DSE getting out of the electronics game??

[Mikegw]

I know that electronic bits at DSE ain't the best usually. But I went to
two stores in my travels this weekend (Bankstown and Moore park superstores,
NSW) the 'electronics' section of these two stores seemed to be about 3/4
the size of what the once were and microwave ovens and hair-dryers popped up
in their place. Anyone else noticed this?

It doesn't really worry me (and I guess this could be a major part of the
reason) as I get most parts online these days.

Mike

 

[John Tserkezis]

I know that electronic bits at DSE ain't the best usually. But I went to
two stores in my travels this weekend (Bankstown and Moore park superstores,
NSW) the 'electronics' section of these two stores seemed to be about 3/4
the size of what the once were and microwave ovens and hair-dryers popped up
in their place. Anyone else noticed this?

It started when they were first bought out by Woolworths.

You're only several years too slow...

 

[Mikegw]

It started when they were first bought out by Woolworths.

You're only several years too slow...

Well that is better than my usual score. It just seems that a lot has
disappeared over the last month or so. I also noticed that jaycar is going
for the whole 'extreeme electronics thing'....

Mike
<http://counter.li.org>

 

[KLR]

I know that electronic bits at DSE ain't the best usually. But I went to
two stores in my travels this weekend (Bankstown and Moore park superstores,
NSW) the 'electronics' section of these two stores seemed to be about 3/4
the size of what the once were and microwave ovens and hair-dryers popped up
in their place. Anyone else noticed this?

It doesn't really worry me (and I guess this could be a major part of the
reason) as I get most parts online these days.

Mike

I have noticed the same thing too,
But It isnt just dick smith that is heading this way

If you look in the farnell "connect" (or whatever they call their
flyers that come every month or 2) there are many many "strange" items
popping up, like shaving kits, electric card shufflers, radio
controlled cars etc that.

For such a company as this - one that I thought was aimed only at the
electrical/electronic trade and definitely not the public - this sort
of change is very surprising !

 

[Terry Collins]

For such a company as this - one that I thought was aimed only at the
electrical/electronic trade and definitely not the public - this sort
of change is very surprising !

Inevitable isn't it?
The electronic/electrical trade is shrinking/dieing off, so they have to
broaden their customer base to survive.

 

[John Tserkezis]

Well that is better than my usual score. It just seems that a lot has
disappeared over the last month or so. I also noticed that jaycar is going
for the whole 'extreeme electronics thing'....

Not sure what you mean by 'extreme electronics' but yes, they have shown a
more recent change in shift was well.

More dissapointing than DSE is perhaps their plethora of stupid toys that
deserve no home than something like a joke or novelty shop.
The several farting novelties, are prime examples.

I haven't been keeping up with the who's who, but perhaps the recent CEO
change had something to do with it... Seemed about the same time.

 

[David L. Jones]

It started when they were first bought out by Woolworths.

You're only several years too slow...

Try almost 22 years too slow! :->
Woolies aquired Tricky Dicks around 1983.

Yes, a lot of the area devoted to the electronics components looks to
have been "optimised" a tad.
It's not Tircky Dicks core business though, hasn't been for a long
time, so not too surprising.
It's interesting that several years ago they stopped producing the
catalog and said they would never make another one, yet they have just
done an about face and produced a new one for this year. Might of been
a change of management since the Tandy aquisition perhaps?

Dave

 

[John Tserkezis]

Try almost 22 years too slow! :->
Woolies aquired Tricky Dicks around 1983.

Sure about that? Back down somewhere in the dark recess of my failing
memory, I do recall when this happened, but didn't think it was that far back...

Yes, a lot of the area devoted to the electronics components looks to
have been "optimised" a tad.
It's not Tircky Dicks core business though, hasn't been for a long
time, so not too surprising.
It's interesting that several years ago they stopped producing the
catalog and said they would never make another one, yet they have just
done an about face and produced a new one for this year.

I'm glad they did, best of all, they kept the data section. Good for the joe
average who doesn't or can't browse the web for the basics.

Might of been a change of management since the Tandy aquisition perhaps?

Dunno if tandy had anything to do with it, that would have just been an
opportunity to get their stock out there in more stores. Tandy still does not
stock electronic components though, they had stopped a LONG time ago.

