Halfords let me down again but Decathlon saved the day.

[MrGrumpy]

Was needing gear cables, inners and outers fairly urgently so ordered them in for Saturday to my local Halfords. Big mistake, went in on Sunday and still not arrived, no phone call yesterday neither......

So nipped into Decathlon yesterday afternoon and bought their premium gear cable inners and outers. Have to say they seem top quality against the shimano ones I had ordered.

Becoming a frequent issue with stock ordered in to Halfords... They were price competitive and the BC discount can work in your favour but not much use if they can`t bleedin get the parts in !!!

BTW The Decathlon cables I swear are just like Jagwire stuff ??

 

[Cycleops]

Decathlon too aren't always blameless when it comes to showing stock on line which isn't actually there.
They can be very good on quality and price with some items.

 

[youngoldbloke]

Great - as long as you have a handy Decathlon. They seem to have a policy of ignoring vast areas of the UK as far as providing physical stores is concerned.

 

[Cycleops]

I'm sure they will expand, they're a very aggressive organisation. I'm not complaining we've got two in Accra.

 

[Yellow Saddle]

Great - as long as you have a handy Decathlon. They seem to have a policy of ignoring vast areas of the UK as far as providing physical stores is concerned.

I doubt that is the case. I'm pretty sure their policy is to not prop up expensive stores in areas where it is unprofitable. A company does not "ignore" areas out of malice.

 

[youngoldbloke]

I doubt that is the case. I'm pretty sure their policy is to not prop up expensive stores in areas where it is unprofitable. A company does not "ignore" areas out of malice.

Have a look at their map of stores - nothing west of Oxford. Obviously no money in the Bristol, Bath, South West / Cardiff, South Wales area?

 

[MrGrumpy]

Handy as both Halfords and Decathlon are right next door to work for me !

 

[DCLane]

Halfords for me is hit and miss - but I'm finding that they often don't have the stock their system claims to have.

 

[Heltor Chasca]

Have a look at their map of stores - nothing west of Oxford. Obviously no money in the Bristol, Bath, South West / Cardiff, South Wales area?

No it’s ok. They have just installed the inter web in the South West and you can order online from my house. There’s a queue from my front door right down to the local sheepwash.

 

[Yellow Saddle]

Have a look at their map of stores - nothing west of Oxford. Obviously no money in the Bristol, Bath, South West / Cardiff, South Wales area?

You will find that there are good business reasons for not having a presence in those areas. Perhaps it is already over-traded, perhaps it is a different market demographic, perhaps retail space there is more expensive than their business model allows....perhaps, perhaps, perhaps. I am pretty certain it is one of those financial reasons rather than a policy to "ignore" a certain area.

 

[youngoldbloke]

No it’s ok. They have just installed the inter web in the South West and you can order online from my house. There’s a queue from my front door right down to the local sheepwash.

their website is Cr*p - and I'm not going to their site to just order cables from them - and then there's delivery charges too. Whenever I visit a store in person - normally Northampton or Sheffield, on journeys 'up north' - I come away with much more than just the cycling odds and sods I intended to buy. Tennis socks, fitness Tshirts, hiking jackets, fleece tops, for example. You need to be able to browse, try on kit. So It grates a little to read posts about 'nipping in' when the nearest store is over 60 miles away.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

You will find that there are good business reasons for not having a presence in those areas. Perhaps it is already over-traded, perhaps it is a different market demographic, perhaps retail space there is more expensive than their business model allows....perhaps, perhaps, perhaps. I am pretty certain it is one of those financial reasons rather than a policy to "ignore" a certain area.

I doubt that it's the cost of retail space - I don't think that there would be 2 London Decathlons within 5 miles of each other (Greenwich and Surrey Quays) if that were the case. It could be a matter of efficient distribution routes; pretty much all their goods are imported by road from mainland Europe.

 

[uphillstruggler]

their website is Cr*p - and I'm not going to their site to just order cables from them - and then there's delivery charges too. Whenever I visit a store in person - normally Northampton or Sheffield, on journeys 'up north' - I come away with much more than just the cycling odds and sods I intended to buy. Tennis socks, fitness Tshirts, hiking jackets, fleece tops, for example. You need to be able to browse, try on kit. So It grates a little to read posts about 'nipping in' when the nearest store is over 60 miles away.

Two things here

firstly, tennis socks.........

secondly - there's one in Milton Keynes if it helps

but really, tennis socks?

 

[youngoldbloke]

Two things here

firstly, tennis socks.........

secondly - there's one in Milton Keynes if it helps

but really, tennis socks?

Well …. the socks are in the tennis section ….. (discovered while browsing in an actual store), and, no, Milton Keynes is no nearer than anywhere else. Decathlon apparently have an option on a unit in Hartcliffe Bristol, but nothing seems to be happening there - anyone in that area know anymore?
edit - I don't play tennis but the socks are great for every day wear in the warmer months.

 

[uphillstruggler]

Well …. the socks are in the tennis section ….. (discovered while browsing in an actual store), and, no, Milton Keynes is no nearer than anywhere else. Decathlon apparently have an option on a unit in Hartcliffe Bristol, but nothing seems to be happening there - anyone in that area know anymore?
edit - I don't play tennis but the socks are great for every day wear in the warmer months.

I seem to remember a press release a while ago about a Bristol store

Still not convinced about the socks