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Other Arapiles questions 22-Feb-2007 At 8:43:33 PM andyR

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On 21/02/2007 Sabu wrote:

>wats so bad about Anaconda? i've only ever gotten good deals from them,
>certainly a lot easier to get than the city or nati....

Well, if all you're ever concerned about Sabu is "what good deals you've gotten....."

Obviously the big A is not short of a bob- I'm always receiving their wasteful unsolicited fliers in the mail at work - hey if I wanted them, I'd ask, but anyway, my concern is that with all their money they'll take the smaller guys out of the market. Seriously, think about it. In Melbourne, for example, it's generally the smaller guys who offer better stock, actually know their product, don't stock just crap and take the time to deal with you. In my experience, the bigger the store, the worse the service and knowledge of the staff. In bigger stores you're just another no-one, in a smaller business you're somone who counts maybe just a little bit. Smaller stores don't have the economics of scale of the hyper-mart gear stores, so have to work harder for your custom.

So take the Nati Mtn shop ... sure Phils a crusty old bugger at times, mind you nothing as bad as he used to be. I remember when he'd tear strips off of me for not bringing my shoes in sooner for a re-sole, but hey, at least he's got character, not just another smoocher wannabe. Get to know him a little bit, you know, try and build a relationship, and he'll give you a bargain, well sort of... same with Steve in Bendigo, still if all you're chasing is the best deal, you can always order gear direct from the states, save heaps of bucks, and cut out the little guy ... and yeah, I also do this from time to time, mostly on the bigger stuff, but hey, you know, I kinda reckon the little guy still matters ... so yeah, generally I do try and support these guys.

and hey, I tried to avoid the obvious gag abut a store calling themselves Anaconda being snake-oil merchants...f&*(ck, guess there goes my hope for a pro deal!! f%^& it!!