Wal-Mart Info

[JD Spydo]

I feel after reading few additional posts on this thread I felt that I maybe should clearify what I said on the first post I made on this thread yesterday evening. After re-reading what I wrote yesterday evening I feel like I might not have worded my response as succinctly as I should have. At face value I think that maybe some of you and the GREAT folks at Spyderco may have construed my comments as being somewhat disparaging.

Let me make this clear>> I meant no malevolence what so ever toward Spyderco. When I voiced my opinion about wal-mart I was directing all my negative feelings to wal-mart and them alone. At first glance I initially thought that the Great Spyder Factory was venturing into dangerous ground. But after reading Doctor Lecter's response and a few others I feel like maybe we ought to just take a "WAIT AND SEE" position on it.

[Hannibal Lecter]

My Dear J.D.:

But after reading Doctor Lecter's response and a few others I feel like maybe we ought to just take a "WAIT AND SEE" position on it.

I approach it like this; if it works out long-term for Spyderco and Wal-Mart, it can only generate more Spyder-nuts. If it doesn't, then you have a limited time to at least pick up a Native for $40. :D

Either way, we win!

--------
Hannibal

[pjrocco]

[quote="Hannibal Lecter"]My Dear J.D.:



I approach it like this]

Amen brother. My thoughts exactly. :)

Now if I could only find one.. :rolleyes:

[ront]

Great post Hannibal! I think you are absolutely correct. I know in my case, the Native was the first Spyderco knife that I bought. I looked at that knife for a while before deciding I could spend the $70 on it. But when I got it, I loved it and still do. It is a great knife. It did get me looking at other Spyderco's also and NGK and I have done some business :D . If I could have bought the Native for $40, I would not have just looked at it so long. It would have been a slam dunk buy. IMHO it blows away anything else that Wal-mart has in their knife selection. I do think that it will bring in some more Spyderco converts for sure. I am also impressed that the dealer can buy the knife from Spyderco for the same price as it is being sold to Wal-mart.

Ron

[boxer93]

We have a big Cabelas super store close to where I live. I finally went over there the other day to discover that they do carry a limited amount of Spyders. I saw the Delica, Endura, IMpala and the Native. Now they had a separate booth within the store that only dealt with knives. IF you all are going the mainline retail route I think that having a bigger presense in a store Like Cabelas would really pay a dividend.

The Bass Pro chain headquartered in Springfield Missouri would also be a great outlet for Spyders. The one in Springfield use to carry about 6 models but the last time I was there they only had 3. I would think that specialty outdoor stores would be more inclined to be much better vendors IMO.

JD,
Knowing from the Q designs I believe that these stores (Cabela, REI, EMS, bever, Meyer, etc.) have all tried spyderco in the past. For whatever reasons they start and stop carrying certain lines at their discretion.
Chris

[psimonl]

I, for one, agree completly with the Wall-Mart policy Spyderco adopted. It is true that a lot of people only buy their knife at that specific store and won’t go on the net or other B & M store to find higher quality folders. Hey, … most of them are not even aware that such quality exists!!!

Also, as a knife buyer, I feel like every time I buy a specific one, I feel I’m buy a part of the company, like a share. I’.m a Spyderco share holder. And what is good for the company I love is good for me. More revenue for them means more freedom to do more knife I will surely get in a not so distant future…

Like Tazkristi said: Wait and see…

Simon

[jimbo@stn24]

Thank you for the time and effort to explain Spyderco's position TazKristi. My hope was somewhat similar to Dr. Lecters in that my wish is that it would be good for the retailers of other Spyderco knives and am thinking it might if Walmart only sells the Native.

However, like JD, I am very cautious about how much of my money Walmart actually gets, and if I had my way, it wouldn't be a cent. My Dad was a butcher for many years with a classic old time butcher shop where I (and my sisters and many "after school kids") worked quite a few years, and have my own perspective of retail sales. That perspective is best left for "Off Topic".

Here's hoping things work out for the best for all, it appears as much thought has gone into the issue and most important, that reflects very well on Spyderco.

[The Deacon]

Could not agree with you more Hannibal

And, to expand a bit on my feelings...

Perhaps my age is showing here, but I seem to recall many of the same criticisms that are now leveled at WalMart were, "in my youth" directed toward Sears Roebuck. I recall my mother chuckling about that, and relating that, "in her youth" The Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company's chain of A&P "supermakets" was similarly villainized and vilified.

[NorthShore]

It all boils down to-

Spyderco and company are selling them at the same price to their dealers that walmart pays, so if walmart buys a billion Natives and the price drops the dealers make out also, inturn we do.

