Screwfix or Toolstation searches, missing the paper catalogues.

[conny]

SF can be a pain in the backside when you are looking for a specific brand, (most websites are actually), because they throw up brands you are not interested in and have to troll through pages of crap in case the thing you are looking for is on one of the later pages.

I now tend to wait until I get the monthly newsletter to see if there is anything I want, (not necessarily need), before just typing in the product code. This brings it up straight away. I then click & collect it, walk into the shop after getting the confirmation text/email, give in the last 4 digits of the order, walk along to the end of the counter and a young man or lady plop it down on the counter.

I'm at the age where I seem to have everything I could possibly need for what I do, (DIY only these days), whereas, when I had the catalogues, I would buy what I could afford even if I didn't need it but in case I would one day. I've got tools I've had for years and never used because the occassion hasn't arisen!

 

[Malx]

I don’t mind using their online sites, can usually find what I want using the filters. Try using an app (that’s what I have to use for work) that’s not got a filter on it typing in one thing and it brings back 129 items!

Are you restricted by the filters at work so you can only order a limited range of products relevant to your work? That would make ordering much easier!

 

[Malx]

SF can be a pain in the backside when you are looking for a specific brand, (most websites are actually), because they throw up brands you are not interested in and have to troll through pages of crap in case the thing you are looking for is on one of the later pages.

I now tend to wait until I get the monthly newsletter to see if there is anything I want, (not necessarily need), before just typing in the product code. This brings it up straight away. I then click & collect it, walk into the shop after getting the confirmation text/email, give in the last 4 digits of the order, walk along to the end of the counter and a young man or lady plop it down on the counter.

I'm at the age where I seem to have everything I could possibly need for what I do, (DIY only these days), whereas, when I had the catalogues, I would buy what I could afford even if I didn't need it but in case I would one day. I've got tools I've had for years and never used because the occassion hasn't arisen!

I feel that I used to have to hide the catalogue's from myself. I feel that I used to look at the products & think about where I could use something like that . . . . . I used to end up buying things I didn't need to do jobs that didn't need doing, which then created a viscious circle of maintenance.

The characters that created the success & growth of both Screwfix & Toolstation are 'business genius's' with their feet firmly on the sturdy footings of reality, they know not only how to sell but how to administer. The catalogue's were very expensive to produce & distribute but they were mostly what the business revolved around & generated the revenue at that time. Sadly, the t'internets now makes them obsolete. The cost/benefits equation has tipped over to make it worthwhile to scrap the catalogues & focus solely on the internettys.

If you can't adapt & handle the new order of things then the future looks bleak.

I searched for a “6A junction lighting junction box” yesterday. I knew lighting circuits were protected by 6A MCB. Little dis d I know that the 6A variety doesn’t exist. I got loads of lights and junction boxes and products with 6 in them! I’m not a Luddite, most of my working life was involved in computing. It just seems that the Screwfix search always returns too many results. With the catalogue and real human intelligence i could sort by eye, and the result ”that’s just what I want”, rather than looking through many many screens of products that are not relevant.

 

[Malx]

I recently searched screwfix for "hitachi 18v battery" the result was 900 nonsense items, searched on ebay and the result was dozens of hitachi batteries.
Screwfix has been taken over by lunatic marketing people, ebay is a lot simpler and cheaper

Yes it’s the 900 item results that I can’t cope with. I can’t figure where the nonsense items are related to my search. I was hoping the search engine would have got better. Doesn’t seem that way.

good to see that it’s not just me has the problems!

 

[Malx]

The old Lisle St radio catalogues were even better, a thing to behold. I do wish I still had them.

Yes it’s all a learning experience for me as well. I suspect users are in two groups. The trade and. Those who know what they want, and those like me who know what they want to do and then find out what they need, learning and discarding products to you find what you want.

 

[noseall]

how do you feel?

I go to these places to buy specific stuff, rather than browse. I could not give a chuff how I arrive at the purchase stage as long as I know what to type in to the search box.
The one thing I always have trouble locating is plasterboard props...?

