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Default Woodcraft operates two "separate" stores

Anyone else notice that the adverstisement in the Woodcraft flyer does
not match the local store sales? I drove 20 miles (and 20 miles
back) to a Woodcraft and they said the sale item I wanted was not on
sale, yet it is on the website. Why would a franchise be undersold
by the parent company? Now I shop online, and don't visit the local
Woodcraft store.
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Default Woodcraft operates two "separate" stores

Phisherman wrote:
Anyone else notice that the adverstisement in the Woodcraft flyer does
not match the local store sales? I drove 20 miles (and 20 miles
back) to a Woodcraft and they said the sale item I wanted was not on
sale, yet it is on the website. Why would a franchise be undersold
by the parent company? Now I shop online, and don't visit the local
Woodcraft store.


That's the case for many brick and motor stores, even national
non-franchise stores. Many have different online and in-store specials.

Greg M
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Default Woodcraft operates two "separate" stores


"Phisherman" wrote in message
...
Anyone else notice that the adverstisement in the Woodcraft flyer does
not match the local store sales? I drove 20 miles (and 20 miles
back) to a Woodcraft and they said the sale item I wanted was not on
sale, yet it is on the website. Why would a franchise be undersold
by the parent company? Now I shop online, and don't visit the local
Woodcraft store.



Many if not most Woodcraft stores are franchises, privately owned. All the
Texas stores are owned by a single group. Local stores do and will have
their own sales that are good for its geographic area. You can always order
the web sale item from the web site.

If my local Woodcraft was 20 miles away I would shop on line also regardless
of price. Fortunately my new local store is now about 3 miles away, it was
20 or more and has moved farther away.

Why would the parent company undersell the locals? Overstocks, close outs,
bigger volume of sales to name a few. Why shop locally? No shipping
charges, answers to questions, hands on touchy feely, you can take it home
today, support for the local economy, unadvertised specials, to name a few
more.

Maybe you should get on the "Local" mailing list. The sales flyer that I
get is often particular to the Houston stores.


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Default Woodcraft operates two "separate" stores

Leon wrote:

"Phisherman" wrote in message
...
Anyone else notice that the adverstisement in the Woodcraft flyer
does not match the local store sales? I drove 20 miles (and 20
miles back) to a Woodcraft and they said the sale item I wanted was
not on sale, yet it is on the website. Why would a franchise be
undersold by the parent company? Now I shop online, and don't visit
the local Woodcraft store.



Many if not most Woodcraft stores are franchises, privately owned. All the
Texas stores are owned by a single group. Local stores do
and will have their own sales that are good for its geographic area. You
can always order the web sale item from the web site.


I've yet to have the local store tell me they can't provide an item from the
website at the same price. Even if they have to order it they'll do so in
order to keep me coming back because they know I'll probably buy something
else while I'm there (which is how they got me into the store three times in
the past two weeks).

However matching web prices is often very difficult for a local store.
Their costs are higher than a mail-order source and price-matching can slice
their profit margin so thin there's little point in them making the sale.
Good advice from the staff and the ability to eyeball the merchandise before
you buy it is worth something, it would be a shame if the only place around
to buy tools and supplies was Harbor Freight and Hell Depot.


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Default Woodcraft operates two "separate" stores

I have seen sale prices on the WC website, called my local store to
see if they had it in stock and at that advertised price and had them
say "we'll match that price."

It think it is less a factor of the mother company underselling the
local store so much as it is the local store deciding not to offer the
discounted price. You must recall hearing or reading the term "at
participating locations". As a marketer who has had occasion to sell
through an in-direct channel (dealers, agents, etc.) we do lots of
research and strategic planning at "the mother company" to set prices
and offer special deals, etc. We try to get the channel to follow our
lead because we believeit will genereate the best business for them
and us, but every owner or manager makes their own decisions on
pricing and it is generally illegal to have it any other way. I can't
even set global proces within my own corporation, each region has the
authority to sell my products at any proce they choose. They do have a
cost to their margin contribution but they get to choose.

