Something I just noticed:
All three sizes of the 2012 Jam Packs are now $20-30 (Not sure exactly) more expensive. But, would you look at that, the "Suggested Retail" has risen so that they're still 50% off! If I buy one, I save EVEN MORE MONEY!

I think their new direct-to-consumer strategy is interesting and worth a shot, but claiming that anyone would pay $200 for a 35L Jam or $220 for a 50L Jam is completely ridiculous, as well as contrary to what their site claimed a few weeks ago.

I would much rather see their gear listed for 30% below a reasonable "Suggested Retail" than 50% below a price that the same piece of gear, when actually sold at retail, was never marked up to.

I am excited for the new GoLite stuff - I heard they are making some new lightweight (and affordable) tents soon - but this leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

Those prices were never going to last.

The price that Golite is asking is not the issue. The issue is that when they wanted $80 for a pack (Jam 50 example), the "Suggested Retail" was $160, and now that they want $110 for the same pack, the "Suggested Retail" is $220. I have no problem with them asking $110 for the pack, and I understand that $80 was a great price that wouldn't last long, but I think that claiming the pack now compares to $220 items rather than $160 items is dishonest.

If they want $110 for the pack, great, that's a perfectly reasonable price. The "Suggested Retail" needs to remain $160 (or whatever they were claiming before).

The item is 31% off. Dishonestly hiking the "Suggested Retail" price makes the item appear to be 50% off (compared to similar items).

This is the retail game that is played by all. Just another one of the many strategies that seems to work. Mark up the retail price and increase to discount amount so that it seems like a better deal. Dishonest? It seems that way...but they could fudge some numbers and make it look however they want.

Golite's def. of "Suggested Retail" is: "Similiar products retail for around XXX.xx"
Tough to verify b/c there aren't a many explicitly comprabable products. I don't know that I would say they are being dishonest, I am sure I could find a somewhat similar pack for >$220.

I guess for me, it comes down their asking price vs what it is worth to me. Nothing else really matters.

while that does suck and is fishy (retail price can change, but msrp, probably shouldn't)... it doesn't matter. the straps on the new Jams don't have enough padding. I went on an overnighter and bearly used the straps and my shoulder hurt.. the straps dig in and it makes the pack unusable for anything over 15-20 lbs (for me)and uncomfortable with any wieght. I loved my peak, so it makes me sad.

I think GoLite has been underpriced to their competition. I'm interested in a Jam 50 and when I compare their pricing to Gossamer Gear's Gorilla, they're still about half, and still less than the REI Flash 52, and having been to REI over the weekend I see many 15L day packs that sell for more than the Jam series packs do. I still think that despite their price increase that GoLite is one of the best deals on the market. Not always the lightest, but a good weight to cost ratio for people like me who can't always afford the lightest thing out there.

Regardless of the MSRP if you want their stuff just wait for the inevitable annual sale. Even before their new direct marketing I got my Jam2 for like 70 and pinnacle for around 85 during what seemed to be the annual 40% off sale. I just assumed the recent prices were a similar thing they did to run out inventory before doing new production runs.

how about they just charge you the $220? so what. whine. The canadian dollar is worth more but i pay 20%-35% more for the exact same thing regardless in Canada. eventhough the retail price on the website for brands could be $200USD it'll be $250 in all the stores. go find something cheaper and quit complaining. oh wait, nothing really is cheaper or without 8 week lead times for production. your not forced to pay the $220 so really who cares.

Maybe their lease prices went up? maybe they wanted to pay employees more at the factory and the cost increased so they increased the prices to pay they employees and get them some benefits,

I don't want a Jam. I don't care if no one would buy it at $220 or if it was a steal at $80. I simply find this practice dishonest, regardless of how it compares to other packs. Any change in their cost of manufacturing, while understandable, does not justify raising the price to pretend it's more of a bargain than it was two weeks ago.

Welcome to the real world of retail this has been done for years by every retailer in the world. Some retailers do this to show higher profits,some do it to show higher profits before they sell their company and last but not least to pay none or less income tax.

I once worked for a company ran by accountant and attorney and they over inflated the suggested manufacture retail price by $40.00 so they looked like they were working at profit loss so they could write the loss off on their taxes. If a tax audit ever happened their excuse would be we added $40.00 to manufactured suggested retail for shipping and handling from the manufacture.

