Australian Members

Where were these retailers is that when the Australian economy was getting opened up and local manufacturers were gettting either closed down or moving offshore? Nowhere, because they benefitted with cheaper goods and fatter margins. Now that the technology exists for the ordinar consumer to access the very same international markets they are crying poor. Sorry Mr Harvey, but if you want to take the upside from globalisation, then you have to also take the downside.

Now the big question, do I wait till I'm back at work next week or make a special trip into the city to decide which size will fit best in Churchs so that I can then make an order from Herring Shoes? AUDGBP has slid below 65! Might wait.

Originally Posted by JTA

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If that's taken from the shoulder then it is a good price however if it is from the bottom then it is pricey.

I got charged $65 from Final Touch (from the bottom) and it was a **** job.

I fooloshly bought a Zenga Si Misura suit from the B&S forum but the pants are 35" and my waist is 32". (Im a 40/42S with 32" waist). Roughly how much would it be to slim down the pants and waist line (remove the excess material around the legs/thighs)?

If its more than $100 i might bring the pants on my KL trip and get it done there.

Originally Posted by CHECKstar

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Now the big question, do I wait till I'm back at work next week or make a special trip into the city to decide which size will fit best in Churchs so that I can then make an order from Herring Shoes? AUDGBP has slid below 65! Might wait.

their markups might be significantly higher but they carry the costs of renting a conservative business dress location and having a large range of stock on display which might not sell for 12 months or more

herring shoes benefit from ordering directly from the maker, limiting inventories and cheaper rent.

i order all my shoes from overseas but i feel sorry for traditional shops who hold stock only for people to come in and try it on and not buy anything.

I'd really not recommend Churches, for the fairly high price, even online they use mostly really shiny corrected grain which polishes very bad and tends to look not that great. Would take my 2 pairs of calf Loake 1880's any day for half the price.

Thanks for the heads up. Sounds like I'll need to do a bit more research. Any experience with the Herring Shoes house brand?

Originally Posted by CHECKstar

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Thanks for the heads up. Sounds likeh I'll need to do a bit more research. Any experience with the Herring Shoes house brand?
I have 4 pairs I think. I'm pretty sure they are made by Loake for Herring. Or possibly others too. Often Herring will have a colour or style that Pediwear doesn't have.

No experience yet but I just got a pair of their suede "reading" model for xmas but have not worn, still on holidays until next week. Neverless, they are made by loake but not to the 1880 level I already have, I think to the lower shoemaker level, so it will be interesting to see how they wear. They are a lovely looking shoe though.

As far as I know Herring use quite a few different makers for their house brand shoes depending on the collection. I think some are Trickers and some Cheaney made.

Originally Posted by Mr Herbert

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their markups might be significantly higher but they carry the costs of renting a conservative business dress location and having a large range of stock on display which might not sell for 12 months or more herring shoes benefit from ordering directly from the maker, limiting inventories and cheaper rent. i order all my shoes from overseas but i feel sorry for traditional shops who hold stock only for people to come in and try it on and not buy anything.
I feel sorry for them too but as the old case study goes -theres no buggy whip makers around anymore either. I've been poking my nose in my old stamping grounds here: http://larvatusprodeo.net/2011/01/06...comment-255505 Obviously I'm Francis Xavier Holden and fxh depending on computer

Originally Posted by Charlie's Wardrobe

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No experience yet but I just got a pair of their suede "reading" model for xmas but have not worn, still on holidays until next week. Neverless, they are made by loake but not to the 1880 level I already have, I think to the lower shoemaker level, so it will be interesting to see how they wear. They are a lovely looking shoe though. As far as I know Herring use quite a few different makers for their house brand shoes depending on the collection. I think some are Trickers and some Cheaney made.
I've got the Readings too - a bit thinner all round, a bit light and not as well done as the 1880s but they feel good and about what I was after -- a light weight suede shoe. Not made in UK, made in EU. I think they were a clear out maybe at 99GBP

Just to offer another opinion, my dad, brother and I have all been wearing Church's since we were 17. Always bought the full grain ones, except for my brother buying Polished Binder for his first job where he needed to wear dress shoes. We've never had a problem with Church's, the choice of polished binder or box calf is always up to you, they never branded binder as full grain.

By no means do church's "mostly really shiny corrected grain", it's merely an option for the customer. Herring's site offers most models in both Calf AND Polished Binder. If you're on a budget, the last 73 line does offer good value for money, I bought a pair because I didn't fancy the 100 last the Chetwynd was momentarily on, they are almost as good as the regular line; i've heard that apparently the leather is not quite as good...but for such a massive discount...

