Mole Valley Farmers

[Dolomite]

I know it's been said before but is Mole Farmers struggling? Been into the Worksop branch today and a good few shelfs were bare or low on stock. Very little staff to normal and they all seemed demoralised.

 

[rob1]

I know it's been said before but is Mole Farmers struggling? Been into the Worksop branch today and a good few shelfs were bare or low on stock. Very little staff to normal and they all seemed demoralised.

meant to be buying countrywide

 

[foxbox]

meant to be buying countrywide

That may be enough to demoralise anyone

 

[Dog&stick]

Countrywide seem to me, have a few members of staff that go above and beyond, but to many that couldn't give a, got three stores local to us, use to one furthest away, due to staff attitude, also wynnstay store close aswell
use them, but feed& main supply is mvf 90 mile away . Down to price & quality , not good for the carbon footprint

 

[Sid]

I know it's been said before but is Mole Farmers struggling? Been into the Worksop branch today and a good few shelfs were bare or low on stock. Very little staff to normal and they all seemed demoralised.

Think you will find its two things.
They run on an out of date computer system that is not user or customer friendly. Upgrade is in the pipeline but its IT...always costs more and take longer than expected.
Local flagship branch , South Molton, never has everything I go to get, last week it was rat bait, shelves completely empty of their own brand.
Secondly its supplier issues. They buy huge amounts of what the do buy so they can be shorted on larger orders. Best to give everyone a little bit then upset an individual customers

 

[Pilatus]

Think you will find its two things.
They run on an out of date computer system that is not user or customer friendly. Upgrade is in the pipeline but its IT...always costs more and take longer than expected.
Local flagship branch , South Molton, never has everything I go to get, last week it was rat bait, shelves completely empty of their own brand.
Secondly its supplier issues. They buy huge amounts of what the do buy so they can be shorted on larger orders. Best to give everyone a little bit then upset an individual customers

I gather the computerised stocking system that cost Countrywide a few million has been a complete disaster.
I now see Countrywide have sold the LPG side of the business.

 

[Pasty]

If you go to the Dartington Countrywide, their system takes about 10 minutes to wake up. They hate it. They are very nice people though so it's OK to chat for a bit but that system is utter sh!t. I think they said MVF were going to keep it.

 

[welger]

our local mvf they are f**kin useless.they don't know what the are doing.
I have ordered things and don't turn up,ring them and they say I will just find out
for you and ring you back.do they f**k.
go else where now

 

[spin cycle]

dereham nr me are terrific

 

[GTB]

I think a lot of these 'co-ops' have got too big to be efficient. Wynnstay for example, items like special order gates or feeders for example get lost in the system somewhere with items ordered at the local branch sitting in another branch miles away with nobody knowing where the fudge they are. I accept they have good buying power but it's often the case that the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing IMO.

 

[Victor]

Well I spoke to the mvf fert man today and he was fine so good I ordered some fert off him

 

[Watty]

South Molton local to us. Great store rarely doesn’t have what I need. Couple of blokes in the shop need avoiding but that’s the same everywhere. Lads in the yard very good. The young ones are keen and the older ones have the knowledge. Rarely go anywhere else.

 

[carpenter1]

I went in to countrywide in kingsbridge this morning, for a few stakes, they said countrywide would not buy any more, so I would have to wait until the take over.

 

[Bury the Trash]

I went in to countrywide in kingsbridge this morning, for a few stakes, they said countrywide would not buy any more, so I would have to wait until the take over.

does the guarantee on those stakes get passed on to the take over company...or isnt there one...

 

[honeyend]

I think what is needed is the equivalent of Screwfix, they already sell some smallholder stuff. A good cheap catalogue, backed up by a website or app, and simple collection points. Then perhaps a knowledgeable sales team that you can ring and perhaps call out.
In this day and age you should be able to order something and it be collected or delivered within two days.
I have spent more time in builders merchants and so called farm stores talking to people who seem to think the customer is a waste of time, has little or no knowledge of the products they are selling and not interested in helping. The last time I order from MV it took over a week, several phone calls and emails, just to sort out a price.

 

[carpenter1]

Did not ask that question if they had some posts, I would have asked

 

[Derrick Hughes]

observations on a lot of these co ops . how can they possibly make a profit delivery ing a pallet of shavings many miles in a shiney new pick without charging delivery and selling the product at a very small mark up . i take my hat off to them all

 

[tinsheet]

MVF, used to be our first port of call for pretty much everything,
But using them less and less as we are finding better deals else were for the same item!

 

[Derrick Hughes]

MVF, used to be our first port of call for pretty much everything,
But using them less and less as we are finding better deals else were for the same item!

the problem for then is small buisnesses can cream off the high sales priducts and leave them to worry about a few kg of nails

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Can someone explain 61 M Gross Profit 2.3 M Net Profit