That being siad, you can use methods of not allowing discounts but
they are really more about revoking their right to resell your product
so companies like Sawstop can hold their price in the market with no
discounts by telling their resellers if they do discount, they will
not have their resale contracts renewed.


On Feb 20, 6:04*am, Phisherman wrote:
Anyone else notice that the adverstisement in the Woodcraft flyer does
not match the local store sales? * *I drove 20 miles (and 20 miles
back) to a Woodcraft and they said the sale item I wanted was not on
sale, yet it is on the website. * *Why would a franchise be undersold
by the parent company? *Now I shop online, and don't visit the local
Woodcraft store.




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Default Woodcraft operates two "separate" stores

On Fri, 20 Feb 2009 09:04:02 -0500, Phisherman wrote:

Anyone else notice that the adverstisement in the Woodcraft flyer does
not match the local store sales? I drove 20 miles (and 20 miles
back) to a Woodcraft and they said the sale item I wanted was not on
sale, yet it is on the website. Why would a franchise be undersold
by the parent company? Now I shop online, and don't visit the local
Woodcraft store.


My only "non internet" experience with Woodcraft is with the Sacramento, Calif.
store..
I've ordered several things from them, including my Nova lathe, and they're
always matched or beat the web page prices..

They also hold items for me for weeks at a time, until someone traveling down my
way can pick it up for me..
Very good customer service, etc...


mac

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Default Woodcraft operates two "separate" stores

On Fri, 20 Feb 2009 09:04:02 -0500, Phisherman wrote:

Anyone else notice that the adverstisement in the Woodcraft flyer does
not match the local store sales? I drove 20 miles (and 20 miles back)
to a Woodcraft and they said the sale item I wanted was not on sale, yet
it is on the website. Why would a franchise be undersold by the
parent company? Now I shop online, and don't visit the local Woodcraft
store.


There seems to be some confusion here between "flyer" sales and "website"
sales. As an ex-employee, I never heard of a store not honoring a flyer
price unless the flyer had expired. Occasionally the website will offer
a clearance or closeout special on something they're dropping from the
product line. Local stores don't have to match those prices, although we
did most of the time.

--
Intelligence is an experiment that failed - G. B. Shaw
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Default Woodcraft operates two "separate" stores

DT wrote in news:20090220-184245.843.0
@DT.news.wowway.com:



Harbor Freight has *three* divisions: the local store, the web site and
their catalogs. All are separate from each other and there may be three
different prices on an item at any one time.

The store will honor a catalog price if you bring in the catalog, and
the Internet price if you print the page out. The local store mails out
fliers, but these are separate from the national catalogs.


That explains a few things about the HF website. The Harbor Freight
Tools has tools and prices, while the Harbor Freight USA has the tools,
but no prices listed. However, the HF USA site does have their current
ad(s).

(There's also harborfreight22.com, which appears to be their user/login
server.)

Puckdropper
--
On Usenet, no one can hear you laugh. That's a good thing, though, as
some writers are incorrigible.

To email me directly, send a message to puckdropper (at) fastmail.fm
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Default Woodcraft operates two "separate" stores


"DGDevin" wrote in message
m...
Leon wrote:

"Phisherman" wrote in message
...
Anyone else notice that the adverstisement in the Woodcraft flyer
does not match the local store sales? I drove 20 miles (and 20
miles back) to a Woodcraft and they said the sale item I wanted was
not on sale, yet it is on the website. Why would a franchise be
undersold by the parent company? Now I shop online, and don't visit
the local Woodcraft store.



Many if not most Woodcraft stores are franchises, privately owned. All
the Texas stores are owned by a single group. Local stores do
and will have their own sales that are good for its geographic area. You
can always order the web sale item from the web site.


I've yet to have the local store tell me they can't provide an item from
the website at the same price. Even if they have to order it they'll do
so in order to keep me coming back because they know I'll probably buy
something else while I'm there (which is how they got me into the store
three times in the past two weeks).


To clairify, The OP is complaining about the local store not honoring the
parent company "flyer". The flyers that I get are only from the local
stores and it is indicated on the flyers that they are not necessarily
honored by other stores. Often the local stores or company stores will be
offering discounts on discontinued items and those items may not be
available at other locations.



