What is with DSE lately?

[Wayne.]

I have noticed that many of their stores have stopped ordering in
various components from crystals to resistors and capacitors.

 

[Sylvia Else]

I have noticed that many of their stores have stopped ordering in
various components from crystals to resistors and capacitors.

Some stores that previously stocked components are no longer doing so.

But since their component stock control has collapsed and died, the
problem at your particular store may just be that they think they still
have stock.

Sylvia.

 

[Mr.T]

Some stores that previously stocked components are no longer doing so.

But since their component stock control has collapsed and died, the
problem at your particular store may just be that they think they still
have stock.

I think they are *deliberately* getting out of the component business now.
Your comment was true for many years though.

MrT.

 

[Wayne.]

I think they are *deliberately* getting out of the component business now.
Your comment was true for many years though.

MrT.

Isn't DSE no longer owned by Dick Smith?

 

[Ross Herbert]

:Mr.T wrote:
:> :>> Wayne. wrote:
:>>> I have noticed that many of their stores have stopped ordering in
:>>> various components from crystals to resistors and capacitors.
:>> Some stores that previously stocked components are no longer doing so.
:>>
:>> But since their component stock control has collapsed and died, the
:>> problem at your particular store may just be that they think they still
:>> have stock.
:>
:> I think they are *deliberately* getting out of the component business now.
:> Your comment was true for many years though.
:>
:> MrT.
:>
:>
:
:Isn't DSE no longer owned by Dick Smith?


Not since he sold it to Woolworths in 1982...

 

[Ross Herbert]

:
::Mr.T wrote:
::> ::>> Wayne. wrote:
::>>> I have noticed that many of their stores have stopped ordering in
::>>> various components from crystals to resistors and capacitors.
::>> Some stores that previously stocked components are no longer doing so.
::>>
::>> But since their component stock control has collapsed and died, the
::>> problem at your particular store may just be that they think they still
::>> have stock.
::>
::> I think they are *deliberately* getting out of the component business now.
::> Your comment was true for many years though.
::>
::> MrT.
::>
::>
::
::Isn't DSE no longer owned by Dick Smith?
:
:
:Not since he sold it to Woolworths in 1982...

It seems that he sold 60% to Woolies in 1980 and the remaining 40% in 1982.

 

[Mr.T]

Isn't DSE no longer owned by Dick Smith?

Dick hasn't owned it for a couple of decades!

MrT.

 

[Davo]

:
::Mr.T wrote:
::> ::>> Wayne. wrote:
::>>> I have noticed that many of their stores have stopped ordering in
::>>> various components from crystals to resistors and capacitors.
::>> Some stores that previously stocked components are no longer doing so.
::>>
::>> But since their component stock control has collapsed and died, the
::>> problem at your particular store may just be that they think they still
::>> have stock.
::>
::> I think they are *deliberately* getting out of the component business now.
::> Your comment was true for many years though.
::>
::> MrT.
::>
::>
::
::Isn't DSE no longer owned by Dick Smith?
:
:
:Not since he sold it to Woolworths in 1982...

It seems that he sold 60% to Woolies in 1980 and the remaining 40% in 1982.

I think this newsgroup will be blaming all their problems on Dick Smith
well beyond the term of his natural life.

 

[Wayne.]

:
::Mr.T wrote:
::> ::>> Wayne. wrote:
::>>> I have noticed that many of their stores have stopped ordering in
::>>> various components from crystals to resistors and capacitors.
::>> Some stores that previously stocked components are no longer doing so.
::>>
::>> But since their component stock control has collapsed and died, the
::>> problem at your particular store may just be that they think they still
::>> have stock.
::>
::> I think they are *deliberately* getting out of the component business now.
::> Your comment was true for many years though.
::>
::> MrT.
::>
::>
::
::Isn't DSE no longer owned by Dick Smith?
:
:
:Not since he sold it to Woolworths in 1982...

It seems that he sold 60% to Woolies in 1980 and the remaining 40% in 1982.

I thought he still had a controlling interest.

 

[David L. Jones]

I think this newsgroup will be blaming all their problems on Dick
Smith well beyond the term of his natural life.

Not at all, most people know DSE hasn't been serious in the hobby/component
business for at least the last 10 years (that's being generous!)
No new news here at all, it's well overdue. I'm surprised they persisted for
so long actually.

