Are Woodies,Homebase and BnQ cheap at all????

paddy147

As above,are they really that cheap at all,or any good??

My local builders providers absolutely blows both companies out of the water on prices.Especially on gardening products and wood/timber.

Infact most bulders providers are alot cheaper to the public,than the large diy superstores.

So my question is what do any of you think about value for money and the likes of Woodies,Homebase and BnQ??

Thanks.:)

earpiece

No they ain't cheap.... well not for 'components', household stuff and crap gatgets, they have it nailed. I consider them to be for the weekend DIYer who generally has little knowlwdge of what they are at (through no fault of their own), but are encouraged by the isles of over priced and over packaged rubbish.
Value for money.... NO.
Thursdays rant over.

paddy147

Im just wanting to read other peoples observations on this matter.

We are all told and led to believe by these large DIY Superstores,that more money saved is good for us,and value for money is the main thing nowadays (prolonged recession).

I was shocked to see yesterday that BnQ and Woodies were/are selling 6 foot square pressure trellis frames for 52-60 euro each.


My local builders providers sells the exact same 6 foot square pressure treated trellis frame for 25 euro each.

Thats not trade price,thats the price to the public,vat inclusive too.Needless to say,I bought quite a few of them from the builders providers.:D




So Woodies and BnQ have a 27-35 euro mark up price.

To me,that is absolutely shocking indeed.:eek:

earpiece

Hey, it's true.... hardware is where you really see it, take flush hinges for example, Woodies and the like charge about €1.30 per piece, where as I would get these for about 25cent from the likes of Hafele, granted I buy 100 at a time, but still the mark up is way over the top. Hey that's the business they are in! Capitalist society an' all.

paddy147

earpiece wrote: »

Hey, it's true.... hardware is where you really see it, take flush hinges for example, Woodies and the like charge about €1.30 per piece, where as I would get these for about 25cent from the likes of Hafele, granted I buy 100 at a time, but still the mark up is way over the top. Hey that's the business they are in! Capitalist society an' all.

I dont get how the superstores can charge such a huge markup price then.??

I mean,they buy in their stock in large bulk (more so than a builders providers will buy in stock).




So why do the diy superstores basicly ripp the public off with their prices??:(

Juwwi

There not too bad on paint Paddy especially white paint because they buy in so much bulk they can be competitive.

paddy147

robbie1977 wrote: »

There not too bad on paint Paddy especially white paint because they buy in so much bulk they can be competitive.

But Woodies "own brand" paint is made for Woodies by Fleetwood Paints in Virginia,Cavan.

Fleetwood Trade Centre (where I buy my paint) sell to the public cheaper than Woodies.

How ironic is that then?

wayoutwest

Please somebody correct me if I'm wrong,but I was once told by someone that a couple of these stores are owned by Screwfix u.k,who are too busy milking the irish market with them to open a screwfix [cheap as chips] outlet here:(

paddy147

wayoutwest wrote: »

Please somebody correct me if I'm wrong,but I was once told by someone that a couple of these stores are owned by Screwfix u.k,who are too busy milking the irish market with them to open a screwfix [cheap as chips] outlet here:(

I heard that before,but dont know if its true or not?

I have often wondered why Wickes in the UK have never entered the Irish market and opened up in Dublin.


But even then,your local builders providers will still be cheaper for what you want.

earpiece

Woodies, Atlantic and Chadwicks and Heitons are all owned by the same group. The higher cost in the 'convenience' stores is firstly profiteering, and probably second, the extra bit of individual packaging.
Screwfix probably aren't arsed to come over here given the small market place.
Shop about folks, there are many deals to be found...... and if you can't find them, ask on boards, somebody will always help to find a bargain.

Cedrus

Builders providers are better on price but they're not open at the weekend when most casual DIYers are out shopping, they also tend to sell in volumes that most people don't want and can't store. Many also specialise so where you might have to go to 3 building providers, B&Q have the wood, the ironmongery, the paint and that plumbing fitting that broke last time you used the powerhose, in adjacent aisles, AND the wife can pick up some bedding plants.