That said, personally, I don't see a difference in quality between the two.

Looks like the GST campaign will continue in a different form: http://www.theage.com.au/business/re...106-19hl0.html And just for the record, I think online shopping is very Australian: we're smart, innovative values seekers and fast adopters of technology. And we don't like being fed bullsh#t.

Harvey Norman hasn't been be able to offer effective online retail and won't be able to adapt as their model precludes it.

HN the company is essentially a franchise retail conglomerate and retail property owner/leaser. HN basically selects "prime" retail sites, develops them and populates them with a bunch of franchisees whom sell different things, beds, furniture, computers, white goods.

Their notion of service is a bastardised version of what the term should mean. Their notion of service extends to superficial customer focus up until the moment of sale and focused only on the completion of the sale. This sale will, very often, include the sale of finance to the customer.

As a side issue: Any idea of follow-up serve or ongoing customer loyalty or relationship is missing. HN and most (not all - Bunnings is an exception) other big box or category killers retailers built their business on price and price alone. To now whinge that others are doing the same (and often adding superior service) is at best disingenuous at worst dishonest.

Getting back to HNs model - it is a model that does not translate to online selling. This is why HN twice had a half hearted go at setting up online. Harvey doesn't get the net shopping because his retail model is the antithesis. His model is based on cars, parking lots, buildings, property returns and essentially no customer focus. The franchise model is too fragmented to do online retailing successfully. The reliance on returns from property don't jibe with online retailing.

Gerry Harvey will never be successful at online retailing. He will see online retailing as unfair, not playing by the rules and he will remain bitter because he does not and cannot understand it. He is going through what the other retailers went through when he first started up his model - when you don't and can't understand it - the new model always seems unfair.

The big department stores like Myers and DJs will, eventually, be able to compete successfully online. Their model is different.

I must say it is amusing to see Gerry Harvey saying today on the papers that he is hurt by tall the comments online and in talkback radio. Its easy to sling ignorant comments around when you have an army of PR people and sycophantic TV media who depend on your ads for an income. When the internet or talkback radio give the informed public a chance to comment - it seems unfair.

Welcome to competition and 2005 Gerry.

Something's happening - and you don't know what it is - do you Mr Jones.

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edit: I just heard Gerry Harvey on the 11 am news whingeing about the feedback he's getting.

He can dish it out one way but can't take it at all.

What a big sook.

Originally Posted by fxh

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Getting back to HNs model - it is a model that does not translate to online selling. This is why HN twice had a half hearted go at setting up online. Harvey doesn't get the net shopping because his retail model is the antithesis. His model is based on cars, parking lots, buildings, property returns and essentially no customer focus. The franchise model is too fragmented to do online retailing successfully. The reliance on returns from property don't jibe with online retailing.
i found this article quite amusing, from November 2008

http://www.smartcompany.com.au/retai...retailers.html

Gerry Harvey has head in the sand, say online retailers
Thursday, 27 November 2008
Patrick Stafford

Retail experts raise doubts on Gerry Harvey's retail strategy, after the billionaire retailer told SmartCompany yesterday that online retailing was "a waste of time".

Retail experts raise doubts on Gerry Harvey's retail strategy, after the billionaire retailer told SmartCompany yesterday that online retailing was "a waste of time".

Harvey predicted online retailing will not make any money for entrepreneurs and says he will not be putting any more money into it.

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So whats the problem Harvey? Why does it need a tax?

Of course Gerry is philanthropic to the highest order, and only has benevolent and altruistic motives

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/news...770680456.html

THE retail king Gerry Harvey may have a personal fortune of about $1.6 billion but the Harvey Norman founder thinks donating to charity is "just wasted".

Asked in a new book about the role he and Harvey Norman play in the community, Mr Harvey said giving money to people who "are not putting anything back into the community" is like "helping a whole heap of no-hopers to survive for no good reason".

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Nasty POS.

As if i didnt hate him enough for using trash news programs like ACA and Today Tonight for every piece of extra publicity they would allow him.

I was just at Donny this morning and had 1.5 hours to kill while waiting for a poster sized photo to be printed.

Popped into the RL store there and scooped up a pair of white linen pants for $129 reduced from $249. The only downside that I noticed is that I now have to pick up a pair of white jocks to wear with it! Either that or go commando!

Interestingly enough, the pair that I picked up were size 32, however all the other sizes (eg 34 and 36) were priced at $169. Well I wasn't going to ask the sales assistant what's the go with the pricing anomaly, but has anybody else seen this sort of thing before?