Got to love bargain New Zealand retailers...

Forums › Off topic › Got to love bargain New Zealand retailers...

1 | 2

Geektastic

17943 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1536120 19-Apr-2016 23:11

Sam91:

sir1963:

Well we wanted a new Camera. Chose a Nikon 3300 with lens.

So, went and had a look in Noel lemmings $999, but as a deal they would go down to $799

Harvey Normans had it displayed as $1333 on a card, $1001 on the box, and on special for $745

Local camera shop had it NORMAL retail for $745

Pricespy.... well we bought it from Parallel import for $599

None of the big box stores would compete.

There's a chance you will get no support from Nikon should something go wrong because your camera is a parallel import. That's something you need to take into account, but at $599 it's probably worth it. When purchasing more expensive cameras, many will avoid parallel imports for this reason.

At least that's my understanding, I could be totally wrong.

They go further in the USA. The US Nikon gear has serial numbers that begin US (i.e. US123456) and if it does not have that serial number, Nikon USA will not work on it under warranty (or, according to some reports I have seen, at all even if you are willing to pay).

This seems a bit rough: what happens if you are an American who works overseas for a few years who then buys a Nikon where you work then get posted home again, for example.

Some camera companies (well, one I know of) have proper international warranty and you can get warranty work done anywhere. Nikon do this with lenses but not with camera bodies. Leica do it with everything.

MikeB4

18435 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

#1536124 19-Apr-2016 23:16

Geektastic:
Paul1977:

OK, but you do have to factor in what it would cost to ship it here otherwise it isn't a fair comparison.

How many fit into a 40ft container that costs about $3000 to send here from LA?

A 40ft container has a volume of 67 cubic meters or thereabouts. The case has an internal volume of 0.016 cubic metres. So if we round that up to allow for external dimensions and the cardboard box, let us be generous and say 0.05 cubic metres which is 3 times the internal volume.

That means 1,350 of them fit in a container that costs $3000 to ship which works out at $2.22 per box.

I do not suppose that the importers would import 1,350 of this particular model so maybe they use a 20ft container which can be shipped for approximately half the cost.

And yes, you have to add 15% for GST.

I do think "shipping costs" get trotted out an awful lot to justify the cost of things that should be cheaper. A more significant reason is the reliance on the antediluvian "distributor" model whereby an office somewhere receives boxes from the manufacturer, repacks them and sends them to the retailer, claiming a 25% cut for doing that in the middle.

These days, it seems perfectly possible for the retailers to order direct from the manufacturer using the web.

I maybe wrong but I kind of doubt that every Pelican retailer in NZ will get a 40ft container of these, so there would be more freight costs than just getting them from the US to the wholesaler .

afe66

3181 posts

Uber Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#1536131 19-Apr-2016 23:19

If you can import so many at such a great price then do it yourself and make a lot of money .

..or maybe it isn't that simple in the real world of retail.....

Geektastic

17943 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1536145 20-Apr-2016 00:09

afe66:

If you can import so many at such a great price then do it yourself and make a lot of money .

..or maybe it isn't that simple in the real world of retail.....

A.

I don't need to: the solution already exists. Buy one somewhere it is cheaper.

Geektastic

17943 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1536146 20-Apr-2016 00:09

afe66:

If you can import so many at such a great price then do it yourself and make a lot of money .

..or maybe it isn't that simple in the real world of retail.....

A.

I don't need to: the solution already exists. Buy one somewhere it is cheaper.

PhantomNVD

2619 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#1536182 20-Apr-2016 02:20

Sam91: Rubber Monkey has the case for $359 NZD. They're a NZ online retailer and the price includes GST. That's pretty much the same as the standard US price Mike quoted excluding GST. All things considered, Rubber Monkey's price is fairly competitive.

Which goes to show, NZ tax and shipping are NOT the true reason it cost so much to buy locally.

gzt

17122 posts

Uber Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#1536257 20-Apr-2016 09:11

Geektastic:
Paul1977:

OK, but you do have to factor in what it would cost to ship it here otherwise it isn't a fair comparison.

How many fit into a 40ft container that costs about $3000 to send here from LA?

A 40ft container has a volume of 67 cubic meters or thereabouts. The case has an internal volume of 0.016 cubic metres. So if we round that up to allow for external dimensions and the cardboard box, let us be generous and say 0.05 cubic metres which is 3 times the internal volume.

That means 1,350 of them fit in a container that costs $3000 to ship which works out at $2.22 per box.

I do not suppose that the importers would import 1,350 of this particular model so maybe they use a 20ft container which can be shipped for approximately half the cost.

And yes, you have to add 15% for GST.

I do think "shipping costs" get trotted out an awful lot to justify the cost of things that should be cheaper. A more significant reason is the reliance on the antediluvian "distributor" model whereby an office somewhere receives boxes from the manufacturer, repacks them and sends them to the retailer, claiming a 25% cut for doing that in the middle.

