ARB Air Locker Copies

[ozbogwam]

What would make us all happy?

If any ARB gear made in Australia was cheaper to purchase in Australia than in any other country. 
Even if you just jacked up the prices in the USA to be above ours.... as long as aussie gear is cheaper in Aus!  Perception is reality. (BTW, not a popular idea).

Don't worry... just blame it on the financial crisis in Greece and Italy.

mike

But that can't happen with our strong dollar, high cost of living, small market place, tax structure etc etc

Just because something is made in a particular country doesn't mean it is going to be cheapest there.

I can buy a can of coke for about 20 c in Indonesia but can't do that in the USA.

There are a whole bunch of factors that determine pricing and country of manufacture isn't the main one

[schmik]

yeah yeah yeah.... sure sure sure....

1st, i'm pretty sure coke is made where it is sold. i.e the coke we drink here is made here.
<edit> i looked it up, the syrup is from the US. The bottling is local to wherever you buy it. </edit>

2nd, if a locker costs $500 to make then that is a fixed cost. Doesn't matter where it is being shipped to, the cost to make it remains the same.
You can try to BS people about taxes and exchange rates and all other sorts of financial BS but it's all..... BS. 

In this case ARB cannot sell that locker for less than $500 to a yank or an aussie.
The price they chose to sell it for is their business.

[Lori]

We have a 150 Prado, last year when pricing up bullbars we ended up getting a ARB bar.

The funny thing..... It was cheaper to buy and install through OL than the price ARB quoted. And as stated in earlier posts ARB are no longer alone in the marketplace, not only are other products arriving but some of the companies are putting in as much research and development into their product.

Australians dont necesarily want cheap products, we want quality products at a reasonable price.

[jr]

I suspect all that will happen from this sort of customer research is the USA dealers will get their cage rattled for disobeying their export restrictions, then you wont be able to buy them through that route any more

[Redback]

I think the main reason for the cheaper price in the US, is mainly due to the volume of sales there, it's a pretty big market, especially when you include Canada, Mexico and Sth America.

Baz.

[4wd26]

the buy price in USA is cheaper- but the delivery to Aussie brings the price to within $100- so its easier to pay for the product in Australia with the warranty.

ARB have there heads screwed on and have priced accordingly.

interesting to me though is since the chinese copies have been around in greater numbers and marketing (ebay and internet stores) ARB are doing deals- free compressor etc, for 20 years they have never "discounted" the locker like this.

now put this into context beside the Johny Trackabout saga....  and what do you get?

[Trackaprado]

But that can't happen with our strong dollar, high cost of living, small market place, tax structure etc etc

Just because something is made in a particular country doesn't mean it is going to be cheapest there.

I can buy a can of coke for about 20 c in Indonesia but can't do that in the USA.

There are a whole bunch of factors that determine pricing and country of manufacture isn't the main one

A Manufacturer will price his product at a price that the market is willing to pay for it.  Australians have historically been prepared to pay more than other countries for many and varied goods.

This price difference based on a particular market works as long as those markets are kept separate.  It worked in the not too distant past but with online shopping its getting harder and harder to keep those markets apart.

If you can get your ARB lockers cheaper OS then do it and maybe one day the honchos here will realise that we are not prepared to pay their outrageous price mark ups anymore. 

[schmik]

so it's $100 difference per locker. Add delivery of $100... now it's a $200 difference (between local and USA).

If ARB dropped the price $201 and it was cheapest to buy here in Aus then we would all beat our chests, claim ARB as the 'little aussie battler' and thump anyone who claimed an e-locker was better.  But ARB appear to want to be 'elite' or something. Or they are just too greedy. No one gives a flying ferkle about anything other than share price anymore. Screw national pride, screw brotherhood, screw loyalty... ALL PRAISE THE DOLLAR! 

It really is just sad. This whole thing is not really about the price. It's about fairness. It's about perceived fairness. And selling an aussie made product in the USA cheaper than here does not meet our internal fairness test. This gives people a bad feeling and... in the long run the good will towards ARB will suffer.

And the comment above about the USA shops shipping to Australia. 100% agree. Best solution ever! Costs them nothing and they get to blame someone else.

[Squalo]

I have given this a little more thought. To enter the US market, a company needs some leverage, and for ARB a competitive price-point was fairly critical. Once established, the margins can then be worked up over time.

The alternative was to drop the margin on all markets, which might have made locals happier - but then where does the capital for re-investment into new products come from?

Seems to me that ARB has developed a business model that works very well for them.

