RETAIL STORE FRONT VS ONLINE SHOPPING

I know full well that if you are reading this you can shop online. Tower hobbies and the online stores are huge and can buy inventory in bulk offering items at lower costs than store fronts. If however you go bashing or racing and have a problem with your ride can you swing in to the online store and get your ride running again the same day? I started my little store because I hate to be on the side lines when my buddies are running and i know if you have the rc addiction you dont like it either. I cant compete with tower or the web in pricing but I can crush them in customer service.So support the store front hobby shops then maybe we can compete more with the pricing end. Thanks to all the rcers

Rob

Robs Extreme rc wrote:I know full well that if you are reading this you can shop online. ...... I cant compete with tower or the web in pricing but I can crush them in customer service.So support the store front hobby shops then maybe we can compete more with the pricing end. Thanks to all the rcers

Rob

The on-line pricing is because they don't have the brick and mortar to pay off. OVERHEAD is a huge cost to operation. WHat many people don't realise is that things like electricity for chargers, water on tracks, towels/ TP/ hand soap, and a lot of other stuff adds up and lost $ that is never recouped. Prices that are set "high" in comparison to what is the "average" will detract from sales, but often are not a profit margin of more than 10% once all the extra stuff is factored in operational cost.

I work @ a hobby shop, and also am a hobbyist. I also shop on-line as there is just somethings that make sense to get in both places.

What bothers me personaly is when people come IN the retail store, pick my brain, ask a bajillion questions about products, and then go elsewhere to save a few bucks, just to return and once something is broken, or not what they expected it to be. Now; after not getting the "service" on-line that they need, it is back to the brick and mortar and people still want to beat us up on price.

Asking "Gimme a discount?" is rude. See how that works at a mobil gas station, and be sure to follow it up with "I shop here a lot and spend a lot of money on gas"... lemme know how that works out :face:

@ Watervliet Sci-Ho I can definately say there is 70% (the bulk of our inventory) that is under MSRP and MAP prices. Are we running at 10% overcost and making tons of money like an online warehouse ? no way..... but sometimes the little bit extra that we do charge allows us room to "give" a discounnt to people who show loyalty and patronage to the shop with repete customer relationships.

I'm sure everyone here on this forum can agree 100% with what I'm saying and hopefully can understand the phrase..

"we all gotta eat".

Just my 10 cents on thhe subject, the first .02 are free

:P Online is good for those parts you just cant get from your local retail store! Sometimes it may be a pain in the ass, if you can'tget your r/c fix in but is'nt a hobby ? I wonder myself? The buisness has to be able to make the $$$ so YOU have a place to get away and race or fly or bash :cheers: ! Remember if all else fails remember BOB SAGET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D :D :D :D :face: :!: :!: :!:

i hate buying online...i much rather support the 2 or 3 hobby shops i go to.

+1

I have to agree with both sides of this story...reason is that I have shopped on line, also I have gone to the hobby shops....thats a fact in this hobby. I own a small home based hobby shop that I have had since July of 2009, I have had customers in buying stuff or hanging out talking r/cs and sometimes wrenching on them too. I like the fact that they come over to hang out and to wrench on their own cars, I do offer a service department, but I really enjoy everyone getting to know how these things work( some of mine are newbie's )....I work out of my shed, yes thats my hobby shop...Im very small in store size, everything I have in the shop is out of my pockets, but what I am big on is service! Hullacious Hobbies, Ballston Spa, NY