(The bedding plants are way overpriced too if you've got the time and space to plant some seeds.)

danjo

wayoutwest wrote: »

Please somebody correct me if I'm wrong,but I was once told by someone that a couple of these stores are owned by Screwfix u.k,who are too busy milking the irish market with them to open a screwfix [cheap as chips] outlet here:(

So we are being screwed by Screwfix then!

On a serious note I would say that there are bargains to be had in the big DIY stores such as B&Q e.g bathroom furniture, kitchens, and special offers like De Walt drills etc.
You have to be very careful though because many items are way overpriced. So shop around and know what the prices are with competitors.

wayoutwest

Here's a good tip for haggling -next time you or a friend is visiting th U.K,bring back a screwfix catalogue and use it as backup when kindly asking your local hardware why they are charging three times the price for EXACTLY the same item.Chawicks wanted E240 for a particular plumbing fixture I wanted.After showing them the catalogue,that had it advertised for 109 pounds,he offered it to me for E160,which I thought was pretty reasonable [considering exchange rate +postage] .Have'nt tried it in Homebase- I can imagine the[non]responce that I would get!

Cedrus

There are some fantastic bargains to be had all right, something to do with the corporate buying doesn't always work at local level, there are constant clearances lines. The B&Q kitchens are great.

gigino

paddy147 wrote: »

As above,are they really that cheap at all,or any good??

My local builders providers absolutely blows both companies out of the water on prices.Especially on gardening products and wood/timber.

Infact most bulders providers are alot cheaper to the public,than the large diy superstores.

So my question is what do any of you think about value for money and the likes of Woodies,Homebase and BnQ??

Thanks.:)

they are not cheap...but they are a handy one-stop-shop especially at weekends with the family etc. They are a rip off for rope - I needed some and found a sailing chandlery / watersports shop to be much better value ( cheaper and better quality and bigger range ) for rope than a big chain diy store.

jamesjustjames

I find that builders merchants (Dublin 13/17) are only a good price if you have an account or are in the building business and have a knowledge of what is a fair price.

I decided a few years ago that I would rather over pay at Woodies than ever again put up with the sales staff of a well known builders providers in Coolock Industrial estate - (not Newtown Supplies who I found helpful and courteous).

For gardening stuff Woodies is as good as anywhere that I have found

paddy147

jamesjustjames wrote: »

I find that builders merchants (Dublin 13/17) are only a good price if you have an account or are in the building business and have a knowledge of what is a fair price.

I decided a few years ago that I would rather over pay at Woodies than ever again put up with the sales staff of a well known builders providers in Coolock Industrial estate - (not Newtown Supplies who I found helpful and courteous).

For gardening stuff Woodies is as good as anywhere that I have found

I find Chadwicks Builders Providers in Coolock brilliant,they have allways been very nice and helpfull to me.:)

They gave me a brilliant deal on 4 large SO6 sized Velux "Solar Powered" blackout blinds for my house.

Oh and I dont have an account with them,Im not in the trade either.Im just a normal "joe soap" customer.



Woodies like you to think that...."theres no better buy in diy".

But the truth is the complete opposite.

They are way overpriced on allmost everything they sell.

An 8 foot length of pressure treated 2 x 2 inch wood is around 8 euro in Woodies.

Yet in most builders providers,you can get a 16 foot length of pressure treated 2 x 2 for around 5-6 euro and 3 x 2 for around a tenner or less.

BnQ and Woodies are an absolute ripp off on sheet woods like MDF,Ply,WPB and chip board.


You can get an 18mm thick full sheet (8 x 4) of WPB ply in most builders providers for 25 euro these days.

You wont get that price in a DIY Superstore.

If your main selling point,TV Ad and claim is "theres no better buy in diy".....then back it up with the prices.Dont ripp people off.

You wouldnt believe the amount of times Ive sent friends/people down the road to the builders providers,and they have saved alot of money then giving it to BnQ or Woodies.



PS-Ive used Woodies and BnQ myself and will do too,in the future.But only as an absolute last resort/last ditch desperate measure (on a Sunday).

