Maplin Mystery: Commercial Curiousity

[Ermintruder]

Across the UK, there are hundreds of Maplin electronics stores likely to close very soon. This has been covered so far in a quiet, understated way by the mainstream media.

(eg https://www.thesun.co.uk/money/5767829/when-maplin-closing-down-sale-which-stores-still-open-why-administration/amp/ )

Quite aside from these stores stocking items that many an aspiring Fortean researcher might like to personally-possess ('EVP' recorders, UV lightbulbs, ghost-hunting kit, torches, wire &c) I have always found these shops to be odd in every possible respect. Perhaps I'm being ultra-critical, and unfair (as I often am) but I'd be interested in your opinions. And I always felt Maplin was Tandy on the cheap.

(Apologies to North American forum members...think of them as being a KFC version of Radio Shack. RoW....I struggle to know if you have similar multi-location stores, or not)

Here are some of the stranger aspects of these stores (purely from my perspective....but I don't think I'm wrong)

- every store was/is slick yet felt superficial
- every store was vastly over-staffed, over-stocked, and over-priced
- it was/is always nearly impossible to ever find any staff, at any store, who really understood anything about their products
- (this is an especially-odd angle) I have never been convinced that a single store saleperson at any Maplin branch was personally-interested in technology, of any sort. Or had an opinion regarding any matter
- why did they really want to know your postcode, at the tills? Those catalogues were utterly useless
- how on earth has this vast pointless multisite empire existed for so long? (when they claim "40 years on the UK high street, no, that is utter nonsense...maybe a handful of core shops, for that long, but most, five-ten years, at max)

A key aspect of their oddness (in terms of market placing) is/was that true professionals thought that the shops were a joke, and would only buy from them in an emergency. Conversely, standard punters would view the shops as dazzling, incomprehensible and off-putting.

How (and more importantly, why) did these shops last for so long? Rumour has it that rates of pay were quite good. The staff clearly had very little to do....all decidely-odd.

And no, thanks just the same, I do Not want to buy a cheap torch at the checkouts!!

 

[Bigphoot2]

Across the UK, there are hundreds of Maplin electronics stores likely to close very soon. This has been covered so far in a quiet, understated way by the mainstream media.

(eg https://www.thesun.co.uk/money/5767829/when-maplin-closing-down-sale-which-stores-still-open-why-administration/amp/ )

Quite aside from these stores stocking items that many an aspiring Fortean researcher might like to personally-possess ('EVP' recorders, UV lightbulbs, ghost-hunting kit, torches, wire &c) I have always found these shops to be odd in every possible respect. Perhaps I'm being ultra-critical, and unfair (as I often am) but I'd be interested in your opinions. And I always felt Maplin was Tandy on the cheap.

(Apologies to North American forum members...think of them as being a KFC version of Radio Shack. RoW....I struggle to know if you have similar multi-location stores, or not)

Here are some of the stranger aspects of these stores (purely from my perspective....but I don't think I'm wrong)

- every store was/is slick yet felt superficial
- every store was vastly over-staffed, over-stocked, and over-priced
- it was/is always nearly impossible to ever find any staff, at any store, who really understood anything about their products
- (this is an especially-odd angle) I have never been convinced that a single store saleperson at any Maplin branch was personally-interested in technology, of any sort. Or had an opinion regarding any matter
- why did they really want to know your postcode, at the tills? Those catalogues were utterly useless
- how on earth has this vast pointless multisite empire existed for so long? (when they claim "40 years on the UK high street, no, that is utter nonsense...maybe a handful of core shops, for that long, but most, five-ten years, at max)

A key aspect of their oddness (in terms of market placing) is/was that true professionals thought that the shops were a joke, and would only buy from them in an emergency. Conversely, standard punters would view the shops as dazzling, incomprehensible and off-putting.

How (and more importantly, why) did these shops last for so long? Rumour has it that rates of pay were quite good. The staff clearly had very little to do....all decidely-odd.

And no, thanks just the same, I do Not want to buy a cheap torch at the checkouts!!

I only visited my local Maplin a few times, never found what I was looking for and the closest the staff ever came to helping was a shrug of the shoulders. But on every visit I had a very uncomfortable feeling that I've never experienced in any other store. It's hard to define but something wasn't quite right about the place.

