Hoppo3228 said..
begin rant/

The whole online thing has really affected what I work in as a rep - the Bicycle trade - to such an extent that i've had over 30 shops on my run in Vic close in the last 24 months.

Unfortunately when you can buy (for eg.) Shimano product from an online retailer in the UK , shipped, for less than the store in Oz pays for it wholesale - in the end what hope does the local bike shop have...and this is before Amazon comes in...

We also have a real greed problem here in Oz, everybody wants to earn $80+ an hour, but pay 20c in the dollar for things - you can't have it both ways and expect things to work out, especially for our future. This country is on the fast track to being a complete **** hole.

I'll tell a few quick stories from my experience working in retail...

I used to work in a bike shop that sold Pinarello's. We had a bike on special for $8k down from $10k as we needed to move it on. In comes a cashed up tradie, offers me $5k for the bike...I say no... he says "my daughter works in fashion retail, I know you guys are making over 100% margin on this bike" etc... I said to him he's dreaming and I even pulled out the wholesalers invoice for this bike to show him. Firstly he didn't believe me, until I showed him the bikes serial # on the invoice matching the frame... The bike cost us $7300+ gst, freight and building it. So in effect we were losing money on it- forgetting the fact we offered a free proper bike fit and 12 months free servicing. He said to me, " how do you blokes make any money?" I said " not with pricks like you walking in (with a wink) ". I then asked him what he did - he's a plumber... I then asked what's his callout fee ( without blinking he said $240 plus $150 and hour...). I said do you discount that? He said deadpan 'no'
Then this same guy then says he's picking up his bike that we serviced. Standard service is $80 + parts. We then explained to him that as his bike was extremely filthy we had to spend 45mins cleaning it before we could service it and it added $40 to the cost of the service. He went mental saying there's no way cleaning a bike should cost $40. I said "so is your time worth more than ours?..."

Another guy came in, wanted a pair of Sidi shoes, The ones he wanted didn't fit his foot shape so I spent an hour selling him the right ones, Then when I ask would he like me to put them through, he asks if I can put the details on a card. I roll my eyes to myself, and do it. Then the following morning I get an email from him saying my service was the best he has ever experienced, and if we match the price online from the UK he'll buy them from me. We were already offering them for $100 off RRP, which was within $20 of the online price (on a $450 shoe). At the bottom of his email his job description was very high up the food chain at BHP Billiton, at least on $300k P.A., and he was complaining over $20! give me a break.

Another customer came into the store, and wanted a bottle cage, but said it's this price online and can we match it. I replied with, 'do you have kids?', he replies 'what does that have to do with anything', I reply 'everything'. ok, how old are they... 12 and 14... do they ride bikes?... yes and my older son wants to be a bike mechanic...I say if you keep buying all of your stuff online the only job he'll be getting is working at Macca's along with the other 500 kids at his school applying for the 5 jobs offered... He replies, 'i've never really thought about it that way" Bought the cage and off he went.

Lastly, Another guy came in wanting something, I can't remember... but he wanted a discount - I said when you take your mrs out for dinner, on a nice date, do you ask the restaurant for a discount or when you go shopping at coles? he says, oh but that's different, I say 'how is it any different?"

I just cannot believe just how ignorant the majority of shoppers/people are to what is going on around them.

I could go on about this forever.

end rant/

SunnyBouy said..
So the guy gets the Board at a discount and has only had to wait say 3-4months before the discounts start filtering through... I find that very odd.