Missed opportunity?

[ryanbp01]

Even with an admission fee, several thousand woodworkers (not just Lowes general customers) come in to a show in just 3 days at just one location, many with plans to spend woodworking dollars. This show has 12 locations all in major markets. Certainly some Shopsmith customers who might upgrade or need peripheral tools like a belt sander show up. It just seems to me that if you're going to send out a demonstrator to a Lowes store for whatever foot traffic they get on a weekend, it would be reaching far more motivated woodworkers at these shows.

I've been in sales & marketing for a lot of years and it has always been more effective to focus on a motivated target market than to just try for everyone who walks in the door.

I'm wondering if SS tracks $$$ sales from each Lowes demo. I would hope so. It would be interesting to have a rep "run the circuit" of woodworking shows & compare sales dollars from that to money generated from comparable time/money spent on the Lowes demos. (Maybe they have done this & that's why they don't attend shows)

I'd (like all of us) love to see Shopsmith flourish & grow, but it doesn't really seem like that's happening. Yes, I know that the world's changing and stuff just won't sell like it's the 1950's, but I guess I'm wondering about their marketing strategy. Maybe it's not appropriate to be too critical of SS on this site, so all I'm saying is that I hope they've done their homework & done some dollar results comparisons between retail store demos & woodworking shows before deciding not to attend the shows.

I'm sure Shopsmith tracks sales from demos. I still believe there are way too many lookers and not enough serious buyers. I think you answered your own question in the first paragraph why Shopsmith doesn't do the show circuit like they once did.

When I went to the Woodworking Show in Chicago a couple of years ago, I didn't see a lot of purchasers. But I did see a lot of lookers. When these shows set up, they will let local woodworking groups set up. But it seems to me that the sponsors of Wood magazine who puts these shows on will not allow those who do not advertise with them to set up any type of booth or demo area. Now I may be wrong and, if that is the case, I would hope someone will prove me wrong. But I don't think that's going to happen. I don't think it's so much of a missed opportunity as it is one not even given.

BPR

BPR

[dusty]

Shopsmith used to do the Traveling Academy and during approximately the same era they did the various County and State Fairs. This is how I became aware of my passion for the Shopsmith.

I find it hard to believe that these were not successful but if they were I am sure that Shopsmith would revert back to that marketing strategy.

The current demo's at Lowes are apparently an attempt to return to the traveling market. I have been in attendance at three of these and at each one there has been at least one PowerPro sale and one Mark 7 sale.

Now four sales does not constitute a market base but this seems like a pretty good sales record. Out of a three day event, during the hour or two that I was there, there was a sale. If the rest of the event goes that way, sales might just be booming.

I sure hope so.

[letterk]

I'm sure it is a ROI and manpower issue. I've been to the Lowes Demo and seen two different people, Mike and David. I seen the online demo with Doug. We aren't talking about a large fleet of traveling sales people. The Lowes is a setup deal where the salespeople are independent contractors and as IC are probably paid a percentage of sales. Lowes handles the distribution and has a separate deal.

Convincing an independent contractor to pay possibly thousands of dollars to attend a home show for days or a state fair for 10 days (MN) at 12-16 hours a day when all expenses come out of there pocket is a lot to ask for.

Lowes probably is a win-win-win situation and Shopsmith has a built in customer list from their mailing lists. The Powerpro and upgrades are perfect items to sell to existing users.

[Ed in Tampa]

Guys the Lowes demo is aimed at Shopsmith owners that are still doing wood working ( as testified by their presence at Lowes). I was at a Lowes show here in Tampa and the only people listening to the pitch was owners of Shopsmiths. People passing by, stopped asked the price and kept on walking.

I'm fairly certain Shopsmith knows the only way to sustain itself is to sell to existing Shopsmith owners. Yes an occasional sale is made to a new people but what is keeping SS alive is Powerpro/ Mark VII upgrade sales.

A guy a Woodworkers show probably knows enough about woodworking that he has decided and already bought some major woodworking machines.

Plus this economy isn't like the pre 2008 economy where guys had a couple thousand in their pocket burning a hole. Look at boat sales, plane sales, even some of the golfing stores are going out of business.

