Darwin retail experience

[DarwinStrings]

I went out yesterday to get a new mic, I was looking for one of those Behringer USB jobs. The guy in the shop was very helpful and sold me what I had asked for for $80 but when I got home it was not the right one, no USB just one for a desk (needed 30 odd V of phantom power). So I take it back. They seem to think they have the right one in stock but can't find it so they get on the phone to find that the next order for their suppliers arrive in about a month but they are all back ordered anyway so I can't get one till maybe two months after that. They offer my money back and I take it. Then I went to the only other shop that sells that sort of gear, they had what I needed but different brands at over $200 (one included Pro Tools software). They get on the phone and can get me the Behringer for $99 and a 6 week wait. I thanked the, again, very helpful guy and head home empty handed. 5 mins on Ebay $74 free post estimated 5 business days

Jim

[Dekka]

It should be spelled 're-tale'. You have to travel from store to store re-telling the same thing to retailers over and over again. Then they tell you again and again that the one you want is out of stock but they could sell you a more expensive one if you prefer. I'm starting to prefer shopping 'e-tail'.

[DarwinStrings]

Ha! spot on. It is a bit of a bugga up here, not much to choose from but I do like to try to support local business. We did have a third local music shop but he recently shut his doors for ever.

Jim

[Nick]

And they wonder why people shop over the internet these days. NZ government are currently toying with the idea of making everything purchased from the net attract GST (current level is $400), being driven by the retailers of course who see overseas internet sales as driving them out of business. Apart from the obvious nightmare of a decent collection methodology (how do you determine what was bought via the net or just somebody using their card whilst overseas?), what they fail to realize is that even if it does incur GST, most of the time goods still come in cheaper than if purchased locally.
I do feel for the retailers such as in your case Jim, because they are at the mercy of their suppliers and when they can get the goods through to the retailer. But I guess all retailers will eventually have to think outside the box in terms of how sales are generated and maybe just have a display shop where people can see the goods but then an online purchase system in order to keep their costs down. Of course you won't get the pleasure of walking out the shop and trying to squeeze your brand new 65" flatscreen into your Nissan Micra but with couriers delivery times now, you'd still have your purchase within days of purchase.

[nnickusa]

As a small retailer, I can tell you it is ridiculously difficult these days. What do you keep in stock, how many, what variety of price levels, etc, etc, etc.....lots to think about.

I try to buy as much as i possibly can locally. Yes, sometimes it's a couple bucks more, and yes it may not be the EXACT model/make/number I wanted, but it's keeping MY money in MY town/area. While my product(food) is less susceptible to the Internet, I know many local retailers, and the responses from them are universal. Too many people coming in wanting a price match, wanting free this and that. I admit to having done a bit of that too, but the reality is that your local retailer is trying to support his family.

Remember that it would probably suck if you needed a few sets of strings for a guitar or two that you promised for today, but you snapped a couple strings tuning up--it could happen--then you ran down to the local music shop that you wouldn't spend more in last time, and the doors were shut?

It IS a difficult scenario, and keep in mind that the authenticity of ANY internet purchase can be suspect. D'Addario strings has had a nightmare over the past few years, as one example. Lots of fakes flooding the market from China, and D'Addario is trying to maintain the reputation they have built over the years, so they are replacing bogus strings at no cost to the buyers( $3.00 off eBay, from China---OF COURSE THEY'RE REAL---)

Keep in mind, Nick, that the retailers in NZ are already paying the additional cost of doing business there. Why should someone overseas NOT pay for that same privilege?

I've been changing my habits recently. I bought a bunch of LED signs from Hong Kong, Cheap, looked the goods, worked fine for a few days. 6 that's SIX transformers blew and rendered the whole lot useless. The seller, very accommodating, suggested that if I returned them at my cost, they would be replaced at no charge. Turned out the postage form AU to HK was more than the bloody things cost to begin with. Guess where they ended up?

Honestly, before you trash the locals, think about what it costs YOU to be in business in your neighbourhood, and the difficulties you face, especially in a place like Darwin or the NSW far north coast, where everything costs you to get it to you.

Remember, too, as Nick mentioned, that a courier can get you your order in about the same amount of time, mostly, but your dollar does nothing to help your local community.....

Used to be, we were all a lot less demanding of instant gratification than we are now...

Sorry for the rant......

[DarwinStrings]

Trashing was certainly not my intention Nick. It is more a matter of how I make choices and what is more important to me. Luckily Darwin is tiny and you don't have to go far to get everywhere. Nevertheless I did spend about two and a half hours trying to buy something that I knew would be more expensive than Ebay especially cause if it don't work I can take it back in person and again to support a local. This is not the first time I have gone through the same routine and will not be the last I am sure but I do question myself, two and a half hours in the shed can get a bit done. Interestingly enough if I support the second shop I went to (second for the following reason) it is in the main shopping complex up here and that is a Lend Lease Company so by supporting that local I also hand a fair whack over for the large rents they charge. Oh god I have to pull myself up or I will keep raving. Anyway it was more just a statement about the way things simply are rather than a whine or trashing.

