frank theriault wrote:
On 4/25/05, Tom C <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:I have kept quiet so far, but your statement above about volume discounts to the larger stores brings up a couple of discussions I have had with my local photo store owner.
Beating a horse....
The notion that I should make a purchase at a camera shop because I walked in and looked around, and may have engaged the salesman for a few moments, is akin to the notion that I should make a gasoline purchase at a service station for the privilege of using the restroom.
The fact is, I often make a purchase at service stations *without* using the restroom. So why should I not be allowed to use the restroom without making a purchase?
I suspect the same applies to small retail camera shops. They are actually
banking on and hoping that their customer who paid top dollar, DOES NOT come
back in for service and help. They are hoping he walks in only to make an
additional purchase.
That's a rather cynical attitude, Tom. Do you not allow that there are some retailers out there who may actually be in if for more than just money? Perhaps some are actually camera buffs. Perhaps some feel that providing good service (both repairs and free after-sales advice) is good for future sales and the industry as a whole.
Let's not forget that one of the big problems that these poor schmucks (the mom and pop stores) have, and one of the reasons that the big boyz can undercut them, is that the manufacturers themselves will give the b.bz. huge volume discounts. Let's face it, it's cheaper to ship hundreds or thousands of units a month to some huge operation than maybe 5 or 10 units to Billybob's Cameras on Main Street. Not just cheaper to ship, but economies of scale being what they are, it's a hell of a lot cheaper to make each unit if they're made in the thousands rather than the hundreds. It's worth it for the manufacturers to support the big guy with such incentives.
Anyway, again, this could go on and on, so I'll end my commie rant right about here. One parting shot, however: If I owned a gas station, you wouldn't get the washroom key, no matter how much gas you bought! <LOL>
cheers,
frank
He has been told time and again from a major camera manufacturer - who shall remain nameless - that the price he is charged for a camera body is the same that they charge the large stores i.e. B&H, Ritz, ...
He even showed me the invoices, and we cannot understand how such large companies can sell all those cameras for a lot less than what the local shop is charged. And, I am not talking about a $50 difference.
Believing there are pricing differences,
C�sar Panama City, Florida
