Shops offer service over online savings
Tuesday 29th November 2011, 2:30PM GMT.
RETAILERS are hoping quality of service and aftercare will draw shoppers to local shops this Christmas instead of joining millions of online buyers.
E-businesses were poised to receive more than 3,000 orders every minute yesterday on what has become known as ‘Mega Monday’ – the biggest online shopping day of the year.
But while island retailers recognised the internet’s cheap prices and convenience, they championed the quality of service that can only be found in local shops.
Sails manager Nicky Scott (pictured) said gifts bought from Town stores were guaranteed to be under the tree on Christmas Day, instead of trapped in a post office.
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I have to say that Guernsey customer service is the worst I have ever experienced. There are a few exceptions, but generally it is terrible, and is a running joke between my friends and I. Quality of service? I’d rather order online than deal with rude, bored staff who often make me wish I hadn’t bothered.
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Charlotte
Unfortunately I have to agree with your post 100%. More worryingly, I find its the local staff who are the worst culprits although there are a few exceptions. I wouldnt want to tar them all, but they are few and far between. And I always raise a wry smile whenever I hear the kick out the foreigner to employ local line, especially given the poor treatment I see people receive daily in Guernsey shops by surly locals.
I had a little giggle when I read the headline “why pay less when you can be treated really badly by unpleasant staff”!
Yes there are a few exceptions, the shop in the picture being one of them, but unfortunately for the most part, shopping in St Peter Port is not a pleasant experience.
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Completely true, Dave.
I too find it funny when ‘locals’ complain about foreign workers, when often the local workers are the worst culprits.
To local retail staff:
All I want is a hello, a please and thankyou, and a friendly smile. And maybe put my change in my hand instead of slamming it down on the counter so you can get back to your conversation about how you battered someone in Follies last night. That’s all. Thanks.
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I also agree. It seems to be mostly teenage girls who have absolutely no customer service skills whatsoever. However, all of the foreign workers I’ve been served by in the supermarkets or garages are always polite.
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Local retailers need to get their head out of the sand and get online, to give themselves a fighting chance – unless they all want to go the way of the dinosaur.
What would a Guernsey online retailer be able to offer that no other UK online retailer could? Same day delivery!
I for one would pay the higher price for that.
Wise up.
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Quite sad that shops cling on to the ‘customers want to feel the goods’ line. A DVD is a DVD, an iPad is an iPad. And as for after sales service, big internet firms such as Amazon leave the local shops for dead. I have some sympathy with the ‘buy local’ views, but with finances being so tight I’m going to look for the best value for money for me. That means buying online.
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The retailers seem to have missed the most annoying disadvantages of shopping in town. The constant and frequent fact that the items you seek are never in stock, the always seemingly higher price (lots of us are on a strict budget), the large queues (particularly in HMV), and the appalling lack of parking spaces in rainy/windy St Peter Port.
None of these you get with ordering online, just order in plenty of time!
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I learn’t many years ago the advantages of first shopping mail order then online. Guernsey comsumer laws are very weak compared with those in the UK. Anybody buying from the UK are covered by those laws as the transaction is considered to have occured in the UK.
The most important thing I found was that if any goods have a defect within one year of purchase you are entitled to have it replaced by a new one, wereas Guernseys law you only get it repaired. I know you have the hassle of returning it, but you have a new not a repaired item which I know from experience can go wrong again.
If you have any problems with the retailer you can contact the Trading Standards Office in that area (which is easy to find on the net)who will look into it for you, and they have real teeth. Remember the Hoover flight tickets scandle of a few years ago. I had the same problems of getting my tickets as other people did until I contacted The Trading Stadards Office and after that they came through with no problems.
Also if you buy by credit card you are covered by the insurance of that card. And if you have any problems you can contact the credit card company who will take up your case for you.
I started buying mail order because retailers in Guernsey were charging VAT inclusive prices, Guernsey EP I called it, extra profit. I encountered quite few who thought that because I lived on an Island I was ignorant of the outside world. Their problem was they were and I wasn’t and it cost them my custom.
But as others have written before me don’t tar all retailers with the same brush. I’ve met a few I’d recomend, but there’s others I would not go near.
