Spot the difference

[Joomy]

I was just ranting in another thread and felt this deserved its own topic.

Kathmandu "Ultralight Down Jacket" Australian site

Kathmandu "Ultralight Down Jacket" UK site

Is this because doing business in the UK is less than half as expensive as in Australia, or is it because the British would never swallow a $700 RRP for that jacket?

[wayno]

yeah probably the latter, competition is stiffer over there and if they are still trying to establish themselves then you'll see more realistic prices. macpac tried to break into the US market and failed.... it's well known here that the real price of kathmandu gear is about 30% of the retail price

[wayno]

still overpriced, can find other brands making better gear for less... mont bell make a better jacket for US$170

[wayno]

and its heavy for an ultralight jacket, mont bells ultra light jacket is nearly half of the weight weight and they have another that is 40% of the weight.
kathmandu trying to cash in on the rise of ultralight gear sales...

[Mark F]

It's even worse than you think. VAT in the UK is 20% while GST here is only 10%.

[wayno]

its kathmandu, little comes as a surprise with their pricing structure...

[Moondog55]

Although when I was in the UK the VAT was always added after the sale, it didn't form part of the advertised price

[Joomy]

yeah probably the latter, competition is stiffer over there and if they are still trying to establish themselves then you'll see more realistic prices. macpac tried to break into the US market and failed.... it's well known here that the real price of kathmandu gear is about 30% of the retail price

50% or less surely.

its kathmandu, little comes as a surprise with their pricing structure...

But this is really beyond the pale. To have identical products on identical websites differ by 50% in asking price is absurd. Kathmandu are basically admitting that their Australian pricing scheme is A) only loosely related to the price or value of the product and B) only works in Australia because of A.

[Travis22]

50% or less surely.

Absolutely.

Travis.

[wayno]

well you get kathmandu having sales with up to 70% off

[icefest]

I'm surprised that we are still complaining about this issue. It's been like this for years with almost no change.

Most people order overseas and avoid this entire cluster.... mess.

[Joomy]

I'm surprised that we are still complaining about this issue. It's been like this for years with almost no change.

Most people order overseas and avoid this entire cluster.... mess.

Kathmandu haven't had UK stores for that long so I don't think it's been quite as transparent until recently just how exploitative and dishonest their pricing scheme is. It's fine to say buy overseas but this along with the general Australia tax issue is doing genuine harm to our retail sector and economy at large.

[GPSGuided]

The more I learn, the more I feel Kathmandu sucks. Have to be so careful with their products before purchase.

[wayno]

yes well those uneducated in the outdoor gear market will kit themselves out with most of their gear from kathmandu... fore warned is fore armed,, knowledge is power etc....

[cooee]

I'm surprised that we are still complaining about this issue. It's been like this for years with almost no change.

Most people order overseas and avoid this entire cluster.... mess.

And we wonder why Australian retail is in trouble.............

Perfect example, bought an Exped Venus II 6 months ago for $358.00 and foot print $27.00. Cost $83.00 to get it over here with a freight forwarding service.

Bongong Equipment have it for $739.00 Tent only.

[wayno]

that can be a slightly different issue and its been discussed before at length, in the case of your tent, its not necessarily the fault of the retailer in that situation... it can be the fault of the distributor for charging high prices to the retailer....
distributors claim they have to reclaim their marketing and advertising costs etc, but they also have a local monopoly , no one is going to undercut them locally....and the international head office will try and help that monopoly by telling overseas online stores not to ship overseas....

[etrangere]

All those who hate Kathmandu please put their hands in the air!!

I will admit mine will be the first to go up and stay up the longest, I hate them with a passion. Not the people who work in the stores and probably to their best, but those higher up on the food chain who make all the pricing/marketing decisions, they clearly have no ethics or morals. I understand companies need to make a profit and thrive but to do so by misleading customers as to the genuine value of their products and to deceive them in their marketing in appalling. Every once in a while I come across someone who states that they bought their gear at Kathmandu and my heart goes out to them, they have been misled as to the saving and quality of the products they have bought. Someone needs to come up with a facebook page pointing out their pricing strategy and the quality and $ comparisons with competitor products to get the truth out there.......to OUT them for the amoral company they are

[wayno]

marketing, theres a furniture shop down the road, almost continually has a closing down sale sign up. until this week.
its still a furniture shop, with a sale... a grand opening sale...

[icefest]

All those who hate Kathmandu please put their hands in the air!!

I will admit mine will be the first to go up and stay up the longest, I hate them with a passion. Not the people who work in the stores and probably to their best, but those higher up on the food chain who make all the pricing/marketing decisions, they clearly have no ethics or morals. I understand companies need to make a profit and thrive but to do so by misleading customers as to the genuine value of their products and to deceive them in their marketing in appalling. Every once in a while I come across someone who states that they bought their gear at Kathmandu and my heart goes out to them, they have been misled as to the saving and quality of the products they have bought. Someone needs to come up with a facebook page pointing out their pricing strategy and the quality and $ comparisons with competitor products to get the truth out there.......to OUT them for the amoral company they are

Kathmandu is less an exception but rather the norm.

Personally, I hardly blame Kathmandu, nor the upper echelon of management. They are just the product of current societal norms.
If it works for them, good for them, if you disagree feel free to design a better system than the regulated capitalism we currently have. I for one would love an improvement.

[wayno]

caviat emptor = buyer beware.
if you believe kathmandu's retail prices then you havent shopped around enough to see what the true value of gear is... and given the frequency of the sales. if you use common sense you must realise the retail price are inflated.
guy was going on to me about how he kitted himself out at macpac and they discounted him $1500... he was so proud of his new gear and how much money he beleived he'd saved, i didnt have the heart to burst his bubble.

[GPSGuided]

I can think of one thing good about Kathmandu, that is they are an Australian/NZ company. As much as the bulk their goods are made in East Asia like many others, at least the bulk of profit are received by Kathmandu. Compared with foreign product companies where profit generated from the goods are directed to those o/s companies. That's all.

[wayno]

yup and there are plenty of locally owned "finance" companies that charge extortiante loan interest rates.. lets all get behind them too ..