Re: Saints "Superstore" nothing much changes : Sun Dec 02, 2012 2:56 pm  

My experince a few months ago.

Looks at several things on shelves and racks and find many of them have no price. Thinks fair enough maybe they haven't had a chance to price them, despite there being three staff behind the counter just chatting and ony me in the shop. But never mind, it's not the end of the world.

So... first item take it over to counter - how much for this - price given verbally

further browing

second item take it over to counter - how much for this - price given verbally

further browing

third item - now getting fed up of going to counter to get a price so shout over (only me in shop) - price given verbally

but now I'm getting suspicious as the prices seem a little off and 'randomn'

further browsing and decide to test them

fourth item has a price but I shout over to the counter "this has no price, do you know how much it is?" and sure enough get instant reply of randomn wrong price.

fifth item shout over.

I can see they're getting annoyed with me now and one girl gives me a dirty look, tuts and comes over to search for a price. She says in an annoyed voice "all these things are priced". She searches for a price label. She searches the rack for a similar item with a price label. She can't find one. She shouts over to the other two at the counter "How much is this". They respond with what I suspect is a totally randomn number.

Eventually I select 3 items. They are scanned and come up with completely different prices than they shouted out to me (to my advantage).

They don't blink or even acknowledge the difference.

As I am processing my debit card in the machine I casually mention that not one of items I bought was the price they shouted to me.

The girl looks annoyed at me and says "well they are all supposed to priced up", as if it was my fault they weren't.

It wasn't a terrible painful experience, but I did come away thinking that somehow I had interrupted their day by being an awkward customer by actually wanting to know the price of stuff and interrupting their conversation.

The whole thing could have been a satirical comedy sketch lampooning British retail customer care.

I've been back since and most stuff was priced this time.

Re: Saints "Superstore" nothing much changes : Sun Dec 02, 2012 3:48 pm  

I was in the "superstore" yesterday getting few Xmas presents. I asked do I get a discount of 5% as I'm a season ticket holder, they replied no, it's only for training gear.

I then asked, if a boot bag was not training gear, she said no. I then asked if the saints rugby bag was training gear, she replied no.

I just thought stuff it and Also bought the new saints jersey as another present.

What do we get 5% off from being a season ticket holder?

Re: Saints "Superstore" nothing much changes : Tue Dec 04, 2012 10:59 pm  

The whole concept needs some work.

Its a massive change from the town shop.

No casual browsers outside.match day. You make.an effort to get there and are ready to buy.

I do think though the club are missing a trick not having a pop up shop.in the town centre.for.xmas as well as the club shop especially if they want to shift stock.

Plenty of empty shops.

Re: Saints "Superstore" nothing much changes : Sat Dec 08, 2012 10:36 am  

A little lottery style booth in the town centre that sells match tickets and displays what stock is available would be ideal, you could place orders there and pick up later on? Seems simple enough to me.

Re: Saints "Superstore" nothing much changes : Sat Dec 08, 2012 5:50 pm  

Didn't the club do research when the shop moved from where Game is to the shop near B&M that revealed that almost all people that went into the shop where going to go there and there was hardly any 'just passing' trade? I seem to recall that was the reason given at an ISSA meeting when they moved as the rent was much higher in the original place. If that's the case, and there hasn't been a drop in turnover since the move to the ground, then a shop in town would just be an extra cost.

Re: Saints "Superstore" nothing much changes : Sat Dec 08, 2012 9:12 pm  

I mentioned this last year and met with the usual abuse.

The Wigan model appears to work.
A shop in the town centre and then on match day use the shop at the ground (or a trailer)

Re: Saints "Superstore" nothing much changes : Sun Dec 09, 2012 9:51 am  

Rogues Gallery wrote:

I mentioned this last year and met with the usual abuse.

The Wigan model appears to work.
A shop in the town centre and then on match day use the shop at the ground (or a trailer)

Well you are gypsies.

Re: Saints "Superstore" nothing much changes : Sun Dec 09, 2012 10:20 pm  

I'm sure Saints have measured the cost/benefit analysis of having a central shop presence. If there's drop off in merchandising sales then maybe they'll need to look at but if they remain strong then perhaps there's no need. I bet passing trade is pretty much negligible during the week.

Re: Saints "Superstore" nothing much changes : Sun Dec 09, 2012 11:37 pm  

It's been a while but St Helens town centre was a ghost town last time I went, I can't see a central shop generating enough revenue to justify the overheads.

Re: Saints "Superstore" nothing much changes : Mon Dec 10, 2012 3:27 pm  

You don't a year round shop in the town centre anymore with the new club shop.

But it would make sense for saints to do a few deals with retailers to sell match day tickets.

Even tickets sold from the bus station info office or the lottery kiosk in the hardshaw would be helpful in the week of the match.

However a pop up shop just for December and maybe Jan sales stocking the brand new kit and last years over stock would make sense especially with the number of empty shops currently available.

Outside of match days it is now destination shop like the old club shop. And on foot its a trek. Outside of the season there is much less need to go.

A peppercorn rent in return for Player PAs, joint marketing etc around xmas could be mutally beneficial for whichever arcade let them set up shop.

There are a number of pop up retailers in the town centre this xmas taking advantage of the empty premises and increased footfall.