[robr7]

...is there any real reason for what seems like across the board price hikes back to MSRP? Doesn’t seem to me the price fluctuations really match any type of guessable supply or demand strains. Anything recent that might explain it?

[Adam]

...is there any real reason for what seems like across the board price hikes back to MSRP? Doesn’t seem to me the price fluctuations really match any type of guessable supply or demand strains. Anything recent that might explain it?

(a) the start of a new month, which usually resets existing rebates, and (b) the end of the holiday season. Most US lens prices were at or near record lows for almost 2 months, so a bit of a breather doesn't come as a surprise IMO.

[robr7]

(a) the start of a new month, which usually resets existing rebates, and (b) the end of the holiday season. Most US lens prices were at or near record lows for almost 2 months, so a bit of a breather doesn't come as a surprise IMO.

I get both, but if the prices were being kept low by factory to vendor rebates, then I don’t see a reason for Pentax to lift them until having a compelling reason to do so... like a new product, which would then help drive sales. Holidays don’t seem to consistently move the price down for lenses. Though this season did seem to have higher than average discounts, perhaps implying that it may have been a concerted effort by both sides to clear inventories. Would be interesting if anyone has an insiders view on how this market moves product.

[clackers]

Note, too, as a smaller effect the yen is 0.92 cents compared to 0.88 during November. That wouldn't affect inventory already in the States, but could affect reorders of stock.

[biz-engineer]

Pentax HD FA price jumps......is there any real reason

Yes, Pentax price increases happen especially you were on the edge on doing the purchase in 2018 while thinking, "I bet the price won't increase in 2019", ahhhhhhrrrr ouupppps.

[kypfer]

cynical thought ... maybe they're just taking advantage of there being no major third-party supplier of lenses to compete with, now that Tamron and Sigma have stopped support for the Pentax mount!

[biz-engineer]

cynical thought ... maybe they're just taking advantage of there being no major third-party supplier of lenses to compete with, now that Tamron and Sigma have stopped support for the Pentax mount!

Pentax is taking advantage, but Sony with the multiple mount adapters are having horrendous prices on their lenses, just check it out, you will find Pentax cheap in comparison.

[k1man]

haha, I got done again, if you want it buy it, the AF201 FG cost me 8,000 Thai Baht and a battery was 4,000 BT work it out, haha Ian

[Not a Number]

Gee all the F.U.D. in other threads about Ricoh Imaging having so many losses they'll go out of business in x number of years unless they do something drastic years ago and you wonder why they raise prices?

[c.a.m]

what seems like across the board price hikes back to MSRP?

Would you give some examples please?

I'm not sure there have been such price hikes in Canada, but I don't track the market too closely.

[normhead]

Would you give some examples please?

I'm not sure there have been such price hikes in Canada, but I don't track the market too closely.

That'a because they never actually lower our prices much.

By now surely everyone knows prices drop around Christmas and go back up shortly afterwards. Christmas is the time when volume sales can make up for charging a lower price. After boxing day, sales numbers go down, they need more from each piece of kit they sell to cover operating expenses. My guess is anyone who works in retail understands this.

My sister used to own a retail clothing store. 90% of her profit (and gross income) for the year was Black Friday to Boxing day. Think of it this way, During the holiday season, a dealer can sell 9 lenses at a reduced price and still cover their expenses. January and February, when everyone is tired of shopping and out of money, one lens has to do that.

The only time prices go down and stay down is during inventory clear-outs. And then they stay down, until the desired inventory is gone. But that is an individual decision done store by store. I've seen times when a dealer listed a lens, sold three copies and then put the price back up. They just wanted to reduce the inventory of that lens and bring in new stock. But, you don't know what's going on, all you'll ever know is that the price is for some reason cheap. I have many lenses bought under those circumstance. have the money in the bank, when you see something you want at a good price grab it. Playing the "wait and see how low prices will go" game can mean you never purchase that item. I've had it happen. There's not waiting long enough, and waiting too long. Both are possibilities.

In my sisters store, first she'd pay off the cost of her inventory, then she'd put away money to get through the lean months, then she'd try and rake in as much as possible before the end of the spending season with lower prices. In the years where she didn't accomplish those first two things, there were no sales. It's not about Pentax strategy, it's about "how did we do this year?"

[Ontarian50]

In some jurisdictions, consumer protection law is supposed to prevent phony "sale" prices, and bogus claims of discounts off "regular price". So, in order to claim "$100 off", the retailer is supposed to have it at full price for at least six weeks prior (at least that's what I recall the law being around here).


Every now and then you hear of some crackdown, where some large retailer is called out for promoting big sale prices (that are usually about the same as what other retailers are selling it for anyway) when they never had it at the supposed full price.

Still, I was talking to a young fellow who worked at a mall retail store, who told me that he would unpack clothing shipments that came with price tags with sale discounts already attached. You think that shirt you're admiring ever sold for $90? Heh, heh.

So, depending on where you live, you may see prices spike up at certain times of year, just so that a few weeks later when a big discount is promoted, it was legitimately sitting on a shelf at full price for awhile.

[normhead]

In some jurisdictions, consumer protection law is supposed to prevent phony "sale" prices, and bogus claims of discounts off "regular price". So, in order to claim "$100 off", the retailer is supposed to have it at full price for at least six weeks prior (at least that what I recall the law being around here).


Every now and then you hear of some crackdown, where some large retailer is called out for promoting big sale prices (that are usually about the same as what other retailers are selling it for anyway) when they never had it at the supposed full price.

Still, I was talking to a young fellow who worked at a mall retail store, who told me that he would unpack clothing shipments that came with price tags with sale discounts already attached. You think that shirt you're admiring ever sold for $90? Heh, heh.

So, depending on where you live, you may see prices spike up at certain times of year, just so that a few weeks later when a big discount is promoted, it was legitimately sitting on a shelf at full price for awhile.

When I get a brand new shirt (with he original tags still on it) from Value Village and it's MEC brand and $10 instead of 90, I'm pretty sure I'm getting deal. But, if you shop at "the Source" you have to get a 25% discount just to bring their prices down to what everyone else is charging. Although in this age of internet price comparisons, even they've had to drop their retail prices to be more in line with their competition. A friend just gave up his "Source" franchise. The internet has basically made small town electronic stores unprofitable. Not good for him, good for me.

[darylk]

(a) the start of a new month, which usually resets existing rebates, and (b) the end of the holiday season. Most US lens prices were at or near record lows for almost 2 months, so a bit of a breather doesn't come as a surprise IMO.

I agree with this ^ .

Lower prices will eventually return. The key is to be patient, watch the prices and act when you're satisfied with the price you're paying. I just bought the DFA 24-70 for around $850 using this approach. Unfortunately, I missed the low of $800, but am very satisfied.

[tvdtvdtvd]

...is there any real reason for what seems like across the board price hikes back to MSRP? Doesn’t seem to me the price fluctuations really match any type of guessable supply or demand strains. Anything recent that might explain it?

A manufacturer's reminder that the sale price is not the new norm nor an indication of a downward trend and thus buy while the
sale is on, rather than waiting to for a sale on the sale?

That's just a guess. Strictly speaking, I'm a retailer, (I sell my artwork, and I sell mineral specimens), but I don't do sales.
I set the price and that's it. I will 'blow out' old stock every now and again with a dramatically reduced price, but I don't fiddle
with up and down pricing, seasonal sales and all that nonsense. IMO, it trains the customer to wait for the sale rather than
buying when they want it.