Jump to content
Fly Tying
Sign in to follow this  
earthtech

Wholesale price?

Recommended Posts

it's all about customer service. I don't know what the issue is but it seems as if I get treated "poorly" in fly shops much more often than I do in any other kind of specialty shop. This weekend, I went to a guitar shop to possibly trade in one low-end guitar on another... From the time I walked in to the time I left, the staff were extremely helpful, attentive, knowledgeable, and worked to find me something which suited me---- and I am seriously talking about the lower end of their price range. It didn't seem to matter if I was looking for $2000 or $200 or $20.... ALMOST never get that in a fly shop.

 

AMEN J!!!

 

Customer service brings me back to shops that actually understand the concept!

 

Another case in point:

 

My wife was looking for a concealed carry pistol. We went to EVERY damn shop in our area and ONE shop stood out....they told my business partner and I to just "browse the shop" while my wife was treated as the ONLY customer there. After about 40 min or so (painful for us) she had found her choice...something I would not have chosen for her but it simply worked for her hands.

 

I could have purchased this with my military sales discount online but the fact that she was taken care of and without MY bias was well worth the price we paid. BTW they are the ONLY shop I will go to now. Funny how that worked out!

 

Soooo....I suppose I go back and forth on this issue.....being a small business owner (now retired from it) It is TOUGH to spend time with folks only to have them leave and purchase elsewhere.....it hurts both on the monetary sense but also on the relationship I was trying to build. It happens.

 

My philosophy with regards to the newly found hobby/passion of fly fishing/tying is that I spread my funds around as much as possible. Both online AND locally!

 

My wife, bless her heart, and I took a trip up to Denver on Easter Sunday. I was in search of some Turkey Quills for something I needed to tie for our class. We ended up at a "not so local to us" shop....45 min away. We were there 30 min prior to their opening time and relaxed for a bit. AS soon as we walked into the shop we were greeted by a young guy that I would hire in a heartbeat! He asked me what I was looking for and spent over an hour with us TEACHING me things I had not known. You know what???? Whenever I am up in Denver, I will make it a point to head to that shop SOLELY because this shop didn't push me into things I did not need/want.

 

Sometimes I think that in the age of the internet folks take an approach to saving a few dollars. I am guilty of that as well but I also have no issues spending some funds at a local shop that actually takes the time to help me.

 

Rant mode off....LOL

 

Mike :)

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

The MSRP is normally keystone at 3x wholesale; some can go as high as 5x; keystone is a simple multiplier used to quickly estimate a resell price. This is all factored into the Cost of Goods Sold and a reasonable profit margin. Competition can drastically cut into the profit margin - discounts - the primary reason why many small local fly shops close up. If you figure 4x COGS you can end up with approx 30% net, which is considered a reasonable and necessary net profit target. It is a real balancing act for any small business - like walking a tight rope.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

A word of caution about big box stores… Most do offer savings on selected high demand items - then really stick it to you on everything else… It’s been most noticeable at big box hardware and DIY places where you make a small purchase or two then stop by an old established local store and find out that you paid as much as 20-30 % more at the big box store…

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
On 4/10/2014 at 4:08 PM, JSzymczyk said:

Why not ask them?

OH Boy, I'm not sure if it's ever good to ask a store owner what they paid wholesale for anything.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

A quick note about pricing... When I was filling fly orders for shops they usually, simply doubled whatever I was charging per fly as their selling price.  If a pattern sold well I'd soon get a re-order - if it didn't I might not get an order again for that specific pattern... 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
Sign in to follow this  

×
×
  • Create New...