a real global shipping issue?
11-17-2003 | 04:56 PM
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From: AdelaideSouth Australia, AUSTRALIA
a real global shipping issue?
Hi all,
I've recently posted asking for some advice about shipping OS.
The postal services worldwide have standard size boxes and as long as the objects are not overly heavy, and fit into these boxes, shipping is quite reasonable.
the problem is that the boxes dont coincide with most arfs and even some kit box sizes.
The outcome is that shipping is so expensive, unless you go by the container load and via sea, that it prevents alot of countries from being able to get affordable models.
It seems like an issue that a company who is interested in selling high volumes would be concerned with.
Sales in australia, where i'm from, are heavily influenced by shipping, and prices are up to 3 x the US price, not counting the exchange rate.
This makes it virtually impossible to buy something along the same lines as those advertised at the big players like tower and hobby lobby etc..
for instance, i recently searched for a stuka, and a gee bee z (GP and Kyosho respectively). The best i could do here was $900 Au for the stuka and over $550 Au for the Gee Bee.
The tower price is $250US for each plane. now, x-rate is nearly 0.72 at the moment, so a price around $350-$400 Au is acceptable, perhaps even $450-$500Au. But $900Au??!!!..
what is strange about this one is that although both retail for the same price in the US, there is a huge difference over here.
If I were to order an ARF from the US, it might cost me $350US to get it here. If it fitted into a 42" box, it'd be $70US. And the price isnt much different if i get it elsewhere.
I'm sure this is stifling sales for countries with traditionally lower volume sales..and may be a function of the low volume...
Another example is that of all my flying buddies, nationwide, i know that if planes were 50%-25% cheaper, they would buy at least 1 more plane per year, perhaps more.
globally, that is a big impact.
So why dont the manufacturers look at designing to enable transport and distribution...it is logistics engineering in raw form..and apparently uncharted profit opportunity.
Any thoughts?...besides the standard reply of "they can't do that"...because..of course they can.
i look forward to this discussion, particularly from members who are manufacturers.
I've recently posted asking for some advice about shipping OS.
The postal services worldwide have standard size boxes and as long as the objects are not overly heavy, and fit into these boxes, shipping is quite reasonable.
the problem is that the boxes dont coincide with most arfs and even some kit box sizes.
The outcome is that shipping is so expensive, unless you go by the container load and via sea, that it prevents alot of countries from being able to get affordable models.
It seems like an issue that a company who is interested in selling high volumes would be concerned with.
Sales in australia, where i'm from, are heavily influenced by shipping, and prices are up to 3 x the US price, not counting the exchange rate.
This makes it virtually impossible to buy something along the same lines as those advertised at the big players like tower and hobby lobby etc..
for instance, i recently searched for a stuka, and a gee bee z (GP and Kyosho respectively). The best i could do here was $900 Au for the stuka and over $550 Au for the Gee Bee.
The tower price is $250US for each plane. now, x-rate is nearly 0.72 at the moment, so a price around $350-$400 Au is acceptable, perhaps even $450-$500Au. But $900Au??!!!..
what is strange about this one is that although both retail for the same price in the US, there is a huge difference over here.
If I were to order an ARF from the US, it might cost me $350US to get it here. If it fitted into a 42" box, it'd be $70US. And the price isnt much different if i get it elsewhere.
I'm sure this is stifling sales for countries with traditionally lower volume sales..and may be a function of the low volume...
Another example is that of all my flying buddies, nationwide, i know that if planes were 50%-25% cheaper, they would buy at least 1 more plane per year, perhaps more.
globally, that is a big impact.
So why dont the manufacturers look at designing to enable transport and distribution...it is logistics engineering in raw form..and apparently uncharted profit opportunity.
Any thoughts?...besides the standard reply of "they can't do that"...because..of course they can.
i look forward to this discussion, particularly from members who are manufacturers.
