ONLINE RETAILERS - UK |
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Aarvark Archery
Generally quite cheap, but definitely the best service anywhere! |
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Aim 4 Sport
Bedfordshire-based Aim 4 Sport has a retail unit near Sandy, and offers a highly intuitive website and average prices. |
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Alternative Sporting Services
Reduced prices on certain items, although reliable, with a huge range of stock. Well worth visiting just to find out what's out there, and all the latest kit. |
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Archery Pro
Retailer from Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire that 'aims to combine the most professional advice, with Internet pricing & price-matching with 5% discount for first time buyers'. Run by GB Paralympic squad-member Alan Wood. |
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Archery World
Retailer with two outlets in the North of England offering a good alternative to Alternative! Stocks not as comprehensive. |
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Blackrock Archery
Welsh retailer situated near Llantrisant, just outside Cardiff. Good range of stock displayed, but comparatively not as cheap as many. |
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Bow Plus Archery
Retailer in Shropshire which used to be part of Wales Archery Specialist from South Wales, but went their own way in 2002. Provides a good range of products, and it is has been said that their customer service is excellent. Prices about average. |
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Bow Sports
Another good alternative to Alternative, although stock range are not as comprehensive. Similar to Archery World. |
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Centreshot Archery Supplies
Small retailer nestling at the foot of the Malvern Hills in Worcestershire run by husband and wife team Janice and Dave French. |
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Chiltern Archery
One of the larger retail chains, with four 'superstores' scattered throughout the UK and Ireland, and a recently-revamped online retail operation. |
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Clickers Archery
East Anglian archery retailer, situated just outside Norwich city centre. Also the main distributor for Danage targets, timing, and scoring systems. |
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Custom Built Archery
A small but incredibly friendly and helpful retailer which has recently been forced to close its outlet in Guisborough, Cleveland, as a result of the economic downturn and the weakness of the pound against other currencies. It retains the other outlet in Eakring, Nottinghamshire. |
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Eastcote House Archery Centre
Small family-run retailer in the Scottish Borders, and probably Island Archers' 'local' archery shop. |
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Eclipse Archery
Small retailer located just south of Basingstoke, Hampshire. |
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KG Archery
Retailer situated just northeast of Mansfield in Nottinghamshire. Also manufacturers of their own line of recurve bows and limbs. |
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Merlin Archery Centre
Retail arm of the manufacturers of Merlin compound bows. User-friendly online store, with ever-increasing levels of stock. |
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Perris Archery
Essex-based retailer, with a recently updated website and increased range of stock. Slightly pricier than average. |
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Quicks
A huge range of stock, with a paper catalogue that's most often used as an excellent reference, and you can often find items not offered for sale elsewhere. |
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Ten-Ring Archery
Small retailer, based in Ramsgate, Kent. Range of stock somewhat smaller than most, but worth visiting nonetheless. |
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The Archery Company
Another smaller retailer, based in Sandy, Bedfordshire. Range of stock has an emphasis on Field Compound, which is hardly surprising, given that the proprietor, Tony Weston, has been a competitive archer for over 15 years, and has won numerous national titles and the European Bowhunter Championships, as well as competing worldwide on the Semi-Pro Circuit. |
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Notes |
Retail Price Index
The Retail Price Index is assembled by visiting each retailer's website with a shopping list of nine 'mystery' items, common to the majority of retailers listed, and ranging from arrows to archers' personal equipment. Where a retailer does not stock the exact item, the price of the nearest equivalent item may be used.
For each retailer, each of these nine items is compared with the average cost of the item across all retailers, and a percentage figure noted for that item (which can be positive, for items more expensive, or negative, for cheaper than average items). The average of all these percentages for each retailer is taken, and given a 'star' rating proportionate to the relative cost, with the most gold stars awarded to the cheapest retailer. This process is repeated several times per year.
The Retail Price Index was last updated on 6th March 2009. It is interesting to note that the average price of the mystery shopping basket has, once again, risen by just under 1 ½ per cent in the month-and-a-bit since the last one was compiled, despite price reductions by many of the major players. The demise of Custom Built Archery's Guisborough store is indicative of hard times within the UK's archery retail business, which is not only being hit by the economic downturn, but also the pound's poor performance against other currencies. |
