I have been in the tackle game for 20 years much to my frustration. There are offcourse many variations of the term “ripped off” but in effect we are. I have specialized in manufacture ring top shelf game rods for most of those 20 years.
I chose to specialise in game fishing gear as that was my passion, how can you go wrong if you look forward to working. In making that decision I chose not to pursue the wholesale tackle store scenario as many have done. Now there is nothing wrong with that model and many have done very well from it. Being a specialist builder I chose direct customer contact for the simple resone that no one knows my product like I do. With this plan comes a whole lot of problems with Australian distributors and trying to access supply.
I was told by certain distributors that I need XYZ and I have to beg and lick arse for the privilege of being over charged. I was forced to source my components from overseas because the suppliers here where just so over priced. For any business to remain competitive they need to maintain a certain profit margin. For example a certain component cost me landed $155 AUD, wholesale from the Australian agent with discounts cost me $350 AUD. In fact that same component retails in the States for $200 so how the hell can they justify the huge discrepancy in price. No matter how much money I spend they refuse to drop there prices, so I have no chose to vote with my money. The Australian tackle industry will have no chose to adapt and drop prices or they simply won’t be selling bugger all in the very near future.
Australia is one of very few countries that have a country agent, a state agent and then the retail sector before the customer even sets eyes on the product. In fact many American wholesalers I use have never heard of the system we have here and they are always amazed at how anyone makes money. They also understand why prices are always near double to what they sell for in the States. There is no such thing as level playing field in the Australian tackle industry. It’s run primarily by old cronies that are only interested in what’s in it for them. The large tackle chains will soon dominate with most all of there products coming out of China. In having said that there is always fisherman that knows what they want and will pay what its worth. I don’t see much of a future in the Australian tackle game. It uses to be such an innovative industry seen by many around the world to look at for new concepts and ideas. The place is just a dumping ground for the cheapest crap on the planet. Margins and discounts is what drives many shops these days, quality is the last thing on there minds. You may think I’m a pessimist and you may be right, am I jaded absolutely. There are still people that innovate and have foresight to keep them ahead of others but there are 100 times that who stand by and copy there stuff. The battle to make a living every week from the tackle game is something that many customers never see.
Stuart Mackenzie
Precision rods