This thread started off with a very informative item about some changes to the product lines being issued by Carrera in Germany and has now gone off at a tangent to speculate on how an English chain of catalogue shops can sell just one of the many items from Carrera.
The average Argoose customer probably only knows the names "Scalextric", "Dinky" and "Matchbox" when it comes to model cars in their various guises and I honestly doubt whether any great deal of marketing will change that. After all we still call a ball point pen a "biro" and a vacuum cleaner a "hoover" so to the vast number of the great un-grooved the generic term for slot cars is Scalextric - or more likely "Scale-a-lectrix !!
The Le Mans set isn't even marketed as Carrera, but Mighty Motors (from memory, as I don't have a box in front of me!) with the name Carrera in a lot smaller print.
I would suggest our knowledge of all things slot varies but is certainly more than Mr (or Mrs) Average-Argos and so when they would by Little Johny Average-Argos a slot car set that they know the name of and feel safe with - ie Scalextric, only people like us would know where to search for the Carrera Sets.
Even now you can't find them on the website or in the stores' computer listing, you have to know the catalogue number and call direct.
So what I am trying to say - is that the average potential slot car racer would not get as far as experiencing Carrera through this one set and being put off for life as it is not like Scalextric.
As to whether Carrera are subsidizing the cheap sell off of their supplies - I doubt that very much but again this is all speculation as I haven't spoken to anyone at Carrera or Argos. From my experience in other products I would think that the Argos buying department contacted various slot car manufacturers to buy directly at a far better discount than could be got from the UK importer - it's not an unusual way of doing things.
Marks and Spencers were selling rebadged Carrera alarm clocks (they were £25 before Christmas - I picked up some for £5) Similarly M & S selling the Italian Job set for £39.99. Should we also suppose that Hornby subsidised Marks and Spencers?
Retail multiple businesses don't work that way, when the window to sell "seasonal" or "special" items has passed they are marked down to shift them as soon as possible to avoid taking up premium priced storage space even if a loss per unit is made.
Sorry to go on - I haven't written such a long email for a long time !!
Jamie
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The average Argoose customer probably only knows the names "Scalextric", "Dinky" and "Matchbox" when it comes to model cars in their various guises and I honestly doubt whether any great deal of marketing will change that. After all we still call a ball point pen a "biro" and a vacuum cleaner a "hoover" so to the vast number of the great un-grooved the generic term for slot cars is Scalextric - or more likely "Scale-a-lectrix !!
The Le Mans set isn't even marketed as Carrera, but Mighty Motors (from memory, as I don't have a box in front of me!) with the name Carrera in a lot smaller print.
I would suggest our knowledge of all things slot varies but is certainly more than Mr (or Mrs) Average-Argos and so when they would by Little Johny Average-Argos a slot car set that they know the name of and feel safe with - ie Scalextric, only people like us would know where to search for the Carrera Sets.
Even now you can't find them on the website or in the stores' computer listing, you have to know the catalogue number and call direct.
So what I am trying to say - is that the average potential slot car racer would not get as far as experiencing Carrera through this one set and being put off for life as it is not like Scalextric.
As to whether Carrera are subsidizing the cheap sell off of their supplies - I doubt that very much but again this is all speculation as I haven't spoken to anyone at Carrera or Argos. From my experience in other products I would think that the Argos buying department contacted various slot car manufacturers to buy directly at a far better discount than could be got from the UK importer - it's not an unusual way of doing things.
Marks and Spencers were selling rebadged Carrera alarm clocks (they were £25 before Christmas - I picked up some for £5) Similarly M & S selling the Italian Job set for £39.99. Should we also suppose that Hornby subsidised Marks and Spencers?
Retail multiple businesses don't work that way, when the window to sell "seasonal" or "special" items has passed they are marked down to shift them as soon as possible to avoid taking up premium priced storage space even if a loss per unit is made.
Sorry to go on - I haven't written such a long email for a long time !!
Jamie
