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General discussions about modeling topics.
Airfix Not Stocking Stores?
SgtRam
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Posted: Sunday, October 22, 2017 - 02:06 AM UTC
I read a post else where that stated that in the UK Airfix is no longer supplying local hobby stores due to a decline in sales. How would this solve a decline in sales?

I would be thinking that is might be to increase profits, by selling online at RETAIL prices, instead of selling to resellers at wholesale prices.

Has anyone experienced this? I have noticed here in North American, especially Canada, we wait a VERY long time for any new releases to reach our hobby stores, including online stores. I have seen in some cases a 3-6 month delay from the time Airfix releases it in the UK till it is on the shelves here.

retiredyank
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Posted: Sunday, October 22, 2017 - 02:26 AM UTC
I recently priced shipping, from the contiguous US to Canada. A package shipped, to Canada was $35.00. Whereas, the same package stayed, within the US was only $7.95. I know shipping, from the UK to the United States is and has been quite high. Perhaps, the same logic applies to packages shipped, from the UK, elsewhere.
raypalmer
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Posted: Sunday, October 22, 2017 - 05:17 AM UTC
I find the descrepancy between sellers amazing.

Different retailers in the same country, say Germany or the US, with wildly different shipping rates. Are some retailers really just not interested in shopping around for the most competitive rates? Or, and I think this more likely, are they gouging on shipping to make a profit? Which seems like shooting yourself in the foot right at the moment you're about to make a sale.



As a rule I don't even consider uk, us, german etc. sellers as shipping is beyond preposterous. I find Japan, HK and oddly Poland to be my best bet. Basically all my online shopping sources from those three.

But, recently I made two small purchases from the UK. Bucking the trend they had reasonable shipping. The first arrived but had actually originated in Holland! So obviously not really a UK seller just a .co.uk storefront. The other was actually from England tho! A first for me!
RobinNilsson
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Posted: Sunday, October 22, 2017 - 04:16 PM UTC

Quoted Text

I find the descrepancy between sellers amazing.

Different retailers in the same country, say Germany or the US, with wildly different shipping rates. Are some retailers really just not interested in shopping around for the most competitive rates? Or, and I think this more likely, are they gouging on shipping to make a profit? Which seems like shooting yourself in the foot right at the moment you're about to make a sale.



As a rule I don't even consider uk, us, german etc. sellers as shipping is beyond preposterous. I find Japan, HK and oddly Poland to be my best bet. Basically all my online shopping sources from those three.

But, recently I made two small purchases from the UK. Bucking the trend they had reasonable shipping. The first arrived but had actually originated in Holland! So obviously not really a UK seller just a .co.uk storefront. The other was actually from England tho! A first for me!



Without having looked in their finance reports I could make a few guesses:
1. Shipping rates could depend on their shipping volumes, partially as a result of what deals they can make with the shipping companies and partly depending on their own organisation. Will a truck come around once daily and pick up 50 to 100 boxes weighing half a ton (1000 pounds) or is it oe of the shop assistants who drops a package off at the local post office on his way home? Maybe these are extreme examples but you get the general idea.

2. Efficiency. Do they have a shipping department who do this job on a nine-to-five basis with efficient routines, all the goods and packing materials easily accessible. Maybe get volume rates o packing materials (boxes, foam, bubble plastic et.c). Buying ten large rolls of bubble wrap at once gets you another price than a few small sheets or checking incoming deliveries for packing materials. My favourite dealer here in Europe has some kind of machine which compresses and cuts corrugated paper/board into soft-ish filling materials, turns incoming boxes into soft filling so they reuse incoming boxes in two ways, as boxes and as filling. When I buy something I can get a box with Takom name and logo and the "stuffing" can be a "shredded" Italeri or Tamiya box, sometimes it is local newspapers (Hey guys, bring your old newspapers to work, we'll ship them over the world).

3. Volumes, ties in with both of the above but there is also the advantage with size. Shipping prices to me, the customer, can also depend on how much I buy as in free shipping with DHL if the order is above a certain limit -> they take the cost for shipping out of the margins for the models I bought.
A larger order has less handling cost per $ or £ or Euro of goods value than a small order, the difference comes out of the shipping charges.

4. Business efficiency. Almost fully automated ordering system or is there a person sitting and reading e-mails and doing it all manually?

5. Different ideas about doing business. This can be completely random. Goes from 'don't give a [auto-censored]' via 'can't be bothered to think about better options or cheaper shipping methods' to 'my internet customers keep my in business and I'll do my best to keep them happy'.

6. The big, and cheap, shipping services may not be available in all locations in Europe so the shop is forced to use an expensive one.

Just a few thoughts ...
/ Robin
SgtRam
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Posted: Sunday, October 22, 2017 - 04:45 PM UTC
Think the topic has gotten a little off track. My main concern on the post was Airfix, not shipping.

Thanks
RobinNilsson
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Posted: Sunday, October 22, 2017 - 05:09 PM UTC
Back to Airfix
Maybe Airfix is selling so much online that there isn't enough kits available to supply the stores?

I checked the list of stockists for 'North America' on their website:
https://www.airfix.com/uk-en/stockists/north-america/?p=1
and there was 121 in the list but only one (1 single) was in Canada (Richmond BC).
Maybe Airfix has given up on Canada? Shipping costs?
https://www.airfix.com/uk-en/stockists/north-america/?q=&postcode=&country=Canada&brand=airfix&distributors=&search=
/ Robin

There is 414 in continental Europe and another 379 in UK (including Ireland ??)

To really get back on track we'd need to consider Hornby as well ... 8 stockists in the US, 1 (one) in Canada.
retiredyank
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Posted: Sunday, October 22, 2017 - 06:29 PM UTC

Quoted Text

Think the topic has gotten a little off track. My main concern on the post was Airfix, not shipping.

Thanks



Didn't realize I was digging a rabbit hole.
Jmarles
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Posted: Monday, October 23, 2017 - 02:05 AM UTC

Quoted Text

I read a post else where that stated that in the UK Airfix is no longer supplying local hobby stores due to a decline in sales. How would this solve a decline in sales?

I would be thinking that is might be to increase profits, by selling online at RETAIL prices, instead of selling to resellers at wholesale prices.

Has anyone experienced this? I have noticed here in North American, especially Canada, we wait a VERY long time for any new releases to reach our hobby stores, including online stores. I have seen in some cases a 3-6 month delay from the time Airfix releases it in the UK till it is on the shelves here.




I still see Airfix kits on the shelves at the two larger LHS's out here in Vancouver. Some are obviously older stock I suppose but plenty of newer ones too. My only beef about Airfix is why they don't release their older 1/32 /54mm figures!😣
jon_a_its
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Posted: Monday, October 23, 2017 - 02:09 PM UTC
Hmmm

In the UK it might be more to do with their pricing.
on their website they only sell MRP, + postage!

Airfix recently upped their prices by a third overnight from about £22 to £37 and £49 for the top line new kits.

The new SeaFury, Mustang & Hurricane will be about £21, reasonable perhaps & comprable to equivalent kits.

The Walrus, Meteor & Bleneim MK1 at £37, might be less so, and some won't pay that because it's Airfix, despite the new stuff being very good.
drabslab
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Posted: Wednesday, October 25, 2017 - 03:15 AM UTC

Quoted Text



Didn't realize I was digging a rabbit hole.



Nice expression
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