Thread: Gear shopping - Local vs Offshore - I know...

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

twin needle and K2 and swazi come to mind....

Exactly, twin needle are putting a new zip on my sleeping bag Atm. Thank goodness for them. No one else was interested

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Originally Posted by Micky Duck

now heres a thought out of left field.....let local shop know what price you can get it in from overseas for....and say to them poke a..say$50-100 on top of that and I will buy it off you..... this has always been a "thing" genuine VS aftermarket car parts are a classic for it. chainsaw bits are even more so. but @308 is right if we dont support local little guy.. he wont stay in business and then when you need that pack of primers/couple boxes of .22lr for surprise spotlight mission/etc in a hurry you will be shit out of luck...
30 years ago when I shifted to Timaru we has Falconers field n stream in south end of town,great salmon gear,few reasonable priced guns and good ammunition selection,tiny bit of camping stuff
Buckleys in middle of town...bought by Gary Dix later..lots of good priced guns good ammunition,good fishing stuff and great folks to deal with @Muz257 LOL Bagos was on cnr grey road and elizabeth street...small selection of 2nd hand camping and fishing stuff
then we got a hunting n fishing,Thai n Rita had a TINY shop...no more than 6meters wide and the yhad GREAT prices..... they got bought out and the big store was built...we got another store in washdyke.Davos...Falconers closed when owner passed..Dixs closed not long afterwards,they were in washdyke for a bit so now..we have big Hunting n Fishing and little davos and thats it.... smiths city also USED to have great wee sports section,thats gone now. so we didnt look after little guys and they folded up....

Imagine if you had internet 30 years ago and could check how much those small guys with “great” deals were fleecing you 😂

Imagine waiting for that box of rounds of 7.62x39mm to arrive via the internet (good luck with that) Vs a phone call to Stu Falconer and wifey pops in and picks it up for me....
convenience cost a little to provide.

Originally Posted by Sauer

One issue I have struck often here is that none of the shops keep higher value items in stock - they only get them in once you’ve paid for them. These retailers are nothing more than drop shippers and are just clipping the ticket for ordering it for you. If they want me to buy local then they need to have the stock in store, not expect me to buy sight unseen and charge me a premium for ordering it.

The only thing putting me off buying overseas at the moment is the low value of the NZ$ against the US$. I have been charged GST on items coming in, but they are still considerably cheaper, the available range of goods is huge, and the service generally streets ahead of the service here.

Used to be called “pocket booking” years ago.

Originally Posted by kukuwai

Its a global market these days like it or not.

Personally I remember fondly the days when you could buy quality "everlasting" NZ made gear from either the Macpac or Fairydown factory stores in CHCH.

Oh how times have changed !!





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If you look at New Zealand, we really have a very limited group of large companies controlling our retail markets now. Doesn’t matter what mall you go to, all the shops are the same. They are mopping the big money away and paying poor wages back to the communities.
Bloody hard on the small local business.
The control of food is really bad and very bad for the producers

Originally Posted by zeropak

My phone rings most weeks with someone wanting a part for gear they have either purchased offshore or in NZ from some no name, fly by night importer. I try and help where I can. Buy locally from a reputable company and the problem goes away.

Unfortunately no it doesn't. Had several items I've had over the last few years where the retailer failed dismally and I've had to order the parts myself. If I'm getting sterling 'no questions asked' gold plated and FAST service I definitely do not mind paying for the backup. But when it's costing me in some cases over twice the price to wait twice as long to get the goods, and then have more of a farkaround just dealing with the store why would you?

Yes, support your local but if they are taking longer, charging more, and are more hassle than DIY there is just no point to it. It's not just hunting gear, it's everything nowadays to be honest - electronic components, hardware, mechanical parts, construction materials, household goods etc etc. Nothing that we used to hold in stock in NZ seems to be held here now, it's all bloody order in. And that's hugely risky when speed and service quality are what keeps your customers coming back - if you're slower at supplying than direct ordering (either locally in other parts of NZ or from overseas), a huge amount more expensive or just plain way more hassle (noting here council is making it an utter arse simply getting to some suppliers and then you have to find a park...) you're not going to stay in business.

