[Adam]

I'm seeing the site- but note that he said "next week", so I'm interpreting that as Friday, lol.

Adam
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[ElJamoquio]

hopefully early next week.

I hope he spends the time to word everything correctly and quiet the hornet's nest down.

Unfortunately he said 'hopefully early next week', and to be fair, the statement should've been made concurrent with the price change, so he's already 1.5 weeks late. Of course the price change should've accompanied a design change and a warranty extension etc., too... but whatever.

[sjwaldron]

Yeah, the site works for me as well. If he is going to say anything of consequence, maybe he needs approval from Japan...

[Adam]

maybe he needs approval from Japan...

Doubt it, as this is a US-only policy change.

Adam
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[Docrwm]

Server not found
for me but the posterous.com mainpage is working for me.

[glanglois]

I don't doubt it for a moment. It's a major change in retail pricing strategy, bringing America in line with other markets. I don't know where the idea originated but I cannot imagine that it wasn't vetted in Tokyo.

[Aristophanes]

I don't doubt it for a moment. It's a major change in retail pricing strategy, bringing America in line with other markets. I don't know where the idea originated but I cannot imagine that it wasn't vetted in Tokyo.

Likely it originated in Tokyo. A very large factor in all of this is regaining some stability for inventory across wildly fluctuating currencies. The last 3 years have been brutal for distribution channels and retail.

[sjwaldron]

Likely it originated in Tokyo. A very large factor in all of this is regaining some stability for inventory across wildly fluctuating currencies. The last 3 years have been brutal for distribution channels and retail.

I'd have to agree there.


I just checked xe.com and the exchange rate is 1 dollar / 80.77 yen. It's down about 20 to 30 yen per dollar that it stayed around for most of 2000 - 2009.

April 2012: 1 / 80.77
April 2009: 1 / 100.30 yen

DA 70mm Limited
$544.95 = 44,015 yen or 54,658 yen
$699.95 = 56,534 yen or 70,204 yen

It's interesting how the new price of $699 makes it somewhat close to what they would receive back in 2009...

That doesn't go for all lenses though because a lot of the pricing changes were a lot more than 22%.

[sparkston]

You have to look at the overall state of pentax marketing and distribution in the U.S.A. to get it. We have 40 states bigger than Belgium or Germany but you guys have just as big a Pentax system.

There are only 4 US states bigger than Germany.

Sparkston

[AGWoodard]

It's interesting how the new price of $699 makes it somewhat close to what they would receive back in 2009...

Your point is flawed in that it assumes that there is no profit for whoever sells the the item.

We simply do not know what price Richo sells their products to the retailer for. All we know is what Richo has told the retailer what price the retailer must sell it to the consumer for.

And by the way Ned - it is now mid week, not early next week. I know you said hopefully, but I think Americans at least are a little bit sick of this "hope and change" mentality that is nothing more than a smoke screen for "we know what's best for you", which is what Richo seems to be telling retailers across the US.

A response is certainly in order, unless of course, you are not a man of your word.

[gazonk]

There are only 4 US states bigger than Germany.

Sparkston

Some Americans seem to have a very irrational impression of Europe and think that it's just a collection of quirky old city states with a few thousand inhabitants. I come from a country roughly the size of California myself, but with only 5 million inhabitants (Norway).

But we're the odd ones! Most of Europe is very densely populated, and the EU alone has a much larger population than the US - more than half a billion people!

[jsherman999]

But we're the odd ones! Most of Europe is very densely populated, and the EU alone has a much larger population than the US - more than half a billion people!

Are there that many waiter and gondola-driver jobs over there?

badoom boom!






i kid

[Docrwm]

There are only 4 US states bigger than Germany.

Sparkston

Ah, but that is 4 and then there are the 36 others that are larger than Belgium as originally stated by the OP.

[Docrwm]

Some Americans seem to have a very irrational impression of Europe and think that it's just a collection of quirky old city states with a few thousand inhabitants. I come from a country roughly the size of California myself, but with only 5 million inhabitants (Norway).

But we're the odd ones! Most of Europe is very densely populated, and the EU alone has a much larger population than the US - more than half a billion people!

And is there a single Pentax distributor for the EU? No, there is not. But there IS a single distributor for the entire US.

[ogl]

And is there a single Pentax distributor for the EU? No, there is not. But there IS a single distributor for the entire US.

Yes. Pentax France is the main distributor now. It was Pentax Germany before.