tonewood prices. . .

[Dominic]

I have only one question for the likes of Gerry Harvey........what am I getting for the extra I pay buying goods from your flipping stores???? The spotty faced sales people don't know a thing about the products they're selling, they treat you like a leper when you have to claim on the warranty and in general service is average at best.

This is all a long overdue wake up call for Australia's retail industry.....START SUPPLYING SOME SERVICE!!!!!!

Hey Martin, Mr Norman supplies a useful public service if you think about. Once you have researched your product online and find the TV or dodad you are looking for, go into a HN store and twiddle the knobs and kick the tyres etc. After all the tyre kicking and knob twiddling you can put your feet up and chill out in the sofa section or take a quick kip in the bed section before you nip of home all rested up and order it for 50% cheaper online. And its a free service. Three cheers for Mr Norman
Dom

[John Maddison]

Mr Harvey isn't actually in the business of selling white goods, TVs, computers, cameras, beds & furniture. He's way too smart for that. Gerry Harvey is in the Real Estate business. Fact!

He supplies the bricks & mortar (plus junk mail catalogues, tv/radio advertising, and government lobbyists) in return for MEGABUCKS from all the franchisees who inhabit his buildings.

[liam_fnq]

Mr Harvey's latest is to claim that if too many people shop off shore that it will effect the job market at home. He's probably not wrong but its a bit rich (pun intended) coming from Ol' moneybags. Of course Harvey thinks he is doing the community a service by employing many thousand of Australians. Then you realise that he makes a profit off every single one of them.

[Dominic]

Mr Harvey's latest is to claim that if too many people shop off shore that it will effect the job market at home. He's probably not wrong but its a bit rich (pun intended) coming from Ol' moneybags. Of course Harvey thinks he is doing the community a service by employing many thousand of Australians. Then you realise that he makes a profit off every single one of them.

Liam, Mr Harvey's claim is dead wrong. The money people save by not being ripped off by him and his other megarich mates won't disappear. It will mean consumers have freed up some money that can be used to purchase other goods and services, maybe one of your guitars. Or if consumers decide to save the extra money or pay off more debt it will lower the cost of funds that banks can then lend for housing or to sound businesses to invest creating better jobs. Money is like any other any other good, the greater the supply the lower the price.

And the fact is the mining boom is here to stay for the medium term (given we don't experience a China meltdown or other unforeseen global shock) and the RBA has been raising the cash rate because there is too much demand, too many jobs being created and a shortage of labour. Retail is the least productive sector in the economy and accounts for the largest share which means in terms of economic growth and growth in GDP per capita it is holding Australia back relative to the US. A smaller retail sector or faster growth in mining and construction where productivity is much higher will be good for the economy, increasing jobs in sectors that pay higher wages and increasing the revenues of state and federal governments which means they have more to spend on important services like health and education and infrastructure.

So don't swallow Mr Norman's or Mr Lew's BS. It is not in your interests to support the local retail industry no matter what. Good retailers will never disappear but some decent competition will be good for consumers, good for jobs and good for the economy. It just won't be good for Norman and Lew et al.

Cheers
Dom

[liam_fnq]

Thanks Dom. Its always handy to have someone around who knows a bit about something that I don't. To have retail giants try to make me feel bad for being a little thrifty with my expensive hobby, the tools and materials for which are largely unavailable in this country, makes me vomit a little into the back of my mouth.

I do try to avoid taking advice from someone who has a vested interest in the advice he/she's dealing out. You don't go into a pie shop and ask whether their pies taste any good..........

[DarwinStrings]

Thanks for throwing a bit of light on that Dom.

Jim