 

[John Tserkezis]

The elec. kits (& components) are disappearing: being squeezed out of the
shop, I guess they want Joe(& wife Jane) average in the shop

Same here in Sydney, the kit department hasn't shunk too much, but what has
changed, is there are by far more 'baby' kits that perform small novelty tasks
(assorted beeps or flashes lights), or learning kits.

The business end of the kit scale has certainly shrunk.

Is this a sign of the times: even some of the better kits where too expensive
for what they are

This has always been the case though. It was almost always cheaper to buy
brand X black box rather than the kit. But that's not what it's about. It's
about building it yourself, or being able to customise a kit for a particular
purpose.

The latter being a good option to use as a starting base if you need
something that's not otherwise available, and a kit is not too far off. Saves
you the trouble of redesigning from scratch.

 

[S Roby]

DSE are starting to sell some interesting stuff in NZ (some of it at very
competitive prices)
$6500 Meade telescopes (as well as the generic ones, NZ$170 for a 4.5" newton)
HT DVD recorders at the cheapest prices around (they do the job)
10" powered subs at an unbeleivable price(NZ$150 )

The elec. kits (& components) are disappearing: being squeezed out of the
shop, I guess they want Joe(& wife Jane) average in the shop
Is this a sign of the times: even some of the better kits where too expensive
for what they are

 

[David L. Jones]

Sure about that? Back down somewhere in the dark recess of my failing
memory, I do recall when this happened, but didn't think it was that

far back...

Looks like my failing memory might have been a bit off, it was actually
earlier than that! DSE was aquired in two parts, 1980 and 1982
according to:
http://www.woolworthslimited.com.au/news/mediareleases/publicdocuments/10-04-2001_a.asp

Although this one says 1983:
http://www.woolworthslimited.com.au/aboutus/ourhistory/index.asp

And this one says 1981 and 1983:
http://www.bigw.com.au/PICS/2002/whatsnew_may_2002/woolworths-history.pdf

I'm glad they did, best of all, they kept the data section. Good for the joe
average who doesn't or can't browse the web for the basics.
perhaps?

Dunno if tandy had anything to do with it, that would have just been an
opportunity to get their stock out there in more stores. Tandy still does not
stock electronic components though, they had stopped a LONG time ago.

Looks like they merged management according to the above link:
"We will continue to trade all three brands but a combined management
team and office infrastructure will deliver significant synergies,"

I can still remember buying two resistors in a blister pack from Tandy
:->

Dave

 

[David L. Jones]

I'm glad they did, best of all, they kept the data section. Good for the joe
average who doesn't or can't browse the web for the basics.

Actually I'm not sure about how useful it would be for that. I can't
picture the average Joe actually keeping the DSE catalog as a sales
reference for any length of time. They might browse it while in store,
or take it home for a few days to mull over a purchase, but I think it
would get quickly tossed in the bin. The $3 price tag doesn't make it
an attractive take home reference either.

Dave

 

[Tim Polmear]

Alas! The dumbing down of the 'Clever Country' (snigger)

 

[Mr. T]

Actually I'm not sure about how useful it would be for that. I can't
picture the average Joe actually keeping the DSE catalog as a sales
reference for any length of time. They might browse it while in store,
or take it home for a few days to mull over a purchase, but I think it
would get quickly tossed in the bin. The $3 price tag doesn't make it
an attractive take home reference either.

Actually I disagree. The whole point of the $3 is to stop people taking them
who WILL throw them away after a couple of days. Most of the people I know
who get them in Silicon Chip, or from DS, keep them until the next one comes
out. Same with Jaycar catalog, Farnell catalog etc.

The reference section is pretty lame though, but better than nothing for
newbies I guess.

MrT.

 

[John Tserkezis]

Actually I disagree. The whole point of the $3 is to stop people taking them
who WILL throw them away after a couple of days. Most of the people I know
who get them in Silicon Chip, or from DS, keep them until the next one comes
out. Same with Jaycar catalog, Farnell catalog etc.

Yep, I've never paid for cattledogs. If I don't get them bundled with
another magazine, they get thown in with the larger orders.

Even if I don't have one, at least the DSE/Jaycar/Farnell/RS online systems
are plenty functional enough to do the job.

Exception is WES (Wagner Electronic Services) in Ashfield Sydney.

