nursery matters JOHN BARKER
Barking
Mad
Pramland’s John Barker is feeling confident that the economy is showing signs of improvement. Here he gives his thoughts on ‘discount codes’ online and his current headaches and the valuable time spent so far battling a current consumer court claim.
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ello one and all! Summer has finally arrived, and things are really hotting up in the market, but we should all start to breath a little easier as the economy is starting to show signs it’s moving in the right direction. With a reduction in the interest rate comes more money in consumers pockets and this can only be a good thing. Ok, so it’s only a quarter percent but it’s a reduction and some customers are simply looking for a little reassurance that things are getting better for them, this could be that indication. Over here in Hull the school holidays are in full swing, and we’ve seen good levels of footfall along with customers parting with their money. All in all, I remain confident that the worst is behind us and that the year can only continue to improve for all of us. I’m not expecting tomorrow to be back to normal, I believe the market is going to take a slow and steady approach, but come new year, and with fair winds we should have managed to weather the storm. Pricing online has maintained its usual yoyo’ing with some online retailers choosing to off load stock over 22
earning a margin. I can only assume this is the case given some of the recent price matches we’ve been asked about. I keep envisaging teams of people huddled around computers hosting swanky all singing, all dancing websites, algorithms flying here and there to ensure click through rates hit a pre-determined level. Social media teams springing into action to promote the latest “must have” pram, and over in the buying department a lone figure sat scratching their head wondering, for the hundredth time – “how do I work out a margin on a product?” only to get it catastrophically wrong. The phrase, all the gear and no idea comes to mind. I would normally pre-empt the next thing I’m about to say with the phrase “I don’t mean to teach grandma how to suck eggs”, but I genuinely feel that given some of the frankly, barmy prices we’ve all seen this year some stores do indeed need educating on margins and how to maintain them across the range. If it’s not direct pricing issues that’s been causing us all headaches, it’s the ongoing “Enter Discount Code – ‘we don’t want to earn money10’ at the checkout for an extra 10% off your order”. Or my personal favourite, “sign
john@pramland.co.uk Pri cing onl ine has ma inta ined its usu al yoy o’in g wit h some onl ine reta iler s choosin g to off load stoc k over earnin g a ma rgin . I can only ass ume thi s is the case given some of the recent pri ce ma tch es we’ ve been aske d about. up to our mailing list for 10% off your first order” - please tell me that those of you that offer this do know that people just keep shopping with you and are using a new email address every time? All it means is you’re repeatedly giving 10% off to EVERYONE and more importantly costing the rest of us 10%! This month I’ve mostly been spending my time completely with court forms filed against me by a customer with a 4 year old stroller that they feel is not fit for purpose, and that they now want their money back for.
Convenient isn’t it that it takes 4 years for them to determine that it’s no longer suitable and that the quality is “sub-par”. I say it’s taken them 4 years; it actually took them 3 years, but the 4th year was consumed by them avoiding my requests to have the item back for service and repair. They have even acknowledged and chosen to explain why it has taken them almost a year after the item finally became unusable on the claim form. I am positive these people genuinely feel that they are entitled to ALL their money back. They’ve used and destroyed a perfectly
nursery today
Barking Mad.indd 1
14/08/2024 13:17