Originally Posted By: Carmudgeon
Where and how a company chooses to distribute its products is up to them.
Some choose the "free for all" blanket the market strategy, but that usually results in the company being less able to exercise control over how its products are represented, sold and supported, and race-to-the-bottom pricing that erodes the value of the product in the eyes of consumers. Neither is desirable, particularly for products that require some professional expertise in regards to the former, and brand image in the case of the latter.
Premium and expensive goods seek to avoid that by implementing tightly controlled distribution strategies, and other techniques such as MAP pricing (see--RockAuto "price fixing" thread).
Nokian is considered a premium winter tire brand, and has chosen not to allow online sales in Canada, nor for out of country dealers such as DTD to ship internationally. Both are perfectly reasonable, legal, and for the latter, may be dictated by circumstances outside of Nokian's control.
Is patronizing a local tire dealer "difficult" in any sense of the word? For the vast majority, probably not.
Or is the real difficulty in not being to "get a good deal," or "pay the price I think I should pay for a particular product?"
That seems to be the real issue, and the free market has a solution for that -- voluntary exchanges, and competition.
It seems that is the obvious option.
Nokian is under no obligation to distribute and price its tires in any other way than it does, except in the manner that it and its shareholders see fit, and financially acceptable. They've been producing tires for 85 years, so it seems to be working for them.
Wow. You need to come to Canada and endure the ripoff culture before posting comments like this. At least you need to endure the ripoff culture where I live. You may not feel the same afterwards.
Nokian are great tires. They have priced themselves out of the market, in my area. Only seen on very expensive cars. I had a pair and loved them, but can literally not afford them. Especially when they are installed by unskilled workers and sold by people who know little or nothing about them at their retailer chain. Nothing like my experience with DTD or Tire Rack.
Many who would want Nokians in my area go to Costco and buy X-Ice for half the price. ?Good business model?
Totally agree with the OP.
Where and how a company chooses to distribute its products is up to them.
Some choose the "free for all" blanket the market strategy, but that usually results in the company being less able to exercise control over how its products are represented, sold and supported, and race-to-the-bottom pricing that erodes the value of the product in the eyes of consumers. Neither is desirable, particularly for products that require some professional expertise in regards to the former, and brand image in the case of the latter.
Premium and expensive goods seek to avoid that by implementing tightly controlled distribution strategies, and other techniques such as MAP pricing (see--RockAuto "price fixing" thread).
Nokian is considered a premium winter tire brand, and has chosen not to allow online sales in Canada, nor for out of country dealers such as DTD to ship internationally. Both are perfectly reasonable, legal, and for the latter, may be dictated by circumstances outside of Nokian's control.
Is patronizing a local tire dealer "difficult" in any sense of the word? For the vast majority, probably not.
Or is the real difficulty in not being to "get a good deal," or "pay the price I think I should pay for a particular product?"
That seems to be the real issue, and the free market has a solution for that -- voluntary exchanges, and competition.
It seems that is the obvious option.
Nokian is under no obligation to distribute and price its tires in any other way than it does, except in the manner that it and its shareholders see fit, and financially acceptable. They've been producing tires for 85 years, so it seems to be working for them.
Wow. You need to come to Canada and endure the ripoff culture before posting comments like this. At least you need to endure the ripoff culture where I live. You may not feel the same afterwards.
Nokian are great tires. They have priced themselves out of the market, in my area. Only seen on very expensive cars. I had a pair and loved them, but can literally not afford them. Especially when they are installed by unskilled workers and sold by people who know little or nothing about them at their retailer chain. Nothing like my experience with DTD or Tire Rack.
Many who would want Nokians in my area go to Costco and buy X-Ice for half the price. ?Good business model?
Totally agree with the OP.
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