Re: Maplin stores
 

I've received the same e-mail, Paul. They don't seem to be supplying components of any description, but I may make use of them from time to time if their prices are competitive.

Re: Maplin stores
 

I've had a look and whilst not expensive I wouldn't call them competitive either, simply more or less normal retail prices. To pay the sums they are asking I'd go somewhere with an established reputation.

Re: Maplin stores
 

if this is the case where is this new outfit
getting your email addresses from

New launch of online Maplin
 

Re: New launch of online Maplin
 

Thanks for this.

On first glance I am not sure as I don't buy much of what they are selling, and the things I checked seem expensive, but will be good for comparison.

Re: Maplin stores
 

If you ever bought anything online or reserved it online for picking up in store, then you would have given your email address.

This outfit, along with the name, will have also purchased the email address database from the administrators.

Re: Maplin stores
 

I joined the email list on the new website when it was just a holding page.

Re: Maplin stores
 

Amazon is cheaper on the first 10 items I pulled up. They're trying to flog that dead overpriced horse, sorry brand some more. Come to Maplin to be mugged for high street retail prices, but now we don't have any shops!

I give it until the end of the year.

Re: Maplin stores
 

That's the nub or it !
Amazon and ebay are cheaper than just about anywhere else. You need a niche selling point / service to succeed and I just see this new Mapilin effort as a "me too" operation, I agree they are likely to be doomed by trying to push the same tatt as you can get by clicking on the American behemoth sites

Re: Maplin stores
 

I think there's something scummy going on as well. If you look at a lot of the items they are devoid of manufacturer part numbers so you're not really 100% sure what you're getting for your money and can't go and find reviews elsewhere.

Re: Maplin stores
 

No 'components' either, as far as I can see. Still, that is a bit much to expect...

Steve

Re: Maplin stores
 

They're unlikely to get any business from me.

I find waiting around for a parcel to come to be the most annoying waste of time imaginable and avoid it if at all possible. That's why I generally use RS for components, I can collect from the trade counter. The advantage of the old Maplin shops was that if I needed a phono plug, or a battery holder, or even an op-amp IC I could get on a bus and collect one. And get on with the project.

So a company that requires me to use mail order had better have something I can't get elsewhere if I am going to deal with them. And 'Maplin' at the moment doesn't seem to do that.

Maplin operating again
 

I just found a new Maplin website.

https://www.maplin.co.uk/

Not very interesting though. No components and only on line, some tools but I think most of us will give it a miss. The greatest advantage of the old Maplin was 'I need a 100uf capacitor' and I could drive 16 miles and pick it up!

Trevor

Re: Maplin operating again
 

I wonder what to make of that?
Someone bought it and went online without the physical operating costs perhaps.

Digital-First Retail Ltd
Globe Park, Third Avenue, Marlow, United Kingdom, SL7 1EY

Curious they have Olympus OM-D digital cameras. Seems like a double revival there...

Re: Maplin operating again
 

I'm not sure this is new, didn't we notice a 'Maplin online' shortly after the stores closed? As VA said, very little use to us when we can't physically go there to buy components.

Re: Maplin operating again
 

The only common factor is the name which was bought from the administrators.

Re: Maplin operating again
 

I believe it was bought out by a Dragon. The tall chap

Re: Maplin operating again
 

...who bought Jessops - hence the cameras, I suppose.

Re: Maplin operating again
 

It seems to be a "dogs dinner" outfit. There are specialist vendors that do all that stuff. e.g, Would I buy PC components from them ? No, I'd go to eBuyer. Audio Visual ? No, Richer Sounds.

Re: Maplin stores
 

It just seems to be someone getting what last money they can out of the embers and hoping its somewhat more than those embers cost them.

If I needed a name for a business, how keen would I be to buy the name of a failed one?
Is the Maplin name more associated with selling components and toys, or with having gone down the tubes? There are the empty carcasses of their shops in many towns to act as remainders. The retail sector even before the virus was in full-astern, so the premises have largely been left empty.

Another thing was that many retailers latched onto the scheme of selling gift vouchers as a way of bringing income forwards and improving their financial position. When companies went into the hands of the receivers, the vouchers became worthless. Cameras are expensive, and the change to digital models along with a dramatic increase in prices was well under way when Jessops went under. Some people had been saving up gift vouchers from birthdays, Christmas etc. totalling many hundreds of pounds as they saved for a thousand pound plus camera. Jessops went under. Their name was sold off to a dragon, and he at least started reopening some shops, but the holders of the gift vouchers were left to lick their wounds. Maplin had gift vouchers out, too, but probably not to the values that Jessops had.

To someone with an expensive piece of paper in their hand, the shop still has the same name on it.

The purchaser of the name bought it hoping that lingering recognition would bring business in, that people thinking of a radio controlled toy for the kids or an amateur level DSLR will automatically think of the name even if the nearest shop has gone and there's only a website. On the other hand these people are quick to tell holders of the gift vouchers "Oh, no, those were from the old business and they are gone, this is an all-new business..."

They can't have it both ways, names come with baggage. People will remember the bad bits as well as the good, and in the process of failure, a business will be notching up bad bits an awful lot more than good bits.

I didn't get bitten with gift vouchers, but I saw a lot of people do.

Hollywood has it wrong about zombies. Surely someone who was recently dead and has been reanimated somehow will be feeling rather poorly and not at all up to ravaging the city?