Adam Easy Wishes Posted May 9, 2011 Report Share Posted May 9, 2011 it will be interesting to see if BM do close down how quickly people will start to head there to pick up a bargain or a cut price deal for stock that needs to go. It's the same whenever a shop shuts down here, flies round shit looking for a bargain.What's wrong with trying to pick up a bargain from a shop that has already made the decision to close? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FOX Posted May 9, 2011 Report Share Posted May 9, 2011 it will be interesting to see if BM do close down how quickly people will start to head there to pick up a bargain or a cut price deal for stock that needs to go. It's the same whenever a shop shuts down here, flies round shit looking for a bargain.Would you rather the stock was thrown out instead? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Cool Thinker Posted May 9, 2011 Report Share Posted May 9, 2011 The shop is big it has the potential to be turned into something cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TR!ΔNGL€ T€€TH Posted May 9, 2011 Report Share Posted May 9, 2011 The shop is big it has the potential to be turned into something cool.Like what? I know that you'll be dying to tell us yr ideas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaaakkkeee Posted May 9, 2011 Report Share Posted May 9, 2011 Like what? I know that you'll be dying to tell us yr ideas.I thought it was already quite cool, but I don't need to buy music things too often. And it's up union street which means I tend to just pop in to R&B for leads and plectrums.I don't know what his ideas will be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Gold Posted May 9, 2011 Report Share Posted May 9, 2011 It's the same whenever a shop shuts down here, flies round shit looking for a bargain.It's true. This sort of thing doesn't happen anywhere except Aberdeen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
britheguy Posted May 9, 2011 Report Share Posted May 9, 2011 It's true. This sort of thing doesn't happen anywhere except Aberdeen.Rubbish! However, I get the feeling I'm missing something here but not sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davewarden Posted May 9, 2011 Report Share Posted May 9, 2011 Rubbish! However, I get the feeling I'm missing something here but not sure.nah hes right Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bob Double Jack Posted May 9, 2011 Report Share Posted May 9, 2011 What's wrong with trying to pick up a bargain from a shop that has already made the decision to close?Nothing whatsoever.Would you rather the stock was thrown out instead?Don't really care to be honest.It's true. This sort of thing doesn't happen anywhere except Aberdeen.True, it happens everywhere. The point I was making was that some people go on about places shutting down and then use it as an opportunity to save cash when it was this custom that they needed in the first place in order to stay open. If people liked the place so much, why wait for it to hit the skids before using it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Easy Wishes Posted May 9, 2011 Report Share Posted May 9, 2011 The point I was making was that some people go on about places shutting down and then use it as an opportunity to save cash when it was this custom that they needed in the first place in order to stay open. If people liked the place so much, why wait for it to hit the skids before using it.I see your point but it's ridiculous. If people are looking to save money on a guitar they will buy it online. If an actual shop ends up selling it at the same price, or even cheaper than online then they will buy it from the shop.You can't moan at people by saying 'if you'd only come in and spent money on this guitar when it was twice the price, this shop would still be here', because the only reason they are shopping there is because of the discount.Oh, also, after getting high and mighty about the people described above (bargain hunters) - you don't care if the stock is just thrown out or if someone buys it at the discounted price? Are you nuts? It's much better for the shop to make some kind of return on the goods they've bought, even if it is cost price. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paranoid Android Posted May 9, 2011 Report Share Posted May 9, 2011 on the money post Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monster Zero Posted May 9, 2011 Report Share Posted May 9, 2011 Common theme around these parts, see The Lemon Tree and Belmont Cinema closure incidents, people express sadness at something closing that they used a relatively small amount and get told they should have done more. I used to buy my lunch at Bruce Millers every other day when I worked up that end. I don't think that would have helped much and I can't see many folk being able to buy enough pianos/guitars/TV's etc to make a difference. Such problems need a serious rethink on business strategy and the high value items that Bruce Millers offered probably can't compete on the High Street with internet prices. I know little about guitars but the prices in BM always seemed pretty horrific to me, even as a casual observer.I usually went there to buy drumsticks and stuff, R&B had a few instances of superiority complex going on that put me off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
russtyeh Posted May 9, 2011 Report Share Posted May 9, 2011 People are still buying instruments from there though?Every time i have been there they seem to be making quite a few sales. The link i posted earlier in the thread affirms this, that they are still making profits from instruments just not in other parts of the business.Kind of obvious that the CD section, AV section and cafe have all become unviable.That is why people don't want it to close, 'cause it is a service people still use for musical instruments. It is not a business that people don't use, it just lost touch a bit over time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest droid Posted May 9, 2011 Report Share Posted May 9, 2011 You can't sustain a business and building of that size with one department ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ca_gere Posted May 9, 2011 Report Share Posted May 9, 2011 Common theme around these parts, see The Lemon Tree and Belmont Cinema closure incidents, people express sadness at something closing that they used a relatively small amount and get told they should have done more. I used to buy my lunch at Bruce Millers every other day when I worked up that end. I don't think that would have helped much and I can't see many folk being able to buy enough pianos/guitars/TV's etc to make a difference. Such problems need a serious rethink on business strategy and the high value items that Bruce Millers offered probably can't compete on the High Street with internet prices. I know little about guitars but the prices in BM always seemed pretty horrific to me, even as a casual observer.I usually went