Re: CPC has slashed its stocklist of IC's
I've never understood the relationship between Farnell and CPC. At first glance it looks as though Farnell are aimed more at 'the big boys', with a much wider range of items and, in general, large stocks of each one. As you say, they also offer industry standard next-day delivery and IME they are very good at meeting that. CPC, on the other hand, carry a more limited range, often with only a tiny number in stock (like the Maplin shops towards the end, and look what happened to them ...). They're clearly aimed more at the hobbyist who just wants one component.
The single thing which completely confounds this picture is the pricing. You'd expect the high-volume supplier to be cheaper and the small-order specialist to charge for all the fiddle and inefficiency that goes with that. But CPC are often cheaper than their high-volume partner, and not by a small amount.
As an immediate example I happen, in the next few days, to need some Welwyn W22 470R vitreous enamel resistors. My need is for four, but I'll buy ten if that gets me a useful price break. Farnell want £1.30 for one resistor and the price drops by a pleasing amount to £0.79 each for ten off (all prices plus VAT). They have 7,572 in stock. But CPC will sell me just one for £0.52 - 40% of the price that Farnell want ! - and that drops to £0.48 (still 60% of Farnell's) if I take ten. But they 'only' have 73 in stock.
Actually 73 is a large stock for CPC. A couple of weeks ago I wanted some W22 180Rs. I ordered twelve. But they only had six (!) in stock. They delivered those straight away and sent the remaining six last week in an additional delivery for which they covered the cost. I've just checked and their current stock of these is four. Yes. Four. Strangest of all is that while they were faffing about trying to get twelve resistors to me their stablemate has a current stock of 730.
Honestly, that's no way to run a chip shop.
Cheers,
GJ
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