Just read this 14 word article on news.com.au http://www.news.com.au/business/breaking-news/woolworths-to-…
RETAIL giant Woolworths has confirmed speculation that it will divest it's Dick Smith chain.
I am hoping the closures will be where there is competition from similar stores, rather than the small town I live in where I rely on Dick Smith.
On the flip side, DSE would be a prime candidate to try an apply an 80% online, 20% bricks-and-mortar kiosk presence style of retailing.
Although without Ww's purchasing power you wonder how cheap their products will be able to be sold for, by whoever picks up the chain.
Come back, Dick! This is your chance to give Australia it's own Amazon!
The DICKheads… :) Would be better off going 'You know what, let's just shut it down completely', blow all the stores up, go PURELY to being an online seller (with the exception of maybe one hub store in each capital) and if people want to 'pick up' an order…it gets delivered to the nearest woolworths supermarket.
Come back, Dick! This is your chance to give Australia it's own Amazon
Problem with this is that after Uncle Dicky made his fortune importing cheap Chinese parts and selling them to us Aussies he decided to be an opportunist, I mean patriotic entrepreneur and promote buying Australian made.
Can't see him pushing anything un Australian without him being judged Australia's biggest hypocrite.
He would be better off running for PM.
I know this a old comment but how many parts and technology was made in Australia when Dick Smith owned Dick Smith?
None.
time for the dicks to get hard.
Divest doesn't mean close though.
100 will be closed, before divesting
The problem with DSE stores were that:
JB seems to have a good model. I don't go there that often but when I do I get good help most the time from their staff. I think their staff is paid bonuses for sales whereas maybe DSE staff are not.
Except JB will violate consumer rights laws if you have a problem with the crap they sell
wow… just wow
what? don't just leave us hanging
Actually I just got a full refund from JB on my faulty laptop that was 12 months old.
It's owned by WOOLWORTHS can you really expect any better?
DSE started going downhill as soon as they bought it.
So you're saying it's been going downhill since 1982 when Woolworths bought it at only 20 stores?
EDIT Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_Smith_(retailer)
Woolworths tried to flood with 300+ stores. Poor management has led to it's demise.
Also Dicksmith offers nothing to any of the other retailers selling the same products.
They don't even price match and it's poorly staffed.
Oh I agree it's been ruined in the last few years due to lack of product, staff and competitive pricing. But to say it's been going downhill since 1982 is a bit much.
Sometimes I just walk out of JB Hi Fi because there is no one there to help me.
Theres a ton of teenagers - mid 20s running around, not sure if they actually doing anything.
It matters which one you go to really.
JB staff are as bad as DSE
the only thing you can be sure of is the guy at the exit checking your bag
the counter staff do their job fine also
i can never find floor staff when required
plenty of times ive been on the fence about buying
the lack of service meant i just walked out and saved my $$ for another day
Have guys ever been in Officeworks , they r very good with customer service..I always get gr8 service compare to dse n jb
My experience has been exactly the opposite.
All the DSEs I've been to (Lidcombe, Liverpool, Eastgardens, Powerhouse etc in NSW) are very good, the staff there are all very helpful and friendly. Staff at JB on the other hand act as if they are doing your a favour by selling you things.
What do you expect when they just hired 16yr olds at the cheap hourly rate… Talk the Techxperts indeed… (age based pay should be abolished…)
I am hoping the closures will be where there is competition from similar stores, rather than the small town I live in where I rely on Dick Smith.
In Camberwell i think there are 3, one that is (large/normal) electronics, one mainly photography, and one which is a smaller basic electronics.
I wouldn't get too worried.
Just waiting for Mr. Dick Smith to make a pronouncement that if he were in charge, this wouldn't happen…
fight to save DSE from foreign ownership? It's owned by woolworths which is owned by westfarmers.
Doesn't that have a part American ownership?…or am I wrong?
NOPE ! its owned by shareholder and listed on australian stock-exchange. I bet u thinking of coles
Westfarmer owns Coles not woollies mate…get your facts right
DSE closure is sad, but a sign of the times.
But I can imagine that as a result, prices in JB and Harvey Norman will be higher.
Not really in that dse is not what it started as
It was a great electronics store better what jaycar tries to be
However as time went on it became less niche and more mainstream
The problem with any mainstream retail these days is it is a race to the bottom for quality product and service
Niche electrical products and hobby remain high margin at jaycar
kinda wish DSE was more 'jaycar'-like, because it peeves me when I try to get proper fuses and electronic parts.
seriously, why the hell would they think that selling tv and audio is a good margin thing when there are plenty of binglee/goodguys/etc around?
