Vacuum Cleaners Discussions

   Customers are coming in  asking  about bags, belts and filters for cleaners that Wal Mart sells. They were told they were discontinuing these products and want the customers to go online when they need these items. When you need a belt or anything else ,it is," I need it now", not days from now. These customers didn't like being told they had to go to another store if they had what they needed. In our area it is 20 miles in three directions for a store.

  Many small businesses have been driven out of business by this company as well as other big box stores.I feel there will be a ressurection of the Independent Vac Shops because people will find getting parts and service there is better than going online and waiting. Looking at a cleaner and seeing what it will do is better than buying online and hope it does what it is supposed to. Online sales will still be made but having the service after the sale is still important. 

You can say what you will about your favorite brand but when it gets down to buying a cleaner going to a Vac Shop is the best way.  At Wal Mart and the other big box stores they sell you what they want to sell you. At least with Vac shops you can find a wider variety of Vacuums.The Door to Door sales peolpe also have a variety. It is if the cleaner meets the needs of the consumer that they buy.

                                                                                                           Procare

Actionvac wrote:
The problem with most shops these days is that the seller is forced to go down copy bags. You might not have this in the U.S/Canada but its rife in the UK. I've used copy bags on my Sebo and Miele vacs and 80% of the time the bags work but the filters get dirtier. In the department stores they sell the genuine article and some private shops do sell similar genuine articles but half the time copy bags are cheaper for the buyer but detrimental for the vacs.

The vac shops in a my area are awful.... they are old rednecks that are rude to gay people and they don't even what to talk to you unless you want to buy a new Riccar from them.... totally awful.  I had the same experience with sewing machine dealers when I wanted to get a sewing machine for myself and I contacted at least 10 dealers.... they were ALL nasty to me, so Amazon got 500 dollars of my money, the local economy didn't seem to want it!    I've tried to strike up conversations with some of the vac shop people because I'm a collector and I know more about vacuums than the average consumer, they were only interested in trying to extract as much money from me as possible! 

Vacuumfreeeke wrote:
When I got into collecting, I used to keep the original vacs out of use and use old ones that were refurbished or reconditioned.

I had a similar experience when I visited my friend's mum in another part of Scotland. The old man argued with me about the price of an old refurbished Hoover Junior 1980s model that he had done up "personally," and charged an astronomical price for it until I started to roll off trade prices and names of parts that he recognised from old Hoover tech speak and I could start to see the "horror' of my knowledge reflected in his face. Then he said he could drop the vacuum price down to 15% off, "just for me," to which I still didn't give in. I told him it would never sell at the price he had in the window. Three years on after visiting again, the same vacuum sits in the back of the shop, still on display, still original high price and now the original bag he had put on it (which was what I was after) is now faded and dusty. What a waste!

Hi,

The like goes on everywhere.  Purely due to brand name, an untold amount of sellers will try to palm off over-priced junk - whether refurbed, cleaned up or pulled from the trash.  I guess there are enough easily gulled buyers around as the practice has yet to stop.

Just came across a private seller today on Craig's List offering an allegedly boxed up and unused DC28 for $450.  He of course didn't fail to mention that it priced at $600 in the stores.  What he forgot is that he is not a "store" or why someone should give 450 bucks to an unestablished seller.

Venson

I suspect vacuum store owners are not interested in selling these old classics but prefer to use as displays for conversation.  Of course, for the right price, they will sell but don't anticipate a sale price.  It's the PT Barnum price if the right [read gullible] buyer comes along.

Carmine D.

Vacuumfreeeke wrote:

Funny who would of thought that when a Monopoly drives the competition out of business....service/choice/availability and more would leave town as well. Sorry that all the indies in your area are not friendlier. Maybe they are just tired of fighting the Net and big box shops they have just given up on what is actually their biggest asset, friendly, knowledgeable service. It's no excuse, just an explanation.