Jim

[nnickusa]

Sorry, Jim.

It's a bit of a sore subject around the Northern Rivers at the moment. We don't even have a city to help with getting things here. It's tough, and getting worse. Just keep the local guy in mind as you go thru life. That's all we can do, or we may lose our friends, neighbours and more.....

Best day to you, mate.

Cheers,
Nick

[DarwinStrings]

No worries Nick, happy to hear what you have to say.

Jim

[Kamusur]

Yes Nick we are inadvertently shooting ourselves in the feet and once they monopolise we'll be over a barrel with no turning back.

Steve

[Nick]

As I say Nick, I do feel sorry for the small retailers that are just barely making enough to put food on the table for their family and I'm more than willing to help these guys out with my $. Unfortunately here in NZ alot of the 'chain' retailers have had the attitude "where else you going to get it from?" For too long ( because that was the case of course, pre internet) and have basically charged what they like, bugger the fact that it didn't reflect a more realistic value of the goods. Not quite in the same vane but typical of the "we've got a captive market so lets make some money" attitude that pervades NZ, since the earthquakes here in Christchurch, the rental property market has been driven by greed, they use "supply and demand" as thier catch cry but they ask TOP rates for a shit hole that once, and still should be, have been at the lower end of the spectrum.

[Tod Gilding]

I Have to agree with Nick Oliver. also the small retailers that are doing it hard are being done over by large retailers not online sales, look at the way Bunny's has killed the small local hardware store and Nick, Brunswick Heads area is always going to do it hard when you can drive north 30 minutes and be on the Gold Coast with all the selection and variety that a consumer could want. Just trying to say it's not all the fault of online sales. But a shame anyway. I used to like the corner store.

[kiwigeo]

Ive just made my bookings to go back to work.

Airfare Adelaide to Darwin - $1090. I cant get a cheap arse fare because I often need to change bookings at the last minute. I could go Jetstar but dont fancy getting into Darwin at 3am in the morning and then taking off on the fixed wing to Truscott at 5.30 the same morning

A room at the Rydges Darwin Hotel...$330. The cheaper rooms all booked out so forced to book a two room suite.

Luckily all my travel costs are reimbursed by my client but it gives you some idea of how expensive places like Darwin are

[Kamusur]

Bloody hell Martin that's almost an 'arm and a leg', nearly enough to make a man enquire 'surely there must be some mistake?

Steve

[DarwinStrings]

The cheaper rooms all booked out so forced to book a two room suite.

Yep that's what you get in the dry season, everything is booked and the prices are up. You are competing with all the tourists that come here for constant sunshine, geography and fishing...not much else to see except a jumping crocodile or two.

Are you ever going to carry out that threat Martin and drop in for a coldy?

Jim

[Tod Gilding]

Ive just made my bookings to go back to work.

Airfare Adelaide to Darwin - $1090. I cant get a cheap arse fare because I often need to change bookings at the last minute. I could go Jetstar but dont fancy getting into Darwin at 3am in the morning and then taking off on the fixed wing to Truscott at 5.30 the same morning

A room at the Rydges Darwin Hotel...$330. The cheaper rooms all booked out so forced to book a two room suite.

Luckily all my travel costs are reimbursed by my client but it gives you some idea of how expensive places like Darwin are

Marty What's the airfare and accommodation prices like at the far end of your tone wood stash

[nnickusa]

Tod, I agree with you as well. the large retail chains have been responsible for the demise of MANY Mom and Pop shops, not just hardware(ie:Bunnings). They don't always win, tho. Remember Billy Hyde-Allans? They tried to get too big at the expense of all the little guys and ended up hanging themselves. The big discounters make thier mark by leveraging the wholesalers on price. For example, I buy soft drinks in the supermarket. Why? Because it costs me less than half what Coke charges me. When I told Coke I was no longer buying from them unless they could give me better pricing, they said, "When would you like us to pick up our fridge?"

The little guy has always gotten the squeeze.

When it's possible to buy stuff from China---shipped--for half what you can buy the same thing for in a shop here, because the Chinese government is subsidising the postage and manufacturing costs, the other guy gets the shaft. Simple. Case in point. the signs I mentioned. Cost me $15 each, posted, from Hong Kong. Cost for postage alone to return them. $18.00. Each.

