Axminster Tools, Nuneaton

[Chubby]

Well it had been quite a while since I had last visited them, but when I called in last week I was hugely disappointed to see that the Festool display was dramatically reduced [crying].

They never used to be competitive with their pricing and now that they have this very small display they have certain items on offer at good prices - What a shame they didn't do such deals when they had that amazing Festool display........ [sad]

 

[Rob-GB]

I called in there on a trip to Scotland just after they opened it and it was great but as you say prices were never any good so did not drop much coin in their till. I suspect that due to their lack of competitive  pricing they have not moved as much stock as the bean counters want for the square footage so they are cutting back.
The other week the guy at my local axy (sittingbourne) said they were reducing prices to try and get back in the game, don't think he was too happy when i told him I had about 11 grand invested in Festool kit and only two machines came from them because they will not make deals on products for tradesmen or returning customers and their Titebond 2 big bottle is 10 quid more expensive than elsewhere....maybe they will wake up when the bean counters start closing down stores.

Rob.

 

[Chubby]

At the moment they have the circular saw TS 55 REQB-Plus on offer at £297.96 making them the cheapest by over a tenner:

http://www.axminster.co.uk/festool-ts-55-rebq-plus-circular-plunge-saw

https://www.google.co.uk/shopping/product/17732008478542694348?q=festool%20561553&biw=2048&bih=1171&bav=on.2,or.&bvm=bv.89381419,d.ZWU&tch=1&ech=1&psi=n20ZVdX8GoT7PNWPgKAN.1427729814550.5&prds=paur:ClkAsKraX2dsFU69yT_hHaPz49pY_KqHArpAYcpeJphFH1DK_shycPYFw1GskYxwjdV5rypnl7SPaeCO_fht5IQwC9a0x9FQOwr1am9FPTB1I29CECOKgl7qNRIZAFPVH71lQ-YbVA5JOKX8m8fydomMIkrKkA,scoring:tps&ei=p20ZVdDsBIOwPeOJgSA&ved=0CFcQpiswAA

If only they'd been more competitive on pricing whilst they had that amazing display they would have accumulated so many more sales........  [sad]

 

[jools]

I bought a Cms and OF insert at Axminster sittingbourne on Saturday. Competitive price, in stock, good service and one in the display area that I could play with. They even carried it  out to the van. I could have saved myself around £30 to £50 online but delivery to billing address means no one at home to take delivery and my last 2 deliverys where drive by dumps. It's a catch22 for those company's maintaining retail space where customers check out an items feel and function and then buy cheaper online and I've done it myself [embarassed]They need to maintain higher returns to pay for retail space and staff but loose sales because of price. The counter service needs to shine to make the difference but no one sees real service till something goes wrong. It is a modern retail quandary!

 

[Rob-GB]

At the moment they have the circular saw TS 55 REQB-Plus on offer at £297.96 making them the cheapest by over a tenner:

If only they'd been more competitive on pricing whilst they had that amazing display they would have accumulated so many more sales........  [sad]

Completely agree with you, had they played ball they would have got around 10K of my Festool funds. It is not that I dislike Axy' , I don't, I went in for a Tormek T7 one time and came out with a Veritas Large Shoulder plane to go with it.... with a 40mile round trip to boot but I did get the manager to throw in a book on something or other that took my fancy at the time [big grin] They are a good company in all respects except looking after the people who buy kit/consumables for their work/business and would often prefer to deal with them than go elsewhere, but, when our customers are squeezing down the costs we have to look at our own costs or not work for those clients or shop with certain companies.
@ jools, yeah they are trying to re-group as I said in the other post so prices are a little better now. I have had deliveries made to jobsites and companies I have sub contracted to (even had a canoe sent to a company I was helping out on a stair build), so no excuse for not buying online really. My purchase of the CMS + OF was with the TS55 table, the sliding table and the OF2200 with Accessories kit and and few extra bits (second parallel fence, collets etc) yet Axy wanted full list price, I chatted with a Festool rep at Axy one saturday prior to deciding on the OF2200 so the sale was made there, the order went online to another company who had stock and someone I could talk to on the phone (re: prices ) and delivered next day. This is where Axy get it wrong, in my honest opinion.
Rob.

 

[fjb]

Unfortunately all "sheds" arrive at this stage of commercial development. Build a large store, close down the opposition then increase your margins to satisfy the bean counters. By that stage they have you by the short and curlies. Wait and see what happens next. A stock market flotation to fund expansion and the bean counters then have total control. Been there, got the T shirt.