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BomTrady

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That's what I said. First, they make it impossible for their local stockists to sell their shoes when they are asking $2200 for a pair (I still cannot believe it) and then they think the problem is the customers who import them from overseas or the retailers who sell the shoes to them. And when we say we buy them from overseas at a lower price, it's not like we get them from free or anything. We still have to pay the ridiculous amounts of $1300-1400, even $1500. What a joke.

So yes, they think that because now I cannot get their shoes from Skoak for $1300 I will pay $2200. Go to **ll JL! That's my response to you.

BTW, the people who think $2200 is nothing and it's still ok to pay this much for a pair of shoes, these are precisely the people who did not import their shoes from the internets to begin with. These are precisely the people who would show up at the JL boutiques and buy the shoes on the spot, with or without JL telling retailers what to do and what not to do. These people do exist and they will continue to exist. So this will not have the effect they think it will. They are only pi**ng off people and alienating customers. And shame on Skoak for succumbing to this garbage. It's a 2-way relationship and you also get to say what you want and what you don't. Otherwise, they can take their precious shoes and shove them up their you know what.
JL is a lux brand and, as such, exclusivity is a part of its sales strategy. Even the prices charged by Skoak was out of reach for many people. About 30 years ago Mecedes Benz came out with a lower-tier prced class of cars designed to lure young customers to the brand. The result was that it lost many of its high-end customers and it quickly abandoned the lower-tier class cars. Gucci did the. same thing in the 70's until it pulled back its licensing deals and began to sell its products exclusively in its own boutiques. This is called the "exclusivity factor" in economics and companies that subscribed to it aren't afraid to alienate consumers who aren't willing to pay exclusive prices. In fact, they count on losing those customers as they are not engaged in classic marketing or even premium brand pricing techniques, where the product is freely available to those willing to pay the price. The pricing of any product housed under a luxury brand has to reflect the brand's played to "value". My point is, if this is what's happening at Skoak, JL likely doesn't care about loosing customers in its Prestige line at lower prices.
 

sforum1

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JL is a lux brand and, as such, exclusivity is a part of its sales strategy. Even the prices charged by Skoak was out of reach for many people. About 30 years ago Mecedes Benz came out with a lower-tier prced class of cars designed to lure young customers to the brand. The result was that it lost many of its high-end customers and it quickly abandoned the lower-tier class cars. Gucci did the. same thing in the 70's until it pulled back its licensing deals and began to sell its products exclusively in its own boutiques. This is called the "exclusivity factor" in economics and companies that subscribed to it aren't afraid to alienate consumers who aren't willing to pay exclusive prices. In fact, they count on losing those customers as they are not engaged in classic marketing or even premium brand pricing techniques, where the product is freely available to those willing to pay the price. The pricing of any product housed under a luxury brand has to reflect the brand's played to "value". My point is, if this is what's happening at Skoak, JL likely doesn't care about loosing customers in its Prestige line at lower prices.
So you are saying that people being able to buy at $1300 from Skoak hurt JL's sales because some people thought the price was too low and therefore the shoes not that premium or as exclusive? May I ask, the people who were offended by the fact that JL could be acquired for only $1300 and therefore took their business elsewhere, what did they buy instead?

You also make it sound that the higher the price the better for their business. While they are at it, why don't they raise the prices to $4000/pair?
 

Texasmade

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So you are saying that people being able to buy at $1300 from Skoak hurt JL's sales because some people thought the price was too low and therefore the shoes not that premium or as exclusive? May I ask, the people who were offended by the fact that JL could be acquired for only $1300 and therefore took their business elsewhere, what did they buy instead?
A lot luxury brands don’t allow online price arbitrage so I’m not sure why you’re so hung up on this. A lot of times it’s to protect local retailers to not get undercut.

Have you ever seen what rare Alden shells go for in Japan or Europe? At those prices, you can buy JL prestige shoes.
 

sforum1

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A lot luxury brands don’t allow online price arbitrage so I’m not sure why you’re so hung up on this. A lot of times it’s to protect local retailers to not get undercut.

Have you ever seen what rare Alden shells go for in Japan or Europe? At those prices, you can buy JL prestige shoes.
So I should like it and appreciate it because someone else did it? All I said was that I did not like it and most people here won't be all that excited about it either. This is me on one side of the equation. Then there is their side, as a JL company. We'll see how far this takes them. What I'm questioning is whether they are trying to fix one mistake with another, from a business point of view, or is this indeed the smartest direction they can take at this point?

What I'm hearing is that soon all EG, G&G and JL could shoot up to $4000/pair at the same time. At that point some people will still buy them and these will truly be luxury brands, truly only for the very few. This might be more profitable too for the companies. But that could also be suicidal. What I'm saying is that it's not as simple as it sounds. For example by end of 2021 when you will only be able to buy JL only from the US (for US customers) and they will cost say $2800+tax, most SF members just won't ever be able to buy a pair, especially given all the other options. But again, JL from a business point of view, at that point, they might be more successful than they have ever been.
 
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Texasmade

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So I should like it and appreciate it because someone else did it? We'll see how far this takes them. What I'm questioning is whether they are trying to fix one mistake with another, from a business point of view.

