Maplin "Insurers cast doubt over future of Maplin" (now CLOSING stores)

[vealmike]

Not really much of a loss, they have not been a sane option for anything much for the last 20 years.
Maplin are basically the latter day UK take on rat shack (Yes I know that was officially Tandy, but Maplin have ended up playing in much the same space).

Time was Maplin were actually useful, but you are pretty much looking pre internet, and these days all the full service component vendors will deal with private individuals on reasonable terms (I well remember RS refusing to play because I did not have a VAT number, you don't get that bullshit any more).

Regards, Dan.

Exactly what I was going to say. Maplin have essentially two business, what they call "Comp" (components) and what I call "overpriced shite".

When I was a student (thirty years ago  ) Maplin pretty much only sold "comp".
Radio Shack played in the "overpriced shite" market, with a little bit of "comp" on the side. Radio Shack went bust.

Since Radio Shack exited stage left, Maplin have steadily sought to follow in their footsteps. It is pretty clear that there is not a big enough market for "comp" to support all the Maplin high street stores. It should also be clear that following in Radio Shack's footsteps isn't a good idea.

Yes, I'll miss Maplin. Their demise is inevitable if they don't change. Sadly I can't tell them how to be successful in that sector.

[philpem]

The Maplin catalogue was the best way to find the best stuff. That huge document had all the datasheets that nobody had access to without it back in the '80s. For some reason RS had a holier than thow attitude and refused to deal with little pieces of shit like me in 1985. Maplin had the shops and the magazines too.

It's absurd that Maplin will go the way of Dick Smith, when we now have a renewed interest in "Makers", surely Maplin knows their core market? Ok they have to sell cheap shit from China, but they can add some value?

In the intervening years, RS have relaxed a lot -- their Electromail retail wing was rolled into the main RS, and they'll happily take orders on the website from the "great unwashed masses".

I note with some interest Farnell seem to be going the other way -- I just logged onto their website only to get a popup saying that I had to shop on their "Maker" store (which has a much smaller product range) unless I had a registered company, credit line and VAT number. This is a huge change - I've been ordering from them for a good dozen or so years.

That said, it's not even the slightest bit surprising now they've been taken over by Avnet. (they took over another of my suppliers and suddenly four years of "yep, fine, card with order" turned into "we want company registration papers - or shove off, son" -- just like the RS of old)

[philpem]

Maplin published several good books on musical electronics and guitar effects etc. by R A Penfold and these are still good books.  I wonder if the publishing house will still be around even if the retail shops are not?  Even though a few of the parts in Penfold's books are obsolete and hard to source he really explained the circuits and are good for people interested in audio circuits.

So even though there are no store here in USA, Maplin still has an influence.

I've got a nearly complete set of their "Electronics" magazines up to about 2000 (when it changed owner to Kanda and promptly went kaphut). I'd love to finish the set off.

I also have a basically complete Elektor archive from No. 1 to the mid-2010s, when that got a bit "meh".

[StillTrying]

Close them down, they're worse than useless.

[Macbeth]

I've got a nearly complete set of their "Electronics" magazines up to about 2000 (when it changed owner to Kanda and promptly went kaphut). I'd love to finish the set off.

I also have a basically complete Elektor archive from No. 1 to the mid-2010s, when that got a bit "meh".

Hmm... would that Elektor archive include many magazines with cover prices in Rupees and classified ads for firms in Bombay? I think I have the same...

[trys]

Those Electronics magazines were really good, I don't remember why I didn't buy them more often.

[Richard Crowley]

Isn't this exactly the same scenario and outcome as Radio Shack here in the US?

For 10~15 years we had a local storefront shop that sold computer components (CPUs, motherboards, graphics cards, cases, drives, etc. etc.)  Their prices weren't as low as the online sources, but they weren't up at "full retail", either.  And they would assemble a machine from the components of your choice for $20 with a limited warranty.   But they couldn't compete with the online vendors (even/especially Amazon) and just closed their doors a month ago.  Now, the only option for brick-and-mortar computer components is Frys which is 25 miles away.

[MK14]

Isn't this exactly the same scenario and outcome as Radio Shack here in the US?

We also used to have Radio Shack, but they were called by the other name, which was Tandy, over here in the UK.
They closed, many, many years ago. For similar reasons, but it happened a lot earlier, at around 2001.
Basically the Electronic's Hobbyist market, had mostly petered out, they tried to sell other things (Gadgets and stuff), but it just did not pay enough, so they had to close, eventually.