Wal-Mart has eliminated fabrics in many of their stores as well. They are systematically eliminating any merchandise that requires ANY knowledge of a salesperson. As fo the vacuum belts and filters, the logic is simple. If you have to vacuum NOW, and it is inconvenient to get to a vac shop, you'll buy a new vacuum. You are already in the store. It's 59.00 to 159.00. The last one only lasted a year anyway, if that. So, they figure people will buy a new vacuum, and since going to the vac shop is not a high priority once a functioning vacuum is in the house, most will not return it. It's brilliant marleting by today's cutthroat unscrupulous standard of 'screw the customer as often and as thoroughly as possible'   I have noticed the vacuum selections in Wal-Mart becoming fewer.  In some not a Dyson in sight. Price point is 159.00 on down. The low end and vacuums will continue to be the biggest sellers, and we can expect to see the mid-priced vac start at no less than 300.00 on sale, more likely 400 to 500 in vac shops.

People are still hypnotized by the bagless concept.. I visit two shops in town with some frequency. Both do huge business in Dyson repair. One shop says Dyson is their second biggest seller.. Still, with all the other Dyson outlets in town.

Trebor wrote:

Hi Trebor:

Was ist los? 

Good argument on Wal*Mart if economic times were good.  Forget the parts/repairs, buy new.  In bad times like these and into the future, parts/repairs are the key.  IMHO.

With regard to bagless, the fad is fading for high priced ones. IMHO.

Carmine D.

With some things, unless you are really down to your last few dollars, it doesn't matter. I'll give you another example. When both husband and wife work, the family eats out more/does more carry in/take out. It's not good economy, but the reality is when Mom's too tired to think about dinner, and kids need to be schlepped to activities, it happens. Just like when Mom goes to Wal-Mart to get a belt and filters for the vacuum because she needs to vacuum TODAY, when she finds no bags or filters and the nearest shop is 20 miles out of her way, she will buy the vacuum thinking to return it. Before she realizes, 30 days have slipped away. the new vacuum is filthy, and she still does not have a belt or filters for the old one. Guess what? She bought another vacuum. I promise you, that very discussion took place among the marketing strategists at Wal-Mart. And as more vac shops close, and more retailers follow suit with W/M it will be the case. Declining profits are causing the manufacturers and retailers alike to look for ways to boost profits., and the only way left is more unit sales. Watch for it. Lowe's and the rest will eliminate their bag/belt/filter sections before long. It's pathetic, but it is the way Wal-Mart and their ilk think behind that smiley face.

I think Procare's prognostication about more independent shops is may be true, but not before Wal-Mart and other BBR have wrung more dollars from their customers. Eventually, I expect W/M to evetually eliminate vacuums from their merchandise offerings completely. Having ruined the retail vac market, they will say "It's just not profitable to sell vacuums" Then we will see more vac shops, but what will they sell? Miele, Lindhaus, Sebo, Riccar/Simplicity, and rebuilt premiums, Panasonic, maybe, Sanitaire, Perfect, Metropolitan. Will they even want to touch Hoover, Eureka, Dirt Devil and Bissell? It will be interesting.Wal-Mart's ploy may prove to be a boon to Kirby and other DTD brands.

I don't see it as all that much of a tragedy.  One monkey don't stop the show and even if there's two around that doesn't mean they get to run it either.

Wal-Mart is not the only game in town these days.  I have seldom browsed or bought there as they usually have nothing I want.  (However, I must also admit bias due to W-M's rep regarding its employees.)   I have more than enough ways to acquire necessary items at affordable prices without worrying over what Wal-Mart, Target or Best Buy has got.  AND yes they're all legal.

Though chain stores have disrupted single-owned business and mom-and-pop stores in this country, I think once a gap in the area in mention appears it will be filled.  There's of course the internet and good old online buying but small brick-and-mortar business, if quick to move, might find a way to put roots in again.  Much to my surprise, I saw a vacuum cleaner repair and supply business being run at a flea market in Delaware.

People are adaptable and if need be can work out all manner of merely household necessity without looking to the great corporate teat to provide it for us.  I hate the economy as it stands but I see a good possibility in it getting people to start thinking again.

Venson