Atkinsons' Crazy Sales

[lobster]

IF it is anything like their post christmas sale ,most of  the goods will have been  brought in from China specifically for the sale

[Irene Swaine]

6 hours ago, SheffieldForum said:

Has anyone seen the sales at Atkinsons currently?

 

Marked up as 'March Makeover', they have some reyt bargains across the store. Most labels saying 70% off. I assume it runs for most of this month.

 

I really do think Atkinsons is a bit of a gem for the city - the last proper department store left in the city centre and a true local independent too. Well worth supporting - and every so often they do these crazy sales with huge amounts off. 😮

 

And you just happened to be there and get pictures as well as all of the promotional information written down in your notepad to post here? You sure Mr Atkinson isn't giving you a back hander? 🤔

 

Anyway, I hope Atkinson's do well. I occasionally buy from there, usually small purchases. I keep meaning to make use of the licensed restaurant in there. We all know The Moor is short of places to drink. 😉

[The_DADDY]

1 minute ago, Irene Swaine said:

And you just happened to be there and get pictures as well as all of the promotional information written down in your notepad to post here? You sure Mr Atkinson isn't giving you a back hander? 🤔

 

Anyway, I hope Atkinson's do well. I occasionally buy from there, usually small purchases. I keep meaning to make use of the licensed restaurant in there. We all know The Moor is short of places to drink. 😉

I once got a back hander in Atkinsons.

I was a terrible shoplifter. I always got caught 😬

[SheffieldForum]

No back hander, no paid promotion.

 

Just happy to help promote a local independent, which is something people asked for the forum to do more of just a short while ago.

 

 

[horribleblob]

2 hours ago, saywhatnow said:

I used Atkinsons once, received appalling customer service, and have never been back. 

I drop into Atkinsons whenever I'm down The Moor and at worst the service has been neutral but generally genial. At best? When I went in to buy a wheeled suitcase the member of staff couldn't have been more friendly and accommodating.

[Irene Swaine]

Saywhatnow is a fine example of why excellent customer service is important, every time. It only takes one negative experience and the customer is lost. 

[ECCOnoob]

3 hours ago, Anna B said:

 

I think what I object to in this instance is the 70% off, which clearly isn't quite true. It might be 70% off they were charging before (I know there are rules about these things,) in which case they were way overpriced in the first place when compared with the same items in other town centre shops which also have to pay for a bricks and morter existance. 

 

This is a well known but very old fashioned and overused ploy, easily debunked, which is very much past its best in this day of fierce competition when it's so easy to track prices from most stores as well as online, so Atkinsons really needs a new approach. 

You seem to be wanting to have your cake and eat it.  

 

What are these stores you are comparing it with?  We've already discussed you cannot seriously expect any retailer with physical stores to compete with online only. Neither could you expect an independent family run department store with one branch to get near the buying power and heavy discounting that is enjoyed by big box chain stores.

 

We either want it to remain independent and individual with good attentive customer service, a nicely laid out store with several cafe facilities or it to be a soulless corporation driving down prices with minimal staff, zero service and pile it high/sell it cheap layout.  

 

You say the products were overpriced in the first place but who's making that decision. The poster clearly says 70% off the RRP which is the same approach that near all retailers follow. There are even entire dedicated shopping outlet malls that do that.  Whether and not the RRP itself is overpriced is a different discussion but that can't be the fault of Atkinsons. They are simply stating exactly what they are doing. 

RRP = X minus 70% discount = Y.  

3 hours ago, Anna B said:

 

The current trend is to aim for 'Destination shopping' which relies on far more than price, but instead values the overall experience. This is where IMO Atkinson's needs to be looking to grow. They have a jolly good start being the only department store left in Sheffield, and a family business to boot. So I'd emphasise this, using local suppliers, and independent traders. 

Farmers markets do well even though the prices are higher than supermarkets, and shops selling Sheffield merchandise and Sheffield items do well, along with more unusual items and hand crafted designer gea, but they too struggle with costs, so why not invite them in to share the space at a more affordable price?

 

Add a cute themed or Boho cafeteria, expert staff, and perhaps a roof garden, and Atkinsons could become Sheffield's answer to London's 'Liberties' department store.

 

  

Last time I looked, the store is already doing a lot of that. Several of their stock lines are from  lesser known, more independent, more boutique suppliers, especially in their home and gift department.  They do lease out some of their space to other businesses I've also seen  they have in the past done in store pop ups with chefs, local artists or local makers but again with this "affordable price". The question is how. How exactly does Atkinsons offer this discounted  rent to these independent traders. It's a business. Atkinson has its own bills to pay.  The premises doesn't run itself. The heating isn't free. The lights still need to keep turned on..  its one thing to offer a temporary space for a short term or maybe stock a small selection of the Trader's goods on the shelves amongst other items but very different having independent trader based there expecting a free ride.

