Axminster - Be Aware of 2012 Prices

[unra159]

So Axminster get brickbats as a result of providing a means to check whether the price is going to increase - before it does - and then compound the villainy by emailing their customers to point out they could save a bit of dosh if they want to. Ye gods, do they have no shame, the Devonian swine? :roll:

Meanwhile the LN #7 creeps slightly further away from me every year - a whole pound sterling this year. Ho hum. *shakes empty-sounding piggy bank forlornly*

Alf raises an important point. Providing a means to check in advance is certainly fair and we do not know what Axminsters competitors will do to their prices in 2012. I doubt it'll getting cheaper everywhere else.
But some of the prices have gone up rather excessively like the CT150 which will have gone up by more than 30% within just 2 years. This can hardly be explained by increased cost of raw materials etc. and I wonder if they do themselves a favour there.
It is the only new planer of it's size but there are alternatives. Maybe even a LN #7 :wink:

Thorsten

 

[Waka]

Unlike a lot in this thread my workshop is kitted out with all the machines and I doubt that I'll have to replace them, so not a dilemma to me.

I tend now to shop mainly for consumables and for the convenience use Axminster, I know I can get some of the items cheaper but have tended to stick with what I know. But there does come a point when the prices rises out weigh that convenience. Now if my pensions were rising at the same pace I wouldn't bother looking around, but they don't, so in future I'll start that extra browsing. It could still mean I'll end up at Axminster, only time will tell.

I would also like to point out that the service and backup that Axminster provides is second to none, so maybe that could be a reason to stick with them.

 

[yetloh]

Alf is spot on. My first port of call is Axminster but, for more expensive items, I don't buy blindly from them. As someone else said, there are plenty of other firms who give good service and, perhaps surprisingly good deals can still be had with Dictum and Dieter Schmidt in Germany. Closer to home we are lucky to have Workshop Heaven and Classic Hand Tools are always keen to be competitive. There are also good local firms around the country who are keen to have business - I even managed to get a worthwhile deal on a Festool Domino via a friend some distance away who had done a similar deal with his local firm on the basis that he would rather give the business to them if they could make it attractive.

It doesn't take a lot of effort to shop around a bit but I will still place my order for £100 or so of bits and pieces with Axminster once ot twice a year because it is convenient, I know I will have no hassle, get good service and a friendly helpful ear shoud there be a problem and I feel confident that at that level any savings I could make by shopping around would not be worth the effort. If, when it comes to any larger items, Axminster are competitive, I shall be more than pleased to buy from them.

Jim

 

[Newbie_Neil]

Hi Thorsten,

But some of the prices have gone up rather excessively like the CT150 which will have gone up by more than 30% within just 2 years. This can hardly be explained by increased cost of raw materials etc. and I wonder if they do themselves a favour there.
It is the only new planer of it's size but there are alternatives. Maybe even a LN #7 :wink: Thorsten

In their defence you have to remember that our currency has been devalued during this period, so increases are not limited to just raw materials.

Thanks,
Neil

 

[RogerP]

Hi Thorsten,

But some of the prices have gone up rather excessively like the CT150 which will have gone up by more than 30% within just 2 years. This can hardly be explained by increased cost of raw materials etc. and I wonder if they do themselves a favour there.
It is the only new planer of it's size but there are alternatives. Maybe even a LN #7 :wink: Thorsten

In their defence you have to remember that our currency has been devalued during this period, so increases are not limited to just raw materials.
Thanks,
Neil

The value of the pound against other currencies has fluctuated but devaluing a currency is quite another thing. The last time the pound was devalued was in 1967 and a cobbled attempt in 1992. There's a brief history of sterling here.

 

[Newbie_Neil]

Hi Roger,

The value of the pound against other currencies has fluctuated but devaluing a currency is quite another thing.

Don't you think that putting another 200+ billion gbp into the economy devalues our currency?

Thanks,
Neil

 

[Jake]

The value of the pound against other currencies has fluctuated but devaluing a currency is quite another thing.

Don't you think that putting another 200+ billion gbp into the economy devalues our currency?

