More rampant
commercialism
Guido reckons it's time that someone started a motorcycle version of Amazon.com
in Australia...
It really is time that, in these days of internet and fast international freight,
that someone bit the bullet and had a crack at building a really good online
accessory store. Why? Well, firstly I suspect there's a decent quid to be made
and, far more selfishly, I'm fed up to the back teeth with being rooted around.
Oh, and penalised for having the temerity to live in Oz, with its tiny (if fairly
wealthy) motorcycle market.
Somewhere else in this fine family publication, you'll find a longish product
evaluation story which goes through a number of gee-gaws I've attached to the
long-suffering Mac the Valk over the last few years. The list is by no means
comprehensive and, at a quick ready-reckoning, the complete line-up (minus consumables
like tyres) would add up to around $5000. A not insubstantial amount of money.
However about two-thirds of it was bought direct from overseas because it wasn't
available here.
Harley of course spotted this phenomenon some time back and became a world leader
in accessorising for its range. The reasoning for doing this is more subtle
than might meet the eye. Yes you'll sell some chrome thingos and make a few
bob. The real agenda is that when someone walks into an H-D store and sees all
this stuff hanging off the walls, they reason that there's something to this
Hogley gig and feel a lot more confident about buying the motorcycle.
Okay, in our market, some models sell in such tiny numbers that no sane person
could justify massive displays of expensive stock. The Honda Valkyrie is as
good an example as any. It's only a guess, but I'd be surprised if more than
200 have been sold here, with perhaps 20 per cent of them being the full-dress
Interstate. Not exactly what you'd call a lucrative accessory market, once you
allow for wildly varying tastes and budgets among the owners.
If you get on the internet, however, a mob at www.hondadirectlineusa.com has
a dedicated Valk store with some hundreds of lines - truly a Valkaholic's paradise.
When you look closely, you realise they are following the Amazon.com business
model. That is you avoid stocking any more than you need to, but act as a network
service - where you provide the access, order the bit once the customer sticks
their paw up for it, and arrange delivery.
(Just as an aside: you can't help but wonder at the skull and crossbones logo
on the Valk store's home page...)
One obscure model does not make a business, but 50 or more does, and you'd have
little trouble getting those sorts of numbers together.
Hell, I'm about to take delivery of a Hayabusa (something I'll attempt to explain
next issue) and I'm already sending money overseas on its behalf.
This is ridiculous and a waste of potential. I'd much rather deal with a local
business (so at least a bit of the money stays on these shores) that can also
take care of importing hassles and (hopefully) provide a decent one-stop shop
where I can browse without wasting half my time looking for a retailer, let
along the actual part I want.
No doubt someone will pipe up and ask that if I were such a bleedin' retail
genius, why don't I go out and do it myself. Well, I've seen what retail does
to people and I think I'd rather take a bath in a tub of battery acid. Which
isn't to say I have anything against rampant commercialism - it's just I'd rather
use it than do it.
Guy "Guido" Allen
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