[schmik]

As already posted by D4D, have a look at their annual report : http://www.asx.com.au/asx/statistics/displayAnnouncement.do?display=pdf&idsId=01228024

Profit is growing exponentially.  Aus is still the LARGEST part of their business by far.
If you look at their profit... and profit growth you will see that there is more then enough for re-investment into new product development.

It even says in their report that profit now is greater than all revenue was just a few years ago.... in other words, they are rolling in it.

I have nothing against then and i think their products are great I would just like to see them in a position where they were actually proud to be Australian.

[Redback]

I think ARB will be around for quite some time, they are in the postion of being a company that produces a good quality product that is sort after world wide AND is made in Australia for the most part, you only have to look at 4WD mags from England, the US and Europe to see this.

ARB are very well respected all around the world, yet not here, must that tall poppy thing again.

Baz.

[Captain]

...It really is just sad. This whole thing is not really about the price. It's about fairness. It's about perceived fairness. And selling an aussie made product in the USA cheaper than here does not meet our internal fairness test. This gives people a bad feeling and... in the long run the good will towards ARB will suffer....

Well said. 

Put it this way, ARB is willing to sell it to foreigners cheaper than to local Aussies, yet want us to support local manufacture and buy Aussie made goods.  Smacks of using patriotism to bleed a few more dollars from the locals

I like ARB products, they are well made - I have bought enough of them to know    And I understand it makes business sense to maximise profit - but that can be at the expense of goodwill. Looks like ARB values it profits more than the goodwill of its customers.

Cheers

Captain

[alnjan]

For what it is worth, my two cents, after reading this thread, there are some people that just have no idea or concept of the Global market and how the same product can be a different price Country to Country.  More I think this thread has turned to reflect the economic depression (by that I mean less money in the hand to cover increase utility bills, put food on the table and still be able to have a life) we are all suffering. 

As for ARB Lockers, I am currently looking for a Cruiser, been looking at 80's and 100's.  Must say there are not many with ARB Lockers fitted.  I have Front and Rear on my old hilux and having them place a lot more priority on Lockers then a lot of other people, even ones that actually drive them off road. 

The one comment I do agree with that has been mentioned in quality gear at a reasonable price.  I guess that just depends what each of us defines as a reasonable price.

[D4D]

For what it is worth, my two cents, after reading this thread, there are some people that just have no idea or concept of the Global market and how the same product can be a different price Country to Country. 

I think you missed the point of being a consumer in a global market. I now have the option to buy a product from any country I like.

[alnjan]

Being a Consumer in a global market  is a different issue altogether and one that has it's own range of problems and issues.  Just ask Johnny Trackabout.  If not for an open global market things would be a lot different all round.  If as a consumer you can shop globally, then until ALL Countries and Markets are playing on the same level field similar situations will continue to happen and business in supposedly good financial countries, such as a Australia will continue to fold or go overseas to be able to compete with cheaper products.  For the consumer however, cheaper does not always mean quality.

[McGirr]

This style of pricing will always be. As mentioned expanding into a market overseas requires competitive pricing and this is what ARB are doing. Ford have done it and so has Holden.

With the Aussie dollar being what it is the opportunity is there to purchase and save by buying over seas but there will always be consumers that are happy to walk into a store and buy.

As a consumer we now have more choices and if sales start to slow companies will re position pricing to compensate. Well done ARB an Australian company exporting and surviving in this climate of imports.

If you don't like the prices buy overseas but they are surviving and making money is that a problem.

Put it this way if they went off shore to build and only imported to make them cheap and sacked the staff they have what would we say then.

I know if I had the opportunity to own the company I would be doing the same.

Now the banks that's another matter !!! 

Mark

[@fnq4now]

I've been reading this thread with interest. I'd like to hear from ARB in regards to their pricing structure.

[ozbogwam]

There is no way they will tell you like prettymuch no business would, none of any ones business.

Tall poppy syndrome is alive and well.

Most of the US stuff is sold wholesale via Internet fronted stores, very few actual shops with employees etc. the price is also obviously poles apart due to the recent changes in the strength of the relative currencies.

In the end don't like the price don't buy, pretty simple but to expect a company to be fair because you aren't willing to pay their price is bizarre.

