Toby wrote:for 100 € more i get a 13 fuel compl. door delivered in Spain.
that is a different story
Actually, it is the SAME story... SEARCH COST is one of the illness of this sport...
what model year, how many is available... if it is one kite... that's irrelevant... if it is only one place... well that shop is going to get a stearn letter for SS... so the point is...
UNIFORM PRICING HELPS BOTH CUSTOMERS AND RETAILERS. UNCERTAINTY IN PRICING IS A F_CKING PAIN FOR CUSTOMERS AND RETAILERS.
a) Customers need to measure their "time value" vs. money saved.
When searching for a best deal... search for the best deal... but that may be time consuming... haggling and haggling and haggling... and finding out the next week that there is a better deal... things that some of us rather not taint our kiting experience with.
So I rather shop at Best knowing I am getting a great kit at a great price... and if prices drop within 30 days... Best usually credit the difference... and I can always return the stuff within that time frame. Perhaps that is a luxury only in the US, but that is how typical department stores operate in the US... Best just brought this "American concept" to kiteboarding.
b) From a business perspespective... Have you ever wonder why retailers hold so little stock... they are RIGHTFULLY afraid of having distributers shove high priced BFKs up their gazoo and suffering year long constipation...
The game is INVENTORY TURN... that means how many annual sales can a retail shop generate from a given level of stocking... the industry generally is quite low... Best is quite high... why... lower AND uniform pricing facilitate customers purchases... Customers will not waste dealers' time by checking endlessly and not "pull the trigger"... dealers then do not have to worry about being undercut and is comfortable with higher stocking (holding more inventory)... which means more sales per day... but more important... more absolute profits per day.
Based on Best inventory shortages and stated 3-4 week ordering cycle from Asia... Best is targeting less than a month of inventory... and if you add in back orders... it was operating on NEGATIVE inventory! Those who tried to get Best kites from shops have similar experience.
Now compare that to the average inventory level of other brands collecting dust on retailers shelves... fully stocked is not a good thing if it just sit there all year long...
THE WORSE SCENARIO FOR RETAILERS ARE CUSTOMERS THAT THINK BIG BRANDS PRICES ARE TOO HIGH AND SOMEWHERE OUT THERE IS A BETTER DEAL.
CUSTOMERS GENERALLY HAVE A PERCEPTION THAT BEST OFFERS GREAT VALUE AND SERVICE... THIS MAKES IT A WHOLE LOT EASIER FOR THEM TO PULL THE TRIGGER AND FOR RETAILERS TO CLOSE THE DEAL!