I wanted a dark visor for my Shark helmet

**Tigadee** · 12th May 2012, 20:39

I'm all for local bike shops and them getting business, but in view of what's available out there, they really should try to be a bit more competitive. I'm happy to pay a few more dollars, but when it's 40% or more and it's something I know I want and from somewhere reliable offshore, where do you think I'd give my business to? Is it that hard to maintain competitive prices and get by on slimmer margins and possibly higher volumes in return as a result?

If I could print out the ebay price of a helmet and then went to the local bike shop and they had the same helmet in stock, I'd give them my business if they adjusted their price to match or something reasonable like 10-20% above the ebay price, because of the time saved for waiting for the helmet to arrive, avoiding shipping delays/damage, potential disputes, etc.

Now I've seen situations in some markets where the distributor or supplier is the one fixing prices and telling retailers that they cannot have price wars, but if that's the case, then the suppliers are just being ignorant in the face of parallel importing.

**Kickaha** · 12th May 2012, 20:44

Originally Posted by Damantis

I suspect retail profit margins are high here for for lots of reasons, but sugesting greed isn't one of those reasons is more than a little naieve.

Maybe you could go into business for yourself undercutting all those greedy shops with their high retail profit margins then

**Woodman** · 12th May 2012, 21:08

Originally Posted by Damantis

I suspect retail profit margins are high here for for lots of reasons, but sugesting greed isn't one of those reasons is more than a little naieve.

Profit margins are high are they? or do you mean markups are high? never mind.

The place in Texas where this part came from is probarbly a warehouse with no retail shop in a low rent industrial area that leverages off bulk purchases and most of their staff are probarbly only pickers and packers.

keep it up an soon you will be buying bikes online too.

**Fast Eddie** · 12th May 2012, 23:03

Originally Posted by Kickaha

Maybe you could go into business for yourself undercutting all those greedy shops with their high retail profit margins then

lol I recon eh, I bet the shops make fuck all even at their prices. They have a lot to pay for, shop rent, running costs, business expenses staff and all that jazz..

Mr.Ebay doesnt have to pay for anything at all, free listing and advertisement online, buyer pays for shipping of the product etc.

**Fast Eddie** · 12th May 2012, 23:04

Originally Posted by Woodman

keep it up an soon you will be buying bikes online too.

I have bought everyone of my bikes online..

get with the times

**Woodman** · 12th May 2012, 23:41

Originally Posted by Fast Eddie

I have bought everyone of my bikes online..

get with the times

Yea sorta really kinda didn't think that through very well aye, but I meant from overseas.

This subject has been done to death.

**Damantis** · 13th May 2012, 10:45

Originally Posted by Fast Eddie

lol I recon eh, I bet the shops make fuck all even at their prices. They have a lot to pay for, shop rent, running costs, business expenses staff and all that jazz..

Mr.Ebay doesnt have to pay for anything at all, free listing and advertisement online, buyer pays for shipping of the product etc.

Maybe the business model of a bike shop that sells all these accesories, with a shop floor and staff and rent etc is actually becoming a bit outmoded? From a profitability standpoint, surely it makes more sense to have a workshop in a low rent, industrial area with a small watrehouse attached that operates mainly as an online business. Sure, it's nice to walk into a big shop and physically walk around, browsing through 200 lines of items that most of which, you'll never purchase, before matbe buying something ( more on conveinience than price), but you are actually paying for that experience, sometimes through the nose. I sometimes wonder who subsidises who. The parts and accessories department or the bike sales department or the workshop? If they were all separated, at least we'd know what we are paying for. The bottom line of bike shops is a combination of those three departments but I wonder if separating them would make them any cheaper or make the price any more transparent?

**Ronin** · 13th May 2012, 12:13

Originally Posted by Damantis

It's coming from a shop in Texas. I'm sure they have rent / wages /costs and profits to think about before they sell the item for less than half the price here.

I suspect retail profit margins are high here for for lots of reasons, but sugesting greed isn't one of those reasons is more than a little naieve.

Do you own/run a business?

**Damantis** · 13th May 2012, 18:02

Originally Posted by Ronin

Do you own/run a business?

Anything to contribute?

**Ronin** · 13th May 2012, 19:55

Originally Posted by Damantis

Anything to contribute?

Then when you do perhaps you are qualified to pass judgement on those who do. Because I guarantee, they are not making excessive profits.

**Damantis** · 14th May 2012, 08:17

Originally Posted by Ronin

Then when you do perhaps you are qualified to pass judgement on those who do. Because I guarantee, they are not making excessive profits.

An observation. Not a judgement. The gist of what I'm saying is perhaps the business model is outdated in the face of those elsewhere who can provide goods for less. Maybe less free trade and more protectionist policy is the answer?

Do feel free to attack or discredit / invalidate / correct / provide an alternative perpective to my observations and opinions rather than assuming that because I don't own or run a business, that is what would give them any credibility. Can I not make valid comments about crime unless I'm a policeman? Can I not make political commentary unless I'm a politician? Can I not talk abouy religion unless I'm religious?

Attack the argument, not the person.

**KX500** · 14th May 2012, 09:23

Just buy overseas online - why don't most NZ bike shop owners show some honesty and wear balaclava's to serve you ?

**R-Soul** · 14th May 2012, 16:15

Originally Posted by nzspokes

How do you think the distributer gets it to nz?

In buk, so that teh shipping is actually only $30...

**R-Soul** · 14th May 2012, 16:21

Originally Posted by 5150

FYI, you might not be comparing apples with apples here. And it is something I just got stung recently with purchasing a tinted Shark visor for my RSX Shark.

Cycletreads wanted $159 for genuine Shark RSX tinted visor. I thought, yeah right and ordered one off Ebay for $49 plus freight. In total it worked out to be around $105NZ landed. Problem started when I got the package and it turned out it was a cheap plastic visor made in China. It didn't even come with silver mounting rings which I had to order separately for extra $20. Worse part was that the holes did not line up perfectly and the visor didn't close properly and didn't seal. The absolute bottom pits was when after 4 weeks of riding the visor started to turn milky fogy colour. It turned out thet the material was not UV resistant and the sun was pretty much eating away at the visor.

In the end I bit the bullet and bought another genuine Shark visor locally. What a difference, is all I can say. It has also been anti fog coated and fits and performs faultlesly. So my point is that buying something cheaper overseas does not always works out in your favour. And worse of all, you have no comeback if it turns tits up

Sure that makes sense, but when you can order the exact same thing - A real branded Sharks product- from the US distributor for a third of the price (already including taxes, shipping and a swodge of cash for the distributer...) then something stinks...