Some companies are priced at a premium due to the quality of the product and the market segment they want to attract. You can sell ten products at a profit of $10 to make a $100 or sell five st $20 to make your $100. Each have pros and cons, selling the five means less stock sitting on shelves, etc etc

They have their business model which has made them a very successful and profitable business. They aren't a charity or a two bit eBay seller (not that anyone selling stuff on eBay is not legit etc etc)

[Burnsy]

I am all for Australian businesses and I think people are doing Trackabout a great dis-service by comparing them to ARB.  I don't think Trackabout ever set profit above community and gouged any customers.  Full points to ARB for building such a strong business but gouging those who made you who you are makes them different to the banks who enjoy bending each of us over so much. 

Unfortunately this is now the way of the world and CEO's and board members no longer give a flying roger about anything but bottom line.  I don't like it and I will whinge about it but at the end of the day we all just have to suck it and work around it where we can ie. buy from the US.

ARB produce great gear but only last week I was given confirmation of their market fixing and money grabbing ways.  There is a particular non-arb product that I wanted to stock and sell.  Unfortunately for me, in WA arb are the distributors and all resellers must buy through them.  They get to decide who sells and who doesn't, not the manufacturing company.  I fit into the doesn't category purely because they see me as a threat to their stores here who stock the said product because I sell online.  The same product can be bought online much cheaper in the eastern states because it is being bought from different distributors. 

[ozbogwam]

If a company has exclusive rights to resell a product in a country then that means exactly that, the terms would have been set by the manufacturer.

This ARB bashing is pathetic, this is an Australian company that employs Aussies, sells Aussie designed and made products to a world wide market yet seemingly because they are more expensive than some are willing to pay are evil money grabbers.

[BigJules]

Are their products good? Do you think they're worth it? If yes, get down to a retailer and work out the best deal you can. If not, don't! But don't whine about it endlessly.

Australian business is tough, wages are relatively high, both for manufacturers and retailers because we have all come to expect a standard of living that is uncommonly high.

Complaints don't hurt (necessarily), only consumer action.

[D4D]

I don't mind paying top $ for ARB products as they're premium quality. What I do take offence to is paying less for ARB products when I am in the US vs. when I am in AU.

[TOY80ST]

If a company has exclusive rights to resell a product in a country then that means exactly that, the terms would have been set by the manufacturer.

This ARB bashing is pathetic, this is an Australian company that employs Aussies, sells Aussie designed and made products to a world wide market yet seemingly because they are more expensive than some are willing to pay are evil money grabbers.

Wasn't it ARB who started this bashing thread. I had a ligitimate question to ARB in their introduction thread that has still not been answered and I think there are a lot of people who would like it explained by ARB not someone having a guess. Yes the manufacturer set the pricing but why is it sold cheaper in a country it is imported to other than on it's own shores. A great example of how I see it should be done is the same as the contract by Leupold scopes. Made in the US and sold at Cabella's over there for $249.00 and the cheapest I could wrangle the price down here was $605.00 . This is a deal that has been struck up by the Australian importer. I say fair enough. Could you imagine the out cry by the US people if Leupold did what ARB have done. They would not buy Leupold any more. 75% of Americans own firearms. (72%of Americans are christians too )
Yes ARB sell a great product and they do their own R&D which costs money but if the sales of the product are so high in the US why can it be cheaper here also. After all the product sold to the US had to pay for some of that R&D and quality product too. If more Australians could afford it if they would buy it. Is it some scheme to keep the less fortunate away from ARB products so that it ends up being an exclusive thing that only the wealthy can afford?
Yes they employ Australians. I would like to see them employ more and more. But I would also like a fair deal and I believe that selling a product cheaper in anothe country is an unfair deal. If ARB sold more of their product here would they then not employ more people to keep up with demand. They are already struggling to do that now but if they employ more people they will have to do lay off's during the non peak periods, so they make you wait.

[schmik]

As far as their products go no one is complaining. I think we all agree that it is A1 gear. 
But their reputation is suffering because most aussies want a 'fair go'.  Sure 'fairness' has no place in business. At my place of employment the word 'fair' means "a place to go on rides and eat fairy floss".
BUT to the consumer fairness is huge issue.  No one ever wants to feel like they got ripped off. Every one wants a fair price. They don't mind paying for the cost of the good and for some profit to be made... as long as it is fair.

I can only speak for myself here (but i am sure that others agree). The culture of greed and profit before everything else that seems to have engulfed the world in the last few years does not sit well with 'joe average'. I am ranting a bit on here about this culture in general and not specifically about ARB. Although it certainly looks like ARB is starting to pray at the same altar.

[Dogsbreakfast]

Price gouging us dopey australians again. Shock, horror.

We smile nod, and defend ozzie made to justify why we pay much more than our o/s counterparts.