Online Sales

[Mojo]

Geeezz. Is there anything you cannot buy online now days ?

I am wondering how much of an impact this will have on auto trimmers like Doyle and Ricat. Car owners are always looking for a cheap way out of a project. Obviously someone with an expensive classic car will go to an expert like Doyle or Rick but there are those who think they can do it on the cheap and order these things. I can see problems with ordering these replacement seat covers. 1.) The headache of removing the old one by a novice car owner. 2.) The installation by the novice car owner. 3.) What do they do with the foam that is broken down or torn ?

Here is the web site:  www.theseatshop.com

There are a lot of products being sold online that are made from templants. The problem with templants is that they do not take into consideration the variances of an older item that may occur with age.

What are ya'lls thoughts ?

Mojo

[SteveA]

Like it or not it's the way folks are trending who think they can save a few bucks.  It makes me think of the floor guys who can make a floor matt for any car by computer - the information is becoming more easily obtainable.
Cars drive themselves so there may not be a need for steering wheels in the near future or for us ! 

Archie Bunker

[sofadoc]

What are ya'lls thoughts ?

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My thought is.........this is really nothing new. They were selling OEM seats in magazines long before selling them online.

Back in the 80's, I dabbled in car upholstery a little bit. Every time I gave a quote, the customer would whup out a magazine and show me where they could get ready-made seats a lot cheaper. One of the main reasons why my dalliance into the high flying world of automotive upholstery was short-lived.

[MinUph]

I remember probably in the early 70s a guy came is with a vette 2 seater. Nice car. I forget the year. But he wanted the seats done. I gave hima price and he ended up buying the skins from some magazine. I put them on. They look beautiful. I stopped by his place about 6 months later and looked at the seats. They were red and white. All the red bled onto the white. They looked horrible. I didn't see the guy and just left. You don't know what your going to get from someplace you don't know. I can't imagine is has gotten any better.

[baileyuph]

If the discoloration (?) is that bad, could be a cleaning mistake - wrong cleaner.

Some of the recent projects for me are Jeep seats, GM mid size seats, - one customer (quarry) owner,
picked up two and said he had a bunch more.  They are work trucks - but they still require seats and
want them.

I went on line to see what is available (OEM uph is required to get a decent fit but their price plus shipping is not attractive).  They don't fix the padding and other items that also require attention.

My prices aren't their biggest concern, these customers reference equipment with seats they pay big
dollars for, lot more (1/2 million they referenced in their cadre).

It is all business and younger people are not going in our directions.  There is good money in
a lot of places - don't blame them.

Hope everyone has a nice new year!

Doyle

[kodydog]

The times are changing and the things people buy on line amaze me. Clothing for instance, how can you buy shoes, shirts or pants without trying them on first.

Would you buy a $230 k house on line. My neighbor and good friend put their house on the market. A month later the realtor told him she has a buyer from California who wants to buy the house sight unseen. The realtor took a video inside and out and sent it to the buyer. He signed the contract through e-mail and sent back a $1500 deposit. My friend moved out and rented an apartment, he retires in 9 months. The buyer got a no money down loan from the VA. When it came time to close the buyer stalled. The buyer ended up driving to Florida for the closing. When the buyer saw the house he decided he didn't like it and walked away, giving up his deposit.

For some folks shopping on line is a way of life. I guess the mentality is if you don't like it you can dispute it, send it back or like my friends house just walk away.

[sofadoc]

The times are changing and the things people buy on line amaze me.

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Quite often when I needed some little oddball item, I would go to the local hardware store or Home Depot/Lowes searching for it. The staff would drag me all over the store before finally conceding that they just don't have it. So the next day, I'd go somewhere else looking for it........same thing.

Then it would suddenly dawn on me "If I had just went online and ordered it yesterday, I'd already have it by now".

[SteveA]

I have a neighbor and his Wife is addicted to QVC Shopping network.  In fact their basement is full of boxes stacked from floor to ceiling - 90 % of them unopened.  She even has a deal with the mailman that if her Husbands car is in the driveway to hold the package for another time. Yes they walk among us !   
I buy many things on Amazon and really prefer it lately .  Did you ever go to HD and ask someone for help in finding an item.  They look at you like you have two heads and rarely willingly to help you.  It's enough to make you go back to your computer and just order it on line. 
SA

[Mojo]

We buy alot of things on line. Tool's, shipping boxes, office supplies and we even bought a couch/hideabed for our spare guest room and a desk and numerous filing cabinets. Our problem is we have very little time to go out and shop and also some of your best pricing is found online.

Our awning company is about 75 % online sales now with 20 % sales at shows and events and just 5 % walk in. As much as I hate how Amazon has killed so many local Mom & Pop businesses, I do understand the convenience factor. Just a few key strokes can bring an item to your day in 48 hours.

What worries me is that with all the online sales from companies such as Amazon, Target, Sam's, Costco, etc. what is going to happen to our local tax bases ? Big box stores such as K-Mart, Sear's not to mention the smaller retail stores are closing and remaining empty. In the end the tax base is lost to cities, counties and States and someone has to make up for that shortfall.......namely us in higher property taxes. So in the end the savings we garnered buying online ends up costing us ?

I do not mind new technologies but am not crazy about some of it - autonomous cars & trucks, drone package deliveries, all electric cars. I cannot even imagine what it will be like 20 years from now. Thankfully I am on the backside of life.

Mojo

[gene]

IKEA found a way to sell furniture online.

My son bought a set of tires for his car online. High end tires. He paid a local garage to balance and install the tires and he saved about $200 including the cost of shipping.

[sofadoc]

My son bought a set of tires for his car online. High end tires. He paid a local garage to balance and install the tires and he saved about $200 including the cost of shipping.

I'm sure his local garage was thrilled to just make an hourly wage for installing tires that they made no profit on .

[MinUph]

C.O.M. Tires. My ex boss did that too. Saved some $$ had tires plus do the install.

[kodydog]

IKEA found a way to sell furniture online.

I guess the big question is can what we do be sold online. With only email interaction from the customer, they send the piece to us, we recover it and send it back. I'm too old to learn new tricks but could this realistically be done? I'm thinking yes. Remember the antique barber chair we were asked to restore? We turned the job down. During our research we learned their are companies out there that specialize in restoring these things. They take chairs from all over the country. They completely restore them and send them back. Niche market. And very expensive.

[MinUph]

Motorcycle seats, Cushion jobs, there are as many mail order jobs as there are imagination and people willing to pay. Many people live in areas without many services and they are willing to spend to get things done. Finding them (marketing) is the key.

[Mojo]

Paul, you are so right. Online sales is real tough and requires a lot of strategic marketing. I focused on internet sales knowing that is where our growth would be. We would have closed our doors years ago if we had to rely on local or even regional sales. But growing a business online is a real bitch. It took every bit of my 30 plus years of marketing experience to break into National and then International sales.

It also took a lot of traveling and attending shows to break into the market and took 3 solid years before sales really took off. It worked out for us and we have a great company but if you asked me if I would want to do it over again I would say - Hell No. It has consumed the last decade of my life.

Marketing is an important part of every business. The variables are plentiful and knowing how to leverage everything from products to brands is a real kick in the behind. The other problem is trying to keep track of all the changes in your market from new products by competitors to new wants and needs of your customers. Now take all these aspects and apply it to online sales in different regions, different climates, different wants and needs and it ends up being a royal pain in the butt.

Mojo