I hate Orvis sometimes
 

Indianapolis had two fly shops, a well stocked multi vendor
Winston/Sage/Loomis dealer, nice folks but overall a fairly sterile and
boring shop; and an independant Orvis Dealer called Royal River. The fly
shop stuff was limited to Orvis but you could go in anytime and talk fishing
and hunting, tie flies, hang out, etc. Pretty good bunch of folks. And it
was the best place in Indy for Outdoors literature and if you were into that
stuff, Filson and Patagonia.

Royal River is no more, it sat in a fairly high traffic affluent area of
Indianapolis and it seems that Orvis is going to open a company store a mile
or so up the road. I understand business is business better than most
people, but this is not the first time I've seen them put a company store
near the location of an independent dealer who sold their stuff. The guy I
talked to told me it was the final nail in the decision to close up shop.

The company may give a lot to conservation efforts and stand behind their
wares, but IMO, woe to anyone who wants to go to bed with them in business
and develop the market.

"Wayne Knight" wrote in
:

Royal River is no more, it sat in a fairly high traffic affluent area
of Indianapolis and it seems that Orvis is going to open a company
store a mile or so up the road. I understand business is business
better than most people, but this is not the first time I've seen them
put a company store near the location of an independent dealer who
sold their stuff. The guy I talked to told me it was the final nail in
the decision to close up shop.

....damn sorry to hear that Wayne, those were really nice guys, I always
looked forward to stopping in once in awhile and chewing the fat.

Frank Church

Fargin' iceholes

On the flip side, times change and things move on. Orvis has kept many
people employed over the years. You say that was the "final nail" so
obviously those guys weren't driving Maseratis. This is the perfect
opportunity for them to become employees of the new store, and help turn it
into a fisherman-friendly one.

In article , jeffc
wrote:

On the flip side, times change and things move on. Orvis has kept many
people employed over the years. You say that was the "final nail" so
obviously those guys weren't driving Maseratis. This is the perfect
opportunity for them to become employees of the new store, and help turn it
into a fisherman-friendly one.

Exactly! Whaddya want? Socialism?

Losers fail, good business succeeds. You can't buck the market.

It's only by eliminating losers that we can have the best fishing
stores. That's the American way, and if you don't like it, go to
Azarbaijan.

Or France, maybe?

L

--
Remover the rock from the email address

On Sat, 7 May 2005 19:50:31 -0500, "Wayne Knight"
wrote:

The guy I
talked to told me it was the final nail in the decision to close up shop.

If the store "sat in a fairly high traffic affluent area" and was barely making
it then I'd say Orvis isn't their problem, it's their 'loyal' customers.
--
Charlie...
http://www.chocphoto.com

Charlie Choc wrote:
On Sat, 7 May 2005 19:50:31 -0500, "Wayne Knight"
wrote:


The guy I
talked to told me it was the final nail in the decision to close up shop.


If the store "sat in a fairly high traffic affluent area" and was barely making
it then I'd say Orvis isn't their problem, it's their 'loyal' customers.

That's a good point. While it sucks to lose a familiar, friendly shop,
blaming Orvis is probably not completely fair. Instead, blame the
'loyal' customers who shop online at a discount.

My impression of Orvis stores in affluent urban settings, and especially
in places like Indianapolis that aren't known for their flyfishing
attractions, is that the fishing tackle and flies and fly tying
materials don't pay the rent. I wouldn't be surprised if they take
losses on actual fishing stuff, and make up for it with high priced
clothing and other upscale yuppie goods. They need to carry the fishing
stuff for symbolic branding reasons.

Sadly, Royal River's business model just doesn't cut it anymore.

--
Cut "to the chase" for my email address.

On Sun, 08 May 2005 13:30:51 -0700, rw
wrote:

Charlie Choc wrote:
On Sat, 7 May 2005 19:50:31 -0500, "Wayne Knight"
wrote:


The guy I
talked to told me it was the final nail in the decision to close up shop.


If the store "sat in a fairly high traffic affluent area" and was barely making
it then I'd say Orvis isn't their problem, it's their 'loyal' customers.

That's a good point. While it sucks to lose a familiar, friendly shop,
blaming Orvis is probably not completely fair. Instead, blame the
'loyal' customers who shop online at a discount.

My impression of Orvis stores in affluent urban settings, and especially
in places like Indianapolis that aren't known for their flyfishing
attractions, is that the fishing tackle and flies and fly tying
materials don't pay the rent. I wouldn't be surprised if they take
losses on actual fishing stuff, and make up for it with high priced
clothing and other upscale yuppie goods. They need to carry the fishing
stuff for symbolic branding reasons.

Sadly, Royal River's business model just doesn't cut it anymore.

Don't look now, but the only thing keeping brick'n'mortar retail alive in the
face of internet commerce is the need for instant gratification.

Get past that and you can pretty much kiss those folks goodbye...

/daytripper

daytripper wrote:

Don't look now, but the only thing keeping brick'n'mortar retail alive in the
face of internet commerce is the need for instant gratification.

Get past that and you can pretty much kiss those folks goodbye...

There's also the thing about actually seeing what you're buying......

I'll buy beads, hooks, thread, synthetics, etc. on line, but not fur or
feathers. I've had to send too much stuff back, including stuff from
"premium" brand names like Whiting and from big established nationally
known fly shops.....

Given the appallingly wide range in the quality of cork on the grips of
even top-of-the-line rod makers these days, I'd also never buy a rod
before seeing it.

JR

"daytripper" wrote in message
...

Don't look now, but the only thing keeping brick'n'mortar retail alive in
the
face of internet commerce is the need for instant gratification.

Well, that and the fact that a lot of brick and mortar stores *do* internet
commerce. Look at Walt, for instance.