"gplama" <
[email protected]> wrote in message
news:
[email protected]...
>
> jcjordan Wrote:
>> With the price comparision its getting to the stage that the friend who
>> owns the shop is considering not even stocking tires anymore. you cant
>> blame him when you can get two tires from the UK (including postage) for
>> less then he can sell one here
>
> I've wondered the same thing for a while now. Do the distributors for
> Shimano, Continental, (etc), make their living from the OEM supply of
> components to local whole bike distributors? Could it be that the
> single component and tyre market is really that small? In my bike
> circles this isn't the case, everyone chews through tyres, chains,
> cassettes like kids through lollies!!
>
> Anyhow... on a related matter... I looovveee my Dura Ace SPD SL's
> (PD-7810)... best pedal I've used by far. I'm even planning on kitting
> out my TT bike and trainer bike with them... price comparisons:
>
> PBK: $169
> AU Prices: $240, $295, $299, $320..!!
>
> I'd wear an extra $20-30 locally, but those prices just don't compute.
> I'm really keen to understand the local industry more... are us racing
> types such a small market that we don't count? By the sounds of it
> importing is starting to hurt.
>
> Lama
>
>
> --
> gplama
It would be good to find out why the prices are so high here. The $169 you
can import pedals for is less than the Aus wholesale, without GST! It is
surelybiting into the viablity of stocking parts in my bike shop. Sad,
really. Shimano offers a small discount for bulk buys and full groupsets but
even with the discount I'd make a significant loss at $169.
I'd love to be able to stock a much bigger range but even at break-even
prices it is often a waste of time. We have to rely largely on the lower
priced stuff that people won't bother shopping around for. The upshot is
that the retailer is deprived of business, the shoppers are deprived of
browsing for choice and someone out there (distributors, imporers, who??) is
raking it in.
I've noted of late that it's not just my shop (which I've only had for a
year) has dropped the range in stock. It seems to be a common thing around
the traps. The start of the decline of your LBS...
Cheers,
Frank