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

Another appliance retailer bites the dust in the current economic tsunami.  Two stores in Las Vegas closed.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-01-27/ultimate-electronics-files-for-bankruptcy-as-suppliers-curtail-shipments.html

Along with Linens-n-Things and Circuit City.

Carmine D.

I have had occasion to visit three of the six Wal-Marts in my area recently, and all of them have greatly enlarged floor care areas a double facing aisles, and one more aisle, with a improved selection of canisters. The overwhelming majority of the offerings are still bagless, but there are also more models of carpet cleaners and steamers. A big change from less than a year ago.

Trebor wrote:

Hello Trebor:

The fact that the majority of Wal*Mart vacuums are bagless is consistent with the latest move by the retailer to cull back bags, filters and belts.  Most of the new bagless models that W*M offers for sale are under $80.  Some as little at $40-$50.  Customers looking for bags, belts and filters, and not finding the particular kind they need, or seeing the high prices for these parts that are on the shelves, will opt to buy a new cheap bagless.  It's a win win for Wal*Mart.  No hassle with inventory of a plethora of vacuum parts [particularly bags] and instead a brand new bagless vacuum sale.

Carmine D. 

I concur with your conclusion, Carmine, and it means they are ripe for the plucking when the KIrby man comes to call. I rarely missed a sale when going up against  a DD/Hoover/Bissell? or Eureka

regards,

Trebor

Trebor wrote:

Hello Trebor:

So far, the latest Wal*Mart strategy is not working.  For the second year in a row, same store sales [opened one year] have declined.  Has the influx of Dirt Devil, HOOVER, and BISSELL turn away Mr. Sam Walton's loyal customers?  70 percent of Wal*Mart's clientele make $78,000 annually or less.  I suspect some of those W*M customers at the upper end of the annual wage scales don't buy into the new marketing ploys and instead head on over to the vacuum stores for the parts they need to repair/service their existing vacuums.  W*M stock dropped as did the stock market when W*M released the bad news.  Time will tell.  But clearly so far "the action alleys" as W*M likes to call its pallets of product in the aisles are not rewarding its bottom line. 

Carmine D. 

CarmineD wrote:
Costco in the UK are more or less the same. They used to sell a heck of a lot of bagged vacuums and then suddenly went cheap side with the TTi and pre TTi Dirt Devil Swift/ models under the Vax branding. A lot of them shifted but a lot of them were returned. I picked up quite a few cheapy vacuums there for clients after something, cheap and brands like AFK who are German had shockingly bad models with poor plastic and a lack of bags. Even their bagless models are total rubbish and Costco have stopped selling them. Quite surprised to see a Miele S5 Cat and Dog model last week though - maybe things are looking up. It was the only bagged vacuum available amidst bagless Chinese made cheap ones.

vacmanuk wrote:

Hello vacmanuk:

Very interesting.  This is consistent with the financial results reported by Wal*Mart this past week.  If 70 percent of W*M loyal customers have annual incomes of $78,000 [or less and I apologize for not converting into pounds or euros] then upper level income American shoppers, although in the minority, are closed out if no vacuum parts and high end vacuums are offered for sale.  Dyson tried to fill this void in W*M [plus Sam's Club] but a break down in their business relationship in 2005 stopped the dyson sales momentum.  W*M dumped dyson and took on less expensive bagless brands and models and stayed the course with them right up to now.  Dyson never was able to get a strong hold again in W*M stores.  All the spin here about dyson not caring and even better exclusive dyson models for W*M, after the reconciliation, was all wishful thinking.  Not just for W*M but other retailer chains all of which scrubbed the dyson exclusive models. 

Carmine D.

Off the Wal*Mart subject, except for tha fact that BEST BUY is using the same scaled down store size strategy, here is an article specifically about the trials and tribulations of BEST BUY stores.  Stock price down 21 percent, one of the worse performing sales for the 2010 holiday season, losing sales and profits to competitors, no longer a specialty retailer with products like Sony and Apple, savvy sales staff once its prode and joy, no longer making a diference, prices too high compared to competition, expecially amazon, on the ropes and worse yet to come.

http://finance.yahoo.com/banking-budgeting/article/112269/forecast-for-best-buy-worst-yet-to-come

Carmine D.

BTW, Wal*Mart increased its dividend by 26 percent to $1.46 a share.  Paying dividends since 1974, it is like all other years an increase over the previous years' payout to stockholders.  As I said, I rarely shop there. 

Trebor wrote:
My feelings have not changed.  Walmart is not getting rid of their vacuum cleaners.  Still quite a bit available.  Why would stores have every bag, belt, etc. for every vacuum cleaner on the market?  That is bad business for them.  Leave that for the parts department of manufactuer or vacuum cleaner shops.  Take a look at Targets bags, belts, etc.

Mike_W wrote:

Latest on Walmart downsizing. Talked about on this thread and site before.  If smaller is better according to the latest management thinking then by that thinking somethings have to go/get culled and/or replaced by something else.

http://blogs.forbes.com/retailwire/2011/03/15/walmart-testing-express-c-store-concept/

Carmine D.

As I said before my shopping sprees at WM are limited to several a year for one/few inexpensive items.  I hope the women win their class suit and WM changes its ways.