PC Retail

How exactly are we suppose to compete against this? The operators are never going to give us these deals.

We can't compete. Time to convert our indy computer shops back to kabab shops and magazine stands. It's over.

Don't believe Carphone warehouse are makeing money this way they will flounder in the end there are still customers willing to pay for a good personal service. Have you ever tried to get support from carphone ware house. Look at dell they went down the route of cheap direct sales and now the are looking to the channel.

@ CSD

Thing is, Carphone's service is � except on rare occasions � very close to the service you get in the best indies. I've always been impressed by them and while there are always bad eggs, the fact is they are easily better than any other high street rival.

Even if they only offer 90% of the quality service an indie does, the trust a major high street name has over one of us � and I hate to admit this � when it comes to first time shoppers � and there are a lot of them ��will always win out.

And with these types of deals, I think we're going to have some serious problems; especially when it comes to customers coming in and saying "but I can get this free and with broadband down CPW".

If the Indies continue to repeat "I provide better service than the High Street and therefore consumers will flock to my shop to pay my higher prices" over and over and over, maybe, just maybe, it will become the reality.

(please note the sarcasm)

All this means is that indies will have to diversify to a different service offering - there has got to be more out there?

(says he hopeing :-�)