[chris_leyson]

They strated out as a mail order company in the early 70's and I think their first caalogue had a plain blue cover. They used to advertise in PW and EE back then. They stocked some really good stuff back in the 80's and 90's, still got a Blackfin dev board I bought from one of the shops and I might still have a Shark dev board somewhere. The component stock seems to have diminished over the years, they're OK the odd switch, pot, connector even a bit of cable or the occasional Hammond box. Last time I looked they still had a few overpriced arduinos and one raspberry pi. You would think they would have concentrated a little more on the arduino and RPi stuff together with robotics given the popularity. Looks as if they are going the same way as Tandy sadly.

[philpem]

I've got a nearly complete set of their "Electronics" magazines up to about 2000 (when it changed owner to Kanda and promptly went kaphut). I'd love to finish the set off.

I also have a basically complete Elektor archive from No. 1 to the mid-2010s, when that got a bit "meh".

Hmm... would that Elektor archive include many magazines with cover prices in Rupees and classified ads for firms in Bombay? I think I have the same...

Actually all of mine are priced in pounds - they're the UK editions

[CJay]

I've got a nearly complete set of their "Electronics" magazines up to about 2000 (when it changed owner to Kanda and promptly went kaphut). I'd love to finish the set off.

I also have a basically complete Elektor archive from No. 1 to the mid-2010s, when that got a bit "meh".

Hmm... would that Elektor archive include many magazines with cover prices in Rupees and classified ads for firms in Bombay? I think I have the same...

Actually all of mine are priced in pounds - they're the UK editions

As are all of mine, I think I have almost all up to 2012 and a few from more recent years. They gave me a free subscription a couple of years ago so I have a complete year of Elektor and Circuit Cellar Ink as well as a complete set of PDFs, all in English though CC is in American.

[steve30]

I have a Maplin advert here on the back of a magazine (from 1977) with a coupon which reads:

Please rush me a copy of your 216 page catalogue by return of post.
I enclose 60p, but understand that if I am not completely satisfied I may
return the catalogue to you within 14 days and have my 60p refunded
immediately.

I wonder if anyone ever did return the catalogue and get their 60p back. These days, a catalogue does seem like an odd thing to return for a refund.

A slightly newer magazine (1979), advertises:

A range of highly attractive knobs is described in
our catalogue. Our prices are very attractive too!

[ColdRFusion]

We have 5 stores in Ireland, l always try to go in if I'm passing. They are expensive though, but great if you can't wait for online shopping & I like discovering new interesting items on the shelves. I miss the catalogues too!

[trys]

In the last few weeks I've bought off them:

Three banana plugs.

A pair of leads (with banana plugs on each end).

A solder sucker (the one I was using wasn't sucking well half way through a build).

A SPDT switch

An enclosure for a PSU.

A PP3 lead.

[Towger]

We have 5 stores in Ireland,

Have you compared the Irish to UK prices.  Last time I looked (a few years ago) they charge us on average 30% more, taking the exchange rate onto account.  I gave out to the manager in Jurves over this years ago.  He started on about how it cost more to deliver here etc.  I pointed out that we are closer to their distribution centre than the branches in Northern Ireland and they pay the UK catalogue prices.  That shut him up.

In the 80s, I did most of my buying mail order from them and had a subscription to their mag.  The only other choices were RS (Radionics), McKeevers, Peats....  Only RS remains.  In those days Irish and UK P&P was the same and we could deduct the UK 15% VAT. Don't think I was ever charged Irish on import back then.

[Macbeth]

I've got a nearly complete set of their "Electronics" magazines up to about 2000 (when it changed owner to Kanda and promptly went kaphut). I'd love to finish the set off.

I also have a basically complete Elektor archive from No. 1 to the mid-2010s, when that got a bit "meh".

Hmm... would that Elektor archive include many magazines with cover prices in Rupees and classified ads for firms in Bombay? I think I have the same...

Actually all of mine are priced in pounds - they're the UK editions

Oh wow. I did have that free 3 month sub to Elektor a year ago but their archives didn't go back far enough to the mags I bought as a kid in the 80's. Perhaps they found an archive and reclaimed all the missing stuff?

I found a torrent for all the old 70's/80's stuff (one Indian guys own personal mags) and he was getting them air-mailed to India until 1984 when Elektor finally had their own Indian edition. It would be interesting to compare and contrast, even though I'm guessing the only differences are the adverts.

[4CX35000]

Maplins went south with the dawn of the internet. Back in the 70 and 80's with mail order (snail mail) They were just about the only supplier for hobbyists, well after RS got all shirty and would only supply trade.
If they go they go and I for one will not shed any tears on their departure.

Much much worse would be if the internet stopped working overnight.

Does anybody remember Cirkit Electronics, they tended to be one of the best for components and other surplus items.

