I have just noticed that some items such as brake pads and cam belts are coming with use before dates. This means that the little shops will not be able to take the risk on buying stock for the shelves that may become valueless after the date stamped on them. It is now also illegal to sell items such as brake pads that are not in sealed packaging, so the days of comparing things on the counter will soon be gone.
On a cheerier note, I just changed disks and pads on a Focus, what a doddle to do, largely due to the improved caliper design.
The discs are interesting in that the material has been changed to reduce staining on alloy wheels, so that is another thing to specify and another pair of discs to keep in stock.
mrcheerful