Relevance of the Scottish Store?

[Colin]

With the recent arrival of my dress sporran and quaich, I started to think of the advantages and disadvantages of Scottish shops versus online stores.

This all started when my folks came back from 10 days in Palm Springs. They had popped into a local Scottish store when there, and had brought information about the shop back. Apparently the owner was very knowledgeable and helpful. I was looking over the price list that they came back with, and I was blown away by the prices. Even after tax and duty, a kilt from this place would have cost me $150 more than I paid for a kilt from Scotland.

I started to think back to my own local store. It is a great shop and always fun to check in to. However, I have never ordered anything substantial from them due to the hugely inflated prices. Let's look at what I ordered online veruses what I would have spent supporting a local business.

Ordered:
Kilt 16oz handsewn in Jura range wool
online- $516.65 before tax
local shop- $895.00 before tax

Charcoal tweed jacket and waistcoat
online - $380 before tax and duty
local shop - $628 before taxes ($459 for the jacket, $169 for the waistcoat)

Dress Sporran with Celtis knot and thistle design cantel
online -$214.40 before taxes
local shop -$399.00 before taxes

So while I would love to actually support the local shops, I just can't see how that makes sense. While I love going into the shop, they do have a pretencious feel to the people working there, prices are outrages, and their wait times are usually triple what I have to deal with ordering direct. Now before we start trying to compare the quality of the products offered, let me point out that both the online and the local shop offer the products from the same suppliers, therefore the quality will be the same.

Are Scottish stores in North America still a viable idea, or has the growth of the internet based Highland dress business (particularly in Scotland) made these shops obsolete? The idea is the same, the products are made by suppliers in the UK and sold through a third party. Neithe rof these businesses sell their own products, but instead broker the deal. I understand rent and overhead costs, but those apply to both firms, and I assume the rent in Scotland is more than here.

Someone explain it to me.

[longshadows]

Yes, it's true that you can get items a lot less expensively online than in a store. Consider the "overhead" with a store alone! There is also a much larger market online that most any storefront merchant can ever hope to have. The volume, the lack of infrastructure and less staff (usually "mon & pop") to pay.

Shopping in a store, feeling the goods, talking to experienced staff are all "luxuries" that many people can't afford or are unwilling to pay any longer.

The Internet is changing the face of shopping in a way never seen before. (Invest in UPS and FedEx!!!)

[davedove]

Well, the local shops are getting the goods from the same shops you can buy from online. So, they have the same costs to get the goods as you do: actual item cost, shipping, duties, etc. Then, they have to add their markup to cover the cost of their operations and a profit.

The only way they could get it cheaper is if they could get quantity discounts, and you just can't do that with custom tailored clothes. And there is probably not enough sales to justify ordering in quantity the things they can.

The only benefit to those stores is being able to actually see and touch merchandise. But even then, you can examine the goods at the store, then go home and order them for less money.

[Joe Gondek]

I agree that prices are high for most things in my local scottish shop
But I think that their major money comes from rentals rather than kilt sales
I would hate to not be able to browse local scottish shops

You have to remember that the members of this board are NOTthe general public.We wear the kilt,research our options and comunicate with other kilt wearers.

The Scottish shops are catering to the average person just looking for something to show off his Scottish ancestry

[Panache]

...The Scottish shops are catering to the average person just looking for something to show off his Scottish ancestry

The problem is that if the average person decides to make the plunge and get the complete highland outfit it is so expensive that they are only going to use this for special occassions. The thought of buying additional goodies to turn this into something they can enjoy more often won't occur to them because of the fabulously high cost. The higher the price, the less people will buy it, making the shop owner increase prices to make a better profit on those that do, etc. etc. I think it's interesting that most Scottish Shops don't seem to offer any alternative to the full 8 yard tank. It would probably attract a lot more buyers who would then get sucked in to what Southern Breeze sums up by saying "Welcome to the addiction". Heck they would wind up selling more tanks rather than less.

