I used to love DSE and wandered in their at least once a week during my lunchtime walks. Brought a lot of stuff over the years too - $700 radio scanner, games console, early DVD recorder, two cellphones, tons of components/cables/wire/blank disks etc. They had interesting stuff and knowledgeable staff and I was forever picking stuff up - one of my colleagues used to joke that I was the Wellington Dick Smith Product Tester.

Now they have gone uber-consumer (kind of like a Metro Noel Leemings). They seem to have a limited range of stuff, which is generally more expensive than the competition and of no interest to me, staff who barely understand what they are selling, and no interest in customer service.

I have been in a few times because someone gave me $100 of vouchers as a thank-you for some work I did. I was keen to spend them, particularly when I say endless clearances, empty shelves and products out of stock, which I interpreted as warning signs that they might be going under, leaving me with worthless vouchers. Trouble was, even with vouchers burning a hole in my pocket, I couldn't find anything I actually wanted.

In the end a non-technical friend wanted something bog standard (a FV set top box from memory), so I brought it with my vouchers and they gave me the cash.