Originally posted by 7samurai monochrome, you trying to make me spend money. I'm looking at the DA-40 at $339.95. I also noticed the DA-40 XS lens at $249.95. Now I'm torn.
Don't forget the rounded blades on the XS. Its a question of Limited build versus rounder OOF highlights.
Originally posted by 7samurai I think JC Penny recently went that direction. Cut out all the promotions and lower the price across the board to generate sales. I think the ad group called it "Everyday Pricing". Target has always offered this and was killing JC Penny. You no longer had to wait for a promotion. Just go in, find what you need and buy it. Simple.
I was actually thinking of Target versus Walmart or
REI versus
The Alpine Shop versus
Campmor.com. I buy a
lot of camping and hiking equipment.
Walmart is an awful, pushy, dirty, risky experience. We have an in-store Police substation in our Walmart - really!!I I never go there for anything.
Target is clean, bright, friendly and the shelves are stocked with a limited, basic line of gear. Whenever I can I shop at Target.
REI is clean, bright, the staff is helpful, the prices are good and they have the full line of gear. Whenever I need to, like for boots, I shop at REI and pay 35% more than the minimum for the fitting service and the open discussion of brand strengths and weaknesses compared to my outdoor goals.
Campmor.com is like B&H - great value, absolutely everything you need, but online only (except Manhattan). Sometimes the price is too good not to buy from them (a tent is a tent).
The Alpine Shop is like an arrogant camera store. They always try to upsell me, tell me I don't know what I need, push a certain brand over the one I want and charge ridiculously high prices. I actually don't feel at all bad about going there to look at a $350 outfitter backpack, buying a pair of socks and ordering the backpack from Campmor. Because I've been an active hiker/camper since my teens I am well informed about the technical aspects of gear, the values, the relative merits of brands and I know why I want what I want. I have no earthly idea how Pentax could get traction in that kind of environment.
Hopefully Pentax wants to be in the analogs to Target and REI and try not to let Campmor dominate their strategy.