🚀 go-pugleaf

> It is a *problem* if you belive in capitalism. Which I take it that you 
> do.
> In case you haven't noticed , that in the last 10 years a number of large
> monopolies ie electricity,transport and other industries have been broken
> up to promote *competition* but yet we have been seeing the reverse in the
> last 10 years in the model railway industry.
>
> It does seem strange that we all demand competition in all other other
> markets except the model railway industry.
>

How exactly is it a problem Greg? The supplier of the product is selling it 
in the way they deem fit to sell it.

If you want more competition in the model railway industry then supply the 
shops with something to sell. Several shops selling the same product at a 
discount to try and out do each other is a sure fire way for them to go 
broke.

To continue, what discount should the supplier give them?  Say 33%.... how 
many would you expect a shop to buy at trade prices to justify giving them a 
discount, complete with trade terms of payment in 30 or 60 days?

The only way to get competition Greg, is to produce more, not to bash a 
manufacturer for wanting to maximise his profit.

The main reason to supply to trade is to expand your market, but i would 
suggest that it is no different to order from the supplier direct in that 
case. To carry it through, I can order a model direct from Slaters and have 
it in a week. Or, I can order the same model from a local shop, wait for 
them to order from the local agent, who may or may not have it. I then 
wait.. and wait. In most cases it arrives several months later, and costs 
more. What value has the process added to the kit, apart from a delay?

I fully support hobby shops, although I think they are a dying bred. But to 
suggets that someone is anti competitive because they refuse to lose their 
profit to subsidise another business is frankly ludicrous

Craig