My money allways will go to the builders providers,as I will allways buy from them 1st,before entering any diy superstore..

paddy147

Cedrus wrote: »

Builders providers are better on price but they're not open at the weekend when most casual DIYers are out shopping.

Allmost every builders providers opens on a "Saturday" from 8am in the morning.

Some open till 1 pm and others stay open to normal closing time (5pm).

Grange Builders Providers,Heiton Buckley,Chadwicks,Newtown,Goodwins,PH Ross,TJ O'Mahony and Smiths Builders Providers are just to name a few.

They all open on Saturdays.:)

paddy147

Cedrus wrote: »

Builders providers are better on price but they're not open at the weekend when most casual DIYers are out shopping.

Allmost every builders providers opens on a "Saturday" from 8am in the morning.

Some open till 1 pm and others stay open to normal closing time (5pm).

Grange Builders Providers,Heiton Buckley,Chadwicks,Newtown,Goodwins,PH Ross,TJ O'Mahony and Smiths Builders Providers are just to name a few.

They all open and also deliever on Saturdays.:)

Jesus Shaves

wayoutwest wrote: »

Please somebody correct me if I'm wrong,but I was once told by someone that a couple of these stores are owned by Screwfix u.k,who are too busy milking the irish market with them to open a screwfix [cheap as chips] outlet here:(

both screwfix and b&q are owned by Kingfisher, who also own thousands of stores in poland, france, china etc.

Cedrus

paddy147 wrote: »

Allmost every builders providers opens on a "Saturday" from 8am in the morning.

Some open till 1 pm and others stay open to normal closing time (5pm).

Grange Builders Providers,Heiton Buckley,Chadwicks,Newtown,Goodwins,PH Ross,TJ O'Mahony and Smiths Builders Providers are just to name a few.

They all open on Saturdays.:)

Yeah Saturday MORNING when many people are having a lie in or starting to think about measuring up.
Half the places you name are not national either so would be no use to half the country.
Convenience is what counts for the people who go to the superstores.

touts

Depends what you are looking for. When I needed a new drill I waited a few weeks and one came up in Lidl for about 2/3rd the price and a better spec than the ones I was looking at in Hardware shops (4 years later it is still going strong). Recently I needed moss remover for my drive. I got a 2lt bottle of the stuff in a farm supplies shop for the same price as a .5lt bottle in Woodies. In comparison when it comes to seeds, garden plants and trees the same Woodies is significantly cheaper than a large garden centre half a mile up the road. I wanted a water Butt and when one came up in Aldi I grabbed it. The following weekend I noticed 5-6 of the same ones (complete with Aldi stickers) stacked up behind a shed in the previously mentioned garden centre. A month later they were on "sale" by the entrance at a 50% markup on the price Aidl had sold them for. Yet the same garden centre has a large collection of really good quality pots and containers much cheaper than I have found elsewhere (including Woodies and Aldi/Lidl where the quality of pots also tends to be very poor).

Stores will have some products with a price designed to attract in shoppers and they make up for losses on those by upping the prices on other stuff. It's the loss leader strategy that supermarkets are so good at. So shop around lads. You just have to be disciplined to go in and only get the cheap product you want and not fall for the expensive impulse buys around it.

r3nu4l

Is not just Ireland, these stores, minus Woodies who are not in the UK, are way over priced compared to builders merchants in the UK too. B&Q is cheaper than Homebase for most things over here. home base are owned by The same company that owns Argos so in fact if you look in both catalogues ou will see many of the same items at exactly the same price.

I think people prefer the big DIY stores because while the customer service is not great it is still way above the standard of most, not all, builders providers. When I was renovating my house, all of my floorboards, light sockets etc we bought from various builders providers and merchants. Light fittings in particular were way cheaper at Screwfix than at the major DIY stores.

Joey the lips

I only go to woodies for ideas as they have a large display. They also have a great display of nuts bolts and washers.