 

[ramonmercado]

I only visited my local Maplin a few times, never found what I was looking for and the closest the staff ever came to helping was a shrug of the shoulders. But on every visit I had a very uncomfortable feeling that I've never experienced in any other store. It's hard to define but something wasn't quite right about the place.

Run by time-travellers, aliens or drug dealers. Definitely a front for something.

 

[Mythopoeika]

I experienced the same as you guys!
How weird.
Tandy was similarly odd. Ask a sales assistant for help, and they wouldn't be able to answer any questions.
I only ever went in a Maplin shop a handful of times.
I think they should have stuck to mail order. The shops ate their profits.

 

[Bigphoot2]

Run by time-travellers, aliens or drug dealers. Definitely a front for something.

I was always expecting this reaction when I went into one of their stores

 

[escargot]

You lot just don't like electronics stores. Me, I love Maplins and find the staff helpful.

For example, when looking at bike computers as a surprise for Techy a couple of years ago I had expert advice from a cyclist who assured me that the basic model would suit a beginner. I chose and paid for it on the spot and it was delivered next day at no extra charge.

When my car's lighter socket packed up I wanted one on an extension to run from the one on the boot, and staff there were walking me to the exact thing before I had the words out.

I've bought some lovely tools and gadgets from there including my treasured miniature pliers and grips. What's not to like?

 

[Analogue Boy]

Our local maplins was really helpful.
When a lacie broke we went down to look at getting a caddy. They pointed us to the right one and even did the disk swap for no extra charge.

The problem was there was only a Laura Ashley shop between it and a large Currys so location was their main problem.

 

[ramonmercado]

You lot just don't like electronics stores. Me, I love Maplins and find the staff helpful.

For example, when looking at bike computers as a surprise for Techy a couple of years ago I had expert advice from a cyclist who assured me that the basic model would suit a beginner. I chose and paid for it on the spot and it was delivered next day at no extra charge.

When my car's lighter socket packed up I wanted one on an extension to run from the one on the boot, and staff there were walking me to the exact thing before I had the words out.

I've bought some lovely tools and gadgets from there including my treasured miniature pliers and grips. What's not to like?

I've got no problems with Currys/PC World, shop there all of the time. Staff know what they are about. At least in the Jervis Centre, Dublin.

 

[Peripart]

I confess I quite liked Maplins, even if some of the electronic stuff was over my head!

I've popped into the local branch twice in the last couple of weeks to grab some bargain tools.

 

[Yithian]

I confess I quite liked Maplins...

 

[escargot]

View attachment 8952

Hi-de-hi!

 

[Yithian]

Hi-de-hi!

 

[Yithian]

I went in to buy some specific items that I had been told I needed (a long old time ago) and was eye-rollingly asked for specifics that I couldn't provide and felt a little useless; subsequently I bought two components and returned the one that was incorrect. Much later, however, I visited with a member of my family who was an electrical engineer for thirty years and the staff were utterly baffled by his questions and we left without purchasing anything.

Whichever side of the fence they are falling on is not good for business!

 

[JamesWhitehead]

My local Maplin shop is at Manchester Fort Retail Park on Cheetham Hill Road. Not named after Charlie but supposedly built on the site of an old, Roman fort.

I quite enjoyed browsing the shop, without finding much I had a use for. I wish I had the skills to dabble in transistors and capacitors. There are some educational vids on Youtube but I remember how cack-handed I am with a soldering-iron . . .

My best Maplin buy: their own-brand phono pre-amplifier. It looks unprepossessing but performs very well. It cost £16, iirc!

I'm tempted to take a trip there this afternoon and check the weirdness level. :atom:

 

[Simon]

Similar good & bad views expressed on the following thread (including Hi-De-Hi references!)

https://www.onetouchfootball.com/showthread.php?39775-Maplin-goes-into-administration

 

[Analogue Boy]

On the other hand.... literally... is the quality of goods they sold. I needed a flashing police light to add atmosphere for a shoot and found a battery powered one at my local Maplins. I asked to see it working and i held it in my hand and there was a pitiful fraction of an effect.
‘Not great is it?’, I asked the equally underwhelmed member of staff.

