Heljan pricing - 15% discount rule

[jjb1970]

And it's not shaken to bits by a delivery driver, stomped on by a sorter, and in most places you can see it run before you go home, even the toy fairs around me have test track come layout you can talk nicely to to run them

 

All true, but then if there are issues most decent online shops handle returns well and I find it very rare to have any issues with goods ordered online. And some dealers track test models before dispatching them, Hereford models being one (great shop that btw).

[GNR Dave]

I don't know Jane's Trains in Tooting, I must go out of my way one day soon to visit it, thank you for alerting me to its existence.  I am sure she will appreciate that, despite you taking advantage of her good service and knowledge you prefer not to buy from her. I am always amazed by the total lack of tact and diplomacy exhibited by some members of the hobby - I have visited quite a few shops in my time and have heard 'customers' in a number of shops telling the shop staff that they could have bought an item much cheaper elsewhere. If I was the owner at the end of such comments I might very well escort them off the premises!!

 

Happy days!

 

Godfrey

 

 

I spend plenty in Janes shop thank-you very much. I've never asked them to price match, and I've never asked for advice and then gone to a box shifter for the purchase.

 

Don't be so quick to judge.

[Ian Hargrave]

All true, but then if there are issues most decent online shops handle returns well and I find it very rare to have any issues with goods ordered online. And some dealers track test models before dispatching them, Hereford models being one (great shop that btw).

Derails do and if you request it,Rails will too.

[Talltim]

So retailers are effectively threatened, indirectly that if they don't tow the party line they can forget being supplied in future.

I can't see Heljan turning round to the likes of Hattons and refusing to supply them, either way it stinks of price fixing and dirty tricks.

 

 

It's exactly the same regime implemented by Bachmann, and the big names have towed the line with that. Basically, you're confusing a retailer's right to sell at any price they like (which they can...) with a non-existent right to be supplied. It allows the production runs to be spread around perhaps more effectively rather than the current situation of filling Hatton's bargain bins...

It's 'toeing' the line

[JSpencer]

 It allows the production runs to be spread around perhaps more effectively rather than the current situation of filling Hatton's bargain bins...

 

The 15% rule will have no influence removing "Hatton's bargain bins". They only end up there if they do not sell and Heljan needs to move stock on. That only happens if supply out stripes demand for the price concerned. Indeed the 15% rule might see an eventual increase in the bins as people stop pre-ordering and wait for prices to come down and if they can wait 6 weeks, they can also wait the year or so it takes for them to be discounted further.

[bike2steam]

The 15% rule will have no influence removing "Hatton's bargain bins". They only end up there if they do not sell and Heljan needs to move stock on. That only happens if supply out stripes demand for the price concerned. Indeed the 15% rule might see an eventual increase in the bins as people stop pre-ordering and wait for prices to come down and if they can wait 6 weeks, they can also wait the year or so it takes for them to be discounted further.

 

Yep, especially when they're trying to shift locos 'listed' as £184.95 for just £89, I bet that's p'ed a few retailers off whose best deals are wholesale at 60% retail ( well it was for me before I left the business in 2005) - if they're lucky.

[frobisher]

The 15% rule will have no influence removing "Hatton's bargain bins". They only end up there if they do not sell and Heljan needs to move stock on. That only happens if supply out stripes demand for the price concerned. Indeed the 15% rule might see an eventual increase in the bins as people stop pre-ordering and wait for prices to come down and if they can wait 6 weeks, they can also wait the year or so it takes for them to be discounted further.

 

You missed the point somewhat; I didn't for a second say that "Hatton's bargain bins" would be eliminated, just that with stock distributed a bit more widely (i.e. not just to the like of Hattons) those bargain bins might not be the inevitable destination for sizeable chunks of the production run.

[Legend]

This won’t have any effect on Hattons bargain bins at all. They are typically stock that’s not selling at the price and it’s usually well after the 6 week level. I really can’t see this having any effect at all. It’s just another case of a manufacturer trying to stop the inevitable . People aren’t buying at full price . They will wait for week 7 or even a year to see what happens.

 

I think I’ve got 5 or 6 Heljan Models . I preordered the Clayton because it was a must have for me, but I think it was about £89 at the time . I got caught up in the replacement chassis kerfuffle, which lasted a further year from memory. All the other models 26/27s/47s I’ve seen a bargain and bought it . I wouldn’t have bought at full price.

Edited September 17, 2018 by Legend

[JSpencer]

You missed the point somewhat; I didn't for a second say that "Hatton's bargain bins" would be eliminated, just that with stock distributed a bit more widely (i.e. not just to the like of Hattons) those bargain bins might not be the inevitable destination for sizeable chunks of the production run.

Most shops seem to only take on bargain (end of range) items if they have none in stock themselves and they have resources to take the bargains on. Never an issue for big players but often an issue for small shops. Hattons do a lot of publicity to shift them, small shops won,t have resources for that publicity. I can think of one shop (mid range) still trying to shift VEPs at £99 each.

 

Ultimately though Heljans objective is to distribute normal sales to more shops and not bargains.

[adb968008]

I can think of one shop (mid range) still trying to shift VEPs at £99 each.

..

Never too late to share that thought...

Edited September 18, 2018 by adb968008

[JSpencer]

..

Never too late to share that thought...

 

There were some at Trains4U until recently I believe but the site is empty of them today.

[matt-b]

Hattons have Cargowaggons at £89, I wonder how close this figure is to the price they buy them for?

It's a massive discount on the RRP.

 

Matt

[chuffinghell]

Do you want local model shops to be viable or not?

I really miss having a local model shop you can actually walk in to and see the actual item you want to buy

 

I’d be happy to pay model shop prices as it works out cheap in the long run with return postage when things go wrong