 Poster: A snowHead
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This thread does exactly as it says on the tin:
How do ski shops choose the skis they're going to sell?
Although I've not tried this myself, I understand the approved way to buy new skis is to write a list and then go about testing the skis on the list. However my observation in Val Thorens was that I'd probably have to walk around a lot to try out any particular make / size. Indeed Mrs H got some funny looks asking for K2 One Luvs, almost of the "why on earth would we have those?" type.
Are most ski shops tied to a particular set of manufacturers?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Probably what they can make the most % profit on if Brighams and Snow and Rock are anything to go by 
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Probably similar to how I decide which wood work machines I'm going to sell in my shop.
1. Which products have mass appeal and are likely to sell in volume
2. Which niche products will sell giving high return
3. Which are going to give me best return - profit
4. which brand are willing to supply free/ demo stuff and good quality point of sale and sales aids
5. Which brands will help train my staff
Other factors that will sweeten the deal is stock on sale or return and stock cleansing of stuff that won't sell or even supplying consignment stock where you don't pay for it until its sold.
I'm sure something along those lines will figure although quite often you will find regional trends where companies appear to dominate in that area for some reason.
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So you suggest not, like pubs, 'tied' to manufacturer contract then?
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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JimW, they may well be but that would indicate consignment stock and stock cleansing. The chains may well be dictated to by contract using buying power to force better deals etc
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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It felt like I saw loads of Rossignol in Val Thorens...
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Charlatanefc, and clearly not what they think that the average skier really needs either...it appeared as though the majority of their range last year were aimed at off piste power or twin tipped for the park.
The vast majority of skiers, in my (humble) perception, do not spend most of their time in the park (wish they did) or in powder (glad they don't).
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Ian Hopkinson, Russell, pretty much said it. The Ski Set, Twinner, Sport 2000 etc lot have much less choice. Special deals are arranged for all the shops with the manufacturers, and some won't give the same cost price to any independent shops. I think individual shops within the franchises have some choice, but probably have to carry the major brands. Cost price and percieved popularlity are two of the major factors.
My friend Jutta stocks stuff like Volkl, K2, Armada, Scott and several more unknown makes because Rossignol and Solomon won't give her a price she can live with. I recently suggested to her that she try to make herself a "womens' test centre" and stock all the womens' skis higher up the range (including fats), but she said she can't get the test stock for the major players. She can buy B3's but not have them free for test as the bigger shops do!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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The shops/retailers in the UK are also limited by what the agents are willing to import into the country.
For example, The Nordica Hot Rod Top Fuel was not brought into the UK, as it was thought that there wasn't going to be a huge market for this particular ski. 
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easiski, is there any way of finding these things out in advance?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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easiski, We were Twinner, i chose what i wanted, we are Intersport, i choose what i want. These kind of companies do not decide what you may buy and the shops are owened independatly??????? 
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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SMALLZOOKEEPER, how does this type of franchise work? Do you pay a fixed fee for getting the prices the chain has bargained?
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I have a couple friends that own independent shops. One of their biggest influences on what to carry is what type of large purchase discount can they get for stocking a combination of boots, bindings and skis from a single source. Ergo, if they sell Rossignol skis and bindings it is beneficial for them to sell Rossignol boots, also, because they will get a bigger discount for carrying the whole line. As more ski companies merge and get bought out by larger companies the discounts they can get for carrying multiple lines from one source is very significant. This puts a real damper on their enthusiasm to carry independent lines like Blizzard, Armada or Stockli. The only reason they do carry such lines is because they have a loyal following with their cliental but they will only carry a limited amount of skis from them.
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You know it makes sense.
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Stockli factory is close by if you live in Europe though.... so you can solve that problem....
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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| David Murdoch wrote: |
Charlatanefc, and clearly not what they think that the average skier really needs either...it appeared as though the majority of their range last year were aimed at off piste power or twin tipped for the park.
The vast majority of skiers, in my (humble) perception, do not spend most of their time in the park (wish they did) or in powder (glad they don't). |
I'm not sure that the average holiday skier needs anything more than the std mid range rental stock decently tuned. I'm also not convinced that there is a huge market anymore for narrow waisted skis for the masses but there is certainly a market for fatter skis or certainly the extremely shaped Atomic B5 etc.
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Poster: A snowHead
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I always have a wish list of skis to try and I always have to trawl the resort to find them. Only in the very biggest resorts will you find your list. And then it varies country to country as some brands are 'local'.
On a recent trip to VT 8800 and B3's were very hard to find - in fact I only saw the B3 in a short lenght, and the 8800 wasn't stocked by the 'Dynastar' shop.....so not a lot of hope for the smaller companies.
My experience is that if you have a list don't expect to see half of the skis available in most resorts. It would be a resort like Chamonix that would be the exception
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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fatbob, I think you're probably right.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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JT, yes, I think Chamonix is the place (especially if you factor in the Veiux Campeur in Sallanches). I'm considering an early season skiing/shopping weekend - Smallzookeeper may receive a visit from a Snowhead looking for some Dynafit compatible touring boots...
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Arno,
New boots for me as well, so will have to pop in, I reckon
Nice pics
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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JT, Arno, Me too! We might obtain enhanced discount for bulk buy...  I heard that there was a recent thread on ski touring boots, which I must locate.......
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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SMALLZOOKEEPER, Thanks for putting me right. Why then, do they all stock the same stuff? (At least in LDA they do, with the odd extra for different shops).
In the end, and off topic; I say SUPPORT THE INDEPENDENT SHOPS. If we don't they'll all vanish like the village shops and post offices! 
