Just wondering, how can mall prices be so high compared to places like Hidalgo?

Unlike sa US/HK, where small shop prices are only marginally lower than big stores (or nagiiba due to "packages" offered), the mall prices here are really highway robbery...

I've been eyeing S3is for a few weeks now and malls sell it at 29,500 while Henry's sells it for 19,500... It's a thousand or so cheaper in HK as well but that's another issue.

Sobrang kawawa mga not-so-techy folks who don't have access to "real" street prices...

My best guess would be that mall prices are higher since they factor in extra costs like rent?

i agree with fidel. they have to factor in additional rent costs. if rent was alot cheaper then they can lower their prices. besides like infomax they are all over their accessibility for photographers for immediate equipment is easier than going to hidalgo unplanned. i guess they charge a premium for that sort of convinience.

Convenience has its price :)

i agree with fidel. they have to factor in additional rent costs. if rent was alot cheaper then they can lower their prices. besides like infomax they are all over their accessibility for photographers for immediate equipment is easier than going to hidalgo unplanned. i guess they charge a premium for that sort of convinience.

I don't think it's just rent or for convenience. If it's just for rent then if they sold something like 10 of this S3IS which they sell with 10k margin from a camera store then they would have easily paid for their month's rent plus more to keep. And to consider that the 19k price of a camera store already has a markup too.

I think these stores are just playing on the ignorance of some people. That's why people need to be properly informed and they have to do a lot of research before making a major purchase like this. And the internet has made this research a lot accessible nowadays. If people still fall for this trap, it's their own fault now.

Just my 2 cents :)

Marco

you have a point marco. have you looked at the SRP printed in magazines we have locally? they are the same or almost the same as the ones we have in the mall. the stores in hidalgo are the ones selling below the SRP indicated by the suppliers.

i dunno if this is a good analogy. why drink beer in restaurants or bars? it's way cheaper to buy it in a sari sari store and drink it there.

there are overhead expenses we pay for items we can easily get. i believe they are not really vultures. it's jsut they are selling the items at par. of course, the wise customer will do the best he can to find a dicount if the opportunity presents itself. otherwise, he'll gladly pay what the big corporations dictate so. sometimes when we really want to save we need to work hard researching and going to a store that's far from your home or work. if you do not have the luxury to do all those, pay the additional cost for easier parking, aircon hallways and such.

:D

You my be able to bring down that mall store price if you bought more stuff. They may be always higher than Hidalgo, but their source cost is common and can't be too far from each other. I think gone are the days of these stores taking advantage of people, this is not new technology.

Can the price difference really go that high? Baka it comes with other "free" stuff. Stores in malls usually sell SRP lalo na if they're a franchise. I believe that this has something to do with an agreement with the distributor.

or.... mall stores source their products from places like Hidalgo. and for those who have dealership status in malls, they just follow suit to these other stores and get a higher profit margin. just a thought. this would really put their prices higher.

ive been looking around the malls though and there is really limited supply to serious photography gear (or maybe im not looking hard enough and in the right place)

cheers.

... a lot of factors going into the supply chain. :)

Marco: I think so too, playing on the ignorance of consumers...

Raymund: No extras po, standard package lang.

I can understand if they price it 10-15% higher, but 35-40% difference is beyond "overhead".

I can't really compare it with food/restaurants since you walk into a place for the ambiance, the beer itself is just complimentary to what we went there for (the bar or hanging out with friends, not the beer itself).

If you ask me, it's a total rip-off. And the distributors are partly to blame too because their SRPs are much too high. Camera prices (and generally, prices of electronic products) here are about 30% to 50% more expensive than in other countries in the region, and I don't think it's because of duties and taxes.

As a result, they lose some of their business because people would rather buy abroad. This may be a little harsh, but I think dealers/distributors need to cut on their avarice.