I buy both locally and overseas. For overseas purchases I never trouble the local agent. For local purchases I pay more, and I expect the service and support that justifies the premium charged. Sometimes you find out the local agent is great - sometimes they are just unhelpful overpriced drop shippers. There are some big NZ retailers I prefer to avoid, especially when the same goods are significantly cheaper from overseas sellers - even more when they are on sale. Paid $200 for some boots that are north of $600 locally.

Originally Posted by Low box

I buy both locally and overseas. For overseas purchases I never trouble the local agent. For local purchases I pay more, and I expect the service and support that justifies the premium charged. Sometimes you find out the local agent is great - sometimes they are just unhelpful overpriced drop shippers. There are some big NZ retailers I prefer to avoid, especially when the same goods are significantly cheaper from overseas sellers - even more when they are on sale. Paid $200 for some boots that are north of $600 locally.

Yes agreed. If I get poor service from a local company I will never darken their doorway again.

Originally Posted by catharsis

So I know this will be always upset some people but I'd be interested to see what people have to say..
For 9.8 out of 10 things I purchase (no matter what it is) I always try to support local but every once in a while curiosity gets the best of me and I check offshore prices + shipping...
I was looking at a Leupold VX5 HD 3-15x44 CDS ZL2 Fire Dot Duplex today at my local shop and hmmm... $2400 cool, I can stretch to that, but I wonder... opticzone.com.. Oh man, $1850NZD to my door? That's when I start reading their warranty/returns policy reeeeeally closely as $550 is not nothing.. and if there's issues, just contact Leupy direct?
I'm new here so no idea if this has been done to death (mods feel free to delete) but I'm genuinely curious what you guys think about this kind of thing?

We are a very small market at the end of a long distribution chain in New Zealand, especially for optics.
I don’t think it’s fair to lay 100% blame with the local vendor, it’s more economy of scale and the distribution system clipping the ticket over and over to get that product in country.
You just have to do your homework and weigh the pros and cons, savings vs convenience and consumer protection shopping overseas.
2010 I managed to land two PMIIs out of Germany for the same price quoted for just one of them through the local distributor, admittedly got real lucky with GST. The purchase was worth the punt but certainly had risk.
There is no equal to handling and getting behind a product. This is especially true for optics as they can be so subjective to the individual. Online reviews are great and very helpful but aren’t as definitive as looking through one yourself. I knew all about the tunnelling on the 5-25, but still wonder whether I would have done something different had I been able to experience it prior to committing, a slight but lingering con for me from buying that one.
No way would I currently buy a Nightforce NZ retail.

You just have to look at the significantly lower price of NF scopes in Australia to see how much Hardy is fleecing everyone in NZ wanting one.

I like to buy local and don't mind paying a little more for it but as already mentioned, apart from apparel the small town local store has hardly anything in stock. Everything has to be ordered in, They often don't even have 308 or 223 ammo. It's easier to just go to one of the big shops in a larger centre and just get what you need

considering what you can buy local can also be bought online your essentially paying for good service. How many people want to pay for shit service?

Well I went local anyway as the guys at the local shop (H&F... don't have any smaller shops around here) offered a package deal discount for rifle, scope, rings, suppressor and bag. Plus they were super helpful and very pleasant so why not support 'em, right?

Originally Posted by catharsis

Well I went local anyway as the guys at the local shop (H&F... don't have any smaller shops around here) offered a package deal discount for rifle, scope, rings, suppressor and bag. Plus they were super helpful and very pleasant so why not support 'em, right?

Spend your money how you wish my friend and the best of luck to ya

H&F threw us shooters under the bus when the confiscation was afoot and I for one will not forget that

Originally Posted by 308

Spend your money how you wish my friend and the best of luck to ya

H&F threw us shooters under the bus when the confiscation was afoot and I for one will not forget that

nope you cannot say that anymore.....its not allowed.... moderators have said you CANNOT say bad things about any business on this site