Bit of a random topic to chew over on a Friday night but thought I'd put it out there.

Is it me or do brick and mortar shops/establishments suck?

Town centre shops close at 5:
Most people get out of work at 5, WTF?

Banks don't open Saturdays:
When the **** am I meant to go if I work weekdays and they're closed evenings??

Big box stores either sell overpriced toss or stuff you don't want:
Recent example of price stupidity: bought a "bullet cam" type thing off eBay new for £12, Maplin sell it for £50-£100 depending on model. Surely there's a middle ground which will still provide the stores a profit?

Availability problems: I want a Playseat/Visionracer kind of accessory for my PS3 but all the retail stores sell is fold-up crap for £80+ (if Argos had Playseats on sale for their RRP, I'd happily buy one...), I want a rollover bar for my MX5 but the parts stores only sell "style bars"...

Is the problem with me wanting things that aren't readily available, has my perception of value been altered by Amazon etc, have Tesco taught me to expect 24 hour opening, or are the traditional stores just sorely behind the times?

/rant - discuss

Wow, shops close at 5? I don't even live in a big city currently (I'm in Denmark), and the shops here are open for 7-8 on weekdays. A few of them are open until 8 sat and sunday. One store is open always.

That is, unless we're talking smaller shops which usually close an hour earlier, so around 6.
But yeah, it can be a problem even with those times.

Well...

Town centre shops close at 5:
Most people get out of work at 5, WTF?

I guess shopkeepers are not people.

Nah but really, you are really contradicting yourself.

Would you want to work on sundays?

Quote from TiJay :

Town centre shops close at 5:
Most people get out of work at 5, WTF?

Exactly. These people also get out of work at 5, so they close their shops.

Quote :

Would you want to work on sundays?

I did for 4 years at a supermarket Shops open weekends but then it's busy and crappy, so late evening opening or 24 hours (like supermarkets) seems achieveable.

Most of the shops near me are open til 8 or 9pm on thursdays and fridays. I'd say 530/6pm was normal.

The only bank that doesn't open on a saturday is natwest and it's a small branch. If I go to Derby the natwest branch is open.

I'd say your last statement is accurate, you're coming to expect too much.

Quote from TiJay :

Bit of a random topic to chew over on a Friday night but thought I'd put it out there.

Is it me or do brick and mortar shops/establishments suck?

Town centre shops close at 5:
Most people get out of work at 5, WTF?

Banks don't open Saturdays:
When the **** am I meant to go if I work weekdays and they're closed evenings??

Big box stores either sell overpriced toss or stuff you don't want:
Recent example of price stupidity: bought a "bullet cam" type thing off eBay new for £12, Maplin sell it for £50-£100 depending on model. Surely there's a middle ground which will still provide the stores a profit?

Availability problems: I want a Playseat/Visionracer kind of accessory for my PS3 but all the retail stores sell is fold-up crap for £80+ (if Argos had Playseats on sale for their RRP, I'd happily buy one...), I want a rollover bar for my MX5 but the parts stores only sell "style bars"...

Is the problem with me wanting things that aren't readily available, has my perception of value been altered by Amazon etc, have Tesco taught me to expect 24 hour opening, or are the traditional stores just sorely behind the times?

/rant - discuss

You live in the country? Welcome to my world Just moved to Bristol - stuff is open in the evenings and weekends - woooo!!!

I much prefer it to internet shopping, unless I'm after something specific. Browsing e-shops and e-catalogues is just rubbish compared to a real catalogue or actually walking amongst the shelves.

Obviously doesn't apply to things like graphics cards and that sort of buy, but it does with monitors, cuddly toys, clothes (although I do buy some online, but usually after having tried it (or similar) in a real shop), orgnaments, tools, and well, most things in catalogues or shops really.

Shops are open weekends when I'm not working. Banks are open Saturdays.

That blows; most malls around me are open until 9 or 10 through the week, 6-10 on Saturdays and 5-8 on Sundays (closing times, no idea when they open for business. I'm not awake at that ungodly time known as "morning"). Most stores are open until 8 or 9 through the week, too. Smaller more boutique places keep more average working hours, though.

My bank is open until 8pm through the week, and until 6pm on Saturdays I believe. I don't go in there often, though... once a month maybe?

What I hate the most is self checkouts, spitting out all your notes and giving you all that 'unexpected item in bagging area' talk, shut up!

Quote from 5haz :

What I hate the most is self checkouts, spitting out all your notes and giving you all that 'unexpected item in bagging' area talk, shut up!

No no, the worst is when it lags up after scanning an item and then you scan it again, and then again and finally a minute later it works, and adds 6 of your item to the list and then you have to call over the clerk

self-checkouts suck... but so does bagging your own groceries... by the time i get everything back into the cart, they probably could have served three other people... and then there's the stores with 15 checkouts, and only two of them are open...

i can't wait until online grocery shopping takes off in canada.

Quote from bunder9999 :

self-checkouts suck... but so does bagging your own groceries... by the time i get everything back into the cart, they probably could have served three other people... and then there's the stores with 15 checkouts, and only two of them are open...

i can't wait until online grocery shopping takes off in canada.

Isn't there any out where you are? Grocery Gateway operates near me. Unfortunately they use Longo's... I prefer the Loblaws family of stores (better deli meats and PC foods!)

Quote from 5haz :

What I hate the most is self checkouts, spitting out all your notes and giving you all that 'unexpected item in bagging' area talk, shut up!

They're good for 'aquiring' items from supermarkets though.

That £9 peice of Sirloin? Put it through the checkout as onions (or other cheap vegetable that doesn't use a bar-code - you select it from the screen) and it'll cost you about 50p. If you're worried about being caught, add some actual onions to your shopping and if anyone asks, feign an inability to operate the confusing technology.

