[Brian Considine]

At the end of the day the manufacturer (in this case Hornby) has to sell direct at full recommended retail to be fair to the dealers & retailers who have supported them over the years ! If they started to discount direct to the public they would soon loose their retail support.

The same goes for other companies who manufacturer/distribute products.

Maybe the idea of direct sales is more of a service to customers - after all, if you want the item badly enough you will probably pay full retail anyway.

Lets have a bit more support for the retail trade please - the mark ups are narrow enough as it is for the retailer.

While we are on the subject of "cutting out the middle men" how many of you out there could be "cut out".
We could buy our petrol/diesel direct from the oil refineries, our food from the farmer, teach our own children, cut down our own trees to make our own furniture, do away with solicitors & estate agents - the list is endless.

best regards
Brian

 

[Brian Considine]

QUOTE (Raider @ 30 Jul 2006, 15:49) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>I don't see the point in shelling out cash for a catalogue when you can get the information from websites (be that the manufacturers or retailers) - just seems to be a waste of cash to me.

A retailer I know says that over 10% of his regular customers do not have internet access & a further 10 or 15% that do still prefer a hard copy catalogue - so there is still demand for catalogues.

Personally, although I use the internet a lot (too much says the Domestic Aurthority) IMHO, you cannot beat leafing through the actual catralogue (although not in the loo.)

best regards
Brian