Regards,
Norman

Tariff rates in the Philippines is one of the lowest in the region. The AFTA agreement of the ASEAN countries has lower tariff for products manufactured in the region. It's not a question IMO of duties and taxes but rather economy of scale. One example is the D200 being sold in the US at $ 1699 which at current FX rates should be around Php 83-85K, The current selling price of Columbia is Php 95K and the gray market in R. Hidalgo is Php 75-78K sourced from either HK os Singapore w/ corresponding warranty cards. These gray resellers source their items from international wholesalers who in turn get large volumes from the manufacturer with of course bigger discounts. Columbia probably imports less than 50 units of a single Nikon item thus their price is higher than the wholesalers. Let us look at items on sale like the D2x now being sold at Php 160K from a high of Php 250K a few months back. Now the D2H and D1X is Php 85K from about Php 200K. The sale price I will assume should be their cost so we can now more or less see how much margin they get. Companies do inventory disposal from time to time and the worst case you would sell an item is at cost, however, if these items were already of scrap status and has been written off their books normally more than 360 days old obsolete inbentory, they might sell at a loss. I don't see the D2X as obsolete yet so we have a pretty good idea how much profit they make.

I undertand Columbia has now undergone major corporate changes and this issue has been disucssed with them last meeting c/o Mr. Andersson Tan. We trust that Columbia now will be able to provide better support and reasonable pricing levels for Nikon gears.

Great answer Gil... I was in shock with the last price drop of Columbia as well... So upset that I wasn't able to get an E-1 hehe. Sana makatsamba sa next inventory sale.

Great answer Gil... I was in shock with the last price drop of Columbia as well... So upset that I wasn't able to get an E-1 hehe. Sana makatsamba sa next inventory sale.

Btw, I think the new Columbia Digital Sales will no longer carry Olympus brand.

David,
having read the thread, may I add something more...
my friend recently bought his S3IS for 26k and it comes with a 1-yr local canon-warranty.
i bought mine days later for 19.k on the same store.... the difference? 1-yr "Store" warranty only. Henry's sell at 20.5K(on that same day)
So maybe yung 19.5 K that you we're saying has NO 1-yr local-Canon Warranty?
anyways, I wouldn't buy at the mall for a stiff price of 29,950pesos.. whhoosh! sayang ang research!(tama ka kaibigan, may internet na kasi. at di-aircon kasi dun)
Ok lang pawisan at tawagin kang "bossing' instead of "sir'.. it's a choice
... I bought mine sa mayer's, w/o red-sticker and w/o local warranty.... basta ibalik lang daw sa kanila pag may prublema...
yes it's a choice, by experience, electronic producst don't breakdown w/in the warranty period.. i have my PS A80 for almost 3-yrs na, OK pa naman(bili sa US... padala, wala ding local warranty)
thanks po

whaat?! S3IS for 19k? grabe pla patong sa mall, coz the last time i saw it, it was more than 28k..

...like greed.

"Greed...for lack of a better word, is good."
-Gordon Gekko, Wall Street

Everybody's out to make a buck. Putting aside the rent and other expenses that a "mall store" might incur and add to their price, everything boils down to business. If you can't earn from what you sell, there's no point in selling, di ba? I guess as long as these "mall stores" get to sell the items on their shelves, they really don't care. They'll always try to earn as much as they can while they're at it. There may be tradeoffs (warranty, better package, etc...), but as consumers, it's our responsibility to make sure we weigh out our options and get what we deem is fit for our budget. If the stores in Hidalgo can sell for such a low price and still stay in business, think about how much the actual prices are.
In the long run, what makes business successful (aside from good management) is a good handle on profit. Increase your margin and eventually, you'll lose customers. Drop the margin and you'll have a following.

Bottomline is, we decide what to buy and where to buy.

Mall prices are relatively high. I believe through this DPP Forum, we can help by informing photo enthusiast buyers source out cheap and reliable stores such as some stores in Hidalgo... Cheers!

i think it is because mall stores have to somehow follow the SRP given to them by the Distributor.

Our products are priced that way not because of greed...

You have to consider freight charges, taxes (tariff rates to be able to import the product, and VAT to be able to sell the product), deliveries and of course, warranty. We even offer 0% installment for customers which Canon supports, and the free memory cards...

We provide the resellers with these SRPs so they can have fair margins when they sell their product, and regulate the market as well.

hi! im going to singapore this weekend and im planning to buy a canon S3 Is, do you think i can get a much cheaper price compared to hidalgo? also, merin ba kaung alam na store dun? hope you can me guys


thanks :)