That's Integrity! Makes me prood to be a :spyder: owner :)

P.S Can we get spell ceach :D on this thing? I for one could use it.

[The General]

Spyderco never does anything without very careful consideration. They have my support. :)

[DAYWALKER]

Mahalo for the info Tazkristi,

Man I would luv to go into wally world and say, "Uh...yeah, can I see the Ti-Adventura in H1 please?" :D

God bless :)

[thom lambert]

Sounds like Sal and co. went in with their eyes open. Good for them. Not that it matters to me...I won't be looking at Walmart for a Spyderco anytime soon.

There is a slow erosion of corporate responsibility going on in N. America, and WalMart is one of the instigators. Their employment strategies and attitudes towards unions are helping to create an army of part-time, unbenefitted workers in blue smocks.

At the same time, their buying and selling power allows them to move in most communities with impunity - reducing the ability of smaller, community based retailers to sell goods at reasonable prices and keep a group of people fully-employed.

I know: "It's the market! If you can't compete, then the law of the fittest dictates that you were doomed." That's true. I just don't believe that the market is the best model for decision making in a community.

Maybe I, and some other forumites, thought that a company like Spyderco, which seems to be run on a set of principles beyond "sell as much as you can as cheap as you can", would be one of the holdouts that wouldn't supply WalMart.

Thom

[bowarrow2000]

Wal-Mart the home of falling prices, wages and benefits. In other words they

still SUCK!

[rickn54]

Follow this link and watch the "Big Box Mart Movie" Think about it while you are shopping for your new knife.

http://www.jibjab.com/Home.aspx

[rickn54]

I am one of your dealers. Needless to say I am unhappy about the Wal Mart situation. My shop is in the shadows of a Walmart Super Center. When they start selling Spyderco knives I will match their prices for my customers. At this price there will little if any profit left for my business. My question is will Spyderco sell the knives to me for the same price they sell to Walmart? Based on the volume of sales I would predict the answer is no.
At a certain point in time Walmart will probably be the only Spyderco dealer in our town. Will that be a good thing for the customer? In my shop we also provide a service. If you need a screw or clip for your knive we usually have them. Many times we have warrantied knives for our customers on the spot. I think the people need to look past the 8 or 9 dollars they are saving on the Walmart bought knife and look at the big picture.

[Michael Cook]

I think the people need to look past the 8 or 9 dollars they are saving on the Walmart bought knife and look at the big picture.

:spyder: The big picture is that of a giant wal-mart boot heel crushing your skull. Our government is owned by the corporations and the corporations tell "the people" what to do and think. Ultimately if you compete with the giant wal-mart machine you are as doomed as clean air, civil liberties, and the Spyderco dodo. In America it's not about worthiness or quality (remember the Lil' Temperance?) it's about the bottom line. :spyder:

[positivelyal]

Kristi, thanks for the insights, as always.

Hannibal, you nailed it. While some may not like or agree with Wal-Mart's business practices, this idea of them as the Great Satan responsible for the downfall of all things good in the US is really getting old.

I am now a proud "Wal-Mart Native" owner. I figure I did my part to not only support a Colorado company and their latest venture but those employed at my local Wal-Mart as well. I suppose I denied some non-Spyderco person looking for a good knife an opportunity, but they can get them the next go around - if we buy these all up, they will no doubt order more. :)

And here's what will really make some of you mad, regardless of how you feel about this whole deal...

My wife got the knife for me - she knew the story, was over in our closest Wal-Mart yesterday, called me and said, "Hey, I'm back in that section and they only have one - do you want it?" Of course, I said yes...

Now, to be completely honest, she knows all about Spyderco, has been to SFO with me, and so on, but still - I have a feeling a whole lot of you would give anything to have someone like that... :D

[snuffaluff]

thanks for the info Taz... It's definatly appreciated. I've voice my opinions on Wally-world in the other thread so I won't do it again here. I really hope that this turns into what Sal hoped it would, and not some wal-mart something or another.

ps. I still won't shop at wal-mart, even if it's the only place for spydies...

[Hannibal Lecter]

My Friend,

My question is will Spyderco sell the knives to me for the same price they sell to Walmart? Based on the volume of sales I would predict the answer is no.

Because of the quantity Wal-Mart ordered from us, we were able to obtain discounts on the materials used to make the C41PBK. We passed this discount on to all of our accounts. The MSRP also went down and our own site has been revised. There is the same difference between Dealer cost and MSRP as all of our other models.

--------
Hannibal

[ront]

Thanks Hannibal, I was about to also point that out.

Ron