Bauer on verge of forbidding shipping?

[MissConduct 1]

LINK

[JR Boucicaut 3804]

Thank God. It's about time someone took a stand.

[scubafrogman 0]

Thank God. It's about time someone took a stand.

But what about those of us in areas that have very few retailers that carry hockey products?

I live in Olathe, KS. There is only one sports store in the graeter Kansas City area that sells "real" hockey equipment. They have no competition so they can charge pretty much whatever they want. Also they have a limited inventory. It is decent but they never have Mission or other smaller companies. They just don't have the volume as a hockey shop would.

Yes, the local rink has a pro shop but it is small and only carries your basic stuff that sells to the masses.

I could care less about Bauer doing this, I'm just letting you know why we need to allow shipping of products from retailers. I could never get a Mission stick or skates from a local store. Okay I won't say never because they might special order for me if I asked.

[Chadd 916]

That's the reason I like Mission's approach. You can only advertise it or sell on-line at a certain price but you can do whatever you want in-store. That allows any store to do whatever they want in their own market but prevents that from hurting other markets.

[mack 44]

Exactly, I live in Nashville and I'm all about supporting LHS but I can't stand the people or the stores they run here. Then again I rarely buy anything BNH.

[JR Boucicaut 3804]

THis is a good move if the brick and mortar stores will lower their prices. If they jack them up knowing that the customer can't buy online, totally different story.

[djinferno 2]

THis is a good move if the brick and mortar stores will lower their prices. If they jack them up knowing that the customer can't buy online, totally different story.

they will jack, count on it...

[Chadd 916]

THis is a good move if the brick and mortar stores will lower their prices.  If they jack them up knowing that the customer can't buy online, totally different story.

they will jack, count on it...

No doubt about it, a lot of stores are going to do that.

[analog999 0]

As a business owner, I can tell you that if I had the power to jack up my prices knowing you couldn't get them without driving hours to get them, I would. The only thing that will keep prices down is competition from other local stores - unless they collude.

This Bauer shipping ban would be terrible! I don't have a store anywhere nearby. The closest store I can visit is two hours away. My local rink only carries tape, $50 skates and junior sticks.

I can totally understand Bauer implementing MAP (Minimum Advertised Pricing) policies. Usually MAP is below MSRP and lets business owners still stay in business. I can't imagine that Bauer would dump on all their catalog-only vendors like this.

Besides, this won't stop stores from selling on ebay - the safest way for a B&M store to circumvent Bauer knowing who you are.

[SailRace 1]

To be honest guys, the end result of this (if it actually happens) is that you will basically just see far less BNH equipment being used at your localt rinks for rec leagues and such.

If the average customer is unable to get the equipment, then the equipment just won't sell. And yes, LHS will jack prices up...of course they will, its simple Supply and Demand economics. You reduce the supply and keep the demand the same, and prices go up. Only thing that brings them back down, is whne people stop buying, so demand levels out, and then you're just left with my original comment....far fewer players using BNH gear.

I would be surprised if this actually happens.

Unless...they are still going to lincense specific online retailers...but that would seem contradictory anyway.

[sogaduch 0]

i think its great that people cant buy NBH products online anymore just because ive been burned on a few occasions of people telling me they can get it cheaper online.

[chippa13 1844]

No complaints from me. But then, I have a bunch of well stocked stores all within 45 minutes of me.

[Eazy_b97 1]

i think its great that people cant buy NBH products online anymore just because ive been burned on a few occasions of people telling me they can get it cheaper online.

I wouldn't think it would matter to you much. Most on-line stores are US based and shipping destroys most deals.

[KnightII 0]

NBH shipping ban:

Great for a couple hunderd LHS owners,

Awful for tens of thousands or more consumers,

Horrendous for NBH product sales.

[#28tz 0]

I would diiiiieeeee if there was no shipping, how the hell am i supposed to get anything over here in the UK!!!!

[Oberon 0]

What, is Craig Patrick the new head of marketing for NBH? If this is true - what a ridiculously bad idea.

[Jim A 4]

there has always been select NBH stuff you couldn't order and have shipped for years...

in the beginning you had to have a B&M shop to sell online to protect the LHS..then certain top level product was prohibited from online sales...

I would say there is no way that NBH will restrict all online shipping...and wouldn't lose an second of sleep over it..because the converse to that is when the stuff doesn't sell and its sitting in a warehouse the online retailers aren't going to come back in droves to buy it up....

[msander 0]

I really wouldn't care at all. None of the Canadian stores that have online shopping available have any real deals going on. All of the online American stores that do have great deals either a)Don't ship to Canada anyways or b)Have such bullshit inflated shipping charges ($70 to ship skates???) that it isn't worth it to buy from them.

[NuggyBuggy 0]

i think its great that people cant buy NBH products online anymore just because ive been burned on a few occasions of people telling me they can get it cheaper online.

Now all you need to do is get NBH to stop selling to your competitors in Toronto where we can also get stuff cheaper, and you will be all set.

[analog999 0]

It's not even really about "the deals" as much as it is about being able to get the stuff period. There are lots of people who don't have time or $ to drive to a place that has the gear. Like I said, my drive is 2 hours to get to a store that has it. That is 2 hours there and 2 hours back. 4 Hours of driving is roughly 12 gallons of gas, at $2.50 a pop it's $30 just in gas! Not to mention having to eat a meal out, wear and tear on the car, sales tax that I wouldn't have to pay if I ordered from an out of state firm, etc. Oh, and did I mention my time?

[ryno 0]

As a guy who supports stores 90% of the time now, I can't say I would like it if Bauer stopped selling online completely.

Sorry, but I am a big fan of freedom of choice.

I agree with you on this one Theo, 9/10 if my local shop has what I'm looking for I'll buy it there. If they don't have what I'm looking for I like having the choice of buying it from whoever else I want to. Either way it's not going to effect me much personally but I can see this effecting NBH quite a bit in sales.

[DarkStar50 679]

As a dealer, this is the first I have heard of this. No mention from my NBH rep or anyone at Onegoal show. Gee, maybe hockeygeeks is sitting on a ton of BNH closeouts and really wants to push them out the door with this new "shipping ban." Before all the hockey lemmings follow each other over the cliff, lets get some solid confirmation of this from NBH. Any NBH lurkers care to confirm or deny?

BTW, my price plan would NOT be to jack up NBH. Competition in the marketplace determines prices, not this idea should it occur.

[JR Boucicaut 3804]

Could this be Canada only?

[Eazy_b97 1]

As a dealer, this is the first I have heard of this. No mention from my NBH rep or anyone at Onegoal show. Gee, maybe hockeygeeks is sitting on a ton of BNH closeouts and really wants to push them out the door with this new "shipping ban." Before all the hockey lemmings follow each other over the cliff, lets get some solid confirmation of this from NBH. Any NBH lurkers care to confirm or deny?

BTW, my price plan would NOT be to jack up NBH. Competition in the marketplace determines prices, not this idea should it occur.

I called them yesterday, before I heard all of this and the person I spoke to said they don't have anything on clearance other than Easton and only have the usual OPS, on for regular price.

[pldhockey4 0]

ebay will be swarmed with bauer sellers.

i have no good lhs around here and that will make me soo mad.