He who hesitates is lost!
 

Last year I was after some Dexion 260 slotted angle. I found some but it was 230 miles away and they could not get a courier to deliver due to length and with lock down, I could not travel so I did not buy.

This week I rang again to see if the had a courier, still no but worse, they had sold 75% of what they had and I would have had all they had, 29 x 3m. I'd have it for life, never have to worry again. I bought what they had, 7 lengths for £116 inc vat and they will hold until I can collect.

Looking for another supplier, 5 lengths £150 + vat = £184 just a slight difference in price. Ebay is even more expensive. He who hesitates is lost! I hesitated and I am frustrated with myself and my wife, no cuddle for her tonight!

I should have asked last year if they would hold until I could collect, gggrrrrrr

The company I have ordered from buys in bulk and it will be a month or so before they re order, so I have a note to ring them near the end of Feb.


If the economy is shrinking and people are not spending money on all sorts of projects, why are DIY items not coming down in price, why is petrol/diesel not down in price?

Are prices down on anything? I only seem to see adverts for food where there is a price reduction.

macafee2

Have you had a nose on Gumtree? Sadly a lot of companies are trying to clear shelving.

In economic theory lack of demand should lead to businesses cutting prices to sell stock. Trouble is that if the margin is tight then there is no room for a price cut. Unless you're in urgent need of cash to fund borrowing then there's no point at selling at a loss.

A large part of fuel prices are tax and the retail seller has a very small profit margin, which even if cut would make little difference to the end price.

Supplies are purchased from enormous companies who buy in crude oil and process it. To get a significant reduction in price requires them to reduce margins or force crude oil producers to accept lower prices. Producers need income and demand is reducing, partly because of Covid, so they are holding out for higher prices to keep overall income up.

DIY isn't coming down in price as its all joe public can do being in lockdown.

Last year during lockdown fuel prices fell. This lockdown they do not seem to have fallen, are there more people buying fuel this lock down?

macafee2

I don't think fuel sales got back to anywhere near normal levels, even after L1. They were depressed all year, apart from Jan/Feb. I suspect any earlier price reductions were from the base oil price dropping, not from retailers reducing their already slim margins. So unless the producers drop prices again there isn't room for pump reductions.

During last years lockdown there were virtually no cars on the road, a tank of fuel lasted nearly 2 months. It was really noticeable when out walking that to see a car drive past was a an event, but under the current lockdown whilst traffic is lighter there are still a lot of cars on the road.