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Kite shops not doing so well.

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SBBeachbum
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Postby SBBeachbum » Sun Jul 30, 2006 8:50 pm

gumball wrote:As you know, Best sells direct to the customer and direct to the retailer. We don't use distributors so that mark up is passed on a savings to the customer. The 400+ retailers around the world that sell Best are having their best year ever with the waroo, they can't keep them in stock and their only complaint is that they can't get enough Waroos even though we're making them as fast as we can. I think if you take a close look, it's mostly the shops that don't sell Best that are having problems because they can't compete with the waroo on price or performance and many distributors are selling direct, behind the retailer's backs, trying to move inventory at reduced prices. The manufacturer/distributor/retailer model works ok IF there isn't someone rocking the boat and customers don't have options, but they do and Best is pretty good at rocking the boat. This whole discussion is the opportunity we saw 2 1/2 years ago when we started Best, and we have to be close to right because we're now far and away the biggest manufacturer in the industry. For example, I know for a fact that Flexifoil made 2,500 kites in all of 2006, Best makes that many in 2 weeks...
Hey Gum, where are all those "passed on savings" when looking at the W-pro (sales price on your site is 1.7k $ for the 15m^2)? Why don't you publish your manufacturing costs for your "pro" model and show us our "savings"? That would really help this discussion and show the strength of your business model don't you think?

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Postby GraemeF » Sun Jul 30, 2006 9:13 pm

He does talk absolute bollox and my guess this whole thread is another Best manufactured talking point, but hey Flexi didn't lose their wad in just two years and have to go balling to Wall St for a $5million bale out.

I can't wait for this time next year when your investors want a return and all you can give them is another hard luck story.

There was an old adage in the windsurfing business you'd be well advised to take note of.

It ran.

Q.How to become a millionaire windsurfing company owner.

A. Start off as a billionaire.

Flexi will still be around long after you're history chum.
For all your bollox.

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Postby gumball » Sun Jul 30, 2006 9:20 pm

panchito wrote:Come on ....you can do it better man !!!!! you are comparing Best with a Uk local brand ???? this is a joke.....If you want to impress us why not mention North, Naish or Slingshot......
I have a pretty good estimation of North, Naish and Slingshot's sales, and Best sold more Waroos than those 3 companies combined. Add in the Yargas, Yarga Pros and Nemi Pros, and it was a landslide. The only company that sold close to what Best sold in 2006 was Cabrinha, but based on my info, Best sold about 5400 more Waroos than Cab sold crossbows - and remember, we only started selling the waroo in February, Cab started in August of 2005... Then you have to take into account the inventory that these companies didn't sell...

These 4 companies combined, in my estimation, have about 20,000 kites, some dating back to 2004, sitting in inventory that they can't sell. This is why distributors are selling direct at reduced prices and killing the schools and retailers that support brands other than Best. Meanwhile, Best is still trying to catch up with 2006 demand and we've presold thousands of kites for 2007 already. Our warehouses, both in Spain and Florida are completely bare - the day a shipment comes in, it's re-packaged and sent out the same day - we have no backstock at all and in fact we've just upped our next three months production to full capacity based on the pre-sales we have in hand for 2007.

Best couldn't be in a better position and all of the other used to be "top" brands are seriously distressed with debt issues and huge cash flow problems. Cabrinha may be the exception, but I think they're not as well off as they thought they would be because they based production numbers / demand forecasts on sales before the waroo hit the market, so I think they have a fair bit of leftover 2006 inventory that they can't turn into cash too.

The results of Best's and the Waroo's huge success this year will really start to be apparent next year, as it takes about a year and a half for a full cycle of kite turnover, that's why you still see so many 2005 kites on the water now. And with the 07 Waroo which is greatly improved upon an already amazing kite, and the waroo Pro just being hands down the best kite ever made, I almost feel bad for the other companies, but I don't - but I am psyched for our customers!

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Is that right?? Best production = 2,500 kites in 2 weeks

Postby Coloradokiter » Sun Jul 30, 2006 9:31 pm

So Gumball says that Best makes 2500 kites in 2 weeks. Well that equals 1250 kites a week which equals 178 kites a day and if they make kites 24 hours a day that equals 7.44 kites an hour which then equals 1 kite coming off the assembly line every 8 minutes......

Wow...I guess that's quality and return on the investment!!!!!!!!.

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Postby gumball » Sun Jul 30, 2006 9:38 pm

GraemeF wrote:I can't wait for this time next year when your investors want a return and all you can give them is another hard luck story.
Silly little man, you've been saying we'll be out of business "next year" for almost three years now. And, FYI, our investors, me being the largest, couldn't be happier. A company that needs cash to support exponential growth is an attractive company indeed.

How were your turbo desiel sales? lol...

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Postby GraemeF » Sun Jul 30, 2006 9:47 pm

Gumball you have no idea.

The bollox you spew here is just mind numbing.

