How slow are ######## online

[Chanlo]

Unless your a genius web designer who uses php (the code language used for online databases) I don't think you can make a comment on how easy to set up, cause quite frankly it isn't easy to put in place and will cost a massive outlay initially. I have coded a little with HTML and CSS but struggled with php. Web store of mo's magnitude are not cheap. If you are php genius you should give the a ring and offer your services.


I also remember that the sale was for 'floor stock only' and they have honoured back orders so who ever has received there orders should be thankful they order stock in at the discounted price.

[morphias]

Chanlo,

I have been in the IT industry for over 14yrs and whilst I am not a PHP coder myself, I have plenty of clients that do have their web stores linked to their SQL back-ends.

You say you have done a little HTTP and some CSS, so you sound somewhat unqualified to make such a statement. Happy to be corrected though...

You do not need to be a PHP 'genius' - you just need to be an experienced website/web store developer that has linked web sites to databases. That is like saying to need to be a genius to strip and rebuild an engine from the ground up - you don't need to be, you just need to be experienced in doing that process, which a trained and experienced mechanic could do with their eyes closed.

I spend most of my time setting up hosted infrastructure in BIG data centres (like entire multi-story buildings) and migrating clients from having physical servers/PC's on their premises to having virtual servers/PC's hosted in data centres (cloud hosting) on shared infrastructure - that is, instead of one server running on each physical server, we have dozens of virtual servers/PC's running on each physical server. Some people would say you need to be a 'genius' to do that, but you don't - that is just my skill set and for me it is a case of "Same s*#^, different day - just the client names, domains and IP subnets change.

It is not rocket science or ground-breaking tech to link a web site/web store to a database. It has been done by countless business for the last 5-10 years.

As an example, plenty of small computer components resellers such as UMart, MSY, PC Go Go, etc (who are not clients BTW) have had their web stores linked to their DB's for years.

There is no shortage of web designers that could do this for them and the cost would be in the $5-15K region to set up. Like I said, an insignificant cost for a business of their turnover and the cost is a tax write-off. There are also plenty of off-the-shelf products that do it, but some customization is always required.

In terms of the 'model' for how they do it, they can either run one DB and have the both the bricks-and-mortar shop and web store point to that OR run an in-store DB and a hosted DB for the web store and have the two databases sync to each other. The latter options is preferable from a redundancy POV.

Maybe they should talk to Di from LFI - she runs a web design company and she seems like a reputable person to deal with.

You can stop making excuses on their behalf now.

Ben.

[morphias]

I also remember that the sale was for 'floor stock only' and they have honoured back orders so who ever has received there orders should be thankful they order stock in at the discounted price.

On this particular statement, how is anyone supposed to know what their 'floor stock' level is/was?!

And no, they have not honoured all of their backorders - many have now been cancelled. I am not bagging out the seller - I think they have managed the situation as best they can and should now have a MUCH better idea of what to expect next time and will hopefully make changes to address this.

What I do take exception to is the repeated, unfounded, or just plain incorrect statements and defence of the seller.


Ben.

[lee8sec]

I ordered some rod building bits yesterday, will be interesting to see how long it takes to process. Leigh

[Chanlo]

On this particular statement, how is anyone supposed to know what their 'floor stock' level is/was?!

And no, they have not honoured all of their backorders - many have now been cancelled. I am not bagging out the seller - I think they have managed the situation as best they can and should now have a MUCH better idea of what to expect next time and will hopefully make changes to address this.

What I do take exception to is the repeated, unfounded, or just plain incorrect statements and defence of the seller.

Ben.

My qualifications, I studied completed Multimedia at uni and have done coding in various languages over the years. But you would have to be very gifted (or dedicated) to setup a website with over 10,000 products in a database!

I do agree they have handled it best they could but I never said they had honoured all back orders, I said they didnt have to honour any backorders because it was a floor stock sale only, however they have honoured some.

You stated that a webstore would be 5-15K to setup, there is no way graphics and copywriting for over 10,000 items would be include in that price. You need to take that into consideration as well as the time liaising back and forth with the developer. This would blow your price considerably.

I think another thing to consider in the price is the installation of the store cash registers and having them linked to the database, compatibility and any unforeseen issues. Not even B C F have a system similar to what we have discussed and they are much bigger organisation. They run there website as completely separate department from all stores.

