blacks now own the karrimor name

[Andy]

Sorry if you all knew this.
The company was bought by scoccer sport but the name was bought by blacks. They intend to just use the name for the rucksacks rather then other kit. I guess the must have bought the rights top the designs as well

 

[arctic hobo]

Yes, Blacks now own everyone in the world. Officaly. I know it sounds petty but I won't go into their stores or the stores they own. I don't want to have rubbish overpriced kit flogged at me by a spotty teenager who knows nothing about the products and only cares about hard sell


Independant shops rule! I'll keep Moorland Rambler in exeter in business for a long time yet

 

[Andy]

I don't want to have rubbish overpriced kit flogged at me by a spotty teenager who knows nothing about the products :

OK I feel I should comment on that. We've been here before about not insulting teenagers. It's a problem I have when I'm giving advice on knives.

I've also found the teenage staff at blacks to be the ones that care more about the kit and then others. I buy there when they have soething at a good price.

 

[jakunen]

Don't even go there! I used to work for them... <facial tic starts>.

Long live Silver Trek (or Altimus as they are now calling themselves)!

It's gonna be fun in Reading. Blacks and Millets are opposite each other (same company too), and Altimus are moving round the corner to the unit next to Millets.

Can't wait for the wars to start. hehehe!:twisted:

 

[arctic hobo]

OK I feel I should comment on that. We've been here before about not insulting teenagers. It's a problem I have when I'm giving advice on knives.

I've also found the teenage staff at blacks to be the ones that care more about the kit and then others. I buy there when they have soething at a good price.

Whoa, just re read post, got a bit carried away apologies all
I'm probably younger than you anyway - 18. It's just the service you get in my local one. It's like going into a chain like Dixons - you don't get expert opinion, you get some sales guy who is bored and doesn't care about the camera/printer/whatever you want, he just wants to make money/get you out of the store. Compare to a genuine shop run by a man who loves his stock and most of his customers etc.
When you say you used to work there Jak, do you mean you like them or no :?:

 

[BorderReiver]

. I don't want to have rubbish overpriced kit flogged at me by a spotty teenager who knows nothing about the products and only cares about hard sell

I too prefer indepenants.
BUT I have been in a few Blacks where the "spotty teenager" was very knowledgable and obviously was active in using a lot of the gear he was selling.So be fair mate.

 

[Burnt Ash]

Sorry if you all knew this.
The company was bought by scoccer sport but the name was bought by blacks. They intend to just use the name for the rucksacks rather then other kit. I guess the must have bought the rights top the designs as well

So, yet more of the stuff I own with 'lifetime warranties' not worth the paper they're printed on.

It continually amazes me how companies with established and respected brand names -erstwhile market leaders- mess things up and end up under administration or in the hands of the receivers. How do they do it?

Burnt Ash

 

[RobertsonPau]

And if I remember correctly before that Karrimor was owned by the Beneton (sp.) group of companies.

And if you really want to get down on conglomerates:
Addidas owns Salomon - shoes, boots and rucsacks
Berhaus and Blacks have/had head offices next door to each other and a very close relationship
Phoenix ( Tents and ski wear) and Vango went to Karrimor befoer Beneton got in!

P.S. I worked for Blacks too, the assistant manager's ambition was to have a market garden and had never walked camped or climbed in his life, and the buyers asked a shop assistant in another store what climbing equipment should be stocked by the company ( at least that was what I was told, allegedly )
Oh and I was the only full time member of staff that was actively involved in the outdoors at all!):

 

[JakeR]

I used to work for Kudos, another mountain shop that was situated next door to balcks on Castle street in Cardiff. I reckon our stock was pretty decent, and (not to my managers knowledge) actually warned customers of rubbish gear and told them to go next door or down the road! And i reckon that attitude brought them back as they then asked for me 'cos they trusted me!

Kudos was also run by Karrimor, but they sold up all their shops and a private guy bought up. i hope the quality of Karrimor is not sacrificed.

 

[Tony]

So, yet more of the stuff I own with 'lifetime warranties' not worth the paper they're printed on.

It continually amazes me how companies with established and respected brand names -erstwhile market leaders- mess things up and end up under administration or in the hands of the receivers. How do they do it?

Burnt Ash

Fair comment on Karrimors bags but the Karrimor SF bags are produced by PRI and they're not affected at all by all this.

 

[hobbitboy]

don't want to have rubbish overpriced kit flogged at me by a spotty teenager who knows nothing about the products and only cares about hard sell

Careful squire! I mite get offended! I may be a spotty teenager but I knew bout the kit i was selling and if i didnt i'd find some who did, and always tell the customer go to the nearest independent retailer :roll:

 

[tomtom]

Fair comment on Karrimors bags but the Karrimor SF bags are produced by PRI and they're not affected at all by all this.

are PRI going to continue to call the Karrimors?

 

[jakunen]

When you say you used to work there Jak, do you mean you like them or no :?:

I don't like them no, as I got sacked by a bimbette manager who knew all about outdoor pursuits and goods as her husband played golf and she had been the manageress of a ladies leather fashion store. She didn't like the fact that a guy who only worked Saturdays could get a £4000 sale and her best sale was only £100. We didn't get on at all and when I appealed to the area manger about her sacking me, as he fancied her and we suspect was having an affair with her, he upheld her decision.
She even overode me and sold a kid a pair of street boots for a scout trip over Dartmoor. The kid broke his ankle and the rescue guys said his boots were totally unsuitable for the terrain. His father sued her personally and would only deal with me when he came into the shop. She didn't like that either...

Sorry to disrupt the thread. Rant over.

 

[arctic hobo]

You didn't disrupt it, you just confirmed what I already thought about the place

 

[al]

are PRI going to continue to call the Karrimors?

they are , i just got a new one with my xmas bonus and extremely pleased with it i am too, having used all sorts of bergens in the last 15 years and covering large distances with lots of weight in them over all sorts of terrain on skis and on snowshoes and on foot and just retiring my old berghaus i have to say the sabre is the best i`ve had ,well thought out and very comfortable but as yu all know what is not very good (not the A word) for some is good for others,cheers al

 

[jakunen]

As someone has already pointed it, it really does depend upon the staff. Before she came we had a great manager called Steve, who married the manageress of Millets across the road from out unit and moved up to Cambridge to run the Blacks store there.

All of us got on well, all of us had been into climbing or whatever for years, all of us knew our kit and we had a lot of very happy customers who'd even just drop in for a chat if they were passing. Everything changed when Tracie took over.

Don't let my experience put you off Blacks completey. It's 100% down to the manager of the store to employ the right people who use the kit on a regular basis and can communicate properly with the public.

Aside from one young girl in the Reading branch, the current team seem to know their stuff, are friendly and helpful. So while I don't like the compnay, I still get stuff in their sales.

 

[JakeR]

A lot of the customers know what they're looking for, so if you do, just help yourself!

 

[jakunen]

A lot of the customers know what they're looking for, so if you do, just help yourself!

Think that's called shoplifting mate...:rolmao:

 

[MartiniDave]

Or in Jakes case probably "strop" lifting!