Your US market view on an international forum is just juvenile.

Maybe you did what you claim to have done in the states.

But how about Italy? They dont even like bow kites there.

Germany? Hmm dont hear much, bet you dont even know what waroo means in German.

France? Nova country.

Holland? Belgium? Scaninavia?

How did you fair in Greece? Noo

Are you getting it yet?

Australia? New Zealand I know folk there who've never seen your stuff.

So when you come on here, in front of the whole world and tell blatant commercial lies, you let yourself down and everyone in your organisation

Must make you proud to ride Best

eh chaps?



:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Bet George Bush would ride Best.

Wonder if they're related.

Edit: My Turbo Diesel sales? Ha, we're sold out, have been since earlier this month and they sold even steven at the same level as Fuels.

Hows your search for a new factory?

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Postby bigwave » Mon Jul 31, 2006 2:03 am

Gumball,you must be just the money man for best cause you can't possibly be the brains of the operation.Your post's are so fucking stupid even you must have a hard time making this shit up.I'm glad in my area Cabrinha out sells you 10 to 1 ,cause I could'nt handle all the fucking leach noise if it was the other way around.If your product ever matches you marketing bullshit then you would the man.Till then ,just talk about Best Kites,maybe leave the shit about Naish ,Cabrinha and SS out of it.Cause when it comes down to it,you don't know shit about there stuff.

:roll:

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ScottM
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Postby ScottM » Mon Jul 31, 2006 2:58 am

Drugs...man they fry the brain!! :o

Anyway Gumball might be right about his Waroo beating other brands in price, but hell not in performance.

Out today watching a a mate out on his Waroo 16 and both times when he dropped it it was game over. Watching him fight for 3 minutes to relauch the thing till someone had to assist was pretty painful! Meanwhile it twisted and stretched, flipped, inverted and did everthing under the sun but relaunch!!

The 14 Contra hit the water and relaunched quicker than the 12 Switchblade! Maybe 4 seconds that's all! Now all this stuff that he paints about other brands is prety amazing! I mean when I talk to our non Best dealer, getting a kite is not easy, every shippment coming from China is spoken for well before it arrives and has to be preordered! Same with all these supposed thousands of unsold 04/05 kites?? They must exist in some warehouse no one knows about, except for Gumball! Funny how he knows so much about the other brands. Bet he calls Robby and Pete in the evenings to discuss how business is going! :roll:

One thing I do wonder is what is the going wages in the various factories? I remember reading on a windsurf forum that Neil Pryde was a model for the industry and its workers were very well paid and had many opportunities. For me if buying kites from a factory which is more "fair trade" then I'm in support for that.

Anyway Gumball is an example of America at it's worst!! Always bragging about being the biggest and best. Sure he may have good business sense and be a fairly decent kiter....admittedly enjoy watching his vids.....but he certainly isn't very modest! He should be a boxing promoter I reckon!!

Anyway Those new Flexifoils looked awesome to me, even if the 3 line configuration seems a bit strange.

So while many are happy with there Best kites and McDonalds, me I'm going to stick to finding a nice little place to eat with some quality food and decent wine while I walk the streets of Paris!! :thumb:

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Re: Is that right?? Best production = 2,500 kites in 2 weeks

Postby AlexBreaux » Mon Jul 31, 2006 5:08 am

Coloradokiter wrote:So Gumball says that Best makes 2500 kites in 2 weeks. Well that equals 1250 kites a week which equals 178 kites a day and if they make kites 24 hours a day that equals 7.44 kites an hour which then equals 1 kite coming off the assembly line every 8 minutes......

Wow...I guess that's quality and return on the investment!!!!!!!!.
Best gets their kites made by ALAM... ALAM has about 201 - 500 people working for them. soooo... If thats possible.. Ehhh... I dont know.

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Postby panchito » Mon Jul 31, 2006 7:27 am

gumball wrote:
.....and the waroo Pro just being hands down the best kite ever made, I almost feel bad for the other companies, but I don't - but I am psyched for our customers!
I keep saying that with out you guys this forum would be never soooo funny.

You mean after all other obsolete kites since your Hellfish ????

Just a little secret for you : North rebel is selling the 12 complete for €1.100.-

Many of the Spanish Best dealers sells the waroo complete for € 900.- ( almost € 100.- lower than the official retail price)

And as long as I know your PRO bow will cost € 400.- more than the Rebel.

Now.... 70% of the Best kites sold in Spain are warros , this means only 3 out of 10 kites Best sells are Yargas or Nemesis normal or pros , your pro´s series are counted with fingers .

Please correct me if I am wrong but Spain is by far Europe´s Best strongest sales point with 30 retailers comparing to Germany where you only have half the amount in a market 3 times bigger than Spain.

After working 12 years for an American company you guys keeps making the same error ..... you think the European market is equal to the US

You are WRONG. I´m right SQ ??

Come on..... make my day

Saludos


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