What caused the sudden drop in sales?

[haribo]

The administrators have cited a sudden, "unexpected" drop in sales over the last couple of months.

Given that the channels hadn't changed that much and were still pulling the same scams with the same presenters, I can only assume that the word about imminent administration had gotten round and the regular customers were too scared to buy.

The changes they made to bid, including the cheaper calls and the varying postage costs should really have seen sales rise.

Perhaps they just alienated their auction customers with the new "Shop at Bid" thing.

There is definitely a gap in the market now for a new auction TV channel with decent products and really good offers like the old megadrops. Would anyone dare start such a channel now?

 

[Dave]

The administrators have cited a sudden, "unexpected" drop in sales over the last couple of months.

Given that the channels hadn't changed that much and were still pulling the same scams with the same presenters, I can only assume that the word about imminent administration had gotten round and the regular customers were too scared to buy.

The changes they made to bid, including the cheaper calls and the varying postage costs should really have seen sales rise.

Perhaps they just alienated their auction customers with the new "Shop at Bid" thing.

There is definitely a gap in the market now for a new auction TV channel with decent products and really good offers like the old megadrops. Would anyone dare start such a channel now?

One reason was when they would pitch a sale - you'd get the waaah waaaaah waaaaaah Better luck next time. They had stuff for sale but wouldn't sell it - what a bunch of idiots.

 

[Greg]

I think the Shop at Bid attempt to change the selling format to mimic the IW and QVC must have been an absolute disaster because for the first time it was obvious to see how noncompetitive Shop at Bid was with the crappy products, ridiculously high p&p and terrible delivery times to go with the terrible waffle and uber-hype.

 

[Docswife]

Very simple. They were selling crap.

 

[Wirral70]

This is possibly what caused the sudden drop in sales........................



I feel this is a somewhat tricky problem for any business to cope with. Any one would be bad enough but all five? :mysmilie_59:

 

[Wirral70]

But the final nail in the coffin was quite possibly caused by this.................



I think you'll agree it must have been a devastating blow to ever recover from. They surely had no hope after this :mysmilie_59:

 

[Dave]

Very simple. They were selling crap.

Very true - and charging a fortune for it, and don't get me started on the P & P and call costs.

 

[Paul_s]

This is possibly what caused the sudden drop in sales.

View attachment 10420View attachment 10421View attachment 10422View attachment 10423View attachment 10424

I feel this is a somewhat tricky problem for any business to cope with

it's like an episode of Crimewatch.

 

[Paul_s]

But the final nail in the coffin was quite possibly caused by this.................

View attachment 10425

I think you'll agree it must have been a devastating blow to ever recover from. They surely had no hope after this :mysmilie_59:

I'd not seen that till now. :mysmilie_5: Madina is going to take an injunction out on you! :grin:

 

[Dave]

But the final nail in the coffin was quite possibly caused by this.................

View attachment 10425

I think you'll agree it must have been a devastating blow to ever recover from. They surely had no hope after this :mysmilie_59:

I did catch that presentation. Do you remember he was biggin up the recovery of the cushion when he put the 25KG weight on it? The second time he put it on the pillow stayed where it was, I almost cried laughing - another classy classic. I can't imagine what the suppliers must have thought about what was going on in the studio. :mysmilie_15:

 

[Greg]

I honestly think the memory foam mattress would have given up working if godslashhorsethingy was sitting on Mr Mason for more than three minutes.

 

[Wirral70]

I'd not seen that till now. :mysmilie_5: Madina is going to take an injunction out on you! :grin:

I'd hope she'd be grateful for the publicity.

Let's face it, he isn't going to get any from elsewhere now. Nobody's interested in an ex-shopping telly host, he's about as relevant as an Analogue Sky Box :mysmilie_59:

 

[steveh31]

The drops in sales well obviously they went to selling items for £1 then 1p I think that answers the question.

Once you go down to 1p where can you go? People expect that all the time never value your products at 1p.

 

[Dave]

I honestly think the memory foam mattress would have given up working if godslashhorsethingy was sitting on Mr Mason for more than three minutes.

The very thought makes me feel - well at best - O cripes - pass the bucket quick - Where's the wizzy mop when you need one!:mysmilie_17:

 

[steveh31]

Memory Foam mattress was last product I considered buying from them in the end I bought from internet.

The one product they really got me interested in.

 

[Wirral70]

Memory Foam mattress was last product I considered buying from them in the end I bought from internet.

The one product they really got me interested in.

Were you never tempted by any of their Audio Products, particularly when Mike Mason offered his professional insight?

 

[steveh31]

I barely watched for last 18 months around about the time of the recorded segments and speed auction closing. Just got to boring for my liking.

 

[Price Plunge]

So with Shop at Bid we had an Ideal World clone minus the products (at least for the short term), minus most of the previously-loyal customer base (the Bid brand had been truly trashed at that point but they presumably couldn't afford a complete rebrand so were forced to rely on any remaining wafer-thin 'fondness'/nostalgia for the Bid brand), minus any falling price 'excitement' (causing many/most of what was left of its viewers to desert the channel) and still minus any real sense of value for the time being apart from the odd item or two (relatively speaking). And Price Drop had fewer viewers (beyond their control) BUT at the same time deliberately and unbeliveably turned away most of the intentions to purchase products. If someone had earlier written a book including these events, everyone would accuse it of not being realistic since nothing like this could ever happen in real life...

Plus bringing back on-screen buyers' names on Shop at Bid was a mixed blessing since you could then see the same five names scroll across the screen for at least ten minutes, proving that sales had plummeted to an all time low, though I was fully expecting the Sit-up channels to limp on in a zombie state for another month or two before they finally closed their doors (barring drastic alterations AND a last minute miracle).

 

[Wirral70]

So with Shop at Bid we had an Ideal World clone minus the products (at least for the short term), minus most of the previously-loyal customer base (the Bid brand had been truly trashed at that point but they presumably couldn't afford a complete rebrand so were forced to rely on any remaining wafer-thin 'fondness'/nostalgia for the Bid brand), minus any falling price 'excitement' (causing many/most of what was left of its viewers to desert the channel) and still minus any real sense of value for the time being apart from the odd item or two (relatively speaking). And Price Drop had fewer viewers (beyond their control) BUT at the same time deliberately and unbeliveably turned away most of the intentions to purchase products. If someone had earlier written a book including these events, everyone would accuse it of not being realistic since nothing like this could ever happen in real life...

Plus bringing back on-screen buyers' names on Shop at Bid was a mixed blessing since you could then see the same five names scroll across the screen for at least ten minutes, proving that sales had plummeted to an all time low, though I was fully expecting the Sit-up channels to limp on in a zombie state for another month or two before they finally closed their doors (barring drastic alterations AND a last minute miracle).

I thought that perhaps some gardening sales might see them plod through the summer but my confidence sapped somewhat when I saw the appalling products and the pathetic calibre of the zombie guests. I always thought that come September/October they'd be in dire straits, I certainly didn't expect them to be on air at Christmas.

However, there is absolutely no way I expected them to collapse so suddenly after the CVA. My friend is convinced something isn't quite as it appears and that a channel will soon replace Bid but I guess we'll have to see. It's not a view I subscribe to as it sounds a bit fanciful to me, I think they went bust and that's that.

 

[zippy]

Anyone with half a brain could work out there had to be a drop in sales with that stupid format on Pricedrop when people who actually wanted to buy an item couldn't as it was a loser! Every time I switched over I hardly seen a winner at all. There a bit of me thinks it was done on purpose to put the company into administration and the drop in sales line is the excuse