Brooks USA actually changed their distribution model. They not are selling directly to dealers, instead of distributors. You would think that savings would be passed along to dealers and end users as there is one less step between them. Well, that generally doesn't happen.
The bulk of the mark up and margin has been absorbed by Brooks USA, not dealers, while at the same time eliminating long time distributors who have propped up Brooks during their dark years in the 80's and 90's. Not only that, in the time that this has been instituted, dealer and retail pricing has gone up quite a bit. Due to the MSRP's, dealers are not raking in the dough. Brooks is not a keystone plus product for dealers, not even their handlbar tape or grips or mudflaps. Give them a bit of a break. They are getting squeezed quite a bit. It's not like there's an installation charge for saddles.
Tom Martin Annapolis MD
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: John Betmanis <johnb@oxford.net>
To: CLASSIC RENDEZVOUS <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>, usazorro@yahoo.com
Date: Sun, 16 Nov 2008 11:06:28 -0500
Subject: Re: [CR]Brooks Saddles
At 07:33 PM 15/11/2008 -0800, Jerome & Elizabeth Moos wrote:
>I also see the weaker pound is making Brooks Ti saddles in UK almost sane i
>n price again. Over the years, I've bought a good many Brooks saddles di
>rect from UK at times when the price difference covered the shipping, as
>well as a number in the US when the US price including freight was competit
>ive. The window now seems to be open again when direct orders from UK wi
>ll make sense. Brooks need to reduce US prices significantly to protect
>US dealers. That assumes the higher US prices are due to Brooks wholesal
>e pricing, rather than US dealer markups. If the later, then US dealers
>will need to take a bit less markup or lose some sales to UK shops that sel
>l on the net.
I remember when the pound was worth 3 dollars for decades. That was back when Great Britain was still a major manufacturer of cars, motorcycles and bicycles. Ev
John Betmanis Woodstock, Ontario Canada
--
Tom Martin
General Manager
VO Imports
1817 George ave
Annapolis MD 21401
phone: 443-949-8115
Fax: 443-926-0095
eMail: tom@voimports.com
Blog: voimports.blogspot.com
Web: http://www.voimports.com