[-dustin]

i called manitou last night, wanting to know if a shop had to be an authorized dealer to sell the Sherman Jumper. i left a message, stating that. well, they just called back, and told me i could call them back with "the shop's" fax number, and they'd send me an order form. keep in mind, i was just wondering if a non-dealer shop could order it. i don't work at a shop or anything. so anywho, he then went on to say "with EP, you're looking at $___.__."

WOAH! HUH?! if all EPs are discounted that much....god damn! i need to get a job at a shop. that certainly brings a new light to what some of you guys pay for stuff. nice to know how bad i'm really getting reamed.

 

[Curb Hucker]

you screwed yourself, youre never going to want to pay near retail for anything again :evil:

 

[Jimmy_Pop]

by posting this publicly, you just fixed that loop hole. thanks bro.

 

[DHS]

um, EP is just that employee discount. not to be re-sold that way. and you're only allowed like 1 or 2 a year. i knew a shop that tried to do that, and got in HUGE trouble.

and we really shouldn't be talking about this here anyway. i don't work at a shop anymore, but am happy to support the companies.

 

[dfinn]

yup, i think you can usually figure about xxx off of retail prices, it differs company to company though. paying retail sucks, for anything.

edit: apparently the fact that people who work at a bike shop get good deals on parts is a big surprise.

 

[HippieKai]

and thats why a broke college kid can afford realy nice bikes...the shop job. what a great feeling

 

[Curb Hucker]

yup, i think you can usually figure about XX% off of retail prices, it differs company to company though. paying retail sucks, for anything.

 

[HippieKai]

good job

 

[-dustin]

that's why i tried to stay away from saying how much EP was.

and just so everyone knows, y'all can thank the guy at Manitou for telling me the EP price over voicemail.

--edit--

oh, and i ordered the fork last night, anyway, paying retail.

 

[Curb Hucker]

oh, and i ordered the fork last night, anyway, paying retail.

ya shoulda blackmailed him into EP pricing ink:

 

[dfinn]

is it really that much of a surprise to people that shop deals are good deals. I will edit my post and remove the # but I thought this was pretty much general knowledge.

 

[-dustin]

hmmm...i might do that, as well....maybe i could send him the fax number at my mom's job.

 

[HippieKai]

general knowledge.

not at all.
at least it shouldn't be.

 

[buildyourown]

The problem with working at a shop is that you can't afford rent and you have to eat beans and rice.

Now that I have a "real" job, my bikes are just as nice and I can afford to have things like a house and a truck.

Shop jobs aren't all they're cracked up to be.

 

[dfinn]

could someone explain this to me.

maybe i'm missing something. if we are talking about a shop employee (most likely making less than $10/hour) buying these parts at his EP discount and using them for himself than why is it a bad thing that the rest of the biking community knows that he gets a discount. Working for that little they deserve some kind of benefits .I got free pizza when I used to deliver it and you can bet your a$$ I let all my friends know.

 

[Lexx D]

Shop jobs aren't all they're cracked up to be.

Best job i ever had was in a shop...........but i couldn't pay my bills. Happy and poor that was me. Now I make a shyt load more but somehow I'm still broke.

 

[Enginerd A2]

could someone explain this to me.

maybe i'm missing something. if we are talking about a shop employee (most likely making less than $10/hour) buying these parts at his EP discount and using them for himself than why is it a bad thing that the rest of the biking community knows that he gets a discount. Working for that little they deserve some kind of benefits .I got free pizza when I used to deliver it and you can bet your a$$ I let all my friends know.

I can kind of understand industry insiders wanting to keep this hush hush from the average consumer, but I think 90% of the RM community knows what kind of prices EP gets you, so I think being so secretive about it on here is moot. However, people who have hook-ups are rightfully concerned about protecting them. There are arguments to both sides. Having worked at a shop for a while myself, my attitude about "supporting my LBS" and paying full retail on bike stuff has been poisoned. I buy a lot of used stuff, some sale items, and the occasional bro connection. In my defense, no one around here stocks much big ticket bike stuff that I would be interested in, i.e. freeride and dh parts. Also, items that I didn't know much about, such as my kayak, where purchased locally at full retail from knowledgable people. I don't need much advice on bike stuff.

Oh, and Inbred, I would have probably tried to order the fork direct from Manitou.

 

[PsychO!1]

Keep in mind that EP is usually well below what the shop would pay. So, don't think your 'getting reamed' when you compare retail to EP. The shops are NOT making that kind of profit margins.

 

[-dustin]

did not realize EP was that much lower than what shops pay. prior to this, i thought EP was just under retail.

 

[dfinn]

Keep in mind that EP is usually well below what the shop would pay. So, don't think your 'getting reamed' when you compare retail to EP. The shops are NOT making that kind of profit margins.

You sure about this. I might get yelled at for exposing more truth but as far as I know (and most of my knowledge comes from ski/snowboard industry) EP prices are just above cost.

 

[Curb Hucker]

You sure about this. I might get yelled at for exposing more truth but as far as I know (and most of my knowledge comes from ski/snowboard industry) EP prices are just above cost.

usually EP is 5-10% below cost

 

[evilbob]

Retail??????????

 

[Shmoe]

I think people should be able to know invoice on bike stuff.. You can with car stuff.

EP is good, makes things a little cheaper, but not all companies do it. Usually its only a little cheaper then cost anyway. I dont think dealer 'cost' prices are really that hiden anymore, its been mentioned on here many times.. and yes you online shopers are getting below true cost pricing all the time.

