Meh, I mentioned this when the RadioShack thing was happening.
Even though I'd want them to improve in some ways (like get rid of those really *stupid* component drawers in their "stores of the future", instead of having them on display)
I had to go in there for the first time in a fair while the other day for a minijack to phono adaptor for an emergency sound system bodge for a house party later that day. Spent AGES in there trying to find one in the audio cable section without any luck and in the end I found the drawers. I like them! Much better than the not many varieties of connector spread across a small section of wall. The best bit was that they actually had one! Bloody hell!
I've gone there previously needing four 1N4001s (or anything really) whilst at a friends house in London (so had nothing to hand like I do at home) and they had three of one flavour and not much else. A single IRF540N? Nope. But, they had plenty of "recreated" Spectrum ZXs for nearly £100, and loads of iPod karaoke home disco flashy things that you always see at the top of the pile at the tip, with the speaker grille kicked in.
Speaking of which, these cheap and nasty home spin-and-puke fire hazards remind me of a cross between Dave's white van scam video and the "Christmas Is Killing Us" episode of Family Guy.
Speaking of reminding me of things. Maplin reminds me a bit of the Ben Heck show. Especially when I visit the shop. I think that quite accurately sums up how I feel about it!
The "technical expert" bollocks that they try and ram down your throat winds me up, just like the Currys "knowhow"
PS - Look at the price of this!
https://www.maplin.co.uk/p/maplin-metal-twist-on-ct100-f-plug-fu04eThey are that price for TEN in Screwfix and even that is expensive.