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In general Guernsey retailers only delude themselves. All too often their ‘service’ actually translates to worse choice, no stock, old models, sloppy attitude, no consumer protection, absurd delivery times and of course greedy prices. How many of them now steal the full 20% VAT as extra profit for their special ‘CI Prices’? Supposedly it costs £20 extra to ship an ipod to Guernsey and literally doubles the price for a monoploy item like a heating boiler! Sometimes I have checked out retailers’ claims with manufacturers and discovered that they actually bear the full cost of delivery!
I am sick of retailers’ lies, their inefficiency and their hard luck stories. I would rather they stayed in business but I won’t subsidise them anymore. To be honest I don’t even waste my time looking for stuff in Guernsey when I can get superb value and service from the likes of Amazon, John Lewis and Ebay. It is time for them to decide whether to compete or give up, the people will not be ripped off anymore.
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Not to name any names but one of the newer Apple Authorised Retailers “out of the two on the island” deducts the VAT which is a very welcome suprise when you go to buy your iPods there.
This is also why they were banned by the tellecoms companies from selling the iPhone, which is mighty unfair on the consumers, for example see how much the iPhone s on the apple site is going for sim free, subtract vat and compare that to any tellecoms company over here.
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Agree with the posters. I am not sure what service we are supposed to be getting, but usually a “please” and a “thank you” seems a little bit too much trouble for a lot of local businesses. They should be “schmoozing” us all to get us to buy, instead of sulky service, and it is not just the young Saturday kids I am talking about either – but seasoned “professionals” here.
I go into local shops, feel the merch and then buy online. There is no incentive to buy here, sorry. Amazon delivers within a very short period of time, to my door, without any hassle.
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Unfortunately there doesn’t seem to be a great deal of pride in working in service industries in Guernsey. Why work in a shop or hotel when you can get a job in the finance industry with a much higher salary? If we hadn’t sold our souls to Finance and retained some of our traditional industries we might not be in this situation. I would imagine that young people who find themselves serving the public feel that they have ‘failed’ compared to their peers who have well-paid jobs servicing Finance.
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One of the major problems is how much added value can a local retailer realistically offer on a branded item?
Mostly, consumers are convinced of a product’s quality and desirability through advertising/brand rather than, in the past, the personality/knowledge of the shopkeeper and the service s/he provides.
Consequently, the only decision to be made is on price. As an online shop is cheaper to run than a high street shop (e.g paying google advertising is probably cheaper than a high street rent) the onine business can offer the goods cheaper. Also,the online retailer, in the expectation of large volume sales, can reduce his margin and hence sales price further still.
Add to this, a no quibble returns policy and a speedy postal service, its no wonder the high street can sometimes look like a deserted town in a spaghetti western.
I am really upset by this and hope that ways can be found to invigorate local retailing. To this end, I would very much like to see a subsidised market area in town for local producers.
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My folks in guernsey ordered a Christmas present for my son from amazon @ 12pm. Next day @ 9am the courier was @ my English address with parcel. And it was £45 cheaper than the guernsey item which was out of stock!
RIP Guernsey shopping.
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I’m sure the owner of Southside Computers said the same thing when competition came to the Bridge before promptly closing down. Lesson not learnt?
I recently purchased a Panasonic TV which was on Amazon for £973.40. After quite a few phone calls to various local retailers I found that Guernsey Electricity sold Panasonic. I contacted them and was kindly offered the ‘deal’ price of £1340. I appreciate the need to make a profit but a mark-up of £366.60 is a rip off.
I don’t know why anyone would buy the vast majority of products locally; I won’t even check next time.
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Erm, NSEW bought them out I think you’ll find, wasn’t down to competition.
Also Amazon is generally overpriced for electrical items such as TV’s and certainly computers and computer related equipment.
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Are they still going? No
Did they intend to close (or be ‘taken over’)? No
Ok, thanks for the tip :-)
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I think you will find they are still going, just under a new name and location
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NSEW made an offer for Southside as they were a new company didn’t have any credit history. They ran Southside to maintain their credit line with suppliers. This is why their shop was still there for 12 months after NSEW opened.
With all due respect I suggest you research your information before posting.
