please read IF you enjoy discounts

Originally Posted by mulansauce

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+1. While it's sad for us, this isn't going to hurt EG in any noticeable way.
Eh, I was under the impression that there are a bunch of styleforumers who buy a lot of EG. They seem to be pretty popular here.

^There may be, but this doesn't mean they'll stop.

SFers buy EG from a lot of different shops, discounted or no.

Originally Posted by lance konami

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Eh, I was under the impression that there are a bunch of styleforumers who buy a lot of EG. They seem to be pretty popular here.
There are. And there will still be a bunch of styeforumers who buy a lot of EG. Perhaps slightly less, but not to a degree that is going to make an impact on EG.

Lance, That is true, but I think the vast majority of people buy EG full retail because it is so limited, and/or wait until deep end of season sales. I doubt eliminating a constant SF discount is going to hurt EG.

Originally Posted by shoreman1782

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As to JD's statement, if a dude is flipping last season's stuff that he's finding on deep deep discount, who has a problem with that?
Lots of people might have a problem, or no one might. It depends if CYC is on board or okay with the whole thing. If they're not, it's grey marketing, which causes nothing but trouble for everyone doing business legitimately through the manufacturer. The source of the goods is at much at issue as the people doing the reselling online. From dealing with shifting seasons of gear in a different retail sector I've become pretty tuned to how nervous this kind of thing makes everyone involved, from the supplying company to the shops. What you have is essentially someone who has a stock at their disposal (that they didn't get from the manufacturer and with whom the manufacturer has no relationship) setting prices and making goods available to everyone from coast to coast. That can significantly affect other shops' ability to move last season's product, which leads them to make more conservative buys in the future, and it messes with the fair market value of the goods themselves. If the deal is available to a few people within driving distance of San Fran, that's one thing, but if everyone and their mom can suddenly get dayton boots for 375 if they wait a few months, then they're not really worth their full retail of 700+ to almost ANYONE anymore, are they? Randoms getting involved in flipping can really **** with a lot of assumptions the company and the shops are making, and especially with the market the way it is right now I can imagine that nervousness only being heightened.

This is already standard practice in Japan... except the brand also sets the retail price in the first place. Judging by this and by Crane's problems with Filson, it probably will be in the US as well.


Sarcastic Answer: Who cares if these people screwed up everything for the rest of us??!! They were just trying to profit and look out for themselves and that is never wrong!!

Ok, how many times could it have possibly happened that a person first purchased an item an a non-aff, then returned it and told that store about affiliate discounts, then purchased it from an affiliate? Isn't it far more likely that in the majority of cases, they found out about the affiliate discount before the initial purchase? Retailers are upset about the affiliate discounts, fine. But unless we were aiming to keep affiliate discounts top secret, it's sorta ridiculous to blame the thrifty SFer for this policy change, rather than the existence of the discounts period. FWIW, I have always paid full retail for these brands.

Thanks, TyCooN.

I've got a question, though. Why didn't EG just say tough *******? Who's fault is it that some operations run lean and mean enough to charge <gasp> LESS MONEY for an item? Isn't that uh, pretty normal?

What's that term that means exclusive control over a property? I can't remember. Wait, is that price fixing?

[edit] Gonna toss in this edit and while I'd love to eat popcorn over this, I gotta get a hair cut. Anyway, after reading JD's latest, it really sounds like free market tools are pissing people off, but don't we LIKE and ENJOY free market tools? Aren't the advantages of a FREE MARKET far greater than the disadvantages? ie - paying 2x too much for something only because it's the only store to carry it in your state?

Originally Posted by lance konami

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Actually the more I think about this, the more stupid EG sounds.

Who cares if they want to dictate exactly when and how much their sales are? They'll lose business and they'll learn the hard way that their product simply isn't good enough to be that arrogant. I can't believe they are taking that stance in this economy. Morons.

I disagree with this. If EG doesn't put the restrictions up and people keep returning crap to the vendors, then those vendors will refuse to stock EG products. If these pissed off vendors don't stock EG products, they will get less exposure and less buyers of their product. Not all the buyers of EG products are members of a forum that get a discount on the product.

So the people who are telling these vendors they got it elsewhere cheaper are idiots. Why not just say you didn't like the way the product fit you? Saying you found it cheaper is classless.

Now I understand why buyers are asking if the tags are still on the items listed for sale. Is there any to find out who the bad apples are?

