Local equine retail outlet: What TF's happening to it??

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

OK so I better not name the place on here..... but if you live in the Exeter area you'll know where I mean. It boasts of being the largest equine retail shop in the South West, or words to that effect, and has in the last couple of years been taken over by a large conglomerate.

OK, so you know the one I mean. If you don't, then you don't, if you take my drift.

One can't help noticing that the place is, shall we say, struggling???? I mean, when you go in a retail outlet, and there's four of you in the place, and three of them are staff, and that's happened on three out of four times you've been in the place, you kind of get the picture that situation can't go on for very much longer.

Which will be a huge shame. If like me, you can remember their humble origins, as I can.

It would be a huge loss to local people like me if it wasn't there, but frankly I can't see how much longer they can go on like this??? Most of the "equine" stuff has now gone anyway, there's nothing specially "equine" about the place its just like another mundane outlet of the larger company of which they're a part.

Any observations.............. local peeps? What can we do the help keep the place open??? Dammit, I don't want to have to traipse for miles to get feed, they're very handy to me!!

 

[Spot_the_Risk]

I think I'd best PM you on this one!

 

[TED2010]

I know where you are talking about. To a degree I can see what your saying, I don't live nearby anymore but I often pass or am in the area for work so if I need something specific I go there. They still stock a much wider range of specialist equine products than anywhere else I know of in the area e.g neue shule bits, bit tape, poultice boots etc. I usually end up spending a few quid when I go in there anyway. I won't keep them going buying feed and bedding because I get all that from Mole Valley but it would be a shame if they weren't there anymore. I usually end spending a couple of hundred in there on rugs and stuff when they have their sales as well. Unfortunately as is the way with a lot of these places now, if you see something you like and look on the internet you can get it considerably cheaper on eBay or similar. As much as I'd love to always support local business, with four horses to keep, my priority is to buy what I need at the cheapest price!

 

[Spot_the_Risk]

I saw last night on FB - not their own FB page either! - that they have a sale today and over the weekend. No advertising, no email, how would you know it was on!!??

 

[w1bbler]

Used to love the place & travelled about an hour to get there whenever I needed horsey items.
Since being taken over they seemed to concentrate on the expensive stuff, I couldn't find a pair of jods under £100
Range of stuff just seems less, but pricier, plus with all the new road layout off the m5 I got hopelessly lost last time I tried & never got there! (was en route to somewhere for work so didn't have time 4 exploring)

 

[ester]

Know who you mean and took a few trips down over the years- Do them, wychanger and unicorn in a day . I didn't realise they had been bought out.

 

[TED2010]

Ok so I went to the 'sale' today, which I only knew about because I had to pop in for something earlier in the week and somebody mentioned it. Used to get some real bargains in their sales so made the effort to detour there today but very disappointed with what they had. Not clearly marked or priced so you had no idea how much it worked out at unless you kept asking and no real bargains. Not like the sales I used to go to there that's for sure. Tend to agree with above post, most stuff is expensive 'designer' riding wear, not much in the way of affordable quality that I could see.

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

with all the new road layout off the m5 I got hopelessly lost last time I tried & never got there! (was en route to somewhere for work so didn't have time 4 exploring)

Yeah..... know what you mean. I live locally and had a meal with some friends at a pub the other night - and decided to come home via the "old" A30, which is the route you'd have to take to get to the certain place under discussion here.

Stupidly, crazily, I got lost! It was chucking it down with rain so that you couldn't see the road signs properly, plus I THOUGHT I knew the way home until they changed all the roads, and there was I, sitting all on my ownsome at a set of traffic lights gawd knows where, wondering if I was in the right place!!!

So can't blame anyone for getting lost!!! Blimmin stooopid road signs from the M5 are a total muddle.