The answer is simple: Pentax apparently sells as many cameras as they can make.
Thus, it makes no sense to sell through mass retailers at a smaller margin.
Paul
-------------- Original message ----------------------
From: "Tom C" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> Then Pentax can only hope to garner a smaller and smaller market share as
> time goes on, I would expect.
>
> There's alot of things I don't know much about Paul. However I do know that
> to sell a lot of a product and compete one must likely have a visible
> presence. BTW, I already understood the principle you expounded.
>
> If Pentax isn't in that game, then I have no idea what to think as they are
> either excluding themselves from it deliberately or their costs for the
> product are too high for them to compete. Either way, where does that leave
> us?
>
> The thing is, I have seen most of these retailers carry a Pentax DSLR at one
> time or another. Am I to assume that Pentax gave merchant X a better break
> 3 months ago then they are giving them now? Maybe so. Or Pentax can't
> deliver product? Or retailer has a hard time selling product? Am I to
> assume that Nikon and Canon are merely dumping product? Um, maybe so, in a
> manner of speaking.
>
> Most of these retailers not displaying Pentax consistently on the sales
> floor, do offer Pentax DLSR's online (actually available or not, I don't
> know). I am simply pointing out that if a product is not set before a large
> portion of the purchasing public, one can expect to sell relatively few of
> given product.
>
> BestBuy sells the *ist DL online and two lenses, but if customer A, B, or C
> doesn't see it when they walk in the store to make a purchase, they likely
> won't purchase it.
>
> Circuit City sells 4 Pentax AF lenses online, no DSLR's. I wonder when the
> last time they sold one was (or one of the lenses they have no camera for).
>
> CompUSA sells no Pentax product online at the moment.
>
> Costco sells no Pentax DSLR's online at the moment. only a 4MP Optio.
>
> Fry's amazingly, lists only the *ist D at $1399.99 and 3 lenses.
>
> This may not affect you or I so much as if we already want a Pentax product
> we know where to go look for it (whether it's available or not is apparently
> a different matter).
>
> What I am attempting to simply state is that Pentax has not established/may
> not be establishing a market presence in which they can compete with the
> other players. If they are not gaining market share, they are likely losing
> market share. The less they sell, the fewer they will produce to sell, the
> more they will cost to produce, the less chance they have of competing.
> Downward spiral.
>
> The sky may not be falling straight down like a lead balloon, but on the
> other hand I'm not sure it's staying put where most would like it to stay.
>
> Tom C.
>
>
>
>
>
>
> >From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> >Reply-To: [email protected]
> >To: [email protected]
> >Subject: Re: Pentax Pre PMA announcment.
> >Date: Thu, 16 Feb 2006 19:09:43 +0000
> >
> > -------------- Original message ----------------------
> >From: "Tom C" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> > > I'm shocked that Pentax does not have at least a *visible* DSLR presence
> > > *consistently* in these major mass retailers.
> >
> >Really? Then you don't know much about marketing. The mass retailers buy
> >only with big margins. A lot of manufacturers won't play that game. Pentax
> >can evidently sell all it can produce through channels that give them a
> >better wholesale price. It would make no sense for them to get involved in
> >the mass mass retailer market unless they have inventory to dump. That's
> >why you'll occassionally see an optio or other tidbit show up on the
> >shelves at Best Buy or Costco, but by and large, Pentax is apparently not a
> >player in that game.
> >Paul
> >
>
>