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New iphone 4S. Locally over 800 pound. via the UK with VAT removed under 500 pound. Ripoff Guernsey. Alot of local shops leave the VAT on the prices, whereas buy from the UK and places like Amazon take the VAT off….. local customer service, I wont even go there…. Enough said.
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I went to a local electrical retailer ( who shall remain nameless but operates opposite the town church ) to buy a replacement video camera.
They had exactly what I wanted and needed on the shelf. I had to persuade them to even show it to me. I then had to persuade them to sell it to me instead of something newer and shinier which wasn’t what I needed.
If retailers can’t or won’t compete on price, then their only hope is to compete on service …. and many are sadly lacking in that respect ….
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A long time ago I vowed never to set foot in that place again.
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Terry
Funnily enough, as did I.
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I find the two local photography shops particularly poor in terms of competitive pricing and staff knowledge.
The staff know less than I do about virtually everything they are selling and yet have the nerve to charge way over the odds.
Did you know that you can buy from B&H Photo Video in New York, pay shipping, pay import duty, and still save hundreds over the local price and even beat UK prices? It seems Guernsey prices are just an inflation of what is already know as ‘rip off Britain’.
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I needed a new laptop, Sony vaio from Amazon £369 delivered, same model over here £589. You can keep your “helpful friendly service” (although which shop that is in I dont know?) I will keep the £200 saved thanks
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Amazon is quite pricy for computers. Try Dabs or ebuyer.
For TV’s etc then Richer Sounds is your best bet or John Lewis.
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After helping a friend decide on a laptop to buy, sending her several links on Amazon to several laptops she may want, she decided on one. She phoned a PC shop in the middle of the highstreet commically mispronuncing their name, and asked if they would match the Amazon price, as she would like to buy local, they agreed and told her the new price, being savvy she said “Yes, it’s listed at £210, but that’s with VAT, if I order it directly from Amazon they will deduct the £42 off for VAT, £188, that’s the Amazon price” They then went on to try and persuade her that Amazon do not deduct VAT for Guernsey customers, this led her purchasing a nice new laptop of amazon for in total over £60 cheaper than the shops.
Moral of the story? If this shop had sold the unit, they would probably still have been in profit, but they would rather lie and be rude and wait however long it will take to shift that unit then shift it at a lower price.
I feel the service you get in town shops is either lacking in any form of care, insight or effort, or delivered in a snooty greater than thou high horse attitude. I feel looked down upon when I walk into the local highstreet department mens clothing store to purchase my winter jumpers as if I am not worthy of walking into their doors, I may be confusing snooty distain for a thin veil of “up marketness” the same way a french waiter is parodied in a comedy show.
Infact for this reason I have only been into the up market independant long established menwear shop a few doors down once due to a hawkeyed salesperson gazing at me the same way you would a horrorfilm, I would pay the prices for quality service despite my suspicions they only have to sell three units a year to be in profit.
In terms of rudeness I frequented a newcomer upmarket fast food resturant a total of four times, the staff were always rude, the food was marginal, the prices were high and they wouldn’t honour my loyalty card as the stamps were on two different cards, despite the stamps not stating they were not transferable and specifically stating “collect four stamps for a free ……” I had four stanmps, I had no food.
Stores I do hope succeed, independently owned, highly adaptable local businesses catering to hard to find neich markets, such as the one in mill street, the staff are always friendly and the prices are good. The newest Apple Authorised Retailer as they have the cheapest products, I don’t care about customer relations when the prices are that cheap, but they do alright at that too. Most of the UK chains are alright for customer support despite being over priced and always lacking in choice for menswear. The second newest boutique clothes store to open in the highstreet had about two pairs of jeans and couple of shirts and a polo short, that’s more of a branded uniform than choice.
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@ Yes, Southside Computers did not close down, it was bought out by it’s neighbour, please do deal with the facts, thanks.
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Either way, the outcome came from the same source. Thanks for correcting that miniscule mistake, though.
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Hardly a miniscule mistake when in fact your statement is totally wrong. The company that bought them many years ago is still in business ergo the custom is still there.
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I agree with most of what’s posted here regarding service in shops. Its the same here in the UK.
