The Stihl thing from another viewpoint

[landrover 101]

This thing that has come around with stihl needs looking at from a different view

 

Many years ago (10) I was looking to set up selling camping gear online when approaching manufacturers with hello I would like to open an account please I was from over half of them refused as my only sales channel at the time would have been online

 

Now I have accounts with most of them as I sell through shows on a weekend and also do a little online and have a small retail area should I ever need it but it is in the main just piled up with stock as I don't advertise the retail side of things so don't need a display or any staff

 

A large portion of camping gear manufacturers have now stopped selling to the likes of Go outdoors, Halfords, B&Q etc preferring to concentrate on selling less volume at a better margin to the many smaller sellers rather than high volume at low margins to volume Internet merchants as every one grumbles to there reps when someone like Go outdoors buys at a better price and greater volume and smaller sellers can't even buy for the other places selling price

 

That means any one wanting to start in the business can't sell much doesn't grow there business very quickly and can't get good enough prices to be competitive

 

Many also got stung at the start of the recession with accounts going bust on them so from that view it is better to have 10 people each owing you 10 grand as if 1 or 2 go bust you only get stung for 10 or 20 grand than a couple of big accounts with 100K worth of stock out on account as if one of them goes belly up it hurts a lot more

 

The fact that only Jonesies and Honeys have been on here communicating this change of policy makes me think that Stihl don't really want there business and would rather have lots of small dealers who with the new discount structure can give 25 to 30% to pro customers if the wish and will probably be encouraged to do so whilst maintaining a margin and giving discount off rrp at the same time

 

I would think that smaller dealers with a better discount will start carrying better stock on parts and Stihl will probably be happy for a local dealer to serve local customers by post but will have a problem with it if they start posting out country wide and growing into the impersonal large Internet retailers they don't want

 

 

Just my view from a different perspective but 3 weeks ago I wouldn't have got anything competitive price wise locally then last week an off chance phone call to price up a TS800 saw them spank both honey brothers and Jonesie on price with out even been asked due to he new stihl pricing changes

 

 

Any way got logs to cut, racking to unload and assemble and ridge tiles to cement on so will leave it there

 

 

Dave

[Stubby]

Interesting angle Dave .

[felixthelogchopper]

If I were getting somebody in to do a job, I would get a few quotes which would most likely range in price and possibly quality of service. It would be up to me to decide who I wanted to buy that service from, and nobody else. If I wanted to buy that service from somebody who wasn't my nearest service provider, whose business is it but my own? In Stihl's world, they expect to dictate to me who I deal with by placing so many obstacles in the way of my choice that I have no option but to deal with a local option. Well, Stihl can stick it where the Sun doesn't shine.

[landrover 101]

I guess there back track without backtracking would be to say all saws etc hand over only dealers order parts for fitting only at massive discount and all other parts sales direct from there own warehouse to end user at 25% discount for trade users and rrp for joe bloggs with a home firewood saw doing similar to Khyam with there quick erect tents and awnings where they now sell direct

 

 

 

Dave

 

 

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[Sciadopitys]

If I were getting somebody in to do a job, I would get a few quotes which would most likely range in price and possibly quality of service. It would be up to me to decide who I wanted to buy that service from, and nobody else. If I wanted to buy that service from somebody who wasn't my nearest service provider, whose business is it but my own? In Stihl's world, they expect to dictate to me who I deal with by placing so many obstacles in the way of my choice that I have no option but to deal with a local option. Well, Stihl can stick it where the Sun doesn't shine.

 

:thumbup:

[landrover 101]

I don't think they will dictate from a low volume mail order from a choice of nearest local dealers it is the country wide pile it high sell it cheap that ultimately will damage there business more than the few customers they loose due to this change aimed at web volume sellers

 

 

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[felixthelogchopper]

I don't think they will dictate from a low volume mail order from a choice of nearest local dealers it is the country wide pile it high sell it cheap that ultimately will damage there business more than the few customers they loose due to this change aimed at web volume sellers

 

 

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So you are saying that they will discriminate against high volume on-line retailers in favour of price-fixing with smaller retailers? Or in other words, a cartel? Interesting policy if that is so.

[Steve Bullman]

Crikey, anyone would think it was the end of the world or something!

[landrover 101]

I guess from the outside that is how it looks and my understanding of what I have read but they will no doubt have had expensive lawyers look at the is it a cartel side of things

 

Ultimately you still have of choice if you are in an area served by a few local dealers I have around 10 within half an hours drive and they will all be competing against each other but on a level playing field so customer service is as important as price because regardless of price one dealer I don't like going into because the staff are all brain dead the next nearest makes you feel welcome and that your business is valuable no matter what it is for

 

 

 

 

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[landrover 101]

Crikey, anyone would think it was the end of the world or something!

 

Just more entertaining than assembling racking and stacking boxes if awnings and gas

 

 

 

 

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