 

Nice as the store is, it's never going to be a Liberty. Its not even remotely comparable.

 

Liberty is a tourist destination in the heart of London. It sells coats at £4,000, cushions at £400 and even paper notebooks for £20.  Liberty can afford to give away premium space in their store to independent traders because those said traders are selling goods at hundreds or thousands of pounds each.  

 

Atkinsons knows its competing a totally different market.  Its store, whilst of course has to keep evolving, also has to be realistic of It's customer base.  A fact perfectly demonstrated by this very discussion about whether an already heavily discounted £39 air fryer is still to expensive.

 

There is a reason why Liberty has an art deco cafe serving crush avocado sourdough at £12 and afternoon tea for £26.50 and Atkinsons has a cafeteria serving £4.50 sandwiches and £7.50 pie and chips. 

[Irene Swaine]

11 minutes ago, ECCOnoob said:

You seem to be wanting to have your cake and eat it.  

 

What are these stores you are comparing it with?  We've already discussed you cannot seriously expect any retailer with physical stores to compete with online only. Neither could you expect an independent family run department store with one branch to get near the buying power and heavy discounting that is enjoyed by big box chain stores.

 

We either want it to remain independent and individual with good attentive customer service, a nicely laid out store with several cafe facilities or it to be a soulless corporation driving down prices with minimal staff, zero service and pile it high/sell it cheap layout.  

 

You say the products were overpriced in the first place but who's making that decision. The poster clearly says 70% off the RRP which is the same approach that near all retailers follow. There are even entire dedicated shopping outlet malls that do that.  Whether and not the RRP itself is overpriced is a different discussion but that can't be the fault of Atkinsons. They are simply stating exactly what they are doing. 

RRP = X minus 70% discount = Y.  

Last time I looked, the store is already doing a lot of that. Several of their stock lines are from  lesser known, more independent, more boutique suppliers, especially in their home and gift department.  They do lease out some of their space to other businesses I've also seen  they have in the past done in store pop ups with chefs, local artists or local makers but again with this "affordable price". The question is how. How exactly does Atkinsons offer this discounted  rent to these independent traders. It's a business. Atkinson has its own bills to pay.  The premises doesn't run itself. The heating isn't free. The lights still need to keep turned on..  its one thing to offer a temporary space for a short term or maybe stock a small selection of the Trader's goods on the shelves amongst other items but very different having independent trader based there expecting a free ride.

 

Nice as the store is, it's never going to be a Liberty. Its not even remotely comparable.

 

Liberty is a tourist destination in the heart of London. It sells coats at £4,000, cushions at £400 and even paper notebooks for £20.  Liberty can afford to give away premium space in their store to independent traders because those said traders are selling goods at hundreds or thousands of pounds each.  

 

Atkinsons knows its competing a totally different market.  Its store, whilst of course has to keep evolving, also has to be realistic of It's customer base.  A fact perfectly demonstrated by this very discussion about whether an already heavily discounted £39 air fryer is still to expensive.

 

There is a reason why Liberty has an art deco cafe serving crush avocado sourdough at £12 and afternoon tea for £26.50 and Atkinsons has a cafeteria serving £4.50 sandwiches and £7.50 pie and chips. 

Atkinson's tries to make the in store experience appealing. It has the luxuries that department stores afford customers, such as expert desks on fragrance and electrical sections, etc. They now lease space to Grape Tree health foods, an equivalent of Holland & Barrett. The Cafe Massarella seems to do well and the soaps and toiletries section also always has someone at the counter buying something. 

 

Upstairs, the furniture section doesn't seem to do well or the electrical section. It can't just be the online market that is stifling trade. I remember the upstairs furniture/electrical section always being quiet, even 16 or so years ago when online shopping was a rarity.

[saywhatnow]

3 hours ago, Irene Swaine said:

Saywhatnow is a fine example of why excellent customer service is important, every time. It only takes one negative experience and the customer is lost. 

It's my vote with your feet policy. 

[saywhatnow]

3 hours ago, horribleblob said:

I drop into Atkinsons whenever I'm down The Moor and at worst the service has been neutral but generally genial. At best? When I went in to buy a wheeled suitcase the member of staff couldn't have been more friendly and accommodating.

The place is a Sheffield institution and I have no doubt that is only because customers are satisfied. I'm just not going to shop somewhere the staff treated me (my own experience) like that. I wrote  a letter of complaint, received a standard template response, what else can you do? No way would I want to shop somewhere and spend my money with them again