Online shop

[Rick]

With a bit of planning I'm sure Towers (or Merlin as a whole) could do it. This isn't a small family business we're talking about. The shop staff could maybe process orders during quiet periods?

I'm not saying they couldn't do it, I am suggesting that it is not worth their while.

 

[Alsty]

If it's not worth their while they shouldn't operate the online shop. They should either fully embrace the concept or not bother... either is fine and both are better than a mediocre attempt which isn't professional and doesn't portray a good image.

 

[Rick]

If it's not worth their while they shouldn't operate the online shop. They should either fully embrace the concept or not bother... either is fine and both are better than a mediocre attempt which isn't professional and doesn't portray a good image.

That logic makes no sense. At all.

 

[speedy]

Having a shop where a large amount of items are out of stock does not look good, especially for a company as large as Merlin.

I agree with @Alsty, also I think having no Wicker Man merchandise at all does not look good.

 

[Alsty]

That logic makes no sense. At all.

Yes it does. "Do it right or don't do it at all"

 

[Rick]

Yes it does. "Do it right or don't do it at all"

That's not logic, that's a platitude.

 

[rob666]

If Tesco cant do it for a profit, why should Merlin?

 

[Alsty]

Because it's an online shop, not grocery delivery. In grocery delivery the costs are high because you are paying for vehicle leases, fuel and the wages of the delivery drivers. Online shops do not have the same outgoings because once it's picked, the only cost is a few quid to Royal Mail.

 

[Rick]

@Alsty I don't disagree that the picking and dispatch of the order isn't particularly complicated, but there is a cost associated with it. It becomes more complex when you have to deal with returns, stock reconciliation, MI, auditing etc. Furthermore, you have to have that infrastructure and process in place irrespective of whether you sell 1 pin badge, or 1000.

Plus, at the risk of repeating myself, the margin for online orders is different than those sold in a shop. You have to have to shift a volume that means it makes sense to offer a larger array of products, but scaling to that level is not necessarily advantageous if you have an active supply channel that works for the bulk of your clientele.

Again, I don't doubt they could do it, I just don't think it makes sense to do so. Most folks buy memorabilia to remember a trip to the park, I think the number that buy it having not visited the park is low and the percentage of those who won't visit the park and buy it in the shops is even smaller.

In some cases platform shifting makes total sense, for example - it's better for Merlin if you book your hotel stay online, rather than via the call centre - they still offer the call centre for guests who opt to use it, but the costs associated with the booking being made are different, your cross/up sell opportunities are smaller.