Question:
Titleist doesn’t allow online merchants to print the price on the website for their balls. You have to wait until it’s in your basket. Several other ball companies do this as well. Personally, I think it’s stupid. Reiver
How do you view this form of merchandising? I take it as an inconvenience to a potential customer. Is it because of – supply, and demand regulating the selling price, or is it to keep the competition – in the dark. Regardless – I haven’t found an item yet that – caused me to call. This method must be effective to some extent – it is still being used. Just curious. v fe
Response:
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – How do you view this form of merchandising? I take it as an inconvenience to a potential customer. I don’t know why they do it, but I would suspect fluctuating prices. Regardless, it’s a complete put-off for me. I figure if they can’t publish their best price, they just want an opportunity to pitch me. That means that they don’t understand that net-shopping is practically synonymous with price-shopping. If that’s the case, I figure they’re trying to compete on some factor I don’t care about.
The above messages are correct. I owned a retail store in a different sporting goods industry and the manufacturers always had us sign a "minimum advertised price" agreement in the pre-season if we wanted any kind of volume discount. The industry I was in allowed discounts up to 30% below wholesale for the big dealers. If I’d been allowed to advertise the best price I could give it simply would have killed off all the smaller dealers. Not good for the industry as a whole. Call for price is to your advantage, not meant to screw you. With the Internet it is incredibly easy to get dozens of outlets competing for your business. Call around until you find a company that not only offers you a great price, but also makes an effort to determine your actuall needs (not always the same place). —-== Posted via Newsfeed.Com – Unlimited-Uncensored-Secure Usenet News==—- http://www.newsfeed.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 100,000 Newsgroups —= 19 East/West-Coast Specialized Servers – Total Privacy via Encryption =—
Response:
How do you view this form of merchandising? I take it as an inconvenience to a potential customer. I don’t know why they do it, but I would suspect fluctuating prices. Regardless, it’s a complete put-off for me. I figure if they can’t publish their best price, they just want an opportunity to pitch me. That means that they don’t understand that net-shopping is practically synonymous with price-shopping. If that’s the case, I figure they’re trying to compete on some factor I don’t care about.
Response:
How do you view this form of merchandising? I take it as an inconvenience to a potential customer. I don’t know why they do it, but I would suspect fluctuating prices. Regardless, it’s a complete put-off for me. I figure if they can’t publish their best price, they just want an opportunity to pitch me. That means that they don’t understand that net-shopping is practically synonymous with price-shopping. If that’s the case, I figure they’re trying to compete on some factor I don’t care about.
That is done when the manufacturer will not allow a retailer to advertise a discount. The manufacturer believes that a low advertised price reflects a decrease in percieved value of the product. The manufacturer also will sometimes do this to protect other distribution that they do not want to lose…i.e. Ping has always wanted to protect their distribution through the local PGA pro shops at golf clubhouses. If the price is always advertised lower by mass retailers, the buying public won’t buy through the ‘green-grass’ shops. Then PING could lose that sourse of distribution.
Response:
How do you view this form of merchandising? I take it as an inconvenience to a potential customer. Is it because of – supply, and demand regulating the selling price, or is it to keep the competition – in the dark. Regardless – I haven’t found an item yet that – caused me to call. This method must be effective to some extent – it is still being used. Just curious. v