Dick Smith is no more

[Geoff Steer]

"AFTER a period of less than inspiring sales figures, retail chain Dick
Smith has lost face - Dick Smith's face, that is."

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,25565118-2,00.html

I know that Dick hasn't been involved with these stores for 20 years or
so but it's still a bit sad.
I can remember shopping at his first store at Gore Hill in the days he
used to serve behind the counter. In the days when they still sold
electronic components.

 

[Phil Allison]

"Geoff Steer"

"AFTER a period of less than inspiring sales figures, retail chain Dick
Smith has lost face - Dick Smith's face, that is."

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,25565118-2,00.html

I know that Dick hasn't been involved with these stores for 20 years or
so but it's still a bit sad.
I can remember shopping at his first store at Gore Hill in the days he
used to serve behind the counter. In the days when they still sold
electronic components.

** Dick Smith stores still sell electronic components - dickhead.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

If the news story is to be believed - the new Woolworth's bred marketing
manager, Brent Allan, is less than a half wit.

Quote:
"I was the man who removed the face," Allan says.

"The head was very old and daggy.

I didn't have any reason to keep it.

And Electronics meant jugs, kettles and stuff. "



Brent must be the same congenital fuckwit who came up with:

" Talk to the Techxperts "

Infuriates the hell out of the staff every time they see it.

Peeeeeukkkkkeeeeeee.............





...... Phil

 

[John Tserkezis]

** Dick Smith stores still sell electronic components - dickhead.

A far cry from what the Joe Average enthusiast would call electronic
components. All but the powerhouse stores had their shelves cleared of
components to make way for Jugs. And not the good kind of jugs either.

And even then the powerhouse stores are lacking.

 

[Sylvia Else]

A far cry from what the Joe Average enthusiast would call electronic
components. All but the powerhouse stores had their shelves cleared of
components to make way for Jugs. And not the good kind of jugs either.

And even then the powerhouse stores are lacking.

At least one of the non-powerhouse stores have now lost their electronic
components - Chatswood Westfield. Not that it makes much difference,
because their stock control had gone to hell.

I was told by the sales assistant that the "Powerhouse" distinction is
dead now anyway.

Sylvia.

 

[Don McKenzie]

I was told by the sales assistant that the "Powerhouse" distinction is
dead now anyway.

At Broadmeadows Vic, they have their new "Techxperts" big store, and a
normal store that has been there for years. I can't see this lasting
long at all.

They dropped their Tandy shop several months ago.

Don...



--
Don McKenzie

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http://www.dontronics-shop.com/sparkfun-electronics.html

 

[Swanny]

"Geoff Steer"


** Dick Smith stores still sell electronic components - dickhead.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

If the news story is to be believed - the new Woolworth's bred marketing
manager, Brent Allan, is less than a half wit.

Quote:
"I was the man who removed the face," Allan says.

"The head was very old and daggy.

I didn't have any reason to keep it.

And Electronics meant jugs, kettles and stuff. "



Brent must be the same congenital fuckwit who came up with:

" Talk to the Techxperts "

Infuriates the hell out of the staff every time they see it.

Peeeeeukkkkkeeeeeee.............





..... Phil

I guess Brent must have a shiny suit an an MBA to come up with such
insightful reasoning.

 

[Swanny]

Barely. And every time I go in, more barely.

Maybe they could lose 'mith' in the name and just call it 'Dicks'.

geoff

ROFLMAO, very good.

Dick's Myth Electronics

 

[Clifford Heath]

Maybe they could lose 'mith' in the name and just call it 'Dicks'.

or Dick's Myth(ical Electronics).

 

[Sylvia Else]

You mean there were no 2.7 ohm resistors in the 10K drawer, even ....

Dang it - I was after some 2.7 ohm the other day, and there were
apparently none. It didn't occur to me to check the 10K drawer.

Sylvia.

 

[L.A.T.]