I got looking at a old copy of Everyday Electronics the other day and the rear cover was covered with a large advert for Cricklewood Electronics - still going. Nice to see they are still around.
https://www.cricklewoodelectronics.com/

[mc172]

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-fu04e
They are that price for TEN in Screwfix and even that is expensive.

[mc172]

Also it is systematic when you enter in one to be approached by 4-5 "sales assistants" Asking "can i help you" what i find rather annoying... and makes me feel are they thinking i am trying to nick something maybe one of those drones 

Exactly.

"Can I help you?"
"Probably not."

[chris_leyson]

Does anybody remember Cirkit Electronics

Crikey, I had completely forgoten about Cirkit, didn't they have a shop is West London in the early 80's, Acton maybe. They did loads of RF stuff, Toko coils Micrometals toroids, did they go bust I don't remember. EDIT: Bonex had a shop in West London early 80's sold lots of RF goodies.

[CJay]

Does anybody remember Cirkit Electronics, they tended to be one of the best for components and other surplus items.

Absolutely, their catalogues were also excellent and I wish I still the ones I bought as a kid.

[Richard Crowley]

Also it is systematic when you enter in one to be approached by 4-5 "sales assistants" Asking "can i help you" what i find rather annoying... and makes me feel are they thinking i am trying to nick something maybe one of those drones 

Exactly.

"Can I help you?"
"Probably not."

Exactly the same "customer service model" as at Radio Shack here in the Colonies.
The sales-droids fluttered around the door waiting to pounce on the occasional customer.
They were particularly attentive to attractive females shopping for a new cell phone.

When they would ask me if they could help me, I typically said "no, I know where it is".
Because typically, if I told them I wanted a panel-mount TRS jack they wouldn't have a clue.

Sometimes, I felt like saying, "Yes, you can be helpful by going over and standing behind the cash register."
So that when I had my goods, I didn't have to try to coax one of away from the pretty cell-phone browser.

[timb]

Also it is systematic when you enter in one to be approached by 4-5 "sales assistants" Asking "can i help you" what i find rather annoying... and makes me feel are they thinking i am trying to nick something maybe one of those drones 

Exactly.

"Can I help you?"
"Probably not."

Exactly the same "customer service model" as at Radio Shack here in the Colonies.
The sales-droids fluttered around the door waiting to pounce on the occasional customer.
They were particularly attentive to attractive females shopping for a new cell phone.

When they would ask me if they could help me, I typically said "no, I know where it is".
Because typically, if I told them I wanted a panel-mount TRS jack they wouldn't have a clue.

Sometimes, I felt like saying, "Yes, you can be helpful by going over and standing behind the cash register."
So that when I had my goods, I didn't have to try to coax one of away from the pretty cell-phone browser.

Before Rat Shack closed here in my area, I was going in a couple times per month and buying up all the parts, kits and Arduino shields they were clearing out ($5 switches for $0.50, $40 Arduino shields for $5, etc). Invariably I would end up actually helping other customers find cables and connectors, or fix a problem on their iPhone. It got to be such a regular thing that the manager started giving me an employee discount on my purchases. (Seriously!)

I must have spend $500 over 6 months, however I got nearly $3000 worth of stuff (at the original sale price). I’ve still got a huge box full of various Arduino shields that I regularly give away to beginners here on the forum. Plus I’ve got enough protoboards, fuses, lamps, LEDs, toggle switches, push buttons, project cases and power resistors to last a lifetime! (During the final closeout sale, I cleaned out the “Parts Drawers” from 3 separate stores. I couldn’t resist bags of fuses for 10cents each...)

[4CX35000]

Does anybody remember Cirkit Electronics

Crikey, I had completely forgoten about Cirkit, didn't they have a shop is West London in the early 80's, Acton maybe. They did loads of RF stuff, Toko coils Micrometals toroids, did they go bust I don't remember. EDIT: Bonex had a shop in West London early 80's sold lots of RF goodies.

I cannot recall were Cirkit Electronic were based, could have been London. The catalogue was printed in the most cheapest paper possible, but the listing of components was excellent for the time. Oddly I wonder if Squires Tools took the Cirkit Catalogue as a example to follow.
http://www.squirestools.com/home.htm

Bonex still do most of the RF components
http://bec.co.uk/

[grumpydoc]

Also it is systematic when you enter in one to be approached by 4-5 "sales assistants" Asking "can i help you" what i find rather annoying... and makes me feel are they thinking i am trying to nick something maybe one of those drones 

Exactly.

"Can I help you?"
"Probably not."

Actually the thing I hate is that sales "assistants" not only  pester when I'm just browsing but unerringly seem to be able to detect when I do want to make a purchase and disappear!