What's really funny is Golite is Manufacture direct sales the pack are being manufactured for $5.00 to $10.00 each at the most and maybe less in the sweat shop labor of Asia.

Golite got their customer base by their crazy sales and we took it hook line and sinker. Now they have us by the short hairs! If you want to bust them up quit buying their product and support our cottage industry made in the USA and other manufacture like rail riders for clothing. Their heads will be spinning from the worst profits ever for the game they are playing.
Terry

Edited by socal-nomad on 08/07/2012 09:36:19 MDT.

How is this dishonest? There isn't any bait and switch going on here. Don't like the prices, move on.

No kidding. If you don't like Golite's prices try to find something at a retailer's site that has a similar price and quality. Even their suggested retail prices are within the ballpark of what some retailers are charging out there. Why does everyone have to get something at obscenely cheap prices all the time?

I don't even pay attention to MSRP's. I pay attention to my net price, after any discounts, coupons, rebates, whatever. That's all that matters to me- what I am going to pay right now for this item. Who cares what inflated MSRP price they use? That's standard practice of all retail businesses and to be frank I'm not in retail and don't understand the purpose of MSRP (since no one actually seems to use it) but what I do notice with GoLite is that they're net prices consistently trample their competition's pricing for like items.

They're using basic psychology. If someone is actually convinced by how many dollars they are saving and ignore the actual price of the item, well then that person has too much money to care regardless, or is too dumb to manage their money and will eventually lose it to some other misrepresented financial decision.

I do understand your point, and in an ideal world I would prefer they were more straightforward and honest with the MSRP, but I also take the time to educate myself on my purchases since I do have my own free will, intelligence, and freedom to do so. It's the downside of capitalism and freedom, the individual has to be conscious of their actions and can't just go about life expecting everything to safely handed to them.

I've saved a lot of money with GoLite...from my tent to my pro 3L Goretex shell to the best pack I've ever owned in the Terrano...

Quality gear at half the price of most other quality gear...

Between me, my brother, and friends...we own so much G0LITE gear that is actually almost embarrasing on-trail. Don't care...I'd endorse their gear in a heartbeat. Good stuff and you should feel lucky that they are selling it at half the price of other retailers...

Edited by BlueKhan on 08/08/2012 23:37:53 MDT.

I thought it was a little strange that the prices changed so quickly myself. I just listed a Small Golite Jam 70 on Ebay for $95 if anyone is interested. I found out quickly that a frameless pack is not for me. I love my the Quest though !

Amanda

Edited by mylenelo on 08/09/2012 15:41:26 MDT.

MSRP: Manufacture Suggested Retail Price is three edge sword in retail.

Edge # 1: MSRP is used as a sales tool so retailers can discount items make the consumer believe their getting a deal on a item. When in fact the MSRP is over inflated by the manufacture so the retailer can make a profit.

Edge # 2: Retailers can also take profit losses deduction on company income tax because they are not making the MSRP on the items they sale.

Edge # 3: The manufactures use MSRP for price fixing so all dealers sell at the same price to control the market and keep the quality and worth of the product highly valued. If the retailer don't sell at the MSRP they lose their dealership.
Then the dealer has to go to grey market or trans-shipping from other dealers to get the popular product to sale.

The best example of pricing fixing is Apple they use stringent price fixing to keep their product very valuable and wanted by the consumer. Apple only allows sales once a year at maybe 3 to 5 % decrease. Or they let the retailer use closeout pricing when a new model is coming out.

Terry

Actual LiveChat with GoLite:

Colin: Hi, what can I help with?

Seth: Good Evening Colin- I have two questions : 1) Any idea when the Jam 50 may be back in stock ? 2) Any idea why you raised your MSRP to make it look like its a 50% savings versus when you first had them in stock and the % savings was less ?

Colin: November 10th.
Colin: To remain competitive and sustain our current business model.


Pretty much the expected boilerplate answer, but just thought I'd see what they had to say about it.

I asked if there were any changes to the higher priced model, or just a cost increase. They said their labor and transportation costs had risen - AND that they had made a few changes. The biggest change was that the new ones would have thicker, more durable mesh on the side and hip pockets. The strap attachment point was also moved a little bit.
So, personally, I feel the price increase is fair - and I'm happy that golite decided to improve the product, rather than allow quality to decrease just to hold the price at the previous cost. Too many companies go the other direction now days...