 

[dfinn]

you mean below true retail(msrp)? I wish I was always paying below true cost for stuff I bought online.

 

[snowskilz]

EP is 90% of the time below dealer cost. usually 5%-20% below, depending on the manufacture. For example i bought a fork last year for 667 and the dealer cost was 730 and retail was 1149. Shops dont have a huge markup on product, so when your gettin a hook up be glad. if you dont well now maybe you understand why.

 

[Curb Hucker]

EP is 90% of the time below dealer cost. usually 5%-20% below, depending on the manufacture. For example i bought a fork last year for and the dealer cost was and retail was . Shops dont have a huge markup on product, so when your gettin a hook up be glad. if you dont well now maybe you understand why.

dont post that stuff dipsh1t

 

[bizutch]

I think people should be able to know invoice on bike stuff.. You can with car stuff.

AHHHH HAAA!!! Dude, if I was a car dealer I'd love to see you coming right now!

Here is the deal and it is no secret! It is based on stock market formula for profit margin standards. Wholesale as a rule of thumb is 70% of retail. The shop(online or on the sidewalk) must streamline their in between costs to determine the profit they then make off wholesale by managing their costs.

Employee cost is not a set amount either(although it is generally accepted to be 15% off wholesale)...in general it is the least acceptable profit that a manufacturer can sell it's product for without a loss in profit or productivity.

Manufacturers have wiggle room on profit and so does the retailer. Depending on your businesses minimum profit standards...you decide how much you want to make off each unit.

The 2 above numbers are the ones shown to produce the most consistent benchmark for buyers and sellers to use and still remain profitable.

As for that car dealer "invoice" price, how many people wanna raise their hand and admit they paid "invoice" at the dealer. "Invoice" price at a dealer is way more than wholesale price on the car....a car dealer can sell that car to you for less than what they paid for it but they'll get the money back in volume incentives from the manufacturer.

If only bike manufacturers and retailers were as savvy as car dealers and put an "invoice price" on a bike....

 

[snowskilz]

dont post that stuff dipsh1t

what the F dood, did i name the product i bought no, were the numbers 100% correct no, its an example so go screw off and drop a few curbs :nuts:

 

[ChrisRobin]

Shop jobs aren't all they're cracked up to be like someone already mentioned because even with EP, you're still broke. Even then, if you're building a bike from scratch, piece by piece, you can't EP all those individual parts. So with your bad hourly wage, it's almost like you're paying full retail. If you buy a fully build DH bike, that's when EP comes in handly.

As an ex-shop employee, I do all my business online since I'm allergic to retail prices now...except silly things like cables and spokes.

 

[dfinn]

If only bike manufacturers and retailers were as savvy as car dealers and put an "invoice price" on a bike....

I don't think he was referring to the price you see marked as invoice on the sticker of the car, at least that's not how I took it. There are web sites out there where you can find out wholesale prices of vehicles, and exactly how much a dealer is charging you over their actual invoice. It may not be 100% correct but it's helpful to know when you are going in to negotiate with those scum bags.

 

[binary visions]

Jeez.

A) People get really, really touchy about actual figures for costs and percentages and margins. So just don't post 'em. Do you really feel that much of a need to post percentages and costs? Does it make you feel special that you got EP pricing? Whoop dee doo, you're really special. Keep it to yourself - nobody else needs to know.

B) Yes, shops make a big markup on a lot of stuff. Yet the shop owners I know aren't driving around in Ferraris and wiping their asses with $100 bills. So deal with it. You think this is something to get upset about? Find out how much your other local stores - grocery, hardware, etc. - mark up from their cost. It's not any different.

 

[Enginerd A2]

Jeez.

A) People get really, really touchy about actual figures for costs and percentages and margins. So just don't post 'em. Do you really feel that much of a need to post percentages and costs? Does it make you feel special that you got EP pricing? Whoop dee doo, you're really special. Keep it to yourself - nobody else needs to know.

B) Yes, shops make a big markup on a lot of stuff. Yet the shop owners I know aren't driving around in Ferraris and wiping their asses with $100 bills. So deal with it. You think this is something to get upset about? Find out how much your other local stores - grocery, hardware, etc. - mark up from their cost. It's not any different.

I think that pretty much sums it up right there. Well said.

 

[GravityFreakTJ]

Jeez.

A) People get really, really touchy about actual figures for costs and percentages and margins. So just don't post 'em. Do you really feel that much of a need to post percentages and costs? Does it make you feel special that you got EP pricing? Whoop dee doo, you're really special. Keep it to yourself - nobody else needs to know.

B) Yes, shops make a big markup on a lot of stuff. Yet the shop owners I know aren't driving around in Ferraris and wiping their asses with $100 bills. So deal with it. You think this is something to get upset about? Find out how much your other local stores - grocery, hardware, etc. - mark up from their cost. It's not any different.

bv, your custom title seems quite fitting...........

 

[buildyourown]

Find out how much your other local stores - grocery, hardware, etc. - mark up from their cost. It's not any different.

I agree, but, Grocery stores only mark stuff up about 5-10% on most items.
It's all about volume to them.

 

[narlus]

Find out how much your other local stores - grocery, hardware, etc. - mark up from their cost. It's not any different.

have you ever tried to mail-order broccoli? :devil:

 

[Curb Hucker]

have you ever tried to mail-order broccoli? :devil:

yes, it gave me the sh1ts

 

[dfinn]

www.peapod.com