Which wholesaler is your preferred option and why? Is it just price?

[Marti]

Evening Gents and Gentle Persons,

As the title asks, Which wholesaler is your preferred option and why? Is it really just a price decision? I'm Essex based, using CEF and Screwfix. The CEF staff, at least at the Romford branch, are second to none! Unfortunately the corp' website is impenetrable, slow, hard to price anything. Screwfix is well...We all have our views on the Kingfisher Group but the website is perfect and the Android app even better. Their other half is the badly managed orange joke we'll ignore (get down Kingfisher legal hounds).

Just signed up to the forum sponsor, Electrical2go so no experience yet but the website look snappy. Personally I value more than price and I like the convenience of a one-stop-shop so we'll see. Where do you folk part with your money and why?

 

[Marti]

Screwfix - the sparky's fast food. Not good for you but quick and convenient. Crippling prices for Enlite so I'll follow your lead 'cos I like their quality. Thanks guys. A really useful thread of answers.

 

[Marti]

The final word. Popped into Rexel (called summit else last week) and generally impressed. They want to do business and the IT systems appear to be getting an overall. Again, thanks for sharing - I'd never heard of them before but looks promising.

 

[Octopus]

The final word. Popped into Rexel (called summit else last week) and generally impressed. They want to do business and the IT systems appear to be getting an overall. Again, thanks for sharing - I'd never heard of them before but looks promising.

When you set up your account be sure to ask for the prompt payment discount on your monthly bill .....

 

[EbolaSideRoom]

I have found that, in spite of efforts to the contrary, round my way it really does depend on the branch ( with the exception of Electrifix/Poofix, who are nothing if not consistent). I use my local branch of Edmundson Electrical (Hereford) for 95% of my kit and they’re amazing. The prices mightn’t be cheapest, but there’s room for manoeuvre usually, and the service and product knowledge are unbeatable. Other branches I’ve found to be not so good....
Don’t even get me started on Electric Centre. They badgered me for ages to get some business from me; I relented in the spring and ordered a case of JCC LED down lights. Which never appeared. When the invoice landed on my door mat I called them and asked “why have you invoiced me for goods I haven’t received?” “They’re on their way. With you today”. No lights arrived. I wasn’t in a hurry for them so I went to Edmundson when I needed them.
A week later the statement turned up. No credit for undelivered lights. So I called them. “Driver left them outside your porch”.
I don’t have a porch.
I went down the road to a neighbouring cottage that is only used occasionally, at weekends, to find rather a soggy box of down lights...
Never again.

 

[Toneyz]

I think it has a lot to do with branch personnel (ex CEF). We get a phone call from the driver before delivery from the two wholesalers we use and from the wholesaler's contractor we work for.

 

[stevey1983]

We mostly use CEF I find all wholesalers you need to keep in check regarding price. With cef I can call them up and get them to pop me kit out anytime during the day and will open up if emergency outside normal hours for us (but we do spend alot each month with them)

 

[bailes1992]

I work for a large contracting firm so we have approved suppliers. All the major wholesalers are on the list.

Company procedures is you go out for a price on everything to 3 suppliers minimum and go with the best price.

CEF never come close on price so usually end up ordering from Rexel and Edmunsons. However, the last 12 month's Rexel around South Wales has gone absolutely awful. They take days to return quotes, orders turn up with stuff missing or turn up late or turn up not at all! So I get Edmunsons to price match. The Bridgend brand of Edmunsons rarely ever let's me down and if they do they always have a genuine reason. Customer service is first class!

For containment, bracketry and fixings it's often cheaper to use companies like R&M fixings and Kernow fixings as opposed to Electrical wholesalers.

The next job I have that I'm running by myself I think I'll try and get one electrical supplier to price match everything including Unistrut, basket, trunking etc. Hopefully using one supplier on one job will make life much easier.

 

[Nigel]

When you set up your account be sure to ask for the prompt payment discount on your monthly bill .....

Worthless. They will just take it off your discount.

 

[Octopus]

Worthless. They will just take it off your discount.

Not worthless if you don’t pay in time to claim it ....

 

[Nigel]

Not worthless if you don’t pay in time to claim it ....

Like I said they will just account for it in your discount. Instead of a 20% discount on an item they will just give you a 19% discount.

The wholesaler has their margins to stay in business and they will meet them. They can dress it up as an early payment discount but will just add it elsewhere and the customer thinks they have won and will keep returning even though in reality they have not.

It is very clever marketing.

I suppose our equivalent would be doing an EICR cheap and loading up the remedials to make the discount back.

 

[mattg4321]

Except you're not guaranteed to get the remedials. The wholesalers win either way the way they do it. The only way is to shop around.

 

[Nigel]

Except you're not guaranteed to get the remedials. The wholesalers win either way the way they do it. The only way is to shop around.

And the customer is never guarenteed to return.

I prefer relationships than shopping around.

 

[mattg4321]

I go for the best trade off with service, price and convenience to suit me.

I often use the local CEF as they give a great service and are very convenient, but only for certain things as if I bought other items there I would be making literally thousands less per year.

 

[SparkyAndGeorge]

CEF in my experience are grossly overpriced, unhelpful and take AGES at the counter. I normally use Electrofix or Toolstation had no problems with either of them two so far.