Their online catalogue is worse than their paper equivalent. All pages only
available as separate individual PDF downloads. The real paper catalogue is
higher resolution (for those subtly small parts) and the paper version is
already printed for you.

They really need to do some work on that.

 

[David L. Jones]

Actually I disagree. The whole point of the $3 is to stop people taking them
who WILL throw them away after a couple of days. Most of the people I know
who get them in Silicon Chip, or from DS, keep them until the next one comes
out. Same with Jaycar catalog, Farnell catalog etc.

Yes, but those people are electronics oriented, they aren't your Joe
Average consumer. I do not know a single "consumer" person who keeps
any catalog for any length of time, let alone a Tricky Dicks catalog.

DSEs market would have to be 99% comsumer, the kind that don't even
know what a resistor is.

Dave

 

[Mr. T]

Yes, but those people are electronics oriented, they aren't your Joe
Average consumer. I do not know a single "consumer" person who keeps
any catalog for any length of time, let alone a Tricky Dicks catalog.

As I said, the $3 price stops the average consumer getting one in the first
place. They simply don't need it. The monthly fliers in the letterbox are
for them.
The ones who do bother to get the catalog, probably keep it.

DSEs market would have to be 99% comsumer, the kind that don't even
know what a resistor is.

Exactly. Not too many real parts in the catalog now anyway.

MrT.

 

[Mike Paull]

Looks like they merged management according to the above link:

"We will continue to trade all three brands but a combined management
team and office infrastructure will deliver significant synergies,"

Merger is what it was called however it was really a buy-out/take-over.

Tandy Service Centre's were the first casualties, with most of the staff
being redeployed and the operations integrated with the local DSE Service
centre. Then it was the old Tandy head office which was closed down with
staff either being offered a position at DSE, redeployement or as many did
they resigned. Finally the warehouse was closed and all stock moved to the
new DSE head office at Chullora ( along with the admin staff ).

All along they called it a merger but it was pretty obvious what was going
on, all the old RadioShack and Tandy product started to disappear and
equivalent "DSE" or "Digitor" product replaced it.

Then the stores started closing or being converted to DSE stores.

Ironically, I was involved in the merger of the Victorian Tandy Service
Centre only to have my own Service Centre (DSE in Richmond) closed down
some three or so years later.

Mike

 

[Mike Paull]

Actually I'm not sure about how useful it would be for that. I can't

picture the average Joe actually keeping the DSE catalog as a sales
reference for any length of time. They might browse it while in store,
or take it home for a few days to mull over a purchase, but I think it
would get quickly tossed in the bin. The $3 price tag doesn't make it
an attractive take home reference either.

Dave

Catalogs are now $1.

Mike

 

[Kralizec Craig]

I know that electronic bits at DSE ain't the best usually. But I went to
two stores in my travels this weekend (Bankstown and Moore park superstores,
NSW) the 'electronics' section of these two stores seemed to be about 3/4
the size of what the once were and microwave ovens and hair-dryers popped up
in their place. Anyone else noticed this?

And their prices are twice to three times as much on equivalent items
sourced from other outlets (notable Jaycar, which is still independent and
owned by Gary Johnston! [hello Gary from a former Jaycar employee if you're
reading this!]).

It's gone on ever since the company was bought by Woolworths and turned in a
'retail consumer electronics' chain instead of being a retail electronics
enthusiast chain as it was with Dick still owned the company.

The 'Powerhouse' stores are the next level of this, with a huge range of
consumer products at excessive prices which allows DSE to price traditional
electronics products way more than they should be priced but most buyers
don't realise they are being ripped off since they're coming in for the
'consumer' side of the business, not the 'enthusiast' side.

When DSE dropped amateur radio that was about the end of the line for the
company having any realistic credibility with the enthusiast community. So
in the space of 5 years we have lost both a very prominent electronics
enthusiast retailer, and Australia's oldest electronics magazine, and both
have fallen to the same tune of being turned into consumer-focused rather
than enthusiast-focused devices, and both have sunk.

It's got even worse now that DSE has taken over Tandy Electronics in
Australia... RadioShack are a hopelessly unimpressive chain of stores and
for an already unimpressive company (the 'Woolworthed DSE') to take them
over is going to do nothing to help the merged companies remain strong in
the electronics enthusiast community.

Regards,

Craig.