However matching web prices is often very difficult for a local store.
Their costs are higher than a mail-order source and price-matching can
slice their profit margin so thin there's little point in them making the
sale. Good advice from the staff and the ability to eyeball the
merchandise before you buy it is worth something, it would be a shame if
the only place around to buy tools and supplies was Harbor Freight and
Hell Depot.


Agreed.




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Default Woodcraft operates two "separate" stores


"mac davis" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 20 Feb 2009 09:04:02 -0500, Phisherman wrote:

Anyone else notice that the adverstisement in the Woodcraft flyer does
not match the local store sales? I drove 20 miles (and 20 miles
back) to a Woodcraft and they said the sale item I wanted was not on
sale, yet it is on the website. Why would a franchise be undersold
by the parent company? Now I shop online, and don't visit the local
Woodcraft store.


My only "non internet" experience with Woodcraft is with the Sacramento,
Calif.
store..
I've ordered several things from them, including my Nova lathe, and
they're
always matched or beat the web page prices..

They also hold items for me for weeks at a time, until someone traveling
down my
way can pick it up for me..
Very good customer service, etc...


On the occasions that my "old" Woodcraft store was out of a sale item they
would honor the sale price and have it direct shipped it direct to my home
at no additional charge.


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Default Woodcraft operates two "separate" stores

I haven't looked at a Woodcraft flyer in a while, but my recollection is that
their prices were so high, it's hard to believe they couldn't turn a profit
from any item they advertised in either a local or national flyer, from
any location. Guess that's why I stopped shopping there.





--
When the game is over, the pawn and the king are returned to the same box.

Larry Wasserman - Baltimore Maryland - lwasserm(a)sdf. lonestar.org
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Default Woodcraft operates two "separate" stores


"Larry W" wrote in message
...
I haven't looked at a Woodcraft flyer in a while, but my recollection is
that
their prices were so high, it's hard to believe they couldn't turn a
profit
from any item they advertised in either a local or national flyer, from
any location. Guess that's why I stopped shopping there.


I've not found them to be so far out of the park not to shop there. Yes,
their prices are higher than the discount stores, but I've always received
excellent service, advice, quality, etc. I do go there for some items,
other store for others too.

As for turning a profit, selling for more than the product costs to buy is
just one factor. Rent, overhead and other items come into play. Oh, and
getting customers into the store seems to help.


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Default Woodcraft operates two "separate" stores

On 20 Feb 2009 19:35:14 GMT, Puckdropper puckdropper(at)yahoo(dot)com wrote:

That explains a few things about the HF website. The Harbor Freight
Tools has tools and prices, while the Harbor Freight USA has the tools,
but no prices listed. However, the HF USA site does have their current
ad(s).


I buy from HF online and also get their ads in the mail..

If the ad price on an item is lower than the price on the web site, there is a
place to put the item number from the ad (has a different code ending, as I
remember) and the price is reduced to the ad price..


mac

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Default Woodcraft operates two "separate" stores

Many Woodcraft stores give a discount to members of turning clumbs,
woodworking guids, schools etc. I try to support woodcraft store as
much as possible so they will be there tomorrow. Our store would
certaily match the parent co sale price to keep you coming back. Talk
to the owner or manager and try to support them



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On Feb 21, 10:13*am, (Larry W) wrote:
I haven't looked at a Woodcraft flyer in a while, but my recollection is that
their prices were so high, it's hard to believe they couldn't turn a profit
from any item they advertised in either a local or national flyer, from
any location. Guess that's why I stopped shopping there.


I haven't found Woodcraft to be significantly more expensive than
online for most things.
Sure, a little more, but not too much.
I want to be able to support the local store, so that if I break a
router bit on a Saturday, I can run down there and
get a new one, as opposed to waiting 3 months for Amazon to ship a
router bit that is "in stock and ready to ship".
(That actually happened to me, fortunately I wasn't in a big hurry).

I agree with the other poster that it will be a sad day when the only
brick and mortar places to buy tools is Harbor Frieght and
Home Depot and we are forced to get everything online, sight unseen.

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