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‪Maplin Electronics in administration‬

Posted: 28 Feb 2018 21:32
by 1024MAK
Maplin Electronics is now in administration.

Story on The Register

Maplin are still trading as normal, as the administrators are trying to sell it as a going concern.

Mark

Re: ‪Maplin Electronics in administration‬

Posted: 01 Mar 2018 11:53
by Martin A
I hardly use Maplin these days, since the drifted away from electronics into gadgets, there's cheaper places for pretty much everything they sell.

Re: ‪Maplin Electronics in administration‬

Posted: 01 Mar 2018 12:05
by Dave
Me neither, their component prices are way too high for anything but a one-off, “emergency” purchase.

Many, many, years ago they were useful and the catalogue was full of handy info, but all the tech info has gone now and the web makes it pretty much redundant anyway. The staff are just shop assistants now too, most have no knowledge other than how the read the label on the packets.

It’s a shame that they are going (gone) but hardly a surprise

Regards
Dave

Re: ‪Maplin Electronics in administration‬

Posted: 01 Mar 2018 16:11
by 1024MAK
I bought loads of stuff from Maplin before they got bought out the first time. At first, by mail order or by phone. Then by their dial-up modem link service. That was fun. Then with their first internet site.

Then they opened a shop in the nearest city to me. So I could go and see what the non-component items looked like.

Around five years later, they had three stores in the nearest city to me.

Then they started to become less useful. Instead being more of a box shifting company.

But when buying plastic or one of the limited range of metal cases that were sold in store, I found that much easier than ordering online and playing guess if it will fit, measure with a ruler, then compare dimensions. Then go for a final guesstimate and order...

Same with buying some types of switches or buttons.

Now, their website is rather more difficult to use. The search function is poor. The prices in store for components and parts are not attractive.

But some items are still priced okay (some tools for example, at least, when I last bought a tool a while ago).

Not been to a Maplin store this year, but did buy some plastic cases in December last year.

Mark

Re: ‪Maplin Electronics in administration‬

Posted: 01 Mar 2018 21:27
by Martin A
I have the 2006 Maplin catalogue on the shelf - its still occasionally useful for checking pin outs.

Re: ‪Maplin Electronics in administration‬

Posted: 02 Mar 2018 16:11
by 1024MAK
Martin A wrote:I have the 2006 Maplin catalogue on the shelf - its still occasionally useful for checking pin outs.
Hah! I have about six old Maplin catalogues that I keep for the data that they contain. The old two colour (blank and red print only) were the best for data.

Mark

Re: ‪Maplin Electronics in administration‬

Posted: 30 Apr 2018 20:14
by Martin A
2 months and 16 "tempting" e-mails from the administrators (via the old mailing list) later and the website closes down and I have made a grand total of 0 bargain purchases.

Sad really.

Re: ‪Maplin Electronics in administration‬

Posted: 01 May 2018 00:23
by 1024MAK
When I went in a large store a couple of weeks ago, they still had stack loads of Maplin branded cables and batteries. But a lot of the remaining shelves were not fully stocked. And one wall was bare, with a note saying that if you were interested in the racking/shelving, please ask for the manager.

The website was still up last week.

Glad I bought some bits earlier in the month.

Mark

Re: ‪Maplin Electronics in administration‬

Posted: 28 Jun 2018 08:52
by Martin A
Just ween the post on BBC's news pages, the final Maplin store has closed it's doors.

I wonder if anyone want to buy the name ???

Here's another name from the past that's been resurrected ...

https://www.acorncomputers.com/

Re: ‪Maplin Electronics in administration‬

Posted: 29 Jun 2018 22:24
by stephen_usher
Martin A wrote:Just ween the post on BBC's news pages, the final Maplin store has closed it's doors.

I wonder if anyone want to buy the name ???

Here's another name from the past that's been resurrected ...

https://www.acorncomputers.com/
But... it should be the "Sinclair C5", not Acorn! :-)