Quote from Crashgate3 :

They're good for 'aquiring' items from supermarkets though.

That £9 peice of Sirloin? Put it through the checkout as onions (or other cheap vegetable that doesn't use a bar-code - you select it from the screen) and it'll cost you about 50p. If you're worried about being caught, add some actual onions to your shopping and if anyone asks, feign an inability to operate the confusing technology.

Just need to figure out how to do this on a repeat basis without getting caught. I needs me iron!

Quote from Crashgate3 :

That £9 peice of Sirloin? Put it through the checkout as onions (or other cheap vegetable that doesn't use a bar-code - you select it from the screen) and it'll cost you about 50p. If you're worried about being caught, add some actual onions to your shopping and if anyone asks, feign an inability to operate the confusing technology.

The self checkouts are monitored by a member of staff, they find the most stuck up goodie two shoes they can and insert an extra 3 sticks up their arse.

So when you go through do the whole act natural thing and do not speak in a foreign language or with an accent because according to my local supermarkets inbred self appointed self important overseer of yokel criminals on the self checkout: 98% of all attempts to scam the self checkout are by Polish people (the countries big immigration centre is near me so we have a very high Polish population locally).

This is because she looks for foreign people: Because they steal our jobs, claim our unemployment benefit, are responsible for almost all crime and cause cancer. aka: a Daily Mail reader.

So there you have it, a little field research complete and you can be part of the 2% :P

-*-

I love shopping, but for anything specialist or for when you're looking for a particular specification of thing it is usually far easier to order online.

/begin bias: Of course i've a 100 or so client web sites i'd be more than happy for you to buy from - so do that :P Online shopping rules... /end bias

Quote from Crashgate3 :

They're good for 'aquiring' items from supermarkets though.

That £9 peice of Sirloin? Put it through the checkout as onions (or other cheap vegetable that doesn't use a bar-code - you select it from the screen) and it'll cost you about 50p. If you're worried about being caught, add some actual onions to your shopping and if anyone asks, feign an inability to operate the confusing technology.

Indeed they are handy! grab a 7p smartprice notebook and then place down your bottle of juice, pack of crisps and sweet after you scan it = lunch for 7p

I do however favour online shopping though, so much easier and hassle free not to mention cheaper! got a £140 tresspass ski jacket for £35 online the other week! and picked up black ops for just £20

Quote from Joe93 :

Indeed they are handy! grab a 7p smartprice notebook and then place down your bottle of juice, pack of crisps and sweet after you scan it = lunch for 7p

But then you will get the unexpected item in bagging area error, as these self service checkout things know how much stuff weighs.

I have tried it on more than one occasion, and even an extra bag of unscanned crisps set it off, it doesnt work, the only way it could be possible is if you choose the 'i am using my own bag' option when you get the error (as it takes extra weight into consideration then) but those eagle eyed staff may well see that you arent using your own bag at all!

Yes unfortunately if anything sighlty unusual happens the jobsworth attendant appears behind you in a flash.

Quote from 5haz :

What I hate the most is self checkouts, spitting out all your notes and giving you all that 'unexpected item in bagging area' talk, shut up!

One time i accidentally took a bag off before i paid and had to go through hell for 5 minutes to get it straight again

self checkout? that sounds aweful
i did 6 flights lately and the self check in never worked... id hate to think what it would be like to check out a shopping trolley full of stuff if checking in 2 tickets is an impossibility

Shops here open at 9am and close at 21pm, korean markets at 9am and close at 21:30pm from monday to saturday

Banks 10am till 15pm from Monday to friday

ppl normaly go to work at 8/9am and finish around 18/19pm, everthing works fine in that way

Quote from MAGGOT :

Isn't there any out where you are? Grocery Gateway operates near me. Unfortunately they use Longo's... I prefer the Loblaws family of stores (better deli meats and PC foods!)

to be honest, i've never actually looked into it. a couple years ago i saw some ads for fridges that you can do all that stuff from, but i'm not sure how well they sell.

and what's wrong with longos? i'd rather go there than sobeys or fortinos... most of the good PC items are pre-made and packed with salt anyways. then again, maybe i'm biased... i used to live right across the street from a longos.

Quote :

The self checkouts are monitored by a member of staff, they find the most stuck up goodie two shoes they can and insert an extra 3 sticks up their arse.

My job was babysitting the self checkouts We had the world's worst attempted shoplifter on a regular basis, a lady who would scan most of her stuff but just leave the things she wanted to steal in her trolley. Every week. And every week I'd be like, "Have you scanned that? No? Well here's how you do it...". She didn't learn, surprisingly.

But seriously, the meat stealing thing doesn't work anymore because it's tagged mostly. And most self checkouts have security people around now too. Sorry

Quote :

98% of all attempts to scam the self checkout are by Polish people (the countries big immigration centre is near me so we have a very high Polish population locally).

Completely untrue in my experience, the Polish customers were always courteous and friendly. Much nicer than the stuck up Chelsea Tractor drivers we used to get.

Back on topic: I live in a fairly large town but our nearest city (Chelmsford) also has these silly closing times. And it's interesting the UK seems to have shorter opening hours than the US/EU stores... But yeah, a lot of it is me expecting too much...!

Quote from 5haz :

What I hate the most is self checkouts, spitting out all your notes and giving you all that 'unexpected item in bagging area' talk, shut up!

"Please remove the item from bag" ... "Please remove the item from bag"

"Do you have a EBT card?"

"Please wait for assistance"

"Do you have any coupons?"

Who was the slackjawed cowtipping ***hole that put a weight scale on the self checkout line? It's so ****ing annoying, I'm already dealing with computers ( I hate them with the utmost passion ) Now I have to weigh my food? Bs.