For those outside of the UK, there is a company called Maplin Electronics who are by now our only highstreet choice for electronic components when we are caught short and just need that extra bit that we have forgotten about. It's usually for me, a connector of some kind, or an enclosure to put the thing in once I've eaten all the Altoids mints I can stomach.
Yes, they're expensive compared to online stores, but they do need to pay the ridiculous tax rates that local authorities demand, along with the charges that the retail parks impose too.
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), and bring back the Sci-Fi catalogues with component datasheets) I don't want them to go.
**ANYHOW**
I read the headline "Insurers cast doubt over future of Maplin", with the
article in the Daily Telegraph where (quote) "It means some suppliers could struggle to insure their debts with Maplin to enable them to continue supplying it with goods.". The article describes the losses they have been running at, and that's really worrying.
It's worrying as the "Maker/Hacker" scene is probably stronger that it has been for a long long time, driven by things like the Raspberry Pi, Arduino (and possibly by the Micro Bit). The reason I imagine that they have a bit of a problem is that you might read about the "£30 computer, the Raspberry Pi" and find they are charging a relative fortune for it.
It would be good to give them feedback as to why we are not buying from them I suppose. I don't know.
Would you be bothered if Maplin wasn't around?
Trys