I know what a blacksmith does and I know what a silversmith does and I know
what a locksmith does.
I have heard of coppersmiths, gunsmiths and goldsmiths, and I can imagine
what they do, too.

 

[The Real Andy]

"Geoff Steer"


** Dick Smith stores still sell electronic components - dickhead.

Or did. I went into Brisbane store today to buy a fuse holder and they
were packing up all the components, plugs, sockets etc. into boxes.
Not sure what they were doing, but I can only guess

 

[Sylvia Else]

Or did. I went into Brisbane store today to buy a fuse holder and they
were packing up all the components, plugs, sockets etc. into boxes.
Not sure what they were doing, but I can only guess

I've long wondered why Dick Smith even stock electronic components. It's
hard to imagine they make a profit from them, particularly when their
failed stock control results in the consumption of significant staff
time for customers who only wanted to spend a dollar or two, and
probably end up not spending even that.

Sylvia.

 

[Ross Vumbaca]

Hi,

I'm not sure what purpose DS serves these days. May as well go to
Retravison or Hardly's. I'm sure DS (and probably Tandy as well) are in
their final years of existence.

Tandy was already useless over 10 years ago. They have been owned by DSE
for a while now, so it isn't hard to figure out what their purpose is...

Regards,

Ross..

 

[Sylvia Else]

Hi,



Tandy was already useless over 10 years ago. They have been owned by DSE
for a while now, so it isn't hard to figure out what their purpose is...

Do they still sell single resistors in shrink wrapped packaging?

Sylvia.

 

[terryc]

"AFTER a period of less than inspiring sales figures, retail chain Dick

I know that Dick hasn't been involved with these stores for 20 years or
so but it's still a bit sad.

Rubarb, the man was just a purveyor of cheap crap from overseas right
from the start.

 

[Phil Allison]

"terryc"

Rubarb, the man was just a purveyor of cheap crap from overseas right
from the start.

** Not right from the start - in the first few years, DSE bought a lot of
Aussie made components, put them into kits and sold many other Aussie made
items plus some foreign made stuff bought from local Aussie importers.

Then the business nearly went broke and the saviour was to direct import
lots of components and stuff from Asia.

The CB radio craze ( Dick was part responsible for getting the law changed )
was a major earner in the mid to late 70s and that put DSE on the path to
success.



..... Phil

 

[Alan Rutlidge]

Rubarb, the man was just a purveyor of cheap crap from overseas right
from the start.

What components are made in Australia?
True, quite a few decades ago some stuff (speakers, transformers etc) were
made here in Australia by Rola, Plessey, AR etc, but that was yonks back.
AFAIK semiconductors were probably never manufactured here, with most
components sourced for OS.

Dick Smith popularised DIY electronics nationally by making the components
accessible and affordable to most hobbyists.
Yes, in some cities, smaller companies did the same like Stan Willis (Willis
Trading Company), Atkins-Carlyle and a number of others here in Perth WA.
It wasn't until later that Kitsets Australia appeared that along with Dick
Smith supported the local electronics magazines of Electronics Australia and
ETI in making fully worked kits of their projects widely available to the
home constructor.

It wasn't until years later (probably when Woollies took over) that the
stores undertook a change to WIMHO is "junk electronics". But tricky Dick
wasn't the only one. A quick stroll around any Jaycar store and you've
easily be forgiven for thinking you were in Toys 'r' us.

 

[Swanny]

ha he ha !!!

Must be why that used to have that coupon "Sorry Dick, it doesn't work",
in which case you needed to take it to a dicksmith ...

 

[Swanny]

What components are made in Australia?
True, quite a few decades ago some stuff (speakers, transformers etc) were
made here in Australia by Rola, Plessey, AR etc, but that was yonks back.
AFAIK semiconductors were probably never manufactured here, with most
components sourced for OS.

Semiconductors were made here, at AWA Microelectronics.

 

[F Murtz]

Semiconductors were made here, at AWA Microelectronics.

Capacitors also made here and probably resistors.
We even made television sets.