Shops like Gabriels where service and value for money were the key to success are sorely missed.
I don’t like harping on about the good old days but when you went to Gabriels, particularly on the Bridge, service was what you got. The prices were competitive if not better than others, but I’d always pay a bit more for service like that.
Retailers need to train their staff to serve customers, not just take money at the till whilst grudingly putting their mobile down or stopping the conversation with their mate who has popped in for a chat.
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It’s not only the shops…it’s a lot more!!! Have you seen the House and Car prices????? Could someone perhaps give guidance on this: If I buy a car in the UK can the VAT be claimed back if I live in Guernsey?
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Yes the VAT can be claimed back (on new cars, most second hand car dealers do not charge VAT).
You need to check HMRC’s guide to the Personal Export Scheme at http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/vat/sectors/consumers/personal-vehicles.htm
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Yes, I’ve done it a few years back. Saved £1500 on a £15k car after shipping costs for delivery to Guernsey etc. Its easier if you find a supplier who doesn’t charge VAT to start with but either way works. Get latest info from Customs here and VAT people in UK. Dealers close to Weymouth & Southampton have probably done it before.
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Thank you all…of to UK to buy a car then! See you later Jacksons!
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@Jsimpson
For many years now I have been buying cars from the UK, always secondhand, one example was 5 years ago. Jacksons screen price £8995. same car, same model ,same colour with 5000 miles less was £3895 (true !) in the UK, fully serviced and valeted, with fresh MOT and of course now all the costs are just limited to getting it re-registered, (approx £50)and you can claim back any road tax from the DVLA so well and truly quids in ..
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and more shops are wanted to be built at Leales Yard…
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Good point. This is going to be SUCH a mistake. We so don’t need a shopping mall in St Sampsons when St Peter Port is already struggling..
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Generally I agree with all of the views on here but I will see in defence of Ms Scott in the photo above, I shopped in Sails on Saturday and she couldn’t have been more helpful – real customer service. If only other shops could follow her lead.
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Right, I will remember that … next time I’m shopping for souvenirs from Guernsey!?!
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It’s not all souvenirs Beanjar, they have lots of household furnishings, gifts, handbags, storage boxes etc. Go and take a look, you might be surprised!
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A fine example, went to a certain large furniture store off the bridge , went in on saturday to buy a next of tables to be told the warehouse isn’t open so can’t have, so went in today at lunch to get to be told warehouse shut from 12:30 to 13:30 for lunch…just ordered from Next…
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The great thing about an increase in online shopping is that Guernsey post will still have a strong business when LVCR ends ;)…
I remember last year looking to buy a new camera, the cost from Amazon was £300 less (25%) I wanted to but local, but they would not budge on the price, also telling me there would be no warranty if I bought online…
As for shopping in SPP, it takes longer to find a parking space than it does to complete an hour’s online shopping and I also save the wear on the car, the loss of a wing mirror and the waiting 20 minutes behind someone who is determined to sit and watch a family load the car before slowly revealing a car parking space close enough to the shops …
And as for buy local … have you seen how many of these retailers go to the UK to get the shop refurbished, leaving our local builders and construction firms to fight over the scrap subcontracts … and why .. Because it’s cheaper … double standards maybe ??
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I bought my first VAT free item from the UK in the mid 70s under what is known as drawback. The retailer sells you the item VAT free then draws back the Vat from the Vatman.
When Vat was introduced many Guernsey retailers cottened on PDQ to the extra profit that could be made from charging VAT inclusive prices. The excuse of coarse was the old chestnut of transport costs.
When I first heard this I knew it wasn’t true because I was fully aware of what beanjar says in his post that many manufacturers bear the full cost of delivery, its called Carriage Paid Home.
This post is of coarse about events in the mid 70′s, which illustrates just how long the VAT rip off has been going on, though not for myself. I bought from off the Island for over twenty years because of it until I found a Guernsey retailer who I was happy with.
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There have been shops and markets around from the begining of civilsiation, and are more important to our lives then hosiptals or libaries. Unfortunatly individual greed from consumers atempting to exploit retailers from making a fair living, have driven prices to a level were is it unecomonic to sell products except online or in large towns and cities.
