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  1. #16
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
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    Wollongong
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    88

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    Mick,
    Your wife will know exactly how arbitrary the discounts to retailers are from the publishers and distributors, when I knew about such things those discounts ranged from 10% to 40%. The Book Depository will get all of the discount thats available, and they no doubt get good postal rates from their volume as well. I try not to buy books from the US because of the shipping, but from the UK the costs are usually very good.

    Greg

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  3. #17
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    Jun 2005
    Location
    Helensburgh
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    7,696

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    I suspect that Amazon have just launched a systems trial without calling it that so they can work out the kinks they might find.
    CHRIS

  4. #18
    Join Date
    Dec 2012
    Location
    Australia
    Posts
    684

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    Will take a while to get a large stock list and pricing adjusted. I just put another order through Amazon (USA site) For rolls of sandpaper for my drum sander and bessey pipe clamps as even with shipping and poor AUD to USD it's still cheaper.

  5. #19
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    Wollongong
    Posts
    88

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    There is undoubtedly an element of truth to Amazon needing to get their systems straightened out before handling huge volume, they are after all as much a logistics company as anything else and warehousing and dispatch is a complex business, but there is no reason to think that they will ever be as cheap as the US, they only need to be cheaper than the local retailers. Will Amazon damage local retailers? Yes, but DJs and Myers were already doomed by Westfield and took a long time to notice. A mall aggregates manufacturers in the same way that the department stores do, but instead of making money off sales, Westfield make money of rent. A DJs store inside a mall is competing with the rest of the mall, which is bigger and more diffuse and potentially more interesting. What something like DJs or any of the other large retailer can do is optimise their buy price in ways that small stores cannot - hence the death years ago of independent electrical goods stores - but the cost of supporting a large range of SKUs keeps the department stores' overheads up because of their handling and floorspace costs. What does this mean for Carbatec and the other woodworking retailers? The low-end, substitutable products will probably be sold by Amazon for less than current retail (if they notice at all that woodworking tools is a potential market) and that will eat into Bunnings revenue too, but I think not very much. If I suddenly want a plastic storage box, a steel rule, or a specific ring spanner on a Saturday I am likely to go to Bunnings and just buy it, if I want something more exotic (scrapers, feeding my endless quest for nice morticing chisels, clamps, books) then I'll look at Carbatec, Lee Valley and whoever else I find. Amazon will probably get added to that list and take some of that business in the way that Masters did with their cheap Bessey kbody clamps. To the extent that Carbatec can provide some special value (think Tools for Working Wood and their Ray Iles chisels or the small independent bookshops that run book signings and launches, have special mailing lists and well curated selections) they will be fine, to the extent that they compete with Amazon selling clamps and scrapers, they will have a problem.

  6. #20
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    Canberra
    Posts
    5,124

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    I particularly like one quote by Warren Buffett - "delight your customers".

    There are quite a few companies listed here that definitely don't delight.

  7. #21
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
    Location
    Melbourne, Australia.
    Posts
    1,268

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    Quote Originally Posted by woodPixel View Post
    I particularly like one quote by Warren Buffett - "delight your customers".

    There are quite a few companies listed here that definitely don't delight.
    Well, guess who was delighted today?

    Returned home to find the Miele vacuum bags had been delivered from the northern hemisphere. This is approximately one day longer than postal delivery from any capital city, except Melbourne, great and unexpected service.

    Mick.

  8. #22
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    Nov 2011
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    Melbourne
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    6,973

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    Quote Originally Posted by Optimark View Post
    Well, guess who was delighted today?

    Returned home to find the Miele vacuum bags had been delivered from the northern hemisphere. This is approximately one day longer than postal delivery from any capital city, except Melbourne, great and unexpected service.

    Mick.
    Well that pretty much sucks Mick[emoji12]

  9. #23
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Location
    Sydney Upper North Shore
    Posts
    4,464

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    Christmas present for SWMBO?

  10. #24
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Location
    Helensburgh
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    I was told today by my daughter that Amazon are not allowing any more retailers to join at the moment which did not make her day so I guess what you see is what you get. I ordered a book a few days ago and got an email to say that the retailer had not despatched it and basically asking me to get in touch with them as Amazon would not charge my CC until they knew it was sent. Amazon must have CC'd the email to the retailer as I received an email not long after advising of it's despatch.
    CHRIS

  11. #25
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
    Location
    Kew, Vic
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    1,064

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    I had a look around the Amazon Aus site the day it went live. I’d been thinking about a few sets of the Stanley 26 piece tool sets for our Men’s Shed. Not great quality but then it’s six sets and my money.

