9 replies to this topic

[Spectrum]

So I was costing up the price of some percussion stuff today and I was appalled to see the continuing disparity between the Australian music market versus the USA, especially given the fact that our Aussie dollar is worth MORE than the US greenback, and has done so for some considerable time.

I present you Exhibit A:



Zildjian Avedis Series Matched Set Cymbal Pack

Australian Price:
$1,319.00
http://www.allansmus...ymbal_Pack.aspx

USA Price:
$649.95
http://www.sweetwate...tail/ACustom4Pk

Now I get that it's not necessarily the fault of the Australian retailer, who's quite often at the mercy of the Australian wholesaler/distributor, who's no doubt, more often than not, at the mercy of the manufacturer/international-distributor who holds the arrogant notion that it's acceptable to make greater-margin-per-item in different countries (as if we're not all one PEOPLE OF PLANET EARTH®).

..but this is f-u-c-k-i-n-g ridiculous.





However, I was somewhat comforted to later discover something else being done by the Aussie retailer to combat this issue:
"USA PRICE BLITZ"
http://www.allansmus...medium=homePage


Moog Slim Phatty Synthesizer

Quote

Australian Online Only Price: $855.00

USA PRICE COMPARISON*
Typical USA Quoted Price: US $795.00
Approx. Freight: US $57.73
Customs Duty: US $39.75
Total USA Estimated Cost: US $892.48
(EXCLUDES PRODUCT WARRANTY!)

OK, now we're talkin'!









(*DISCLAIMER: I haven't snooped their alleged US equivalent prices to confirm they're legitimate, but they're in the ballpark, yeah?)

[Spectrum]

But I can't help thinking this "USA Price Blitz" might be not much more than a token effort on an esoteric piece of kit.

Getting back to the regular gear...



Yamaha MSR800W Active Powered Sub-Woofer PA Speaker

Australia:
$1,999.99
https://www.allansmu...PA_Speaker.aspx

USA:
$799.99
http://www.sweetwate.../detail/MSR800W



And remember, one Australian Dollar buys almost $1.01 US Dollars.

Is this even serious? Are we even living in the same universe?

[Anders]

I think the real story here is how a weakening currency (deliberate or not) affects the economy of all the countries you export to. Normally it’s not so direct but im sure the music industry isn’t the only one affected this way.

No warranty? Buy two!

[Sid]

Ok wow, and I thought Fender were bad




Looking into buying a Fender American Standard because...

A. I need one
B. US dollar is really low
C. They sound great and they make a Candy Cola Red

US RRP $1,300-1,400
AUS RRP $1,900

That's five or six hundred dollars more for the same thing
and as you say our dollar has been worth more than the US for ages.

[Cheyne]

Thats a really good idea actually Sid ... id love to buy an american strat ... nows the time ..

[neo]

The AU$ dropped more than two cents in the last week...

[Spectrum]

Well well well, what a difference 6 months makes!


http://www.allansbil...Cymbal_Set.aspx

Now AUD$1049 (a saving of $270)

...versus USD$699 (an increase of USD$50)

Though strange the Avedis A series should be the cheaper option in the US and the pricier option in Australia, but my pick would be these A Customs anyway.

[rhythmboy]

Maybe it's simply a matter of quantity? Australia counts for about 5% of the market in MI gear worldwide.

They probably sell more cymbals in LA Nashville and New York than the whole of Australia combined... our dealers just can't buy the bulk quantities needed to compete.

One thing I think really sucks is the price of tracks on iTunes - 0.99 on the US site and $1.19-1.69 on the Aussie site. And there's no freight or anything - the files just sit on a server. And they auto-direct you to the local server based on your IP address so you're literally locked out of buying the tunes from another country's site. Might not seem like much but it's a 20%-70% markup per tune. Then again, sheer quantity of downloads from the US per month would still blow Aust's annual sales out of the water.

[Captain Terrific]

rhythmboy, on 21 August 2011 - 07:48 AM, said:

They probably sell more cymbals in LA Nashville and New York than the whole of Australia combined...

yep.

Easily

[Captain Terrific]

One thing you'll start to see brands (in this country) doing is scrapping recommended retail prices altogether - i know a lot of my brands have, and i'm seeing others follow

IMO - The mythical RRP concept in this country really was only an (misguided in many cases) indicator of where a product should be perceived to sit in the marketplace in relation to quality etc

So, if potential shopper sits at his computer and looks at an Aussie retail price, then compares it to a US price he would notice a massive disparity and head straight to the US source and shop there without giving an Aussie retailer a look-in

Now, with the brands in Aus not setting any RRP that same customer will see the Aussie retailers best possible price and in some cases find that it's no cheaper to buy US

Don't mean to blow my own trumpet - but compare Aussie Nord prices with Sweetwater.