Originally posted by AGWoodard Which does exactly WHAT for current users?
Nothing.
The ONLY one gaining here is Pentax/Richo.
In the short run, retailers win. There's nothing here that says that Pentax/Ricoh have raised their prices to retailers. No point in that, anyway.
In the long run, we
may all win as more Pentax products appear in local shops that will truly sell rather than simply take orders, like Amazon. It's called consultative selling and it only works when the consultation rewards the consultant. As others have noted, Pentax may expand its market share if it has retailers that have a new incentive to discuss Pentax with prospective new customers. As of a few weeks ago, a good Pentax discussion in the shop leads only to an order through Amazon. Why bother?
Who gains if Amazon stays cheap? Well, we do for a while - the surviving Pentax clique, liking our Amazon pricing. But as we wear out, we see fewer new Pentax users as the shops don't see any point in introducing the inquisitive to Pentax. Then we start losing, too. We cannot ourselves survive as a small cult; we need local, educated sales staff to expand our user footprint.
Who else wins with Amazon pricing? Jeff Bezos. Given his 20% ownership in Amazon.com, he has only his pride and competitive nature at stake. I don't think he needs the money.