Maplin

This branch of Maplin is chiefly notable in the context of Cardiff for being a fair bit larger than the average store in the chain, with much more plentiful parking than its counterpart not far away on City Road. The spares desk is a great resource for those with more technological knowledge than clichéd ‘Why don’t you try turning it off and then on again?’ types. And the array of audio and visual components, wires and the like is fairly comprehensive, albeit often not exactly budget compared to discount electrical stores in the city such as Land Of Computers. While this store has decent potential to outstrip almost any competitors, however, its staff let it down somewhat. Not only does there seem to be a chronic lack of them whenever you want to enquire about the finer details of a product, but a fair few of them don’t inspire much confidence in the depth — or lack of — of their knowledge.

I want to sing songs about Maplins. I want to dance and shake it to the songs I sing about Maplins. I want to write sonnets about the place. Craft solid marble statues in its honour and then shoot any pigeon that dares lay a feather on its resplendent beauty.
Maplins should be where every good tech nerd goes to die, wrapped in bandages made from wires cut to different, but equally necessary lengths. Their headstones should be made from melted and re-​formed solder and their epitaphs should be nothing more than the voltage that finally took their lives and carried them to geek-​Valhalla.
And if Maplins is such a religious experience, this store is the Mecca. A massive store filled with all the seemingly arbitrary-​but-​actually-​completely-​necessary bits and bobs that keep the turbines spinning and keeps the voltage flowing. The staff are eternally helpful, to old pros and beginners alike and the prices are exceptionally reasonable given the monopoly Maplins seems to hold on this market.

My brother, the computer geek scientist (love you bro!), has an affinity with this store. Not I.
No, that’s a downright lie. I love it too.
Perhaps I’m a little bit more tech-​savvy than your average female arts student (oh, I really need to get out of the habit of saying that I’m a student, seeing as I graduated two years ago). EDIT: Perhaps I’m a little bit more tech-​savvy than your average Unilocaler, but I find that conversations about computers with the staff in Maplins are extremely interesting, easy and informative.
Unlike store such as Comet, PC World and Currys, these guys know what they’re on about, aren’t desperately trying to sell you warranties and software, and explain things in a very clear and professional manner.
Having had a problem with my laptop I went in to ask for advice and they spent 30 minutes helping me with no cost, and in the end I didn’t have to buy anything to sort out the problem, yet all the while I felt like a valued customer. Well done Maplins. Excellent service.

Maplins is a must place to go to for anything electrical/​DIY. Its brilliant place to find that thingy which couldn’t be found anywhere else. Has a much better range than B&Q or homebase etc. Its prices are usually pretty good– however there are some items which you seem to pay a premium for.

Is it just me or are Maplin stores a bit tattier and more disappointing than they used to be? They used to be an exciting pantheon of all things electronic, and on every aisle there’d be some gadget you’d look at and think, I want that. Now, I’m sure it’s still very useful for electricians and electrical enthusiasts but the quality of some of the other products just seems a bit, well, cheap and nasty.
I’d go to Maplins for small electrical stuff, say a power adapter, but for anything that you’d be looking to spend over £20 on, Maplins is worth a browse but then (as usual) I’d suggest following the Internet route.
This particular Maplin store is not the best. There’s a new-​ish one in Bristol which seems to pack a lot more stock into a similar-​ish space without being too crowded.