I can only see two ways forward to protect our shops. One is minium pricing of products what ever thier source, say for example regardless of what or where from, a pair of mens trousers would have to be sold say for £60. Or the states provide a substities of aprox. 15p in the pound to the retailer based on turnover.
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Biggest load of rubbish I have read all month…
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I am inclined to agree although I’d bet you haven’t read much yet this month!
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Do you suggest I should take my wife to Creaseys when she goes into labour??
You lost me at that point.
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Some what of a moot point because most of us would be dead from starvation, if there where no retail outlets to buy food from.
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After shopping in Jersey on Saturday – what a difference! All staff were polite, actually helped me with my purchases, the town was packed with people, the market was bustling with fruit and veg/meat/flowers – like ours USED to be. What a wonderful day I had in crappaud land shopping. The Latvian waitress in De Gruchy was wonderful, and nothing was too much trouble, unlike so many of our restaurants here. Buck up Guernsey shops or so many more will be empty! Upon going to town on Wednesday, only one assistant was actually helpful and could be bothered – an exception to the rule! That was the nice man in the Body Shop :) I will stick to my online shopping and a trip to Jersey now and then. Also, whilst there I picked up a Fete du Noue leaflet – wow – Gsy Tourism could really learn a thing or two there! December is festive month there – with so many lovely family things to do!
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Just in time for Christmas WHS are pushing the the Kobo ereader is store, for a VAT inclusive price, same price as UK.
The answer?
Buy the leser spec kindle from amazon less VAT
or
Buy the Kobo online at WHS and they will refund you the VAT!!!
Delivery is also free…
How does that make any sense?
Buy in store for £169 or online for £140 from the same shop!!!
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Crazier situation. Went to buy a USB hard disk. Shop price £129. I asked why it was £129 when only £79 on their website. “That’s a web special price ” I was told. Popped next door to a coffee shop. Ordered the disk online via my webphone for £79 to collect in store. Finished my coffee and went back into the shop. “I’m here to collect the disk I ordered online” -”OK sir here it is, that will be £79 please!! ” So saved £50 less cost of a coffee – web access is free on my phone deal – by leaving a shop and reserving the item online.
Can someone explain the business sense in that ?
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@ happy Girl,
you don’t have to justify your trip to Jersey by slamming Guernsey stores. I’ve been to Jersey hundreds of times they are no better or worse in retail than us they are having the same problems as us except maybe the market but our market was certainly not thriving as you suggest not for many years. Did some christmas shopping in town today service was good everywhere but take your point about the guy from The body Shop, very good indeed. If you want to know why recruitment is soooo difficult in retail have a look at the visitors book at Le Friquet Garden centre as I did today. Many comments not postable on here and in general just used as an excuse to moan about ANYTHING.
pete
if a retailer can buy a product in the u.k for £100 what should he sell it for here? you’ve had a lot to say so lets here it please.
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Kevin – I was not justifying my trip – simply informing other readers what a super day out I had and I can assure you that the service was 100% better than received here in Guernsey. Perhaps I just visited the right stores where people could be bothered. And I remember our market bustling albeit not for many years but it certainly was when I was a young girl – I wasnt referring to recently. I have no idea what you are asking with reference to the product in the UK beign bought by a retailer here – I am not a shopkeeper and wouldnt know about mark-ups etc. I am just keen on improved customer service in our shops.
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Regarding markups, I doubt if any of the hard-done-by Guernsey retailers will supply a straight answer. I think as a general guide 100% is somewhere near the mark across the board – less on food, more on clothes. No wonder Creasey’s knock 10% off for the poor old luxury cruise passengers!
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On a lighter note;
http://www.gsyfutu.com/?p=13907
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I have been saying we are being ripped off in Guernsey on a large scale,in all areas.It seems we are paying for the privilege of living in such a beautiful island.
The perception from people living outside of Guernsey is that we Channel Islanders are all minted. Mind you when you tell someone a first time buyers house is over £400,000 for something decent, is it hardly surprising.
Rip off Guernsey has been going on for a long time and it has eventually come home to roost.
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You’ve got your starting mark-up point and your average selling mark-ups.