The problem with on-line retailing is that the playing field isn't level. No brick and mortar shop-OK, warehousing, logistics, etc. BUT the real difference is in the fact that the on-line outlets often don't have the same costs imposed by the regulatory(for lack of a better word) authorities. GST? whats that? Duty, Customs charges? Not if we keep the order to a maximum cost.

I don't have the solutions, but I can tell you that most of the local retailers aren't doing too bloody well these past couple years, not only from on-line competition, but the economy sucks, no matter what the governments tell us. Simple. Sadly, when times get tough, the on-line guys become even more attractive from a cost perspective, once again diddling the local retailer.....

As mentioned above, what the hell are we going to do when retail, as well as manufacturing is contrilled from overseas? THAT is when the screws will get tightened. Don't worry. It's just a matter of when....

[Tod Gilding]

"As mentioned above, what the hell are we going to do when retail, as well as manufacturing is contrilled from overseas? THAT is when the screws will get tightened. Don't worry. It's just a matter of when...."

You Are 100% Correct, this will be a sad day indeed.

[ozziebluesman]

I was sad when Billy Hyde and Allans went under. Allans and Brash Suttons businesses where always shaky throughout their whole existence. Just some trivia on the side the Allans name has been bought by one of Australia's biggest musical wholesalers and Allans Music will appear in all it's glory again in the future.

I agree with what Nick stated that the online stores have it over the bricks and mortar stores with smaller overheads. Also the middle man in the music industry often here in Oz is bypassed and a big savings is passed on to the customer.

But hasn't post, freight charges risen out of control over the past twelve months! Ouch!

Cheers

Alan

[kiwigeo]

The cheaper rooms all booked out so forced to book a two room suite.

Yep that's what you get in the dry season, everything is booked and the prices are up. You are competing with all the tourists that come here for constant sunshine, geography and fishing...not much else to see except a jumping crocodile or two.

Are you ever going to carry out that threat Martin and drop in for a coldy?

Jim

Yeah Ill get around to it soon Jim. Ill be passing through coming off the job in early September....Ill make time for a catch up then.

[P Bill]

The licensed distributors and retailers have had us in a barrel for years and have treated us like mugs.
Case in point: Last week I made a new bridge for one of my early basses and changed strings. Bruce
bought some d'addario helicores that he paid $300 for. Last time I checked Bris retail for helicore the
price was $225- $265. I get them online for $126 from a respected source. I would gladly pay a reasonable
mark up but at $300, they're dreaming.

[kiwigeo]

Agreed were getting ripped of by some retailers but in many cases the store front retailers are getting smashed by online outlets. My local bike shop used to be a Bianchi dealer...Bianchi being at higher end in the bike market. The owner gets people coming in off the street to check out his bikes...and then they p*ss off and buy the bike online from an overseas outlet. So the poor old bike shop owner serves as a shop floor for the online outlet....hes paying rent for the shop, his time is taken away from repair work to deal with the online shoppers and in the case of the Bianchi bikes...he has to buy all the stock he holds on the floor. A top of the line Bianchi such as the one I ride wont leave you much change out of $10,000 and at one stage there were three of them in the shop.

[nnickusa]

Martin, you are so right. That's the real kick in the ass for the local guy. I've even had it suggested, when I start asking questions that the on-line/phone order guys don't know the answers to, to go and have a look at my local ________________(fill in the blank). See what you think then call us with the item number, and we'll ship it off to you.

As far as music stuff goes, many things I MUST buy on line around here. The closest music shop in Byron is 1/2 and hour away, and I really dislike the guy that owns it, so I stay out of it as much as possible.

Apart form that, HIS prices are a bit crazy at times, compared to Lismore, Ballina, Gold Coast outlets, which are less convenient, but I can usually tie in a trip with something for my wife and me to do together, which is nice. Even go to Brissie and tie in a visit to the daughter......

[Ormsby Guitars]

Seymour Duncan Aussie retail $189
Aussie wholesale $124
US retail $64 USD ($70 aussie)
A US stores offer to me if I buy 10+ at a time (59 model, unpotted, single conductor) $23 USD ($25 aussie). Any other model was around $35 USD

[liam_fnq]

I don't mind a little mark up to buy something locally but I'll be damned if I'll put up with the sort of rubbish Perry has just pointed out. It seems quite common.

The bigger issue for me is the rude and unhelpful "service" in most of the local shops. Half the time they tell me 'it's not in stock we'll have to order it' and quote a huge price and ridiculous lead time. Online offers better service, better range, better price and half the time better lead time. What's a man to do?

[needsmorecowbel]

Bloody Hell Perry I realised you could get them for $80 RRP in the states. Didnt realise you could get them that cheap in such a small bulk order (10 of each pickup). Any chance you coul PM me the details of your supplier?