Business was predictably brisk during yesterday’s less-than-grand opening of Rhuthun’s new B & M Bargains store. There was a good mix of browsers and buyers. There were times when queues of seven or eight people supported up to two checkouts. The car park as full and people lazily resorted to parking partly on the pavement and partly on the double yellow lines in front. Contrast this commotion to Somerfield, and there was no comparison.
B&M Rhuthun/Ruthin’s range of products is diverse. It stocks:
Some products it sells are not available elsewhere in Rhuthun, so it’s adding value to the town. Otherwise, will B&M worry Rhuthun’s existing traders? The prices seem right but the range within each department is limited. B&M doesn’t stock a huge range of anything in particular. Yet, it doesn’t take much in retail to affect profit margins, so any income diverted to B&M will worry shopkeepers. The cheaper food brands may actually affect the Co-op, though Tesco shoppers are unlikely to be lured. On the other hand, it will probably attract a different customer base to some of the town’s more upmarket shops.
And, it offers free parking.
Regular readers will recall recent comments on this site about shops stocking what people actually want rather than ‘lifestyle’ or ‘accessory’ shopping. B&M probably fits ‘ordinary’ category, even if it’s at the lower end of the retail range.
B&M Rhuthun/Ruthin’s range of products is diverse. It stocks:
- Cutlery & crockery
- Toys
- Flat pack furniture e.g. tables, chairs, display units, a bed
- Wall art (pretty awful, it has to be said)
- Garden products including pots, picket fencing, timber treatment
- Clothes in a basic range including children’s, slippers
- Home furnishings including duvets, cushions, pillows, bath mats & accessories
- Chemist goods e.g. limited toothpaste, shampoos, hair spray, toilet paper, soaps
- Kitchen products e.g. baking foil, cleaners, air fresheners, kitchen roll, detergents
- Pet food
- Foodstuffs e.g. crisps, copious soft drinks, alcohol, sweets, spices, cereals
- Appliances e.g. vacuum cleaner, carpet washer, electric heater
Some products it sells are not available elsewhere in Rhuthun, so it’s adding value to the town. Otherwise, will B&M worry Rhuthun’s existing traders? The prices seem right but the range within each department is limited. B&M doesn’t stock a huge range of anything in particular. Yet, it doesn’t take much in retail to affect profit margins, so any income diverted to B&M will worry shopkeepers. The cheaper food brands may actually affect the Co-op, though Tesco shoppers are unlikely to be lured. On the other hand, it will probably attract a different customer base to some of the town’s more upmarket shops.
And, it offers free parking.
Regular readers will recall recent comments on this site about shops stocking what people actually want rather than ‘lifestyle’ or ‘accessory’ shopping. B&M probably fits ‘ordinary’ category, even if it’s at the lower end of the retail range.
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Shops