Lastly there is a massive difference between turnover and profit. Millions of dollars in sales does not guarantee a profit.

[bennykenny]

Not even B C F have a system similar to what we have discussed and they are much bigger organisation. They run there website as completely separate department from all stores.

not really true, in some instances they website orders are filled from any store, if they are showing on their system that they have them in stock. You can check yourself if your nearest BCF has what you want in stock by using their click and collect feature, add it to your basket and check out from your store of choice and it will tell you if they have it in stock, it runs off the same system that they use instore.

[Chanlo]

not really true, in some instances they website orders are filled from any store, if they are showing on their system that they have them in stock. You can check yourself if your nearest BCF has what you want in stock by using their click and collect feature, add it to your basket and check out from your store of choice and it will tell you if they have it in stock, it runs off the same system that they use instore.

If that's the case, I stand corrected. I don't regularly shop from bcf however when I rang them a year ago they told me the website is a different entity from each store and the specials on it are not available in store.

[bennykenny]

from time to time they will sell some stock that has been removed from the stores or from their DC through the website only and not through the stores, so it that instance it is seperate.

[morphias]

You stated that a webstore would be 5-15K to setup, there is no way graphics and copywriting for over 10,000 items would be include in that price. You need to take that into consideration as well as the time liaising back and forth with the developer. This would blow your price considerably.

They already have the site and the images. The $5-15K was to get someone to do the coding to link their inventory DB to the existing website. This can be set up so that it is managed by the staff. When they add a product to the site, there is a field where they can select the stock code from the database so that the stock levels are shown. I know it costs this much because I have had clients do it.

But you would have to be very gifted (or dedicated) to setup a website with over 10,000 products in a database!

Not really. Like the examples I gave - much smaller operators than MO and as many, if not more; product lines. MO already have to add, maintain and update each individual product on the website. By linking it to the database, the pricing could be automatically, rather than manually, updated along with the product descriptions, photos, etc, etc. To add those features in addition to just the stock levels would cost more, but all the hard work is done by that point and you are just adding additional field codes, so we are not talking a massive price increase. Working smarter, not harder.

I think another thing to consider in the price is the installation of the store cash registers and having them linked to the database, compatibility and any unforeseen issues.

If they are on any sort of decent POS system, it will already be linked to an SQL or Progress back-end, which will work fine. If they have something like Greentree, not even God can help them!

Lastly there is a massive difference between turnover and profit. Millions of dollars in sales does not guarantee a profit .

There is - I don't disagree with that. Reputation and brand image (of the business, not the products sold) amongst the customers are probably the biggest determining factors in making the difference between turnover and profit.


Ben.

[Chanlo]

Have you been to the store?
They don't have any pos system in place that can link to a database and there lies the problem, which is why they can't keep track of the stocks for the website. We all know it can be done, maybe they can or can't afford it, I'm not in a position to know there financials. I live in the same town as the store so I know the store a little. You should drop in and check them out! Insane amount of stock! And that's why I don't think it can be done cheaply.

Keep in mind they just upgraded there website this past year which would have cost a bucket load and retail sector has taken a fairly big hit the last few years.

I still think main point is if you got in at the start of the sale you had a very good chance of getting your products if you waited until the last few minutes and missed out, you should chalk it up to being unlucky.

[Chanlo]

There is at least 10,000 products on the website not including every sub model of reel etc such as caldia 2000, 2500, 2004, etc which are listed under drop menus, the data entry would be huge. They would need the receiving department to be linked to the database as well.
I'm just saying it would be a huge project and big projects aren't cheap.

They have more products in store that they don't have on the website also.

[Champilly]

Just checked my messages, F@%KING MO rang and left a message saying can't do backorders at that price so cancelling my order for Tiagra 16's !!!!

Don't want to be the bearer of bad news but I have just been to my local and they were unpacking Tiagra 16's....Double checked as I had read all this previously.

[lee8sec]

I ordered some rod building bits yesterday(26/11/13), will be interesting to see how long it takes to process. Leigh

Shipped them today. Lucky i wasnt in a hurry. I will probably only use them as a last resort from now on. Leigh