So if a shop keeper doubles up on what he sells; eg. Buys for a £1 sells for £2(2 times mark up), however if for 2 months a year is on sale for 25% off and 2 monthes a year for 50% off then his/her average mark-up is 1.75.
However strong discounting from either 70% off’s or constant promotions reduce this average markup to between 1.55 to 1.60.
The average running costs to run a small to medium sized shop in the pollet / commercial arcade/ smith street/high street (small shop only) will be around £100,000. Which breaks down to
£45000 rent
£25000 staff
£3000 electric
£2000 4-6 newspaper adverts per year
£1000 TVR on property
£2000 Rubbish removial
£4000 Bank charges, mainly credit/debt charges
£1000 Insurance
£1500 employers social sec. on staff
£1000 accountants fees
£2000 packaging
£1000 telephone
£6000 freight costs, aprox 3% on stock
£3000 sundry other costs, rates, stationary, repairs, window cleaning, etc, etc.
So the first £300,000ish (£5700 per week) just covers the shops running cost. However the owner/operators needs a wage too. We’ll use £25,000 as an example. That now means turnover has to increase to aprox. £375,000 per year or £7,200 per week. Thats a hard target to reach, and I doubt many Guernsey retailers achieve this.
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vat is 16.652% approx when it worked back not 20%
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??
If an item costs £20.00+ VAT and VAT is 20%
then £20.00 x 1.20 = £24.00
So VAT inclusive price is £24.00
Working backwards from VAT inclusive price
VAT free price is £24.00 / 1.2 = £20.00
So where does 16.652% come from??
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16.652% of £24 is £4
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£4 is 16% of the total price of £24
therefore to get the VAT free price you have to deduct 16% not 20%
a common mistake …. i have seen a major UK retailer run an ad campaign based on ’20% off …we pay the VAT ‘ ……
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I don’t know why working out the pre-VAT price is proving so difficult. At 20% VAT rate you simply deduct one sixth – divide by 1.2 or multiply by 0.83333(recurring)%. They don’t call me Carol Vorderman for nothing!
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£50,000 a year on rent for a small shop … Now theres your problem !!! Why should the Guernsey shopper line the heavy pockets of greedy landlords .. Surely if everyone wants a thriving shopping district there needs to be some serious rent capping to a level comparable with the UK high street. Also just out of curiosity why are the Guernsey shops not selling locally online ?? You need to beat them at their own game.
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can i just say that i work in a shop and of course all customers are a joy to serve they dont grunt when asked good morning,they dont throw money onto the counter they dont snatch change from your hand etc.
i,am 50 plus yrs old and pride my self in my customer service if only some customers could be the same .
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Perhaps you can initiate training for other shop keepers that cannot be bothered to serve the customer correctly then. Please can you start with the shop near to the Priaulx Library, or the shop which maintains it is Guernsey and sells the Press? Thanks.
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what iam trying to put across is not all customers are sweet little angels,as not all shop workers are nice and kind to customers.
ie a customer will swear blind you sold them an item not long ago then when they find out you dont sell the thing they just walk out without a sorry or anything .
plus according to alot of people that i deal with iam not aloud a dinner break a day off or holidays but just be ready to serve them 24/7 but hell iam just the guy who works in the shop
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New clothes shop opened in town a couple of weeks ago – saw a jumper I liked priced at £58 – a bit pricey methinks – went online to the same retailer and got not only 20% off same item as they were doing a special weekend discount, but also VAT!! Item cost me £43 inc postage saving me round £15. Its a no brainer really isnt it!
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If its the same one i m thinking of you won t be able to order vat free on line with them any more. the big channel island company that operates it have stopped the vat being removed for mail order. however shop around localy or via uk deptment stores to get the same thing vat free.
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Whats this desire to shop shop shop,i will be spending my xmas with freinds in a skiing resort ina log cabin which i have owned for many years.i visit around 20 family homes and its very much the norm for each child to receive ONE GIFT approx cost 5 pounds and given on the eve of the 24th,the family also puts up the tree at the same evening.
The happy smiling faces are a pleasure to see,
Compare this to the modern day spoilt brat in guernsey and the people who go into annual debt
FOR WHAT ?