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easiski, Very true!
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| easiski wrote: |
Why then, do they all stock the same stuff? (At least in LDA they do, with the odd extra for different shops).
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judging by this board's obsession with B2s, because everyone wants the same stuff!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Where is Smallzookeepers shop in Cham? I'm going to be i Argentiere for a few days next season and I need to get some new boots. I'd like to give the business to a snowhead:) Depending on how rich i am feeling i might even be in the market for a pair of fat off piste planks also!
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BernardC, Arno, Maybe a early season short stay in on the cards...
Mark2010,
As far as I know, because I haven't consiously been there in the last few seasons, its opposite the Aguille du Midi CC
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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easiski, I agree with the independent shop support. Hubby is currently fending off possible competition from a 100 hour per week supermarket pharmacy.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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They've just opened a pharmacy on the middle of my local Sainsburys, it's doing a roaring trade with the oldies as they've got something that the independants (nor even Boots) in town will never have, plenty of free parking spaces. Since the council pedestrianised the town centre the wrinklies don't find it as easy to use the shops so they pile in the car and drive somewhere else to spend their cash.
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FenlandSkier,
Yep, free-parking, when will these people get it... I hate going into town now because of parking.
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You know it makes sense.
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Next town over introduced paid for car parking in 1 of the 2 big car parks "to pay for the resurfacing", end result is that the car park with teh shiny new tarmac and 40p per hour charge sits nearly empty and the other one actually has people queuing up in it to wait for spaces, the shopkeepers are up in arms about it and the bloke that owns the chippy next to the pay parking reckons he's going to have to close.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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FenlandSkier,
That could re-introduce the concept of queing...
Have free car-parking - until full, then you have to wait.... or come back later.. so more trade goes into town and shop keepers are happier. Employ more traffic wardens to nick those that take the mick and hopefully their wages can come out of the tickets...
Our local Lidls gave up their car park to a bunch of robbers who ticketed people left right and centre - £ 150.00 fines..!! - and now Lidls and their car park is empty...Nice marketing guys...!!!
Sorry, for the highjack
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Poster: A snowHead
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FenlandSkier, aah, but there is free parking outside my hubby's place. As for the large percentage of the local population who don't have transport and will have to walk a longer distance to reach the supermarket place if hiss boss is forced to close, elderly, mums and babies etc. The whole idea of these long opening hours was to increase patient choice, but it will just decrease it in the long term.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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easiski, Companies like TWINNER, INTERSPORT, SPORT 2000 are all basically just facturing companies in that they pay the bills before we do and pick up the discount for doing so. In return we benifit from better discounts on certain products, the ones everyone stocks. I am part of the selection team for Intersport this involves selecting for the average shop and user. This benifits me and our shop in no way.We are recognised as one of the most technical shops in Europe, so having medium priced, over marketed product at a cheaper prices serves us not. Aside the discount they provide us with plastic bags and signage. I am not happy being a part of this system as i have said products selected for Intersport intrest us not yet they benefit from our knowledge in product construction and selection. So we are the local quality butcher working for the supermarket to maybe oneday, our own ends.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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SMALLZOOKEEPER, how many skis in the range for average shop / average user? Does the local management then fill in with whatever they fancy? Are the rental skis tied in with the skis for sale?
How many questions can I fit into one post? Sorry, I just get very curious about the way things work... 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Arno, Le Vieux Campeur is a terrible, dreadful evil place full of temptations and easy fixes. Feeling low young man? Come in and we'll make you feel so much better with your nice shiny new kit. Oh yes, those new Endorphines really match your eyes and the Movement Thunders really bring out the red in your hair.
Kit shopping therapy is a drug, but oh, how I love it weak individual that I am...
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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David Murdoch,
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Kit shopping therapy is a drug, but oh, how I love it weak individual that I am...
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You are an addict, admitting it is the 1st step towards recovery....next up, the online forum habit  sniff
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Ian Hopkinson, Central selection for Intersport has a range of around 40skis. Beginners through to expert. Traditionally they kept to the obvious brands, Salomon, Rossy etc. This year Intersport signed a deal with us, CHAM'3s to raise their technical profile. All skis are tested, however as i hope you can imagine, i didn't test the on-piste stuff nor beginners skis. I have no market for this. As a result my invovement with the selection was limited to Off-Piste, race and expert. The selection was hysterical, the Parisiens took hold of intermediate, beginner and junior ranges and were out to impress their Chamonaird cousins. Watching the French debate and work is at best; bemusing, confusing, ego-driven hell. This i would pay to see.
Our shop we have a selection of around 40 models of ski. Cham'3s around the same. I try to follow the 3s selection as best i can as it's internet sales and therefore easy money, however i do have our client base to think of aswell as the position of the shop. We stock World-Cup skis, the only shop in town. We stock prestige Off-Piste skis, big selection. None of which seem to intrest the other Cham'3s selection team. So that leaves me with very few chances to follow the other selections. It causes problems, politically. But that's business and may soon change. Rental wise i do follow intersport, why not? It's middle ground, discounted product. New every year and the average Joe wouldn't be able to tell the difference between one or the other as they are most often renting boots too!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 
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| Quote: |
New every year and the average Joe wouldn't be able to tell the difference between one or the other as they are most often renting boots too!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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I suppose that's obvious when you look at the huge queues in VT of a Saturday afternoon for the picking up of boots and skis. Skis are definitely more addictive than boots, I have skied my own pair for the first time this season and now I want more, particularly after Mrs H bought hers.
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FAQ
