Vacuum Cleaners Discussions

Thought the Dyson discussion board would be interested in reading a small article about the Tacony Museum. Also Carmine's old friend.....

http://www.stltoday.com/blogzone/hit-the-road-jack/hit-the-road-jack/2009/08/new-museum-opens-at-st-james-on-historic-route-66/

CarmineD wrote:
Hi Carmine,

Nope,  Canada is no different.  The difference is in attitude.  We have dealers here that won't touch low end machines because they don't make enough money on them and that's the only reason.  We don't usually have a problem matching most department store sales (occasionally someone sells below our cost, but that happens with high end too) , we may only make 20 or 30 dollars but we also pick up bag sales, service and of course a new customer.  Personally I think dealers that won't deal with low end because of margins are rather short sighted.  Getting a customer when they are young, and that means usually selling low profit product, means keeping a customer for life if you treat them right.

Dusty

dusty wrote:
I agree. In defense of those who don't... not everyone has snobbish reasons. In my case I can't afford to buy 10-20 vacs at a time, occupy sales floor space and hold the rest in storage to actually make the $20's. I realize in the SHORT TERM, Economically it makes sense to sell one HE vac to make the $400 dollars as it would to sell 20 cheapies. This economy is a learning process for all retailers, as we react to it, some dealers will survive who make the right choices and some will fail who don't and then there will be some that fate decides for them, some answers will be in our own hands others will just be destiny.

Lucky1 wrote:
Hi Lucky,

I agree, everyone has their own reasons.  When our store was small and we were just starting out we always went with a "one to show and one to go" setup.  We may not have had a lot of inventory but at least if someone came in we could show we had box store vacuums at box store prices.  Getting the customer doesn't always mean making a sale right away, sometimes it's just the fact you can leave them with the impression they can come back and know they are not paying to much because they are at a small store.  We also liked to find dealer only vacs that our supplier would sell...they may not have big brand names but usually you could offer more features than a big box vac for not much more money.  Never hurts to cover all the bases.

Dusty

Hello Dusty, Lucky1:

Space was always an issue for me and most indies I know.  Hence, indies pick and chose their selections carefully.  The choices you want to offer are brands/models in the same price range as the big box retialers but with a little something more to clinch the sale over the big box store models.   That's what's closes the new vacuum deal so you win the customer. 

I had particular reasons for buying a $75 TEMPO at BEST BUY and a $55 TEMPO at KOHL's [Average cost $65] and a $99 DD Kruz at BEST BUY [BTW about $25 more than its worth].  It wasn't for getting the best bang for my buck.  In that case I'd shop/buy at an Indie and do. 

Carmine D.

HARDSELL wrote:

As well they should and do HS!  So I adsk what's wrong with you?

Carmine D.

HS:

THe closing of the HOOVER stores which I liked to frequent was not only a huge loss for HOOVER but for all makes including your fave.  These stores wre staffed with skilled and trained repair people who serviced all makes and models and were grossly underpaid.

I mentioned that HOOVER blew it in the late 60's.  It takes years for these mistakes to have their full impact.  The closing of the HOOVER stores recently was probably the last in a series of ongoing adverse consequences of the management decisions made by HOOVER in the late 60's.

Carmine D.

Hi,

There was something really great about brand-name service centers. The sense of prestibe, speciality, whatever, that they lent to allowed you to feel you still had a link with company after sale. It encouraged trust.

I have no recall of about the other buroughs but we had a Hoover service center on Seventh Avenue in Manhattan, one for General Electric in Grand Central Terminal and another for Sunbeam, location forgotten. They all quietly faded of the picture before we were out of the early 1970s.

By that time, the importance of the like may have diminished in the eyes of consumerrs since it was obvious that any good serviceman could service most appliances regardless of brand. That weighed in when there was a regular vac shop a block or two away and use a company service center meant a bit of a trip.

Venson

Venson wrote:

Other than ORECK .....never saw one...and way before my time.....bet they were great tho.

turtle1

retardturtle1 wrote:
Hey turtle1,

For all intent and purpose, Aerus does the same thing. Matter of fact many such sales and service venues here have been slow in dropping the Electrolux name on their shingles.

Deeming their own product as too superior for anyone else to touch appears a way for manufacturers to infer, "Nobody can take care of our product as well as we can," and also generate money not just from parts but service on out-of-warranty appliances at their centers.

Venson

Yes, General Electric had these appliance stores too just to show sell their wares.  Vacuums included.  Ah, the good ole days.  Excellent way to promote the brand and gain a following of loyal customers over the years for the brand. 

Carmine D.