You came in this like with nothing and you leave with nothing
Live life the simple way
YOU KNOW IT MAKES SENSE
Take greed out of your life
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What a hypocrite you are pbf. You are happy to see the island’s economy go down the tubes while you swan off to your fancy ski resort to play santa. You’re taking the piste aren’t you?
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Martino, don’t get caught up with Mr or Mrs Falla and his or her’s home spun wisdom. I don’t believe a word of it – log cabin? You are welcome to it mate! I know that there is no where else in the world I would choose to spend Christmas than in Guernsey, with my family.
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Sarnia Expat
Delusinal
I couldnt think of a worse place to spend xmas than guernsey
And most posters would agree if they had the courage to say so.
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Who says its a fancy ski resort,do you research there are ski resorts which are incredibly cheap.A lot lower than say going to guernsey
Engage brain before making comments is always a good idea.
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I like this comment!
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pbfalla – Yes sometimes you really do make sense.
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Whilst I do a lot of shopping online, I do my grocery shops at Co- op on the bridge, st sampsons marks and spencers and Waitrose and they are all very friendly. Especially at the Co-OP where there is a sense of community. So well done to the girls and chaps down there. You make it a nice place to shop.
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Sarnia Expat
You must be the most delusional poster i have ever seen on any forum in the world.
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pb
Now that you seem to have moved away from that very juvenile form of repetitive posting you come across as quite funny
So much better for all your readers.Please keep it up
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Mr/s Falla – Pot – Black? Ho ho ho
Would hate to jump to the wrong conclusion here, but methinks you have no one to call your own – therefore you need to “escape”. A spot of my own home spun psychoanalysis there….
Each to their own of course. But me delusional? OK dearie, just keep taking the tablets.
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Shadow
Good to see your on the case,we may need a kyc officer soon,I will keep you in mind
Have a very pleasant day.
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You have all seemed to ignore the post of shopkeeper of december 2nd.
so I say again, if I am a retailer in guernsey and can buy an item for resale here at £100 cost what should I sell it here for. Come on !! lets hear it!
Fact is none of you know do you?
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The price must be based on what the market will support, not what it costs you to operate. If that price is insufficient then you must look to cut your operational costs, buy more aggressively, start selling a different product set or stop retailing.
I have completely stopped buying significant value items on-island unless the retailer will supply then for a price within 10% of the best I can do delivered from the UK. There are shops that are removing the vat while maintaining good customer service but they are few and far between. If retailing withers and dies on Guernsey it won’t be for lack of demand but for the inability of the retailers to operate within the parameters of the market.
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Kevin, I read the post by the shopkeeper and I understand where he/she was coming from. There are genuine shopkeepers in Guernsey that is why I said in my earlier posts about not tarring them all with the same brush. But unfortunately there are many who will try to rip you off and I’m writing from years experience.
To digresss, why is it that people cannot discuss a subject in a civil manner without ending up at each others throats.
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Kevin
You seem to be claiming to be some kind of retail expert, the fact is that your question is impossible to answer due to a high range of mark-ups on products depending on what they are, how long they are likely to stay in stock, how “seasonal” they are etc.
Some shops offer good value and service, some don’t. Some will survive, some won’t. It’s as simple as that, I understand that to a degree it is not the retailer’s greed that leads to high prices (landlords play a key part in this) but in this day and age people are rarely prepared to pay significantly more for a product when they can order it online with minimum fuss.
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Mark up on goods.
The simple answer is take off the vat from the UK rrp add freight is applicable, some suppliers do not charge freight.Bulky items can be from 5 to 15% depending on how much you order.
Some good have a 50% mark up (33.3%) i.e cost £100 retail for £150. some fast selling popular goods have a lower mark up. some small slow selling items have have double up.
Many suppliers now ask for goods to be paid for before being shipped.
Rents are far higher in Guernsey, wages can be higher. Many goods I sell are cheaper than on the internet, but if an internet supplier can order thousands and get a cheaper cost price, then they can slash the price a lot, so there is nothing retails can do to compete, as you have to make a basic profit to survive.
Do not forget that by buying in Guernsey it still affect you, you might work for a freight company, and accountant,a bank etc.
