To beat or not to beat..? (Makro)

Member Name: jayandfoo

Product:	Makro
Date:	09/06/05 (6945 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Some great offers, large selection of items

Disadvantages: All prices exclude VAT; can sound cheaper than it actually is

I first began visiting Makro just over 3 years ago, when I started a new job. All employees were able to apply for a Makro card. I wasn't over eager on getting a card - I had never been to Makro although as it was quite close to where I lived, passed it many times a week. However, a card was ordered for me anyway. I didn't use the card for a few months until a 'Makro Mail' appeared on my desk at work.

The Makro Mail is a magazine sent out by Makro roughly every 2 weeks, packed with special offers on clothes, food, electrical items and more. This magazine caught my eye and managed to entice me to visit that evening with my boyfriend.

--Who are Makro?--
Makro began trading in the United Kingdom in May 1971 at Eccles in Manchester. The Eccles branch is the branch which is only around the corner from me. Makro U.K now has a network of 33 cash and carries across the country has a company turnover in excess of £1 billion.

--What do Makro do?--
Makro is essentially a Cash & Carry, mainly serving Trade Customers such as Newsagents, Off Licences, etc and Caterers, such as Pubs, restaurants, etc. They also offer membership to 'Complimentary Business Users' such as Doctors, Dentists, Builders, etc. and non-food retailers, such as Offices (I would think for the cleaning equipment, etc).

As they offer membership to a wide range of Customers', they are probably not your conventional Cash & Carry, who usually just supply food products.

They supply a wide range of products from clothes and food to pneumatic drills! - their product range is vast and they have a constant stream of new products appearing. Their new products often feature in their 2 weekly Makro Mail so you have to be quick! There really probably isn't anything that Makro don't stock, or haven't had in stock.

--How did my I get membership?--
My company is an 'office Customer'. We do use Makro to purchase cleaning products in bulk.
We have around 27 employees in our company and for those who want it, we are all able to get a card, as our company is registered. All we have to do to either request or cancel a membership is fax a request to our local Makro in Eccles with the applicants name and date of birth (all cards are sent to our company address). The card arrived a few days later.
--Ok, tell me more--

Makro advise that 'Each store is tailored to address the special concerns of our trade, catering and professional business customers. We offer a wholesale price that leaves the trader customer room for healthy margins and provide a one-stop-shop for the caterer and professional business customer'.

My local Makro store in Eccles in huge. Originally it had 2 floors - the clothes and home wares were upstairs and food and everything else, such as office and cleaning equipment was downstairs. Now everything is just on the one floor, which makes it much easier to navigate.
As soon as you walk in, you are greeted with garden furniture, etc. This changes in the winter months to Christmas decorations, etc.

Further back, there are TV's, DVD players, Hi-fi's. In the middle of the store there are Children's, men's and women's clothes and shoes - many designer names such as Nike, Hamnett and Reebok. After that there are more electrical items such as kettles, deep fat fryers and white goods - washing machines, dryers, fridges.

Following on from that there is a DVD, Games and Video section - here you can buy the latest books, DVD's, CD's, etc. They also sell games consoles. Towards the back of the store are the cleaning products, such as large boxes of washing powder and the food section.

Makro declare that 'By buying direct from the manufacturer and having convenient out of town stores with low overheads, Makro is able to offer more for less'. This works great for businesses who are able to claim the VAT back on items that they have purchased. However, for normal people like me, as Makro add VAT onto each item (except food, I think), the prices really don't differ that much from normal shops.

Each Makro store features wide aisles and clear store layout makes it easy to find exactly what you're looking for. All products have their price clearly marked on the shelves. All promotions are displayed so you know exactly what's on Special Offer and what isn't.

--Prices--
Ok, so I've already told you that Makro charge VAT on top of their prices. For example, last week whilst browsing the Makro Mail, a 512mb MP3 player caught my eye for £44.99. Not bad, I thought - until I realised that I would have to pay 17.5% VAT on top of that, meaning that I would have paid £52.86 in total. I compared the price with a few other 'normal' shops and realised that as I cannot reclaim the VAT, it really wouldn't be worth my buying the MP3 player.

However, there are, once in a while, offers that really are worth it, even with the VAT. For example, a Steam Cleaner was on offer for £60.00 + VAT when the retail price was actually £299.00 - I sourced the same item elsewhere and its average price was £250 - that was an excellent saving of £179.50!

So, if you look hard enough, the special offers really do turn out to be special! It is with browsing the Makro Mail and compare prices of other stores, if you cannot reclaim your VAT.

--Anything else?--

Each Makro store features a Café. The Café is usually located at the front of the store and serve English Breakfasts in the morning, hot meals at lunch and teatime and various sandwiches, rolls and children's meals. They also serve cakes and pastries for those of you with a sweet tooth!

--Where are the other stores?--
Makro has 33 stores Nationwide, in the following places:
Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham, Newcastle, Charlton, Leeds, Glasgow, North Acton, Sheffield, Southampton, Bristol, Enfield, Nottingham, Edinburgh, Leicester, Reading, Hull, Poole, Cardiff, Croydon, Aberdeen, Stoke, Belfast, Preston, Swansea, Rayleigh, Teesside, Coventry, Norwich, Exeter, Ipswich, Chester and Wolverhampton.

All stores are normally open Monday to Friday 7.30 am - 9pm, Saturdays 9.30am - 7pm and Sundays 9.30am - 5.30pm.



--I like it - how can I apply?--

To apply for a free Makro Trade card, you can visit www.makro.co.uk and fill in the Online Application form. You will need to print this form out and attach the following Registration documents:
What Registration Documents are required?

Companies / Organisations - Copy of company V.A.T certificate, (if not registered for V.A.T, a copy of the company cheque book), two Recent purchase Invoices over the value of £50 each, personal Identification of the cardholder.
Self-Employed - Copy of Inland Revenue Registration form, two recent purchase invoices over the value of £50 each, personal Identification of the cardholder.

As previously mentioned, you do have to be a company or at least Self employed to apply for a Trade Card.

--My opinion-
I do like Makro - it's a great store with loads of choice, but for a normal shopper like me, prices do not tend to be any cheaper - apart from really special offers! It's a great place to go and have a look around.

Special offers do happen a lot but you have to be quick - many a time I have gone to purchase something that has gone on special offer that day, only to be told that they have sold out already - they only get limited stock in and when it's gone, it's gone. However, I am going to recommend Makro - especially for VAT registered Customers.

UK Head Office
Liverpool Road
Barton Moss
Eccles
Manchester
M30 7RT

Tel - 0870 16 62576
Fax - 0870 26 42576
www.makro.co.uk

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