Just my two cents

[Colin]

Well, the local shops are getting the goods from the same shops you can buy from online. So, they have the same costs to get the goods as you do: actual item cost, shipping, duties, etc. Then, they have to add their markup to cover the cost of their operations and a profit.

The only way they could get it cheaper is if they could get quantity discounts, and you just can't do that with custom tailored clothes. And there is probably not enough sales to justify ordering in quantity the things they can.

The only benefit to those stores is being able to actually see and touch merchandise. But even then, you can examine the goods at the store, then go home and order them for less money.

I don't completely agree with that, the local shops are getting products from wholesalers (in most cases the same as the online shops), where as I am not.

Now I understand that maybe the local shops are adding the duty to bring the products into the country and are therefore including that and mark up into their price to the consumer, but I am than paying a % or average of duty from a large shipment rather than product specific duty. I think we need to remember that alot of these "mom and pop" shops also do online shipping, so they too are using the chaging environment to meet their cost needs and to bump up their profits.

Yes it is nice to be able and go in and touch the product, see it in person, and maybe walk away with it that day, but is that worth the huge mark up of products?

In most cases, I would think that the online businesses have as much, if not more overhead costs. Luckily for them they reach a bigger market share and split the costs more efficiently. It's not like they are working out of a big warehouse full of product, but employing customer service people, shippers, fiancal people, ect adds up quickly. Most of these online businesses are at a disadvantage that they don't have the "walk in" clients that a local shop has.

Out of curiousity, how many people have a Scottish shop that sells Highland wear near by? I have one within 15 minutes, one downtown Vancouver, and a few others locally.

[Colin]

I would hate to not be able to browse local scottish shops

So would I. I just wonder how they can charge the prices they are given the increase in competition.

[cessna152towser]

Panache wrote:-

I think it's interesting that most Scottish Shops don't seem to offer any alternative to the full 8 yard tank

.
Good point; I ordered an 8 yard Spirit of Scotland from my local store on a Thursday in February, then on the Saturday I met a chap wearing a Dark Island which looked so good I decided I must have a kilt in that tartan too, but having just ordered one kilt I decided to economise and go for a 5 yarder. As my local shop refuses to do 5 yard kilts I ordered over the internet from Scotweb, so my local shop lost a sale. I now have the Dark Island, which fits fine despite having taken my own measurements, but still waiting for the Spirit of Scotland. Not much difference in price though - £263 for the 8 yard 13 oz from my local shop as against £220 for the 5 yard 13oz. via the internet.

[Joe Gondek]

Out of curiousity, how many people have a Scottish shop that sells Highland wear near by? I have one within 15 minutes, one downtown Vancouver, and a few others locally.

My nearest Scottish is only 175 miles away in Salt Lake City
traveling the other way its in Denver only 330 miles
such is life in the Rocky Mtns.

[macwilkin]

The only benefit to those stores is being able to actually see and touch merchandise. But even then, you can examine the goods at the store, then go home and order them for less money.

This can actually be turned to the advantage of the store, though: remember "Miracle on 34th Street" where Macy's sent customers to other stores because they had lower prices, and customer loyalty was created as a result? I may not buy a kilt at the local Scottish store, but I would darn sure by other "kit" there if the store did something like that.

The problem is that if the average person decides to make the plunge and get the complete highland outfit it is so expensive that they are only going to use this for special occassions. The thought of buying additional goodies to turn this into something they can enjoy more often won't occur to them because of the fabulously high cost. The higher the price, the less people will buy it, making the shop owner increase prices to make a better profit on those that do, etc. etc. I think it's interesting that most Scottish Shops don't seem to offer any alternative to the full 8 yard tank. It would probably attract a lot more buyers who would then get sucked in to what Southern Breeze sums up by saying "Welcome to the addiction". Heck they would wind up selling more tanks rather than less.

I think I should point out here that not everyone is out to wear a kilt 24-7, or as a casual garment. As someone pointed out, many customers of Scottish stores are buying items for "heritage" reasons, so the whole concept of a "casual" kilt to wear all the time may not be what they're looking for. And some of us don't mind spending higher prices if you get quality goods -- "you get what you pay for".

Cheers,

Todd