They need to be like OW and have a 5% price beat for online retailers. That is when they will succeed.
Whenever I go to a bricks and mortar store first thing I do is Google the online price and then walk straight out.
No wonder why retailers get pissy :P
Whenever I browse the net in a store they look at me like I'm their worst enemy, until I show them the page and go 'I need one of these, do you have it or anything similar'…
Guess what? NOTHING! I need an unlined blazer. 8/8 stores I went to today had nothing even coming close to that description!
Hell, I'll browse it in officeworks to see what good deals are lying around the store I've missed!
…why on earth would you think that selling fuses has a high margin?
Selling fuses in low quantities is. All of these types of parts are often 10 times the cost buying individually, rather than companies who buy them in bulk as they have regular orders.
Good riddance, DSE is a joke, BRING BACK THE DICKSMITH TOMATO SAUCE AND MATCHES, THAT IS WHAT WE REALLY WANT.
THIS!
DICK SMITH ICECREAM!!
Local WW has cut back heavily on staff and they've been told it's due to the Masters rollout. Might have also affected DSE.
Dick Smith was overpriced, we need a retailer with rock bottom prices - screw service, we can do all our research on the net these days!
But if something goes wrong, don't you want a familiar face who will look after you and treat you like a human?
Unnecessary, as long as I get my money back from a return, I don't care if they remember me or treat me like a human or not.
so your ok if they treat you like a dog
now sit there and do as your told
you'll get your money back when we go bankrupt
good doggy "pat"
JB all the way i say. helpful, informative and always have better prices.
so Woolies are closing DS, what's left, Jaycar/JB? since Coles and Woolies mimic each other i bet you Coles will buy them out in future, and then close them down 2 years later!
Anyone got a list of the DSE closing down, I hope their staff get other jobs before they close down but maybe the closing down sale will be good.
Dick smith sold it in the late 70s early 80s i belive. Kept the same name. Like how jb hi fi was a small store in east kelior & got brought out & they kept the name
shame people don't want to pay for service current affair one night "how to screw the shops"
next night "why can't we get service" some like the people here can do their own research but some others may not be as computer savvy..
Jb is the best out of all of them but you need to be careful as they can sell you the wrong shit just to get a better deal. Also always make sure u bargain with them as low as possible. Even the lowest they say they can go isn't always the best.
There are two stores around me that are closing they are doing a UP TO 30% off sale 5% off tvs.. i think ill wait till cheaper i want a tv
Why cant the management find out what went wrong?
High Prices? Ie high markups?
Huge Operating costs - I've very rarely come across anyone who's been tech savvy - Atleast in the product range they were in-charge of.
Once I reported the problem with a buggy firmware on a PVR. Store guy kept on insisting that i replaced my antennae, even after I told him that my other PVR worked fine!
Not being competitive on this changing market. People are savvy these days. especially the ones who buy tech stuff. They do their research. If you can get a product online, that sells at DSE for twice the price, why would you buy it from them?
What is the value add?
I'm not sure the current DSE will be missed. I went there once looking for a part with the part number and they said "that isn't an actual part, we put that in because we don't know the actual resistor value to get the right code"
I remember going in as a kid with my dad and a list of parts and the guy working there actually knew what they were and where to find them, now they're just salesmen with poor product knowledge.
I remember about 15 years ago heading into dick smith with my dad to purchase my first electronics kit. They had aisles full of resistors and transistors and diodes and switches and anythine else you could want in that category. I don't think they had any TVs at all at that stage. They sold electronics and gadgets.
I wonder how they'd be going if they had stuck with their core range instead of trying to diversify into higher value goods like tvs and computers?
Maybe the online source of such components from China for a few cents inc delivery has killed that market?
I blame the naughty advertising.
Disappointed that they don't sell electronic DICKS like they advertise ;)
email received today:
An important change to earning points with Everyday Rewards
WHAT IS CHANGING?
From Wednesday, 12 September 2012, Dick Smith will no longer be part of the Everyday Rewards program. Members will not be able to earn Qantas Frequent Flyer points on purchases made at Dick Smith stores or at Dick Smith Online with their Everyday Rewards card from this date onwards.WHY IS EVERYDAY REWARDS MAKING THIS CHANGE?
We continually review the earning partners of the Everyday Rewards program. As part of this review process, the Everyday Rewards and Dick Smith teams reached the conclusion that only a small number of Dick Smith customers were actively participating in the Everyday Rewards program. We, therefore, made the decision in conjunction with the team at Dick Smith to remove Dick Smith from the Everyday Rewards program.
Aww…what a shame, **** woolworths! This is what happens when consumers start voting with their feet, we can bring down huge monopolys :)