So did they actually quality control the products they sold? Of course, everyone now gets this stuff from amazon far cheaper in many cases. I’d go into Maplins before Currys but there was less range. And if there’s one thing that really gets me annoyed, it’s companies asking for my email address.
On this subject..... Millets... you’re next.

 

[Ermintruder]

On the other hand.... literally... is the quality of goods they sold.

I felt their bulk-packaged not-especially-cheap-and-surprisingly-ineffective batteries sum up so much about their style, as a company.

From a distance, interesting and surely worth a closer look. On inspection, far too shiny and superficial. At point of use, disappointing, and nowhere near as good as you'd expected.

Yes, they had a small number of well-priced items, sometimes. And they were undoubtedly-useful if you needed to replace a bridge-rectifier or suchlike during some vital weekend social event.

But....their shops have always had such a strange vibe. Go into Halfords, or B&Q, and it feels...always ok. Some of the staff, always, have at least half an idea what they're selling. Or even what you're looking for, even if you've no idea.

Conversely (although of course there will've been exceptions) the vast majority of Maplin people had NO idea what they sold. Or what the hell you really wanted.

If I was ever in there, I ended-up turning into 'Sheldon at the Techno Store', assisting utterly-confused customers, whilst the frequently-absent Maplin staff were presumably mating with each-other behind the counter, like Duracell bunnies....

EDIT
(I've also just remembered something....up until about 2yrs ago, they always used to accost you with a quavering "Can I help you at all?", but that seemed to vanish over the last 1-2 years. Thankfully. Because the most-appropriate response to their rhetorical question was "probably not, thanks"

 

[Mythopoeika]

On the other hand.... literally... is the quality of goods they sold. I needed a flashing police light to add atmosphere for a shoot and found a battery powered one at my local Maplins. I asked to see it working and i held it in my hand and there was a pitiful fraction of an effect.
‘Not great is it?’, I asked the equally underwhelmed member of staff.

So did they actually quality control the products they sold? Of course, everyone now gets this stuff from amazon far cheaper in many cases. I’d go into Maplins before Currys but there was less range. And if there’s one thing that really gets me annoyed, it’s companies asking for my email address.
On this subject..... Millets... you’re next.

Yeah...the email address thing...I just tell them no.

 

[Analogue Boy]

I've got no problems with Currys/PC World, shop there all of the time. Staff know what they are about. At least in the Jervis Centre, Dublin.

Yeah. They can demonstrate the benefits of a MacBook purely through interpretive dance.

Back in the day...

Currys interview 'humiliation' as graduate 'made to dance'

A university graduate says he was left humiliated after being asked to dance to a Daft Punk song during a job interview at an electronics superstore.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-23972952

 

[escargot]

On this subject..... Millets... you’re next.

Being an outdoor/cycling/hiking type you'd expect me to be an ideal Millets customer. There's been a branch in my home town for as long as I can remember, full of juicy fleeces and socks. Heaven!

I was however put off the place years ago because the minute I stepped in the assistants would block my way and ask if they could help me. This REALLY irritates me, to the extent that my hardearned money went elsewhere.

With a change of management a few years ago this practice stopped, I was told, and I gave the place a go. All went well with no intrusive pestering. I still didn't like it though.

 

[Analogue Boy]

Yeah...the email address thing...I just tell them no.

Similarly, i get pissed off with requests for feedback. No-one should be expected to visit a few shops and then do half an hour’s homework afterwards.

 

[escargot]

Yeah. They can demonstrate the benefits of a MacBook purely through interpretive dance.

Back in the day...

"In fairness, I think employers want to make the interviews fun.

"But they often forget that people going for jobs can be really insecure and it's a huge deal for them. They want to come across at their best".

They want employees who'll be serving the public to be outgoing and uninhibited. Or just prats, I dunno.

Must say though that if I badly enough wanted a job for which the interview involved making a fool of myself I'd play along, no sweat, see who blinks first!

 

[Analogue Boy]

They want employees who'll be serving the public to be outgoing and uninhibited. Or just prats, I dunno.

Must say though that if I badly enough wanted a job for which the interview involved making a fool of myself I'd play along, no sweat, see who blinks first!

I suppose the old saying of ‘You are also interviewing them’ is now worthless then.

