Does anyone know how Jaycar survives?

Forums › Off topic › Does anyone know how Jaycar survives?

Kookoo

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#319184 31-Mar-2025 13:51

Asking out of curiosity more than anything, but having had to visit Jaycar a few times over the last couple of months, not as a customer, I saw the same picture every time. There are 3 to 5 people working the floor, zero customers, and shelves stacked with stuff that I can't imagine anyone buying any time soon. What am I missing here?

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#3359039 31-Mar-2025 13:55

I go there when I need a new power adapter for something.

Also not long ago bought a 76L portable fridge/freezer that was more than 50% off, that we can run on our portable battery power unit when we're away camping etc.

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Handsomedan

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#3359042 31-Mar-2025 13:57

Potentially lots of online business?

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nitro

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#3359046 31-Mar-2025 14:17

can't argue with your description of the shop floor. 2 branches in welly that i've seen lately are in the same shape.

as mentioned above, potentially online business. no more DSE, and Ideal Electrical aren't always easy to find. i use Jaycar for the odd bit that i need in a jiffy - the latest one might have been an RJ12 connector for the HRV's temperature sensor.

retail is tough these days, if they ever weren't. but i want them (and others) around for those can't-wait-for-aliexpress-shipping occasions.

reven

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#3359055 31-Mar-2025 14:27

Whenever I go into the Manukau one its usually "busy" 6 or more groups in it. Tend to have to wait to be served.

marpada

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#3359121 31-Mar-2025 14:59

Same in the Australia stores I've visited. I guess their markup must be insane, and they don't have local competitors for most of their catalog. Unless I need something urgently I can find the same stuff in Aliexpress at a fraction of the Jaycar.

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#3359124 31-Mar-2025 15:09

I'm also surprised as the quality is on par with AliExpress but 10x the price. The local here has about 5 staff on and not that many customers. I doubt they would bring in enough per hour just to cover wages let alone Cost of goods and rent.

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Handsomedan

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#3359125 31-Mar-2025 15:09

They remind me so much of the old David Reid and Dick Smith stores.

Lots of stuff I have no idea what I would ever have a use for, but also fun things and good old fashioned electrical spares.

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Behodar

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#3359127 31-Mar-2025 15:17

My local one (Whakatane, which may have been a reseller rather than a "real" one) closed some time ago.

Wheelbarrow01

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#3359128 31-Mar-2025 15:18

They opened up a store just down the road from me in Papanui Christchurch around a year or so ago (maybe a bit longer). Having them there has been fantastic as it's that place you go when you need something random, and need it now. Things like crimping tools for specific jobs, odd-ball sized fuses, or general electrical/electronic components & sundries that the big box stores don't sell (or charge an arm and a leg for).

My experience is similar - this store normally has 2-3 people working and it's mostly deserted on the weekdays, however it's a bit busier on weekends. Being right next to Northlands Mall probably helps them out in terms of foot traffic. The other store in Sydenham is a completely different proposition - light industrial area with very little foot traffic I'd imagine, but they've been open at that site for at least a decade so it must work for them.

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#3359149 31-Mar-2025 16:28

Handsomedan:

Potentially lots of online business?

There are lots of Jaycar resellers up and down the country, they're on TM as well. Since they also offer either very cheap or free shipping there's not much incentive to drive out to wherever a store is for something.

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#3359249 31-Mar-2025 20:48

I love jaycar watching the 3D printers , love the brass monkey fridges and solar . So many fun gadgets to play with. Often buy 3D pen plastic and batteries , raspberry pi parts. I know it’s cheaper online but rather support local businesses

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#3359257 31-Mar-2025 21:22

Handsomedan:

They remind me so much of the old David Reid and Dick Smith stores.

Lots of stuff I have no idea what I would ever have a use for, but also fun things and good old fashioned electrical spares.

They are awesome for things like resisters and capacitors for soldering electronics. When I made the DIY Headphone Tube Amp in memory of my Grandfather, they supplied me some components that were damaged during shipping from the USA. Would have taken weeks for those components to arrive otherwise.

I don't spend much with them, but I'd be pretty disappointed if something happened to them.

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#3359289 1-Apr-2025 01:07

Handsomedan:

They remind me so much of the old David Reid and Dick Smith stores.

Lots of stuff I have no idea what I would ever have a use for, but also fun things and good old fashioned electrical spares.

What you describe above about Dick Smith is when they were a successful store. It's only when they tried to be like every other appliance / electronic goods store that everything went downhill.

MaxineN

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#3359290 1-Apr-2025 03:52

Wheelbarrow01:

They opened up a store just down the road from me in Papanui Christchurch around a year or so ago (maybe a bit longer). Having them there has been fantastic as it's that place you go when you need something random, and need it now. Things like crimping tools for specific jobs, odd-ball sized fuses, or general electrical/electronic components & sundries that the big box stores don't sell (or charge an arm and a leg for).

My experience is similar - this store normally has 2-3 people working and it's mostly deserted on the weekdays, however it's a bit busier on weekends. Being right next to Northlands Mall probably helps them out in terms of foot traffic. The other store in Sydenham is a completely different proposition - light industrial area with very little foot traffic I'd imagine, but they've been open at that site for at least a decade so it must work for them.

They also have one in Sydenham which is also down the road from me. Been to both, great service. Usually empty unless it's the weekend.

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#3359364 1-Apr-2025 08:23

farcus:

Handsomedan:

They remind me so much of the old David Reid and Dick Smith stores.

Lots of stuff I have no idea what I would ever have a use for, but also fun things and good old fashioned electrical spares.

What you describe above about Dick Smith is when they were a successful store. It's only when they tried to be like every other appliance / electronic goods store that everything went downhill.

The dick smith failure is a bit of a special case. Has been described as the Greatest Private Equity Heist of all time. Anchorage Capital turned $10m into $520m in less than two years. Once the exited, all the window dressing faded away, leaving a broken business.

https://www.dicksmithfairgo.com.au/dick-smith-greatest-private-equity-heist-time/

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