I happened to visit the Kala website today and noticed significant MSRP price drops on almost all their products, in some cases up to 20% decrease. I have never seen an instrument manufacturer do that before. Prices usually increase, not decrease. I wonder what up at Kala. Anybody know?
I just took a look at Kalas on the HMS website (theukulelesite.com), and they all show significant discounts. I don't know if that just happened, but it I was in the market for another ukulele, I'd be taking a hard look at the Kala line.
My guess is that because NAMM just recently ended, the new year’s models are coming out. Prices are dropping on last year’s models. HMS dropped prices on older model Kanileas also.
Well, their prices had been rising, in general, over this side of the pond, could be new models, or maybe they can't hold sales at the higher prices we'd been seeing lately.
Supply and demand drives the market, for whatever reason, they have an abundance of ukuleles that they want to move. Seems simple enough. There are a lot of ukulele manufacturers out there right now and it is a competitive market. I know that I'm not particular to any single brand, in fact I might lean toward Kala. Every ukulele I've bought since my first Makala I've started out on the Kala site to see what they had, but in the end someone else has stolen me away. So something is going on.
MSRP stands for Manufactures Suggested Reatil Price. At one point that price was always higher then any store every sold it for. I never paid attention to that price as it was inflated. Maybe they have decided to lower it to a more accurate level so it is closer to what most retailers actually sell it for. If you just look at Mims, Uke Republic or HMS you will know what they really sell for
MSRP stands for Manufactures Suggested Reatil Price. At one point that price was always higher then any store every sold it for. I never paid attention to that price as it was inflated. Maybe they have decided to lower it to a more accurate level so it is closer to what most retailers actually sell it for. If you just look at Mims, Uke Republic or HMS you will know what they really sell for
Yea retail has always been like that. No matter the product, cameras, TV, tents, skis, skates, golf clubs. Manufactures did that in the past to set a maximum price, retailers were not allowed to sell it for more then the MSRP.
MSRP stands for Manufactures Suggested Reatil Price. At one point that price was always higher then any store every sold it for. I never paid attention to that price as it was inflated. Maybe they have decided to lower it to a more accurate level so it is closer to what most retailers actually sell it for. If you just look at Mims, Uke Republic or HMS you will know what they really sell for
Manufacturers have a list price, but they also allow their dealers a certain amount of leeway. They usually have lower limits so someone doesn't make the product look "cheap" by offering it at a very low price. Remember when the sticker price was just a starting point for negotiating. Now, that's what you pay, plus any mandatory dealer add-ons. The pricing of designer clothing is very tightly controlled.
I am kinda lusting for the new KALA KA-SSEBY-B-CE, since I saw one in a NAMM youtube clip, advertised for $389 "in stores" by the Kala rep. I've been looking for one online at the "usual" sites, but there are none to be seen. Today, I found 'em at B&H Photo and Adorama, and they both stated that they were on sale for a 20% discount, for a price of........$389. So in this case, it's not a last year's model closeout. I agree that MSRP is merely the list price, and usually, what you pay could and should be lower. I've got a mitten on my trigger-finger hand right now.