 

[Malx]

Toolstation still have paper catalogue.
Not sure Screwfix do?
Screwfix really pushing app but no item share is a pain.
Toolstation give me goods without a word spoken but a smile. They know me.
Screwfix is totally different. Got to type numbers in machine or verify yourself. They are so different. Be lost without them though

Must dash to toolstation to get a catalogue, but looked at the website last night, I remember they had, in the past, little thumbnails that showed the catalogue page an item could be found on. I couldnt see these, so assumed the catalogue is no more. Hope I am wrong.

 

[Dork Lard]

I searched for a “6A junction lighting junction box” yesterday. I knew lighting circuits were protected by 6A MCB. Little dis d I know that the 6A variety doesn’t exist. I got loads of lights and junction boxes and products with 6 in them! I’m not a Luddite, most of my working life was involved in computing. It just seems that the Screwfix search always returns too many results. With the catalogue and real human intelligence i could sort by eye, and the result ”that’s just what I want”, rather than looking through many many screens of products that are not relevant.

That's OK, but would you pay £50 for the catalogue???

These catalogue's are very expensive to produce & distribute. They have to make sense in the business model & the business model makes sense moving over to the internets.

Why don't you contact Screwfix & tell 'em you'd be happy to pay for the catalogue 'cos you find it easier to use? Surely you not on your own, if there are enough of you all willing to pay £50 then maybe they'll print a few off again.

 

[CBW]

Are you restricted by the filters at work so you can only order a limited range of products relevant to your work? That would make ordering much easier!

There are no filters, no limited range for my role, so it will list certain things depending on wording.

 

[pcaouolte]

I recently searched screwfix for "hitachi 18v battery" the result was 900 nonsense items

I think that is because Screwfix don't sell Hitachi batteries. A search for "Dewalt 18v battery" produces 9 relevant results. It would be much better if they said "no results for Hitachi 18v battery" rather than giving the nonsense results though.

 

[Wayners]

Toolstation have items not in catalogue like the taktec carpet protection.
It's because they don't want items to compete I was told

 

[robinbanks]

I don’t mind using their online sites, can usually find what I want using the filters. Try using an app (that’s what I have to use for work) that’s not got a filter on it typing in one thing and it brings back 129 items!

What really winds me up is when online searches seem to use OR instead of AND.. I search for "torx screw" say, and get everything that contains "torx", and also everything that contains "screw". 5000 items of mostly useless irrelevance. Thankfully things are getting better, and companies are getting wise to making it easy for search engines to index their sites, so it can be faster to use site:screwfix.com torx screws to get Google to give results limited to SF.com

 

[opps]

I I absolutely hate using the Screwfix mobile app to search for products. The toolstation app is no better.

At least with the toolstation hard copy catalogue, I can find the product in the class grouping, eg Plumbing- it will be there somewhere. Additionally, I look through it an think "Oh, I may buy one of those".

If I need to use Google to find an item, I am, on the balance of probability, going to buy it from the site that is the cheapest (inc delivery).

Prior to the lock down, Toolstation was a tenner for "next" day delivery, Screwfix was £20.
I can purchase higher quality products at a lower price on line.

That said, I still use them if they have a store near by.

Regrettably, when it comes down to hand tools, both seem to be on a race to the bottom.

 

[chirpychippy]

Nope, I'm not on-board at all, I find the notepad type computers in their branches absolutely infuriating "screwfix" I buy twice yearly a set of HSS Hex Drill bits, then they went computerised, searched, hex drill bits, hex hss drill bit sets, hss drill bit sets then got the ar*e.

I found a box from an old set, took that in, they scanned the barcode and informed they had some they hadn't sold for ages.....I wonder why....

I like catalogues....

 

[Wayners]

With Toolstation I add goods to basket as I need over week or in one go. Then go to top cashback website, search Toolstation.
Click and login which is automatic.
Go look at basket and pay.
Get about 3% cashback