I am not saying do all your shopping here as there are some great savings on the net, but the UK are going to stop the VAT allowance from Guernsey, so it will mean direct and indirect job losses. Just think where your wages actually come from!
I personally try to compete by offering a good service, keep my prices as keen as possible, rely on word of mouth for business and not spend a fortune on advertising, as most people know where you are and what you sell. Supporting local charities and organisations, by putting something back into the community.
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I used to be involved with a specialist sports goods store in St. Peter Port so I do have some direct experience of Guernsey retailing. Mark-ups are not always as generous as the majority seem to think on here…
Using the £100 trade cost example, the RRP (before VAT) would usually be £150, equating to a 50% margin.
Looking at it from the customer side, as they are paying £150 for the product, the profit margine is 1/3rd or 33.33% (£50 ex- £150).
If you had a sale and knocked 20% off the price then this was actually 60% of your margin that you were giving up.
Add to this the banking charges for processing the customer payment and any carriage overhead on the original cost of the goods and your profit margin begins to look quite slim.
Most suppliers would charge carriage to the CI and this could get quite expensive as they might use a courier firm such as DHL as their main contractors rather than Royal Mail. Whilst it is difficult to generalise as volume/weight are rarely in direct proportion to the retail price of a product it is probably fair to say this could equate to 2.5% of trade price (£2.50 per £100 of stock).
Credit card charges and banking fees could add up to another 2.5% of the transaction.
We did not levy ‘quasi-VAT’ as we knew that it was easy for customers to check prices online and believed in treating customers fairly. In this way we could honestly say that clients were paying no more than UK RRP (less VAT) and were also not paying any shipping.
Staff were mainly people who had genuine experience in the sport and the products concerned.
Overall, although I may be biased, I think that the shop added-value to the customer when compared to an online transaction and prices were competitive. However, the model was not profitable and it closed down.
This is Guernsey’s problem. We are a little island of 60 odd thousand and there is no scale for retailers to create the volume needed to make thin margins practical.
In many areas the internet has opened up local retailers to competition that they cannot hope to match. Clearly it will be hard to make a profit selling commoditised items from a town shop when you are up against online retailers with a lower cost base and higher sales volumes.
I am not saying that this is unfair, it is just capitalism at work and Guernsey retailers need to adapt to survive. What is unfair is the number of people on here branding local retailers as ‘greedy’ when the majority are hard-working, honest Guerns who are trying to provide a product or service that they believe in.
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I had terrible service in a certain booze shop in town last week, I needed some advice on alcohol and had to wait while the lady stuck her stamps onto her co-op cards, when she finally noticed me and I asked for advice she waved her hand in the general direction of what I was looking for and carried on with her stamp-sticking..I didn’t make the purchase and won’t go there again.
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I bet I can guess which shop you mean. I have also experienced this woman’s ‘service’ – not. I had the misfortune of shopping there in the tourist season and left wondering what on earth tourists will have made of the shopping experience.
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I have had bad service at a shop in Smith Street – so I wrote to the manageress just last week to complain, in a constructive manner I have to say, suggesting ways in which she could instruct her staff to serve the customer with a smile and the basics i.e. good morning/afternoon, please, thanks.
I am still waiting for any sort of reply. The problem is obvious with management down.
I rest my case.
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I seem to have opened a can of worms with my £100 example.
the fact is that folks outside of retail have very little knowledge of what goes on and rightly only make thier mind up about retailers because of the service they find instore. it is a complex business and really price comparisons are completely invalid unless two stores have all of thier costs exactly the same which never happens. The truth is from my experience our retailers in Guernsey are no better or worse than any where else. I have travelled extensively and found great service and really poor service every where I have been.
Retail is not seen as an attractive career for people and sadly the behaviour of customers can be really appalling you know there is no need to swear at staff because the till is on a go slow, staff should not be threatened or abused in any way.
When I retire in a few years I am going to write a book of my experience in retail and most of you won’t believe what will be in it.
Final thought
obviously some posters on here have experienced bad service at some point but I am convinced that the vast majority of the time customers get good service here it’s just that mostly they only remember the bad times. Retailers need to remember that.
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