Look at Home Depot they don't stock a Tablesaw anymore. They have a mobile one that contractor might buy but that is it. Look at Lowes inventory of Tablesaws it is almost nonexistent. They just aren't selling like the did and even then it wasn't that big of business.

The Wood Working shows have scaled back to what is selling. Wood Workers looking for supplies and guys that have a little extra and will spend it on a Lie Nelson Plane or Kreg jig setup.

[mgbbob]

I attended the KC show this year. I don't remember seeing any big display as in past years. I think part of the issue is that the local companies that handle Sawstop and other manufactures have nice diplay areas and often host sale weekends to compete.

I also attended the Shopsmith show at the local Lowes this year. I got there in the middle and watched to the end. The guy disappeared after and I wasn't sure when he would return. I had to leave. I had seen the show last year so I wasn't missing a lot.

I will probably buy a PowerPro upgrade at a show at some point. The cost is a bit steep but I might call it a retirement present to myself......if I ever retire!

[trainguytom]

I suppose I'm just yearning for the good old days.

[Ed in Tampa]

I suppose I'm just yearning for the good old days.

Who isn't now that the gas prices have gone up every day for the last couple of weeks.
Wow
I long for the day when banks were paying 7 and 8 and yes even 10% interest. Oh what days they were. Now if you are lucky you can get
.34% oh whoopy

[letterk]

Who isn't now that the gas prices have gone up every day for the last couple of weeks.
Wow
I long for the day when banks were paying 7 and 8 and yes even 10% interest. Oh what days they were. Now if you are lucky you can get
.34% oh whoopy

Depends on which side of the ball you are. I was listening to a radio air check from 1983 advertising a builder offering a low assumable rate of 12 3/4%. Yes, my savings account looks good, but borrowing what will people think when they get 6.9% financing on cars after a decade or more of 0.9%. Will they have the mindset of those from the great depression?

BTW, my local Home Depot still sells the R4512 table saw locally, but half the time it sitting on a shelf 20 feet in the air. Do they think they can move items sitting on the top shelf?

[Ed in Tampa]

Depends on which side of the ball you are. I was listening to a radio air check from 1983 advertising a builder offering a low assumable rate of 12 3/4%. Yes, my savings account looks good, but borrowing what will people think when they get 6.9% financing on cars after a decade or more of 0.9%. Will they have the mindset of those from the great depression?

BTW, my local Home Depot still sells the R4512 table saw locally, but half the time it sitting on a shelf 20 feet in the air. He they think they can move items sitting on the top shelf?

Your Home Depot has a R4512 in stock????? I understood the stores were told not to stock any and to special order if they sold one. My HD doesn't even act like they exist. I had talked to both Lowes and HD back a few years before the economy went south and Lowes was selling Delta contractor and Home Depot the 3650 Ridgid. Lowes has 4 or 5 stores in the area and in 6 months they had sold 1 or 2 delta. Hd has a few more stores and in 6 months they had sold I think 3 of the Ridgid. That is 6 months of 7+ stores. Not a high traffic item hence the decision not to stock.

I personally marked a 3650 box and watched it not move for over 6 months and they were on close out then.
I had a brilliant idea. Being on close out and sitting there unmoved for 6 months I was going to make a pitch to the manager that I would help him get rid of this huge box taking up room.

Out smarted myself.

Apparently a couple of days before I got to the manager he noticed it and had fork lift come get it. The guy driving damaged the box. Some low life made my pitch to the manager, who was now looking a damaged box 6 month old closeout. To the glee of the HD salesman that knew what I was doing he told me the low life customer walked out with my saw for $205. And I'm told damage was only to box and the saw runs fine.

To the low life customer that has my saw, if your teeth start falling out know you will have only one left for Thanksgiving and all is going according to plan.

Remember we are talking a machine in the $500 to $600 price range how many do you think they would have sold of a machine in $3000-$4000 price range?

[letterk]

I bought the R4512 last year with a Harbor Freight coupon for $400. It took me 3 times to get a manager that would take the coupon. We still have several stores that have demo model on the floor. Wish mine had the matte finish tables. I couldn't get the machine assembled without scratching both the side tables.

I picked up a cast iron wing for a Sawstop for $30 that should fit my saw. I'd like to get it installed when the weather warms up.

Just checked online 18 stores within 50 miles carry it locally.