I will always buy in a providers because if you price in woodies and know the providers are ripping you off then you can say it to them and they will do something. Say that to someone working in woodies and they will look at you and go "Meh"

fryup

the great thing about B&Q and the like is that if you're not happy with stuff you can return things willy nilly and no one bats an eye lid...i hate returning things to my local hardware store feels kinda awkward

Jesus Shaves

Joey the lips wrote: »

I will always buy in a providers because if you price in woodies and know the providers are ripping you off then you can say it to them and they will do something. Say that to someone working in woodies and they will look at you and go "Meh"

Thats bull, there's a price promise in both woodies and b&q where that if you can prove its cheaper from somewhere else they give you 10% plus the difference off

Joey the lips

darokane wrote: »

Thats bull, there's a price promise in both woodies and b&q where that if you can prove its cheaper from somewhere else they give you 10% plus the difference off

Its not bull. The providers will always beat it and if you look at the price promise they are very clever to usually include a radius and exclude electric showers.

Believe me i know good marketing when i see it.

tipperary

fryup wrote: »

the great thing about B&Q and the like is that if you're not happy with stuff you can return things willy nilly and no one bats an eye lid...i hate returning things to my local hardware store feels kinda awkward

Must agree with you there. I have found Woodies to be a pain also with warranty returns - insist on returning item to authorised repair centre, come back in a few weeks. B&Q meanwhile will just give you a refund there and then, allowing you to get a replacement straight away. Also find their staff to me much more willing to help than Woodies. That said, some stuff will be way overpriced.

As others have mentioned, both are useful for people working 9 to 5, who find it difficult to find a place open after work. In Cork I am not aware of any proper builders providers open on a Saturday morning (admittedly a few used to when there was more money going around).

paddy147

Cedrus wrote: »

Yeah Saturday MORNING when many people are having a lie in or starting to think about measuring up.
Half the places you name are not national either so would be no use to half the country.
Convenience is what counts for the people who go to the superstores.

I see that you didnt quote my post and quote the part where I also posted/stated that all builders providers open on a Saturday now,some of them stay open till 5pm and some of them stay open til 1pm.

To me that is not the morning,but well into Saturday AFTERNOON.....;)

paddy147

Joey the lips wrote: »

Its not bull. The providers will always beat it and if you look at the price promise they are very clever to usually include a radius and exclude electric showers.

Believe me i know good marketing when i see it.

Heres an example of how good builders providers are.:)

Today,Heiton Buckleys charged me the "very expensive" sum of 4 euro 64 cents for a 16 foot length of pressure treated 2 x 2 inch wood (perfecty for the garden).

Now I highly doubt that Woodies or BnQ will sell me 2 x 8 foot length of it to me at that price,considering that an 8 foot length of is allmost 7 euro in Woodies.So 2 x 8 foot lengths would be 14 euro.:eek:

Oh and heres the reciept,just incase anyone here thinks Im making up the prices and posting false/silly stuff








To comment on what you said about builders providers and their overall attitude and good marketing....I fully agree with you,and I have also found that builders providers will gladly replace and refund you,if the products you bought didnt do the job that you thought they would do.

Sure Chadwicks and Heiton Buckleys even game me credit notes and cash back,when I asked if I could return some stuff that I had bought 2 months ago but didnt need.

It was actually 3 lengths of 16 foot skirting board that I returned to Heiton Buckleys.

I ordered 12 lengths,but only used 9.

Got a choice of cash back or a credit note for the 3 that I returned 2 months later.I opted for the credit note.:D

Also 1 bag of Gypsum skim coat went "off" on the plasterer,when I said this to Tommy in Heiton Buckleys,he gave me another 2 bags for FREE.

Same thing with Chadwickes for multiple bags of plastering sand,returned several unused bags and got a credit note and also a very friendly service from the staff.

paddy147

Oh and another comparrison on prices.

Grange Builders Providers,Baldoyle

8 foot pressure treated railway sleeper-18 euro each.


Homebase,Santry

4 foot pressure treated railway sleeper-33 euro.



Holy Sweet Jesus,allmost twice the price for HALF the product.:eek:


Needless to say,I bought from Grange Builders Providers.