carusoswi
TPF Noob!
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- Jul 15, 2007
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The Mrs. and I were having a conversation generic to this thread this morning as we traveled back from Cherry Valley, NY. Along the road we passed a sign for one of those large "buy whatever you need for your home from us and eliminate the middle man" type of stores. I think someone earlier hit the point I would make . . . it's less a matter of the local mom/pop price matching (they cannot and stay in business), as it is a decision by the manufacturer that the service mom/pop can offer is not of sufficient value to support mom/pop by controlling the number of distribution channels so that mom/pop do not get submerged by alternate routes to market.
The business in question is an aggressive marketer in the "buy direct" category who, according to their advertising, has such purchasing power that the manufacturers (of a vast array of home/home construction materials/furnishings) are willing to sell to them at next to manufacturing cost.
Obviously, few businesses can be this important to so many vendors. The ploy is nothing more than an alternate route to market by any manufacturer who agrees to sell the subject firm.
Customers who get sucked in by the slick TV advertising will be presented in short order with evidence of how they saved $x.00 off of mfr suggested pricing, but, deprived of information they need to compare the actual bottom line installed price.
With photo equipment, the comparison exercise is much more basic and stark. The mail order houses are contrasted to local stores under the burden of local overhead, local taxes, limited market reach, high labor costs and limited access to qualified labor.
The equipment you buy is essentially the same, no matter where you purchase. If you are knowledgeable, local support becomes a non-issue.
Reality does not favor local photo shops.
Caruso
The business in question is an aggressive marketer in the "buy direct" category who, according to their advertising, has such purchasing power that the manufacturers (of a vast array of home/home construction materials/furnishings) are willing to sell to them at next to manufacturing cost.
Obviously, few businesses can be this important to so many vendors. The ploy is nothing more than an alternate route to market by any manufacturer who agrees to sell the subject firm.
Customers who get sucked in by the slick TV advertising will be presented in short order with evidence of how they saved $x.00 off of mfr suggested pricing, but, deprived of information they need to compare the actual bottom line installed price.
With photo equipment, the comparison exercise is much more basic and stark. The mail order houses are contrasted to local stores under the burden of local overhead, local taxes, limited market reach, high labor costs and limited access to qualified labor.
The equipment you buy is essentially the same, no matter where you purchase. If you are knowledgeable, local support becomes a non-issue.
Reality does not favor local photo shops.
Caruso