Multipurpose Shops

This rant is inspired by Anna's observation of pink fluffy pigs in Elvis suits being found in Boots the Chemist. Why are our major shops all turning into shopping centres, spreading their talents rather than concentrating on the service that they are good at. For example, Boots are good at being a chemist. They sell drugs, 'preparations', cameras and accessories, perfumes, cosmetics, etc. All of those items have a good link to chemistry and thus to chemists. Why do they feel the need to go into poor quality Christmas presents, music, holidays, insurance and all the other peripheral areas - the selection and service of these non-core areas is always poor.

Tesco is an even better example. They are a food store. I go to Tesco to buy food. To be fair, I would go to Sainsbury or Waitrose by choice, but Tesco is local and rather better that the Co-op or (the gone but not lamented in Didcot) Key Markets / Gateway / Somerfield. However, the store has a finite floor area which they give over to food, household goods and alcohol. In Didcot, this remains the case, whereas in Abingdon they have a slightly larger store which is full of televisions, clothes, microwaves, music, gardening supplies, and anything else before you get to the food. All it means that is that instead of offering a good service and selection of food, they reduce that choice and try and sell us other cheap rubbish while we are out shopping. If I want a television, I will go to a proper television store where I can talk to someone who has a modicum of intelligence and knows what they are talking about. Indeed, I would go across the road to the excellent Contact in Abingdon (but certainly not Comet or Dixons - I don't want to be served by a spotty oik).***

To put it simply, Tesco are branching out into too many areas, taking business away from the specialists, thus reducing choice and the ability to make informed decisions, while detracting from their core business. Eventually, they will sell absolutely everything and there will be no other shops left.

I'm beginning to think that the May Day protestors campaiging against the rise of the Corporation may just have a point.

I guess you can read all of the above for Marks and Spencers as well, but too much has been written on that sorry saga anyway.

*** that reminds me of the time I bought Sky from Dixons as it was on one of their never-ending deals to increase the subscriber numbers. I was all ready to pay when the oik asked if I wanted to take out the insurance. I said "no", and completely blew him away. He had no clue about how to deal with a customer who didn't give the right answers. After failing to persuade me that I needed to spend £80 insuring a £20 piece of equipment, he had to get his supervisor to tell him which was the "no" button on the till. I think I did ask him "which part of no do you not understand?" but he was far too traumatised by then. So now I avoid Dixons. I also avoid Halfords as I don't believe they know anything about bikes - much the same reason.

I would also never buy anything from PC World, even if they did sell any decent computers (I currently want either a 20" iBook or a brand new G5 iMac).