Dave.

 

[David L. Jones]

I thought he still had a controlling interest.

Nope, none at all, very common knowledge that he sold the lot in 1982.
Woolies bought the right to continue to use the name and DickHead face etc.

Dave.

 

[Andy Wood]

Except that now they don't use his face anymore, and with the change
from "Dick Smith Electronics" to "DSE", they technically might not
even be using his name. ?

The recent change seems to have been from "Disk Smith Electronics" to
just "Dick Smith" so they are still using his name (unless you are
going to say he was "Mr Electronics").
Andy Wood
[email protected]

 

[Wayne.]

Oh dear.

I just shop there.

 

[Atom Egoyan]

I thought he still had a controlling interest.

Although Dick 'sold out' to Woolworths many years ago, so that he could go into the aircraft
and Australian biscuit business, he still made time to visit all the stores with his
face on them. For the staff, Dick was a constant presence. His smiling bespectacled visage
was a constant reminder of the principles of quality, service, and product knowledge [not
to mention obscene mark-up] on which the chain was originally founded. When Dick arrived,
staff would be relentlessly quizzed on whether you could use 10% tolerance resistors with
Zener diodes, or how long it the LED discharge cycle was with a 10K or 5K ohm resistor
in series. My, how they laughed at his antics.

But the new breed of beancounters at Woolworths, Australia's most aggressive and cost-conscious
retailer, were not so amused. When all efforts to prevent Dick from randomly turning up at
stores around the country failed, the clever marketing people at Woolworths noticed that
he only appeared at the ones with his face out front. A new plot was hatched: re-branding. No
longer 'Dick Smith', now it's 'DSE'. It was good enough for Kentucky Fried Chicken [sorry, I
mean KFC]. And the smiling bespectacled face was out of step with modern merchandising theory.
Geeks don't spend enough money; let's move those boxes, boys. And it has worked. Dick is no
longer seen prowling the shelves checking for 100 microfarad capacitors, and his ghost is
no longer seen munching on his tuckerbag. He's gone a-waltzing matilda.

Atom Egoyan
Melbourne Australia
[i.e. not the Canadian filmmaker]

 

[John]

Is there any connection between the Australian Woolworths and the UK
Woolworths that went bust earlier this year and seems to have re-emerged
as an internet only seller?

I hope not, I went into a UK Woolies once. It's more like Klint's Krazy
Bargains.

 

[David L. Jones]

Most of here do (or more likely /did/).
For me, I think DSE went past the point of no return sometime around
1990.

The only advantage DSE have had over Jaycar/Altronics for the last decade or
two is that they have more stores.

Dave.

 

[keithr]

Most of here do (or more likely /did/).
For me, I think DSE went past the point of no return sometime around
1990.

Lets face it, there is lot more profit in iPods, TVs, laptops etc than
resistors, capacitors, and chips.

 

[Mr.T]

Lets face it, there is lot more profit in iPods, TVs, laptops etc than
resistors, capacitors, and chips.

And the former usually have a bar code for the check out chick to scan!
Otherwise they have no idea what it is.

MrT.

 

[David L. Jones]

I was in a QLD DSE store on Friday, and noticed that the section
where they used to have the components such as knobs, switches fuses
terminal blocks etc, had been completely cleared out and other stuff
was being stacked in its place. For example (As you can see in the
bottom) that looks like boxes of CFL's of all things.

Maybe Im not observant, but I didnt know DSE stocked standard 240v
Bulbs or CFL's in the past.

took this pic.
http://www.geocities.com/kenreed1999/DSE.jpg

The area in the next aisle where they had the kits, blank pcb and
"bigger" stuff was also at the beginning of being dismantled. The 3rd
aisle with the tools, (like soldering irons, CRO, wires and cables)
was untouched.

Whether this was a permanent dumping of these items from stock, or
just a routine store re-arrangement of stock, stock take, or cleaning
exercise I don't know.

NOTHING else in other "departments" of the store appeared to have been
dropped from stock or moved around.

I will take a look in a week or 2 if I need anything there.

I hope they have another clearance sale of kits etc like they did a year or
two back, some real bargains were had, almost give-away prices.
The webs site used to have a way to search for al lthe clearance items, but
I can't find it any more.

Dave.