Originally Posted by db_ggmm

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I've got a question, though. Why didn't EG just say tough *******?
Shops will no longer buy their stuff (or will, more likely, just buy it more conservatively) if they don't think they can move it at a certain price, because other people are undercutting them. It's as much about designing things that are hyped and that everyone's itching to buy as keeping them at a price people are willing to pay; both are necessary to keep the clothes going out the door in a customer's shopping bag. If everyone agrees something looks bad ass but ends up sitting on the racks because the price is too high, that doesn't help the shop much (aside from providing wall candy in some cases, which I'm convinced is more or less the sole purpose of some of the items put out every season). Then EG has to drop its own prices because its clothes aren't worth as much to the public anymore and hence shops will pay less for them. Lots of things going on there.

Originally Posted by TyCooN

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TyCooN Notes:
*Some fucktards from this forum bought EG products from "other" retailers

*Consumers realize they can get a better styleforum discount via Mauro

*marsupials cite their reason for return as HEY I CAN GET IT CHEAPER FROM Mauro!!!11

*Other retailers get pissed off and snitch out to EG

*EG goes belligerent and doesn't allow retailers to provide discounts anymore unless they greenlight it

*Mauro loses some business

Mistake is in bold.

so who are the fucktards? Come clean with it. Don't be integrity violators.

So true. What happened to saying the damn thing didn't fit the way you wanted.

Originally Posted by Timbaland

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I disagree with this. If EG doesn't put the restrictions up and people keep returning crap to the vendors, then those vendors will refuse to stock EG products. If these pissed off vendors don't stock EG products, they will get less exposure and less buyers of their product. Not all the buyers of EG products are members of a forum that get a discount on the product.

So the people who are telling these vendors they got it elsewhere cheaper are idiots. Why not just say you didn't like the way the product fit you? Saying you found it cheaper is classless.

How does retail pricing work in clothing, typically? Do the manufacturers set the retail price or is it the retailer?

Originally Posted by lance konami

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Actually the more I think about this, the more stupid EG sounds.

Who cares if they want to dictate exactly when and how much their sales are? They'll loose business and they'll learn the hard way that their product simply isn't good enough to be that arrogant. I can't believe they are taking that stance in this economy. Morons.

Wrong.

I'm going to defend EG on this one. They're doing an excellent job with design and production. And they are a world-class operation when it comes to brand building. They have great press coverage and Daiki gets a write-up every week. They make beautiful and unique items. They've been soldiering with their aesthetic for a few years now. Recently, their popularity has exploded and a lot of the kids wearing BAPE and Dunks in 2005 are now talking about "kopping" a Bedford jacket. They could be a lot bigger than they are. I'm sure the people at Tobi and Revolve would buy their line in a huge way if they could.

A huge part of EG's appeal is its relative scarcity. It's not a common brand, it's not a common look, and it's not found everywhere. By restricting its online sales to strong brick and mortar accounts (Farinelli's, Odin, etc) it maintains its brand image and supports its loyal partners. Part of that image is keeping prices where they should be. EG isn't cheap, but I feel that it gives good value for the money. They have the luxury of having more demand than they can fill. But unlike a lot of "streetwear" companies, it's not because of celebrities, fake scarcity, and bullshit. It's because they're really good at what they do - and the clothing reflects that.

I carry Alden. They've got the exact same regulations. No discounts, and no sales unless they approve it. You can advertise the shoes online, but can't sell them via a checkout. Given the attention and respect they have on this forum, it hasn't hurt their status. Buying an Indy Boot is a special thing because of this. Imagine if you could get one on Zappos for 10% less. Or use a coupon on ShoeBuy to save 20% on President's Day. Kind of cheapens the appeal, right? What has more value in your eyes - the sought-after and rare Indy Boot, or the Gentleman Traveler - as seen on urbanoutfitters.com and half-off at Revolve?

EG is doing quite well in this economy. People are spending less, but buying more specialty items. I'm quite sure that they'll be survivors. And people who carry EG and invest in them can sleep soundly knowing that prices are maintained. They probably have to do that across the board - which unfortunately applies to our discount as much as it does a Saks or Barneys 75% markdown in November.

I've personally used the SF discount and loved it. Loved getting a Filson bag from Crane's and saving 40 bucks or so. And a BoO shirt from Hejfina. It's a great service as a customer. But as a designer, I also understand why some brands like EG might want to opt out.

How does retail pricing work in clothing, typically? Do the manufacturers set the retail price or is it the retailer?

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If the manufacturer has any sense at all he will make certain stipulations as to being able to retain some control over minimum retail prices and when they take effect, ie MSRP for the first month, then X, then Y on black friday, never below Z amount etc... but it depends on the shipment. I have seen shipments with 0 terms that cost a shop 1/2 of normal shop cost when the manufacturer just overproduced the **** out of something and needed to get it out of the warehouse as soon as possible, not terribly uncommon. Depends what everyone's needs are... supply and demand. Not in clothing though. This industry segment seems like a pretty small circle.