 

[JamesWhitehead]

I did visit the stricken store this afternoon. I did not get much sense of Ermintruder's promised weirdness. Nor any amazing bargains - they had 20% or 30% off some things - maybe all things but the theme of the store seemed to be gizmos for the electronic control of your home. All a bit Harold Lloyd or Buster Keaton! You can see why window-shoppers might goggle and hesitate, before leaving with ten AAAs and a new mouse-mat. RIP Maplin. I will miss you, a bit.

 

[escargot]

I suppose the old saying of ‘You are also interviewing them’ is now worthless then.

That hasn't applied since the introduction of zero-hours contracts.

 

[JamesWhitehead]

That hasn't applied since the introduction of zero-hours contracts.

It shocks them when you ask a hard question.

"Just why would anyone want this job?" flummoxed a whole panel on a skittish day, when I knew I did not.

The job-description was an endless list of joyless duties and responsibilities. That question came directly after,

"What exactly on my CV drove you to invite me to this interview?"

None of them had read it. I was there to justify their top-heavy appointment routine!

 

[escargot]

It shocks them when you ask a hard question.

"Just why would anyone want this job?" flummoxed a whole panel on a skittish day, when I knew I did not.

The job-description was an endless list of joyless duties and responsibilities. That question came directly after,

"What exactly on my CV drove you to invite me to this interview?"

None of them had read it. I was there to justify their top-heavy appointment routine!

That's sad to hear, because I used to interview for the type of job you're describing and we always made a good job of reading and discussing CVs, etc. In fact I'd go the 'Boss' and say 'I want this one! And maybe that one!'

Several former appointees still remember my solid support all through their careers with that institution, bless.

 

[INT21]

I think some of you have technophobia.

A fear of nerds.

I love Maplins, and the place under the railway arches by Leeds station. A real Aladdin's cave.

Both place have something very useful in common. I can get to Bradford Maplin and the Leeds place via the train as they are both close to the stations.
Saves having to park my car. And like Sheldon, I like trains.

I am an ex undergrad in Electronics, so it is nerd heaven to me.

INT21

 

[Ermintruder]

I think some of you have technophobia.

An interesting conclusion. But substantially incorrect, for many of our members. And in my case, utterly and infinitely not the case.

A fear of nerds.

No, no, dear INT21, you flail against shadows, my prime (or, at least, underlying) concern regarding Maplin has been the indisputable lack of 'nerds' amongst both its staff and clientele. Their stores are like uncertain seminaries for the substantially-uninspired and technically-uninformed.

I consider nerdly characteristics to be empowering and useful: and (at least officially, on some levels) the world begins to feign agreement upon this collective about-turn. Nerdy is nearly the new cool.

and the place under the railway arches by Leeds station.

Oh, do you mean the famous M&B's? I thought they'd shut-down years ago?? I once hitched from Little Germany in Bradford, to Leeds, in search of M&Bs, but never found it. After overdosing on IMAX....

undergrad in Electronics

I've helped create many of those, over the years. Built them out of NE555s, 741s, veroboard, tantalum electrolytics, vodka and spare humans. They'll never replace robots, you know. Programming them's far too awkward...

EDIT

so it is nerd heaven to me.

Methinks you pitch a castle, for a tent, over-kindly. Heaven is, ever, in the eye of the beholder.

I always have been wary of any distant shimmering oasis, full of western promise, such as Maplin.

If it ever were a land, it would never have been Disneyland: at most, it would've been (like its jaded joke namesake) a colder camp copy of resurrected comedians and retread retroana; never entirely without merit, but never totally stellar in its style (which, for aspirational equivalency, read Hendry's/CPC/Farnell or, the transcendant-but-costly nirvana that eternally is RS)

 

[Ermintruder]

<The Intruder goes to the Runners' Shop at the End of the Universe. On foot....>
Outside 'Niks' there is a large group of fairly-overweight sales people, standing or leaning, puffing on e-cigarettes. They are all dressed in corporate track-suits. Many glance at their watches. One is pushed unwillingly to the front of their peers...
<Hello, can I help you?>
The Intruder points to a pair of well-priced training shoes
<Do you have these in a size 44 wide? And are they any good for hill running?>
The Niks salesperson has fallen asleep, and awakens with a frightened jump
<Hello, can I help you?>
The Intruder notices the salesperson is wearing clogs, and is slowly sliding backwards
<No, I'm fine, thanks!>