UKC

my teenage kids are all bothering me today. in this case via whats app. pre amble : a few years ago i bought an arcteryx pull over off here for my oldest to wear as a general kick about coat, mtb , walks , a bit of climbing and he occasionally wore in to school. to him its was a useful coat , nothing more.  prior to this I dont think I had much arcteryx kit. Anyway eldest grew and it was passed to middle child . he loves that jacket. i swear he sleeps in it. turns out amongst his peer group arcteryx are the holy grail of labels. so earlier today he points me at  an obviously fake jacket on ebay , "ARC’TERYX The Year of the Loong Limited Outdoor Jacket Waterproof Hoodie" . even though its a fake he s thinking of getting it (with his own money). I quickly said dont without even  looking. i have now stopped for a brew  and had a look and to be honest. the jacket looks ok, if one is ok with fakery/ giggery pokery. to a teenage boy who earns £60 on a saturday this  matters not. i do however think its probably a scam and told him that he needs to be prepared to loose his £100. also the same jacket is available on ali express for £80 minus any arcteryx branding, this, of course, is pointless to him . if you are bored enough google "arcteryx alpha sv  year of the dragon " and be amazed.

In reply to mike123: jacket is no longer available. this is doubtless my fault.

In reply to mike123:

1) there's a fair chance nothing will be delivered

2) there's a fair chance that, if there will be something delivered, it will look nothing like the pictures

3) if delivered, it will probably fall apart soon

But hey, it's his money and teenagers have to learn the hard way. Alternatively, help him search for something second hand and genuine? 

In reply to mike123: get him to wait a few weeks for Christmas, add some money to what he’s already got, and get a genuine new or second hand product that will last? 

In reply to mike123:

I bought a genuine fake Arcteryx Jacket in Kathmandu for about £10 last year, more as joke really, as I would not generally wear Arcteryx, and TBH, it was not worth £10, it was just rubbish. The Buff knock offs I bought for 80p though are great.

In reply to mike123:

Find some iron on arcteryx logo transfers online.

Boyo can then have as much arcteryx kit as he likes.

In reply to Ennerdaleblonde: why would he want a fake when he could work 20 shifts and have the original:

https://stockx.com/en-gb/arcteryx-alpha-sv-year-of-the-dragon-jacket-lny-20...

In reply to mike123: looks like a bargain to me . 

In reply to mike123:

Don't send me links like that, not in my condition.

It reminds me of the Harry Enfield sketch "I saw you coming"

In reply to Ennerdaleblonde:

Best be quick . There’s only one left . I wonder if they do a matching dog coat ? If so I’m all over it .

In reply to mike123:

Race you to it

In reply to mike123:

This has got me wondering.

How many of those and other top end jackets actually sell at RRP?

These are the pieces that are frequently reduced by around a third, making them appear a more attractive price. (Still, £800 for an anorak!)

Is the reduced price actually the intended target price after some initial fishing/profiteering?

Someone in the business will know but I doubt they will let on.

In reply to Ennerdaleblonde:

If it’s at an independent retailer, definitely not. It’s hard enough to make ends meet at RRP. The only reason to discount is to make shelf space. 
 

At the brand level it might be different. 

In reply to VictorM:

Thanks, the cynic in me expects the brands to say the same but the reality to be somewhat different.

In reply to Ennerdaleblonde:

Have you noticed how many retail businesses are folding?  Margins are tight and costs are spiralling ever higher.

In reply to Ennerdaleblonde:

It will depend a bit on what brand you're looking at. Brands are not charity organisations, they have to operate at a profit (at least in our current economic model).

If you're looking at fast fashion, then yes, margins at the brand level are ridiculous. It's not unheard of that something that will retail for 25-50 (the cost of a T-shirt nowadays, even with fashion brands) to be produced for almost literally peanuts. 

The brands we're looking at (whether that's Arc'teryx, Rab, Fjällräven, Mountain Equipment, you name it) are to some degree or another, selling their stuff to a more limited user base, which means lower order numbers, which means higher costs per piece. Also, these brands, by and large, are at least paying some attention to CSR. Still, they have to operate at a profit.