Retail Price, Hobby Shops, & Discounting

Are the stores in San Diego or Orange County appropriating portions of their advertising/promotion budget/time and/or making the effort to attract the younger male and/or young family audience, or are they content to just see who just walks in (that'd be the established

I know that my local hobby shops aren't doing much of anything to attract new blood. I think it's a 2-way street. (Or is that a North-South mainline?)

-- Steve Klotz

I see a variety of folks in The Train Shop in Santa Clara, CA.: some kids, the 50+ crowd, women with their husbands/boyfriends, etc. They don't advertise much, but in addition the their good supply of Athearn, Genesis, P2K, Stewart, Bowser et al, they have Thomas the Train, Brio and some knock offs, and even some train sets to attract a diverse customer base. And the sales staff talks to the customers, novice and dedicated hobbiest and everything in between.

I also think that the manufacturers are trying their best to get some new folks into the hobby with all the ready-to-run stuff. I suspect that there are many folks who don't want to fret over building kits, even the 1/2 hour or so it takes to shake the Athearn box, but just want to open the box and get going. The manufacturers recognize this and are meeting that demand. If those folks stay with the hobby, they will likely start building kits: easy ones first, then work their way into more detailed kits. Once you've built your own, it seem that you are no longer satisfied with the rough details of the simple RTR any more.

Time will tell. And it doesn't help that in the movie, "The Mighty Wind," the girl singer's husband is kind of weird, and guess what? He's has a model railroad in the basement. Oh, well.

Ed.

in article snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com, Steve Klotz at snipped-for-privacy@ix.netcom.com wrote on 7/27/03 1:15 PM:

Everytime I go in there I half expect to see they have installed a pot belly stove near the test track. It really has that "general store" atmosphere, maybe it's just me?

Paul

They need to replace that N scale with G on top of the bar. Saves the mixologist a few steps. Load the glass(es) on a gondola and deliver. Mmmmm. Collecting money on that might be a problem. Neat idea, though.

Jay Modeling the North Shore & North Western C&NW/CNS&M in 1940-1955 E-mail is now open snipped-for-privacy@aol.com

Then you need to come over to Joe's Hobby Center in Farmington MI. I will answer or find the answer to your RR modeling question whether you buy from us or not. I will take the time to help you get what you need, not what I want you to have. Yes, we are a full price shop.

Volume. When you sell a million widgets a day you can survive on a dime profit per item. Also when you sell that many of one thing you can squeeze your suppliers for a better price.

Hobby stores sell in ones and twos thus need to make more profit per item to stay in business.

Bill Dixon

=>Steve Hoskins wrote: =>> =>> On Fri, 25 Jul 2003 15:23:25 +1200, Gregory Procter =>> wrote : =>> =>> >It's simple enough: =>> >Hobby shops need to have stock, retail premises and staff during shopping =>> >hours - that costs. =>> =>> Wal-Mart needs to have stock, retail premises, and staff during =>> shopping hours -- but they can sure as heck discount everything. =>

=>Volume. When you sell a million widgets a day you can survive on a =>dime profit per item. Also when you sell that many of one thing you =>can squeeze your suppliers for a better price.

And low, low wages for the "sales associates." Also, wherever possible, Walmart keeps the part-time hours just low enough so that their employees qualify for various kinds of state-aid. IOW, the taxpayers subsifdise Wal-mart's low prices. Walmart also has no qualms about importing from lowest wage countriues - thus eliminating North American jobs (and in the long run, their own customers, but Walmart is not known for thinking beyond the bottom line.) The savings accruing from these low cost sources aren't passed on to consumers, BTW -- Walmart always prices just below the competition.

Well, Target, K-Mart, and others are closer. So my motivation for going to Wally World, which is farther away, is....nothing.

Jay Target-Kohl's-Sears, WI

Hzakas ( snipped-for-privacy@aol.com) wrote: : : That message reminds me of a book I practically read cover-to-cover while : in a Barnes & Noble bookstore one day en route home after visiting my : mother. : : The book -- it second edition, no less -- was "How Wal-Mart is Destroying : America (and the World)." The second edition also had a followup by a : former Wal-Mart manager who revealed some of the "questionable" practices : the company uses. : : Dieter Zakas

Jim Hightower wrote an excellent article on Wal-mart:

"Bullying people from your town to China..."

--Jerry Leslie (my opinions are strictly my own) Note: snipped-for-privacy@jrlvax.houston.rr.com is invalid for email

Aw gee Pa, can we crank up the truck and go to Walmart. I needs some new huntin socks and some chewin tobaccy.

You have to shop at Walmart like you do anywhere else. Wisely. A few years ago, I'd seen Fuji Sensia 36exp for $12 per roll while the local camera shop was selling a 2 pack for $38.00. $6.00 per roll saving and I only had to buy one. On the other hand, I've heard customers at the industrial supplier where I work, comment that we were less on this or that tool.

I've heard it said that they underprice on the several hundred most popular items that are most easily compared to competitors. Other, less comparable items like privatly branded stuff is where they make their money.

More and more product is being imported from China. We see it in the modelling products we buy but also in just about everything. More and more of the bigger names in tools for example, are moving production offshore. Many of the smaller manufacturers we sell to will purchase a Chinese made product to save a dime while expecting the Canadian or American public to purchase THEIR product. Sorry pal. Chances are there is a factory in China making the same product you are, making more of it and making it a whole lot cheaper and guess what your former customers are now buying.

Makes you wonder where the North American economy will be in 5 or 10 years.

Glen Smith Port Morien, NS

G. Wayne Hines wrote > When Walmart opened in this area in January, their prices, on

Hey, we were just up your way a few weeks ago, just before Canada Day - stayed at a B&B in Centreville, the Delft Haus. On the way out of Windsor (where I think I got the food poisoning that struck just as I was finishing a batch of mussels and an Alexander Kent Pale Ale at Halls Harbor) I noticed the Windsor & Hantsport Railway Company. Are they making a go of it?

The public is motivated by value and savings, that's why they shop at Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart is perceived to have the best value. Everyone is trying to save a buck - that's why people shop there, that's why Wal-Mart wants a better wholesale price form suppliers, and that's why manufacturers are going to China. Sometimes I wish it were different, less cutthroat but that's the society we live in.

Wal-Mart is no-frills service and basic human needs galore. They know their market and serve it.

CBix

Massive Snip>

I have noticed myself shopping more and more at the Wal-Mart Supercenter. I noticed yesterday the very cheerful and helpful checkout clerk who seemed really glad to see me and that I was shopping at Wal-Mart. The Kroger, which is only a mile from my house, acts like I am a bother and barely speaks to me when I checkout. I understand the danger of a Wal-Mart but for the life of me I don't see viable alternatives to it at present. For the most part Wal-Mart sells commodity items as do many other stores, they just do it better.

All that glisters, etc., etc. - smiling is part of the job description. Not that polite and friendly service isn't a good idea, but it ought to be balanced with employee benefits and freedom from unpaid overtime (and other Wally World practices).

Of course a lot of model railroaders long for the 19th century, and Wally World sure tries to bring that back in its employment practices.

On Sun, 3 Aug 2003 18:30:34 -0500, "John X. Volker" wrote:

Does anyone else remember the era of transition when the "SuperMarkets" started to replace the neighborhood or village green-grocers, the butchers, bakers, the dry-grocers and the like. Or more recently when Super Markets battled each other for market share, eventually competing with dry-goods retailers, auto parts stores, etc.? My point is that time was the Krogers, the A&Ps, the Safeway's the Daitch-Shopwells, and Bohacks themselves were predatory in nature and drove the local mom and pop stores into the history books. Lucky is the hamlet that can turn to more than Apu's Kwikie Mart for customer service and local ownership. I have watched WalMart plunder the marketplace in Southern Maryland and Northern California. And yes the prices drop until competition is scratched away. But wasn't it ever thus? Today the high priced botique coffee shop Starbucks or the trendy chain grocery is about all you have left in many places. I find myself shopping where first I can find what I need (okay, I find what I WANT, not necessarily what I NEED) and then at the lowest price. That must be why Costco and Sam's club and others do so well. Can't find the local bakery anywhere anymore, and the "Hot Fresh" half-baked bread of the supermarkets only approximates the smells. Here in Albuquerque, the Smith's (owned by Krogers) has installed "Self-Serve" checkouts. Reducing staff overhead while adding at no cost more customer inconvenience. Such a deal. I find myself shopping there less often and going where a checker or stocker at least acknowledges my presence with other than a snarl. And that means, I am saddened to say, more often than not WalyMart and Sams.

Richard Albuquerque

That means to me "Find it y'own damn self 'cause no one works in this department"

Jay CNS&M Wireheads of the world, unite!

They get rid of anyone who shows half a brain and then the rest when the time comes for a seniority raise. That allows some new sap to take a "career" job. I get treated well. My students are all working there. it is "Hi Prof Stewart, Can I help you, Dr Stewart". Good for some quick cash to finish college and hunt for a real management job.

They have no staff positions and will, someday, lose a lot of money in a discrimination suit. Human relations is left to the local, clueless, suits--who will take all the blame. (Managers can be held personally liable in labor law cases).

I shop at three hobby stores. All because I like the guys who own them. I buy stuff I won't use (worthless) and get advice and information I really need (priceless).

Because of the size of the layout, I will need three double crossovers. I doubt they can come close to the discount price. (I also have a favorite discount house. The lady there knows what I need before I do!)....I will buy a bunch of track from the local guys, though...

Jim Stewart

Naahhh, it's the Bush League economy.

Trader Joes has decent stuff from Grace Baking - we get a lot of their Pugliese bread - and even Albertson's has relatively decent sourdough.

Now, as for Charbucks . . . I don't buy their overpriced, over-roasted crap. Lots of competition locally.