Dick Smith: 189 of 386 stores set to close

The items are throwaway because of their cheapness. The cost of repair frequently exceeds the initial cost of the equipment. As well, much of the stuff you buy these days is either not designed to be repaired or the cost of components to do so makes it prohibitive.

Its just evolution. I just had a Samsung led tv repaired because the earphone socket had broken. The whole board was replaced and it only had two boards inside. Even techs are not using many components

Silicon chip is full of arduino and picaxe as well as other microprocessor projects. Components will probably only be available from niche suppliers in the future.

Many businesses have come and gone/going due to changing technology. Kodak being a prime example

woolworths? strategic review of Dick Smith is drawing to an end, and CLSA analysts predict 189 of the retailers? 386 stores could close as a result.

Parent company Woolworths is reviewing the electronics retailer due to underperforming sales, and CLSA analysts believe the best option is to reduce store numbers.

"We believe that Woolworths will close up to 189 stores (out of 386) that are deemed unviable and invest significant effort in pursuing an online strategy to support the 'bricks and mortar' presence," analysts David Thomas and Richard Barwick wrote in a report entitled "Off With Dick's Head".

"While some may see this as a band-aid measure, we believe it will give Woolworths an ability to improve profitability, continue to be a relevant player in consumer electronics and allow it to minimise the initial liability-writedown,? the report read.

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Cheers Don...

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Plenty of people are hobbyists (like me), but almost everyone sources their information and parts online now.

DSE never sold the Sinclair range. He sold mostly cheapo knockoff clones of Apple, Tandy (CAT, System 80), and rebadged Vtech (HK) produced stuff like the VZ200, VZ300 and Wizzard consoles. To be fair to him, whilst he did import all this stuff, he also introduced computers to people who otherwise may not have been able to afford one. After Woolworths got involved they started selling later Commodore PC's, as well as their own branded range. Probably some clones as well.

Good example of a company killed by it's own invention and not following up on it.

Back in 78 - ~ 82 DSE sold Exidy Sorcerer computers as well. There was a user group for them IIRC. Advanced for its time but still it fell by the wayside. I bought a Sorcerer from Rod Irving Electronics (RIE). It was the last he had in stock in his (then) only store in Northcote, Vic. It was a display model and I kept it for a few years before passing it along to a friend in the mining game in WA for use as a word processor.

RIE gathered a few more branches, a warehouse and bankruptcy. I last saw him when he was opening his Box Hill store in what I considered a poor location. Had a bit of a chat about the state of affairs in the electronic component industry. He told me that his largest profit margins were in components. He had a bunch of women in his warehouse stuffing plastic bags with resistors, capacitors, diodes and the like. Huge markups on the components but was lucky to get 10 - 20 percent on a beige box PC of that era.

it.

It hasnt been killed, its only in Chapter 11, which allows it to continue.

And it isnt even possible to follow up on the invention that destroyed its basis in a way that avoids the result they got.

Yes, but when exactly? You mention online and Jaycar, most of us are thinking back to the 1980's, at least.

------ If a man says something in the woods and there are no women there, is he still wrong? ? Steven Wright

And also agents for Yaesu. DSE was very useful back in the old days and a lot of the staff were actually knowledgeable about electronics (!)

------ If a man says something in the woods and there are no women there, is he still wrong? ? Steven Wright

Sure, you can get 500% markup on a resistor, but then you are only making a few more cents. Hobbyist component supply is not really high volume. 10% on a $1000 beige box is still going to be easier and more profitable than 500% on a bag of resistors.

Quite right, I forgot about the Sorcerer is one I don't have yet.

That's true and whilst components may have had a huge markup you also needed to sell them in volume.

Haven't been there for a while is David Reid Electronics 127 York St, Sydney still selling bits? (behind Queen victoria building).

No, that disappeared nearly five years ago.

Andy Wood snipped-for-privacy@trap.ozemail.com.au

They only dropped the parts line last year, but even a decade ago they were insignificant as far as profitability goes.

Sad but true. When Dick Smith started up, parts and kits were the main attraction. I bought my first amplifier as a kit from Dick Smith at Gore Hill by mail order. There was only one Dick Smith store at the time (1973). The amp kit was an EA Playmaster 136, and the kit was perfect-nothing missing.

I know

yes, he only employed electronics nuts

wrong? ? Steven Wright

That's all they do now -replace the PCB. and they don't repair the old board. it's just case of replace with new.

Wrong. Samsung do repair boards where it is economically viable (like replacing the caps in the power boards in some of their TV models) but it's not done by the partswapper but by a service and repair centre.

I know this for a fact as I have a friend who is a service tech with Samsung.