Soooo my point....I am getting to one i promise...is that the two days ago while reading one of my very lovely home magazines i came across a product page with a product that i have instore. This particular brand is usually reserved for indi shops and boutique retailers, so I was quite shocked to see it was 'available' at said paper chain store!
So firstly i was a little taken back at the fact that my supplier would want their product in such a shop, but more importantly i was completely shocked at the price it was being sold for! It was being sold for 10c more than its wholesale price! I actually would be ok with the product being sold in this shop, cos its only 1 product and the brand has sooo many wonderful amazing products for us all to have in our shops, BUT, why is it being sold for almost cost price?
Firstly, straight up the brand is cheapened, it makes the product seem like its just a cheap little novelty gift, when in fact its a wonderful piece of stationery. and Secondly, how the hell are the rest of us little guys meant to survive when products are being sold for pretty much wholesale price? I mean i would LOVE to sell every product everyone for wholesale and the world would be covered in flowers and everyone would sing to each other and no war would ever happen....but its not reality! I am passionate about my Paper shop and i dont do it for the money that can be made, but money does need to be made! Rent on the Northern Beaches of Sydney is the highest anywhere and i really need to eat at least once a day!
So how on earth can these giant companies do this?
I do try and look at it from a customers point of view, and most people, especially in Australia where we are one of the most expensive country's to live, i can see that people want a good price for things. Small boutiques offer beautiful quality producst and in most cases rare items that cant be bought anywhere else. If people continue to stick with teh giant mega chains then small boutiques wont exsist, and everyone will be walking around in the same clothes, have the same interiors in their houses and loose their indivduality and rare items will be so hard to get, the cost will be so extreme only the ridiculously wealthy will be able to afford things that right now are in reach of almost everyone!
Try and support yoru local boutiques and yoru local boutiques will support you!
The reason i felt i needed to say something was because i read a wonderful article by Pip Lincolne from Meet me at Mikes, that is all about the big online companies selling books for less than wholesale....even her own book, that she cant even buy for as cheap as some companies are selling it for....She is the AUTHOR! go have a read Meet me at Mikes Blog Here
Photo from Pip's Meet me at Mikes Blog Here is available at Little Paper Lane forthe price its worth :)