What I'm hearing is that soon all EG, G&G and JL could shoot up to $4000/pair at the same time. At that point some people will still buy them and they will truly be luxury brands, truly only for the very few.
You should stop complaining about the prices. They are what they are. if yoI don’t like it then buy another brand.

Hasn’t that always been their business plan? Exclusive luxury for those that can afford it. You complain about the rising prices but they haven’t risen that much. In 2010, the Chapel and Beckett cost about $1600. The price today is just under $2000. That’s less than 20% in 10 years and barely beat out US inflation.
 

sforum1

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You should stop complaining about the prices. They are what they are. if yoI don’t like it then buy another brand.

Hasn’t that always been their business plan? Exclusive luxury for those that can afford it. You complain about the rising prices but they haven’t risen that much. In 2010, the Chapel and Beckett cost about $1600. The price today is just under $2000. That’s less than 20% in 10 years and barely beat out US inflation.
You never complained about anything? Is that what your parents taught you, to always like things and accept them the way they are?

I respect that, but that's you, not me.

BTW, when JL gets to $3000/pair and they are the exact same quality as Meermin you can still buy them. I won't try to stop you, you have my promise. That's not where I was getting at.
 

gmehra

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kind of fuked up of them if u ask me. edward green also charge arm and leg as does Crockett Jones. annoying more than anything else.
last I checked C&J will give you the Ex VAT price if you fill out the mail order form on their website. ends up being way cheaper than buying at one of their NYC stores
 

Texasmade

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You never complained about anything? Is that what your parents taught you, to always like things and accept them the way they are?

That's you, not me.
I don’t whine like a baby when I can’t get the things I want. We’re talking about luxury shoes here. This isn’t something that’s a life and death situation or is going to cripple you or your family. If getting JL shoes is causing you this much frustration just move on. I learned to do that with Rolex and the Patek Nautilus. I got frustrated that I couldn’t get either at a price I was willing to pay so I moved on to other things I enjoy.
 

sforum1

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I don’t whine like a baby when I can’t get the things I want. We’re talking about luxury shoes here. This isn’t something that’s a life and death situation or is going to cripple you or your family. If getting JL shoes is causing you this much frustration just move on. I learned to do that with Rolex and the Patek Nautilus. I got frustrated that I couldn’t get either at a price I was willing to pay so I moved on to other things I enjoy.
I probably have more pairs than you, and more pairs than I will ever need even if I lived 3 lives. We can leave it at that.

I wish though you could apply the same principle you so passionately preach for uniformly everywhere, and move on to the next post and the next opinion when you don't like one.
 

BomTrady

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So I should like it and appreciate it because someone else did it? We'll see how far this takes them. What I'm questioning is whether they are trying to fix one mistake with another, from a business point of view.

What I'm hearing is that soon all EG, G&G and JL could shoot up to $4000/pair at the same time. At that point some people will still buy them and they will truly be luxury brands, truly only for the very few. This might be more profitable too for them. But that would also be their death. What I'm saying is that it's not as simple as it sounds. For example by end of 2021 when you will only be able to buy JL only from the US (for US customers) and they will cost say $2800+tax, most SF member they just won't ever buy a pair. But again, JL from a business point of view, at that point, they might be more successful than they have ever been.
But it wouldn't be their death...it's called brand protection and there are enough people willing to pay a certain very high price for their products. Rolex spends hundreds of millions of dollars chasing counterfeiters in what they call "lost sales" every year. These aren't really "lost sales" because most people who buy fake Rolexes for $200 were never even going to spend $7k on an entry level Rollie. They are merely protecting the exclusivity of their brand, as we as protecting the local retailers who sell at the higher prices.
 

beargonefishing

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I probably have more pairs than you, and more pairs than I will ever need even if I lived 3 lives. We can leave it at that.

I wish though you could apply the same principle you so passionately preach for uniformly everywhere, and move on to the next post and the next opinion when you don't like one.

How much you bench press?
 

sforum1

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How much you bench press?
You are asking the question the wrong person. Every time anyone has anything negative to say or any sort of criticism to make about anything that costs more than $100 around here they get labeled as the guy who's whining because they can't afford it. I have no need to advertise to you how many pairs I have or how much I bench press. I don't know you, you don't know me. And the people I know have no clue what my stuff costs and that's because I make a serious effort for that to never happen.
 
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beargonefishing

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You are asking the question the wrong person. Every time anyone has anything negative to say or any sort of criticism to make about anything that costs more than $100 around here they get labeled as the guy who's wining because they can't afford it. I have no need to advertise to you how many pairs I have or mow much I press. I don't know you, you don't know me. And the people I know, have no clue what my stuff costs and that's because I make sure that never happens.

That doesn't sound like much. Any karate or kung fu training?
 

sforum1

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Some people must be at a point in their lives where they are fully defined by their shoes and their other expensive possessions. Anything negative about those things is viewed as a direct attack on them. It's like you are devaluing them. And they also see that as a license to view you as an inferior creature since that must mean you cannot afford those very things while they can.

Learn to ignore is the lesson. Not blaming anyone.
 
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