Nerf Rant (Sent off to Nerf too)

I recently sent this one off to Nerf, just wanted some opinions on it:

Nerf, I am quite disappointed with the lack of availability of your wonderful blasters in Australia, as well as the price. I explain why in the following paragraphs:

1. The unjustified lack of blasters.
The total amount of blasters readily available in my area (Close to central Brisbane, also near Chermside shopping centre, one of the biggest in the southern hemisphere) is about 4, maybe 5 if you get lucky, that is a very small range of the N-Strike line, conversely, Buzzbee blasters are consistently available in large numbers almost anywhere I go. The fact that the line is so small at retail is insane.

And even if I had access to all the blasters available in Australia, I would still only have about a quarter of the N-Strike line to pick from. I despise the fact that I can't find a Longstrike or a Raider anywhere at all in the Brisbane area. Everywhere has Mavericks and Nitefinders, a more thorough look will find me a Vulcan, and an absolute scouring will get me a Recon and Furyfire set. If you have an explanation as to why Aussies get such a small selection, then I would certainly like to hear it, because I really want a Deploy (HINT HINT!).

2: The ludicrous pricing.
Right this point is very valid in my opinion because the pricing scheme A) compared to out US brethren and B) compared to Buzzbee, is far too high for your demographic in Australia, because I am yet to meet too many mature Nerfers in this country. I'll just give 1 examples of an overpriced gun, but it applies across the whole of the line (Except the Maverick and Nitefinder).

Longstrike; when it comes out in Australia, it will cost around $70 RRP, that is quite a bit of money indeed. The Buzzbee equivalent (In my opinion), the Rapid Fire Tek, which fires just as far and has just as many rounds, can be found for 30 dollars which is quite a bit cheaper, more than half price. If you then compare it to the US, the price gap is also quite drastic (if you take the current exchange rate) in the US it costs $30, therefore a Longstrike should cost me $35 AU, funnily enough the Aussie dollar ISN'T trading at 45 US cents to 1 AU dollar, its actually high 90s. As the average trade rate is about 70 US cents to 1 AU dollar, I think that you should conform to a more realistic pricing structure, so, if you use a proper trading rate, the Longstrike should only cost about $40 AU.

I know about shipping costs too, but a bulk shipping like Nerf could get doesn't add $30 to each blaster.

You might want to consider why it costs so much and that's because the importation costs to bring them over Australia is VERY expensive in our case. A LongStrike for $70 is pretty expensive yes, but I guess that's the price you'll pay... i've found a Longstrike for $60 on this website and it's free shipping... www.fishpond.com.au. I've bought from there before so you'll be getting a good service. The lack of blasters could be due on the big name companies choices in buying these nerf guns and distributing it to them. But you're argument is pretty legit though. Think about them for a little...

Hope that helped

Personally I still think that shipping and distribution cost isn\'t that high, and if it is, then perhaps Nerf could try a different shipping partner.

As for the suppliers selective distribution, I think the line is still lacking, like the Deploy, Normal Titan, Longshot for quite a while, Firefly etc...

I dont think that they would listen if you are comparing one of there Blasters to a company in competiton with you. I disagreee with the pricing of Nerf's blasters in Australia compared to the pricing in the US but it happens in everything. Computer headphones can be triple the price of which they are in America.

Warriewoodbros wrote:I dont think that they would listen if you are comparing one of there Blasters to a company in competiton with you. I disagreee with the pricing of Nerf's blasters in Australia compared to the pricing in the US but it happens in everything. Computer headphones can be triple the price of which they are in America.

Point, but PC is an entirely different topic (My beloved Apple seems pretty good with pricing though)

They are a company, they have huge overheads and people to pay and they like to make a profit on top, making foam guns is how they do it, so you won't get a lower price or better availability in this country because in comparison to everyone else we are small.

Importation costs are the main problem especially when a business purchases them, as the cost to import + delivery from port to your door does add up, I'll show you how.

$1,500 Purchase Price of whatever Items, lets say nerf for the hell of it
$500.00 Shipping

The moment you hit the shore

+ 10% Gst
+ 5% Duty (This changes depending on what your importing)
+ Fees, documentation, declaration rararar (This can add up to $100 quickly if not more)

Shipping from port to Business (It costs roughly $150 to ship a pallette from my port to my door)

So by the time your item gets to you that 1,500 is now just under $2,500. Then It can even go further up than that say the item goes to a distributor instead of YOU selling the item then you pay GST again + the freight to ship it to you and then your expected to make a profit to live off on that if you do it for a living as Hasbro are.

Shit's getting expensive get used to it, you can blame it on the greedy people who want a piece of every ones pie.

Nerf would have duty exemption as no nerf guns are produced in Australia. You too informer could probably qualify for this exemption possibly - it all just depends on if they as a category of items have a harmony code, if they do you can probably claim duty exemption as to my knowledge no foam shooting guns are manufactured in Australia.

The place where I work can get a pallet shipped anywhere in AUS or around $65AUD, I'm guessing the volumes nerf are moving it would cost them $20-25 a pallet at most.

Heck they probably don't even use pallets. I would suspect that most of the stock gets delivered to the distributors in shipping containers, and from then on all the moving costs are internal within this distro's.