    Amazon Aus price $99 per set. Bunnings price EXACTLY the same set $49 per set.

    Hmmm.........

    Brian

  12. #26
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    Brisbane
    Posts
    1,766

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    The internet does not alway equate to a cheaper price it seems. Oh what a surprise!

    Just a couple of days ago I saw listed an iPad Mini4 for over $1800. Good if you can get it.

    I'll say it again. Supporting local businesses will increase choice in the marketplace. Once all the Mum and Dad businesses have been wiped out by the likes of Bunnings, Amazon, Ali baba, et al, then prices will rise and choice will be reduced.

    You can choose as to whether or not a local small business survives, or not. Saving 5%, even 10% is maybe not the best choice you can make in life.
    There ain't no devil, it's just god when he's drunk!!

    Tom Waits

  13. #27
    Join Date
    Sep 2013
    Location
    Jarrahdale WA
    Posts
    370

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    Quote Originally Posted by Enfield Guy View Post
    The internet does not alway equate to a cheaper price it seems. Oh what a surprise!

    Just a couple of days ago I saw listed an iPad Mini4 for over $1800. Good if you can get it.

    I'll say it again. Supporting local businesses will increase choice in the marketplace. Once all the Mum and Dad businesses have been wiped out by the likes of Bunnings, Amazon, Ali baba, et al, then prices will rise and choice will be reduced.

    You can choose as to whether or not a local small business survives, or not. Saving 5%, even 10% is maybe not the best choice you can make in life.

    Agreed - and times 10

    BUT some of these retailers do not deserve our support. Let's leave price out of the equation completely. I find lots of retailers (staff?) have a dodgy attitude, and sometimes cannot be bothered. And their shortsightedness is breathtaking. So what if to day I only want a couple of bolts, what could I be in the market for tomorrow? I help friends out occasionally with their woodwork tool shop. I make a point of giving everyone, regardless of their needs, as much time and assistance as they need. As I say, who knows what's around the corner... Engage with your customer, be truly interested in what they want or need to do and give the best help you can...There have been countless times where a fellow comes in for something small and then a few days later comes in and spends a few hundred on something he saw in the shop. Because you showed you care!

    I get that some retailers are feeling the pinch and therefore resent the Internet Stores. Therefore you must be better at what your customers cannot get online personal interaction.

    Therefore, given the options of -
    A) grudgingly bad service where the staff cannot be bothered, make you feel you are interrupting their day, AND I have to travel to them AND (generally) pay a bit more.
    OR
    B) Sit on the PC at home whenever I have time, usually get it a bit cheaper and it comes to me, and generally pretty quickly. Most online stores have a working returns policy too nowadays.

    I'll take option B every time!

  14. #28
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Location
    Helensburgh
    Posts
    7,696

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    As David said, price is not everything. People buy from the company that responds faster to their inquiry, they have no tolerance for companies who do not respond quickly to their inquiry or are slow to dispatch what they have paid money for. If someone contacted me then I figured that they wanted to have a chat not sit around for a week and wonder if I had got the message and this approach seem to work. Companies have yet to work out that they need dedicated staff to monitor their sales inquiries received via web sites and email and responding within the shortest time possible increases their chances of selling to that customer. I have always thought that there was a good business opportunity there, act as the respondent to web inquiries for multiple small businesses who cannot afford an employee to do that. With computer access into the companies it would not be a bad gig.
    CHRIS

  15. #29
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
    Location
    Little River
    Age
    77
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    1,205

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    That would be a Call Centre and you know how people love them once thay go offshore.

  16. #30
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Leopold, Victoria
    Age
    65
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    4,677

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    I have had the good fortune of dealing with two of the smaller boutique hand tool companies recently and the service was first class. Their communication was fantastic, getting one reply at 11:00pm the night I sent the enquiry. The items I purchased were sent within a day of order and the quality of the items was as expected.
    I would much rather support these companies than a multinational who is going to drive bricks & mortar companies to the wall like rrich said has happened in the US.

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