be able to. I'm sure the chap is keen to do lots more business with you.

[Gary Peacock]

The problem with MC is that they are in effect selling to the public at trade prices they can do this because they are actually part of Arleigh International one of the biggest trade suppliers to the caravan and marine industry.

 

This is good for the customer in the short term but not at all good for the small shop based swindlers that will be forced out of business. It also seems quite a short sighted business model to effectively try to destroy the businesses that are effectively your core business through trade sales?

 

You can all on here at least get 10% of the manufacturers RRP on most bits from the big suppliers by registering here-

 

http://s130174336.oneandoneshop.co.uk/adde...egisterrequest/

 

If that's not enough ring up and try a bit of bartering it's still quite popular in many parts of the world so it's worth a try.

 

The reality is that on some items the margins are minimal while on others they are good so depending what items you are buying there might be room to do a deal!

[Athy]

Mr. Trad, you are semi-correct. Certainly a tradesman deserves to make a living. On the other hand, haggling and seeking the best deal are component parts of business; I do it all the time with my suppliers, and in turn my customers do it with me. The best deals are those in which everybody comes out happy, the seller because he's made a profit and the buyer because he feels that he got a good price or a little "lagnappe" (something extra). I am sure that some would envy you, as you are obviously in a position to pay top price every time without batting an eyelid.

[chris w]

Must be great fun, beating down a tradesman trying to make a decent profit even though you have enough money not to need to do it and because you have the blarney to be able to. I'm sure the chap is keen to do lots more business with you.

It's up to the tradesman to decide if he/she wants to do marginal business. I'm not forcing them, nor do I feel sorry for them. It's THEIR choice. Just as it's MY choice to shop where I wish at the price that I wish.

 

Your "holier than thou" attitiude is patently disingenuous

Edited December 7, 2008 by chris w

[David Schweizer]

I moved my custom from MC to Rose Narrowboats when MC's manager took over Rose (and took practically the whole of Midland Swindlers workforce with him.

Getting a discount out of Anthony was like trying to steal the Crown Jewels when he manged MC at Braunston, I doubt whether he is any more enthusuiastic about discounts now it is his own money.

 

And I actually find the current staff at MC in Braunston both helpful and friendly.

[carlt]

Getting a discount out of Anthony was like trying to steal the Crown Jewels when he manged MC at Braunston, I doubt whether he is any more enthusuiastic about discounts now it is his own money.

Must be your approach, David. I recently got my anchor chain, from Rose, at a much better price than any of the online "discount" chandlers.

[Semitrad]

Good to hear that the sport of having "great fun" at the expense of someone less wealthy hasn't died out.

[ChrisPy]

Good to hear that the sport of having "great fun" at the expense of someone less wealthy hasn't died out.

I expect you put it in the same box as hunting. What you seem unable to do is to put it in the box called 'perspective'. Yours is clearly limited.

 

Do you believe that suppliers and tradesmen have some divine right to receive the price they put on the tag? A contract comprises an offer and an acceptance. The original price is irrelevant.

 

Perhaps you think that people who can afford more should automatically pay more. Perhaps you think that people who are wealthier than others should go around apologising for their good fortune. Sad!

Edited December 7, 2008 by ChrisPy

[carlt]

Good to hear that the sport of having "great fun" at the expense of someone less wealthy hasn't died out.

So what salary cap would you place, on getting a bargain?

 

It's hardly someone's fault that they achieve a high salary and there's no law that says the wealthy can't find out what the lowest price a trader is prepared to take, for his goods.

[tripitaka]

MC do a 10% for 6 months deal if you're fitting out, or pretend to be, and spend more than £1k at once. I found it lasted much more than 6 months as I was nice and chatty and made sure I always appeared at roughly the same time when certain staff were working.

 

You get a little card that you're supposed to flash when buying.

We did the same thing, our £1,000 spend took us six months to complete but we still got the discount! Is the same thing still happening now they have new owners I wonder?

[kitman]

Must be great fun, beating down a tradesman trying to make a decent profit even though you have enough money not to need to do it and because you have the blarney to be able to. I'm sure the chap is keen to do lots more business with you.

 

Good to hear that the sport of having "great fun" at the expense of someone less wealthy hasn't died out.

 

I understand how you feel, to be honest it can feel like this sometimes but the fact is the customer is well within their rights to enquire about a price decrease and then its the tradesman's prerogative to agree or disagree based on the situation. If you can't offer a discount to a customer then they will invariably accept that, and it's then their choice to go ahead or shop around.

 

If you are a tradesman you don't have to feel like your being screwed by the customer if you don't want to, no-ones putting a gun to your head and saying LOWER YOUR PRICES!! (Well not yet anyway!!)

[dor]

The problem with MC is that they are in effect selling to the public at trade prices they can do this because they are actually part of Arleigh International one of the biggest trade suppliers to the caravan and marine industry.

 

Gary you are not seriously suggesting that MC's shop prices are the same as their trade catalogue, either as MC or Marinemart are you?

 

Their prices are not dissimilar to Aquafax retail prices, and I understand 40% to the trade is about normal for Aquafax.

 

Many people on here are huge fans of Limekiln, but having driven a long way to sample their discounted wares I was sadly dissapointed.

 

Last time I was in Limekiln I definitely thought they had lost their reputation for being cheap!

 

Personally I love a saving money when buying something, who doesn't?

 

I used to deal with farmers who always expected a bit off when buying something (but not when selling!). The easiest way to do it was to add 20% to the price, and then let them 'beat you down' by 10%. They were happy , I was happy.........

[Gary Peacock]

Gary you are not seriously suggesting that MC's shop prices are the same as their trade catalogue, either as MC or Marinemart are you?

 

Their prices are not dissimilar to Aquafax retail prices, and I understand 40% to the trade is about normal for Aquafax.

 

 

 

Last time I was in Limekiln I definitely thought they had lost their reputation for being cheap!

 

 

 

I used to deal with farmers who always expected a bit off when buying something (but not when selling!). The easiest way to do it was to add 20% to the price, and then let them 'beat you down' by 10%. They were happy , I was happy.........

 

 

Aquafax and others offer various trade rates for various categories of products dependent on the volume of business you do with them, I would expect for most that equates to around 20-30%.

 

MC's pricing on a lot of products seems to based on MM RRP less 17.5% marked then often less a further "special" 10% so to the small shop based swindler that is more or less trade.

 

Interestingly MC are trade suppliers too but the discounts offered now are so low if you base them on their retail price to the public they aren't worth even considering!

[AlanH]

So what salary cap would you place, on getting a bargain?

 

It's hardly someone's fault that they achieve a high salary and there's no law that says the wealthy can't find out what the lowest price a trader is prepared to take, for his goods.

I agree (That's twice ina day!). When I ran a blacksmith's shop I'd always ask local farmers who brought in a job for twice as much as I really wanted just so they could beat me down.

[johnthebridge]

I don't know why anyone bothers with MC.

Stone Boat Builders are able to supply virtually anything, even if they don't have it in stock. I used to deal with Kath (the owner I think) and she was always more helpful, more knowledgeable and keener on prices than anyone else. And before anyone asks-I've no connection with them whatsoever, other than as a very satisfied customer. AND she calls you "me duck", which you don't get with the other lot!