Really it is the distributors that decide the final price - RRP's these days are more flexible and MAP's (min advertised price) are more common. But both the Distro and the store selling it need to make money... they have overheads, staff etc too.

Basically it's a long chain, and the only way to make the end price cheaper is remove parts of the chain - like Fishpond are doing

Aj

-Aj- wrote:Nerf would have duty exemption as no nerf guns are produced in Australia. You too informer could probably qualify for this exemption possibly - it all just depends on if they as a category of items have a harmony code, if they do you can probably claim duty exemption as to my knowledge no foam shooting guns are manufactured in Australia.

The place where I work can get a pallet shipped anywhere in AUS or around $65AUD, I'm guessing the volumes nerf are moving it would cost them $20-25 a pallet at most.

Heck they probably don't even use pallets. I would suspect that most of the stock gets delivered to the distributors in shipping containers, and from then on all the moving costs are internal within this distro's.

Really it is the distributors that decide the final price - RRP's these days are more flexible and MAP's (min advertised price) are more common. But both the Distro and the store selling it need to make money... they have overheads, staff etc too.

Basically it's a long chain, and the only way to make the end price cheaper is remove parts of the chain - like Fishpond are doing

Aj

Cheers Aj, that explained it thoroughly. Also, may I ask how you built your collection so large?

Spent lots of money?

Aj

-Aj- wrote:Spent lots of money?

Aj

No I mean stuff like your Fireflys and Titans, I'd love to have one of those.

I reckon I could give AJ a run for his money. Took this photo a couple of months ago. Its missing my Vulcan, BBB and Triple Shit Shot. Most of it is now boxed up and sitting in my recently flooded garage.

Another thing you've got to remember is that we are a much smaller market than USA or Singapore.

I hope Nerf sends you a reply. I'm interested to see what they think. thats even if they give a damm.

No one bar Roger could give me a run, not meaning to be mean but it's a LOT bigger than that..

Anyways that's kinda off topic

Aj

Roger Explosion wrote:Another thing you've got to remember is that we are a much smaller market than USA or Singapore.

I hope Nerf sends you a reply. I'm interested to see what they think. thats even if they give a damm.

Nothing as of yet.

I really don't get how Singapore could be a larger market than we are. Singapore has 3 million people, mostly chinese. They're also very well educated and more into things like video games, golf and making lots of money. They've also got a really tiny island to live on, which means no room to play. That leads to a country full of pasty people. They're not mentally lazy but damn are they physically lazy. Has anyone seen the Singaporean Olympic teams recently? Yeah...

Australia is getting close to 20 million people and we pride ourselves on loving the outdoors and drinking, both of which are conducive to playing with toy guns. We spend billions of our money on footy and cricket and we kick ass in the olympics. If there was ever a better target demographic to sell outdoor toys to, it's us. However, we're also a country that hates change and the government is full of old people that despises anything that resembles fun(airsoft, gay rights and incest) so what did you expect?

When I went to Japan, you guys would cream yourselves at the sight of the toy stores they have in Tokyo compared to here. They even have kiddy airsoft guns in there, as well as lots and lots of porn. Porn in a toy store = epic win. Granted that Japanese porn is twisted but hey, it's a start.

Glad to see that you've got an interest though. Best thing to do to help the sport out though is to hold events and show Hasbro all the money they're missing out on when organisers rake in all the dough and they get nothing. So depending on what state you're in, go get involved in nerf wars and get them started. Build it up to something that the public accepts and you'll have Hasbro begging stores to display more of their products.

Your right on that. In general though we do get left behind in everything not just Nerf. I used to own a Wii, but I got rid of it due to releases being 6 months behind simply because I live in Australia and a lot of games both on Cube and Wii never get a release here or if they do you have to pay a fortune to get a copy of certain things.

You mentioned Singapore is majority Chinese, pretty much everything is made in China so perhaps products are more accessible in general in Singapore in comparison with Australia. I'm just throwing ideas around, it's 1am after a 13 hour shift so I will talk shit generally.

On a side note I'll insert some sarcasm, Hasbro is American, Americans still think we are running around with Boomerangs and spears spearing kangaroos so maybe Hasbro is a bit uneducated

inf0rm3r wrote:On a side note I'll insert some sarcasm, Hasbro is American, Americans still think we are running around with Boomerangs and spears spearing kangaroos so maybe Hasbro is a bit uneducated

You meen we dont. Thats how my grandma was when she first came to Australia.

Back on topic: On the Singapore talk: They are also closer to where they manufactur the guns.

In Australia, acording to the local Hasbro Retailer, is that shops like TRU have a monopoly on toys, and she belives that you have to beat the store to get the item (in this case Nerf.)

Senario: I go to the Hasbro Retailer and ask her "I would like to order in 50 boxes of "*insert nerf gun here*", I beat TRU I get to monopoly that blaster meaning that they have to now buy it through me.

This is stuff taken DIRECTLY from a Hasbro Retailer, so don't go saying "you dont know shit" ok?

I don't think that's quite how it works. I'm not knocking you - I just don't think that's exactly how it works.

That does happen, I know at work we practically own the market one a few particular types of computer cases but that's because we buy them by the container and have had a good relationship with the supplier for some time.

Obviously Toys R Us is going to have a better relationship with Hasbro then a small company would.