We’ve Moved

This is an open letter to all of our retail customers over the years and explain the direction that I have decided to take the business.

After almost 20 years trading in Portland Street, Computroon has now moved.

Moved Where?

I have moved away from retail to focus more on services. We have always been lucky enough to have 2 sides of the business. Retail (selling ink cartridges, paper, pen drives, etc) and Services (repairs, technical support, building computers etc).

Over recent years the retail side of the business has been a real challenge. Shopping trends have changed and demand for computer related goods has dropped.

Product margins have been squeezed for a long time. Products are now cheaper on Amazon than my wholesale distributors can sell to me. So if a customer buys a product from me at £18.95, goes home and looks on the internet to see it listed at £11.95, they feel cheated. This goes against the core values of the shop which is to “provide goods at the most competitive prices and do the right thing by our customers”. The fact is I can no longer compete with online prices.

I don’t blame people for shopping online. It’s the way it is. You get a good price. If you don’t want it you send it back without any charge, no questions. I don’t even have any gripe with Amazon! Amazon aren’t going away. In fact I am currently working with a partner on an exclusive (non-computer related) product line to launch for sale soon on Amazon.

Services

Our services side is support and repairs. This side of the business has carried the retail side for quite some time. I feel that by dropping the retail shop, I can improve the repairs and support services that we provide.

Improvements will include:

  • Quicker repair turnaround and not over-running deadlines.
  • Collection of your PC / laptop from your home and delivered back to your door on completion.
  • Less restrictive working hours. It may suit you better to have your computer collected at 8am and delivered back repaired the same day at 8pm.

I am transferring the workshop to a new secure location to carry out repairs and computer builds. I have full public liability insurance and also fully covered for goods in trust.

I am still trading as Computroon. The direction of the business is simply switching away from High Street retail to services.

As I will now be spending more time out and about instead of being restricted to staying on shop premises, the new number to reach me on is a mobile number. Furthermore I can now be reached by Text & Whatsapp. If you ring and I am at a call out please leave a message and I will return your call as soon as I am clear. Or drop a text through and I will call you back.

New number for Computroon: 07488283150

Website and email no change. You can email me directly barry@computroon.co.uk
Better still, for any enquiries please allow us to pay for the call by texting the word: RINGBACK followed by your name to the above number.

The shop has closed in Portland Street. But we carry on trading as Computroon. The business is still active. By withdrawing from the town centre will free up the time and resources to do what we do best.

Services that we carry on providing include:

  • PC & Laptop Repairs
  • Computer Upgrades
  • Business Contracts
  • Brand New Custom Build PC Systems
  • Installations of Local Area Networks
  • Continued Support for systems bought from us in the past
  • Sale of Refurbished Laptops

Services or things no longer available from us because I am leaving the shop premises include:

  • Sales of Paper (David the delivery driver will love this)
  • Ink Cartridges
  • Computer Accessories Such As Mouse Mats!
  • Other Stuff That Is Cheaper On Amazon
  • Free Advice On How To Work The Stuff You Bought On Amazon (this sounds a wee bit bitter but meant in good humour)

I want to sincerely thank all of our retail customers that have used our Portland Street shop since 1999. The only sad part about vacating the shop is that I will miss seeing and chatting to my regular customers.

We are still here, just not there.

Barry