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[Nick W]

I wonder if they'll employ more staff to man the desk as well as the phones. Last time I went into AP, I stood at the front desk for 5 mins or so waiting. The room to my right (behind glass) was full of people on phones, but it seemed that nobody was available to speak to the bloke that had actually come into the shop to buy something. So I walked out! And have never been in there again.

That's because the room full of salesmen on the phone to industrial customers who know exactly what they want is the real business. The retail counter is only there because it is easy to do and might increase profitability; anyone who has dealt with DIY customers who need their hand held throughout the entire transaction will know how painfully difficult that can be.

[Nick W]

and ecp will send a van out to deliver a gasket.

As will any factor servicing the trade

.

Which is wrong, too many factors are running at a loss trying to compete for every scrap, transport is one of there biggest cost.  Ecp have deep pockets,

No, it's what the trade insist on, and has always been the case since long before euroshiteparts had a national network.

A garage isn't going to waste an hour every time they need a part.

No they're not. But the large fleet of vans doing two or three drops a day is recent. One of the reasons there were so many small, independent, local factors was that you knew when they delivered, and would choose your supplier accordingly. Large companies like ECP started buying some of them out for their customer base, and then used their own buying power to put the others out of business. This is not a new or uncommon practice!

[biggriffin]

As above.
We had 5 factors in hoofland, and they all delivered on different days, we would use each one according to the job, and delivery days. The problems now is all the punters want there car fixing yesterday, if the factors said No to sameday-within the hour, be 24hour soon, like truck dealers.