Not when money supply has been shrinking rapidly as banks de-leverage. That's the point of it.

 

[yetloh]

Regardless of whether you call it fluctuation or devaluation, the fact is that sterling has fallen significantly against the dollar and yuan over the last year. In a period when profits are squeezed by falling demand it is doubly hard for businsses like Axminster to absorb exchange rate driven increases in their own costs.

Jim

 

[Jake]

Regardless of whether you call it fluctuation or devaluation, the fact is that sterling has fallen significantly against the dollar and yuan over the last year. In a period when profits are squeezed by falling demand it is doubly hard for businsses like Axminster to absorb exchange rate driven increases in their own costs.

Sterling is pretty close to flat year on year against the dollar right now , although it has been much lower for much of the year. Obviously the time frame is important, and now is not the right one to compare for a company which has to fix its prices in advance. However, by same token it is down about 4% against the ren, but conversely, it's been up year on year for much of the year (and now is not the right time, etc).

 

[Giff]

Are those the Christmas prophets blister ?? )

 

[Losos]

Meanwhile the LN #7 creeps slightly further away from me every year - a whole pound sterling this year. Ho hum. *shakes empty-sounding piggy bank forlornly*

Same here Alf - agree with you on Axminster, at least people have the chance to see what increases are in the pipeline - you just can't please some people and I've givenup trying :lol:

 

[hiho9]

i've been looking at the 09 catalogue for the last 3 months :roll:

but todays post has brought the 2012 one

 

[stuartpaul]

I've ended up wondering if it is in fact a novel approach to their idea of a sale?

Instead of having (say) 15% off and free delivery (who'd want to do that?) they release the new catalogue with price increases and provide a mechanism so you can work out how much you'll save if you buy now.

You then end up feeling like you've saved money when in fact you've save nothing against the old (original) price.

Clever??

 

[woodbloke]

If Axminster prices are too high, people won't buy from them, profits will drop and they will have to drop their prices. However, this is a bit like people complaining about supermarkets, they are only providing what people want, otherwise, people wouldn't buy it!

If you are willing to buy from another retailer and can do without the great service and excellent warranty, go ahead, I'm sure they won't be too upset.

Aidan

I agree with Tiddles. We all, almost without exception, have nothing but praise for Axminster with the way they conduct business...except at this time of year, when the new catalogue comes out. Axminster have expanded greatly over the years with a vastly improved warehouse facility at the main branch as well as new branches up and down the country and all of it comes out of the profit they make, which I for one, don't begrudge it.
Just as a matter of interest, some of those members that are whinging about the prices may, say again may be quite happy to accept Ian Styles free hospitality and discount on March 9th...so maybe those that don't like the Ax prices don't want to go? Cake and eat it methinks? - Rob

 

[clk230]

Woodbloke -

well said ,its a shame more people on here don't fully understand how business works.

 

[studders]

Why?
I do know how Business works but, so what if I or others don't? As a consumer I'm interested in getting the best deal I can and that includes after sales service.
Time will tell if Axminsters price rises are reasonable as others will have to increase theirs too. If that happens then fair enough, if not then I'll go for the best price/service deal I can find, which may or may not be Axminster.

 

[RogerP]

I'll go for the best price/service deal I can find, which may or may not be Axminster.

... and that about sums it up for me too

 

[Karl]

For the majority of bits which Axminster sell I usually go to my local Brimarc dealer and get them from there - because i'm a regular customer I get a nice little discount. Haven't bought anything from Axi for a while now, and nowhere near as regular as I used to.

Cheers

Karl

 

[Doug B]

Just as a matter of interest, some of those members that are whinging about the prices may, say again may be quite happy to accept Ian Styles free hospitality and discount on March 9th...so maybe those that don't like the Ax prices don't want to go? Cake and eat it methinks? - Rob

Is Ian offering a percentage discount on goods the day of the 9th ?

 

[Karl]

Just flicking through the latest catalogue, and astonished to see that the Clifton No7 is going to be £331. Only a couple of years ago it was £220, and you often got a 10% offer bringing it to less than £200.