there to buy drumsticks and stuff, R&B had a few instances of superiority complex going on that put me off.A common theme round these parts too is to wait till your business starts going tits up before doing anything about it. Not saying that's what's happened here. It's in no way the customer's fault if a business isn't doing well, it's theirs for not pinpointing where they're going wrong early enough. This idea that people have some sort of obligation towards local businesses is cods wallop. You're not suggesting that. I can't even remember why I quoted you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paranoid Android Posted May 9, 2011 Report Share Posted May 9, 2011 A common theme round these parts too is to wait till your business starts going tits up before doing anything about it. Not saying that's what's happened here. It's in no way the customer's fault if a business isn't doing well, it's theirs for not pinpointing where they're going wrong early enough. This idea that people have some sort of obligation towards local businesses is cods wallop. You're not suggesting that. I can't even remember why I quoted you.You wanted to show that starting a post with the words "common theme" would become a common theme in this thread? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Easy Wishes Posted May 9, 2011 Report Share Posted May 9, 2011 On a bit of a side note, can shops like Bruce Millers buy instruments from manufacturers on a sale or return basis?Apologies if that's a ridiculous question for whatever reason. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
britheguy Posted May 9, 2011 Report Share Posted May 9, 2011 I can't even remember why I quoted you.Classic rant ending:up: I think I might rep you for that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bob Double Jack Posted May 10, 2011 Report Share Posted May 10, 2011 I see your point but it's ridiculous. If people are looking to save money on a guitar they will buy it online. If an actual shop ends up selling it at the same price, or even cheaper than online then they will buy it from the shop.You can't moan at people by saying 'if you'd only come in and spent money on this guitar when it was twice the price, this shop would still be here', because the only reason they are shopping there is because of the discount.Oh, also, after getting high and mighty about the people described above (bargain hunters) - you don't care if the stock is just thrown out or if someone buys it at the discounted price? Are you nuts? It's much better for the shop to make some kind of return on the goods they've bought, even if it is cost price.If people want to buy online, then so be it. Personally, I would never buy a guitar without trying it, so online isn't an option for me. I am not moaning at people - they can do what they like. Also, explain where I am getting high and mighty? I agree, it's better for the shop to make some sort of return, albeit reduced from what their original list price is but inevitably there will be some form of stock loss cos there will ultimately be something that no-one will buy in store. Perhaps some better negotiation in the first place, given that there is probably over a 200% mark up on guitars etc, might have resulted in more sales, and ultimately more revenue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lord summerisle Posted May 12, 2011 Report Share Posted May 12, 2011 Aye, contrary to popular belief, we are not rip-off merchants here at Bruce Millers. We sell things at the Recommended Retail Price or less than that if possible, dependent on discounts offered by distributors etc. Obviously we also don't have the buying power of multi-national retailers such as Tesco, and as such will never be able to compete with them price-wise. The likes of a supermarket will always be able to make huge profits on certain food-stuffs, giving them the ability to radically discount selling prices of non-food items - i.e. "loss leaders". Ten years ago I worked for HMV before I worked for BMs, and it was around about this time that we were starting to see the likes of Tesco eat away at our sales by adopting loss-leading tactics when selling items such as CDs and DVDs. In fact, I seem to remember an article in Music Week, again around about this time about a music retailer putting together a weekly Top 10 Vegetable chart as a protest against the supermarkets behaviour - a bit mental, but a point made nonetheless!Anyway, lecture over - ultimately, the only ways to survive if you're an indie are to provide great customer service and product knowledge and try to stock the stuff that the supermarkets DON'T sell (i.e. niche market items - always a bit of a gamble though!) or at the very least offer to efficiently order the more unusual items for those who want them. It goes without saying however - Bruce Millers are top-heavy as a business in this current financial climate, and a bit of pruning may have made for a leaner, more healthy retailer. Nobody likes to see anyone lose their job, but sometimes difficult decisions and choices have to be made in order for local businesses to survive. Saying that, it does my head in to think that this once great company ( best job I've had so far, by the way ) survived the after-effects of BOTH World Wars as well as the Great Depression in the 20s, never mind countless recessions, and now we're in danger of going out of business? (OK, now I'm starting to sound a bit needy!) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigsby Posted May 12, 2011 Report Share Posted May 12, 2011 The one thing I would say about the supermarkets is that they gave the likes of HMV and Virgin a boot up the arse price wise. 20 years ago a new release cd would be 15 quid, which was completely ridiculous . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TR!ΔNGL€ T€€TH Posted June 3, 2011 Report Share Posted June 3, 2011 Bruce Millers to close its doors - Evening Express Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Stax Posted June 3, 2011 Report Share Posted June 3, 2011 Not good at all! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest E.C Posted June 3, 2011 Report Share Posted June 3, 2011 So, what I want to know, is now that R&B will be the only instrument shop in the City Centre, will they:a) Jack up the prices because they have a captive marketorb) Lower the prices to compete better with online stores, being aware there arent any other stores to compete with.wHaT wIlL hApPeN? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Posted June 3, 2011 Report Share Posted June 3, 2011 Crap that's a shame. I wish all the best to Phil and the rest of the staff in finding other work ASAP. Recently went through redundancy after my previous employer lost a contract and my job got transferred to India so I know just how shit it is!Definitely end of an era. I imagine the shop will no lay empty for years before becoming a fried chicken restaurant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts