Bike price hikes!

[Blue Hills]

Specialized also won't let Edinburgh bike co-op, and presumably other retailers ship bikes to customers abroad.

I know this as I was buying one in a sale for a close foreign friend and it just seemed easier to get it sent straight from them and pay for this.

But I was told it couldn't be done because of Spec's policy.

I am not criticising Edinburgh Bike Co-op at all who I think are an excellent company.

Call me cynical but it seemed clear to me that this was so that Spec could maintain prices in other markets.

In the end I had to get the bike couriered to me for free and then fly out with it in a bag.

 

[MrGrumpy]

Its just the start, they can keep putting up prices all they like but everyone has tipping point on what they are prepared to pay. I got an email from SONOS the other week more or less saying due to the price of the dollar v pound that prices had to go up, I just question the amount. In the end doubtful I would buy another SONOS if my current one breaks or if i wanted something better/ more functional. Same can be said for anything else considered a luxury item.

 

[screenman]

Its just the start, they can keep putting up prices all they like but everyone has tipping point on what they are prepared to pay. I got an email from SONOS the other week more or less saying due to the price of the dollar v pound that prices had to go up, I just question the amount. In the end doubtful I would buy another SONOS if my current one breaks or if i wanted something better/ more functional. Same can be said for anything else considered a luxury item.

What do you consider a reasonable increase, I hate having to raise my prices.

 

[byegad]

Not overly shocked at £550 on £5k.

Now one of my other hobbies is model railways. In late October one importer of a Japanese brand upped the prices by 20%. Most of the other brands have gone up by the same amount. The $/Yen rates drove most of the 20%.

 

[Blue Hills]

Thanks for opening this thread folks.
Methinks it's time to quickly stockpile more 8 and 9 speed bits - which I have been meaning to do as the main shop and online folks seem somewhat less interested in them - you know stuff is afoot with the bike industry when I keep getting emails from the likes of Chain Reaction highlighting its supposed bargain items - 10 and 11 speed - why even at their notional discounts would I want to pay that much for a cassette or whatever anyway?

 

[jefmcg]

A year ago, a pound was worth $US1.42, now it's $1.25.


So a £5000 would have returned the US company $7,100. Now £5550 is only worth $6,940. So it's actually a little cheaper.

 

[MrGrumpy]

What do you consider a reasonable increase, I hate having to raise my prices.

To be honest I suppose if your buying in parts or stock and it has gone up massively then there is only so much you can absorb rather than pass on. The example I quoted with SONOS was I think was a 17% price rise which does not sound much, but it adds another £100 onto a £600 item for example. You run a business to make money/living, how much you can get away with charging passing onto the customer depends alot on what kind of business you run or what people wish to buy/spend their money on.

 

[vickster]

Thanks for opening this thread folks.
Methinks it's time to quickly stockpile more 8 and 9 speed bits - which I have been meaning to do as the main shop and online folks seem somewhat less interested in them - you know stuff is afoot with the bike industry when I keep getting emails from the likes of Chain Reaction highlighting its supposed bargain items - 10 and 11 speed - why even at their notional discounts would I want to pay that much for a cassette or whatever anyway?

My local Halfords had a 9 speed Ultegra cassette for a fiver in their bargain bin the other day (think it was a 12-25)

 

[Blue Hills]

Thanks for the tip vick but I use a 28T big cog on my 9 speed.

I suppose your spot does confirm though that as far as many retailers are concerned, 8 and 9 is history and they atre getting rid of it.

No matter, there are nice German places to buy this practical stuff.

 

[screenman]

To be honest I suppose if your buying in parts or stock and it has gone up massively then there is only so much you can absorb rather than pass on. The example I quoted with SONOS was I think was a 17% price rise which does not sound much, but it adds another £100 onto a £600 item for example. You run a business to make money/living, how much you can get away with charging passing onto the customer depends alot on what kind of business you run or what people wish to buy/spend their money on.

They have only put it up by the value of the drop in Sterling, I have also seen a hike in carriage price from the USA maybe they intend to try and hold us over a barrel.

 

[MrGrumpy]

All those immigrants coming over here and stealing our currency Sorry maybe need to post in the political forum my rants on this and all the mugs who bought into this Utopia offered to them.

 

[vickster]

All those immigrants coming over here and stealing our currency

Except they apparently aren't anymore!

 

[Drago]

They still have to replace it, also they may not have brought it yet.

If they haven't bought it then they will already have agreed an invoice price. They're not supplied on a 'take it now, we'll make up a price later' basis.

 

[Pale Rider]

The owner of my local bike shop tells me stocking plans are very rare in the bicycle trade.

Unlike the motor trade, where most of the new cars on the forecourt may still belong to the importer.

A bike shop may get standard trade terms of 60 days, giving them a fighting chance of selling the bike before having to pay for it.

My man gets the likes of Cannondale a bit cheaper if he pays for them straight away.

 

[Blue Hills]

All those immigrants coming over here and stealing our currency Sorry maybe need to post in the political forum my rants on this and all the mugs who bought into this Utopia offered to them.

yep I think that's the proper place.

And it's worth remembering anyway that the pound has pretty recently been worse against the euro than it is now.