These days, it seems perfectly possible for the retailers to order direct from the manufacturer using the web.

The local distributor model allows for rapid exchange of defective product. Retailer direct order from manufacturer model makes that difficult with no local stock. Similar with spare parts.

A direct order model is possible but it would have to include manufacturer support for air freight for product replacement and spare parts. It seems more likely that an international distributor would pioneer this model than a manufacturer.

Wise

Send money globally for less with Wise - one free transfer up to NZ$900 (affiliate link).

sir1963

3260 posts

Uber Geek

Subscriber

#1536275 20-Apr-2016 09:31

MikeB4:
Geektastic:

Paul1977:

OK, but you do have to factor in what it would cost to ship it here otherwise it isn't a fair comparison.

How many fit into a 40ft container that costs about $3000 to send here from LA?

A 40ft container has a volume of 67 cubic meters or thereabouts. The case has an internal volume of 0.016 cubic metres. So if we round that up to allow for external dimensions and the cardboard box, let us be generous and say 0.05 cubic metres which is 3 times the internal volume.

That means 1,350 of them fit in a container that costs $3000 to ship which works out at $2.22 per box.

I do not suppose that the importers would import 1,350 of this particular model so maybe they use a 20ft container which can be shipped for approximately half the cost.

And yes, you have to add 15% for GST.

I do think "shipping costs" get trotted out an awful lot to justify the cost of things that should be cheaper. A more significant reason is the reliance on the antediluvian "distributor" model whereby an office somewhere receives boxes from the manufacturer, repacks them and sends them to the retailer, claiming a 25% cut for doing that in the middle.

These days, it seems perfectly possible for the retailers to order direct from the manufacturer using the web.

I maybe wrong but I kind of doubt that every Pelican retailer in NZ will get a 40ft container of these, so there would be more freight costs than just getting them from the US to the wholesaler .

Next time you are in the Supermarket, look for imports fruit from the USA. Grown in the USA, Picked and packed in the USA, shipped to the port ,Shipped in refrigerated containers from the USA to NZ, inspected by NZ officials, etc etc, sold though someone like Turners, Shipped in smaller lots around NZ, put on to shelves and sold at retail for around $2 a kg.

Lots of companies share containers to keep the costs down.

Shipping costs are NOT a huge part of costs fro bulk goods, if they were we would be paying a LOT more for imports.

dafman

3927 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#1536332 20-Apr-2016 10:21

So I was curious, just had a look at the Pelican 1495. Are you planning on taking your laptop into Syria?

gzt

17122 posts

Uber Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#1536345 20-Apr-2016 10:35

sir1963:
MikeB4:
Geektastic:

Paul1977:

OK, but you do have to factor in what it would cost to ship it here otherwise it isn't a fair comparison.

How many fit into a 40ft container that costs about $3000 to send here from LA?

A 40ft container has a volume of 67 cubic meters or thereabouts. The case has an internal volume of 0.016 cubic metres. So if we round that up to allow for external dimensions and the cardboard box, let us be generous and say 0.05 cubic metres which is 3 times the internal volume.

That means 1,350 of them fit in a container that costs $3000 to ship which works out at $2.22 per box.

I do not suppose that the importers would import 1,350 of this particular model so maybe they use a 20ft container which can be shipped for approximately half the cost.

And yes, you have to add 15% for GST.

I do think "shipping costs" get trotted out an awful lot to justify the cost of things that should be cheaper. A more significant reason is the reliance on the antediluvian "distributor" model whereby an office somewhere receives boxes from the manufacturer, repacks them and sends them to the retailer, claiming a 25% cut for doing that in the middle.

These days, it seems perfectly possible for the retailers to order direct from the manufacturer using the web.

I maybe wrong but I kind of doubt that every Pelican retailer in NZ will get a 40ft container of these, so there would be more freight costs than just getting them from the US to the wholesaler .

Next time you are in the Supermarket, look for imports fruit from the USA. Grown in the USA, Picked and packed in the USA, shipped to the port ,Shipped in refrigerated containers from the USA to NZ, inspected by NZ officials, etc etc, sold though someone like Turners, Shipped in smaller lots around NZ, put on to shelves and sold at retail for around $2 a kg.

Lots of companies share containers to keep the costs down.

Shipping costs are NOT a huge part of costs fro bulk goods, if they were we would be paying a LOT more for imports.

Also, Mexican labour in Florida. NZ oranges are different price.

Geektastic

17943 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1536851 20-Apr-2016 16:40

dafman:
So I was curious, just had a look at the Pelican 1495. Are you planning on taking your laptop into Syria?

It's for my portfolio, not my laptop.

It makes it easier if a client asks to see it without me present: just lock in the case and attach courier labels to the outside knowing the book will arrive safe and dry.

Also easier if I have to fly with it to meetings.

1 | 2