(06-02-2020, 12:39 PM)slantman Wrote: Small businesses are trying to survive. We assume China but it could be Taiwan, South Korea, Vietnam, India who knows. I am disappointed so the bottom line don't buy it. Another thing I am totally against is pre sale. Another way to get your money before you get the product. That could take weeks if not months.
They've confirmed that the razors "just like the Apple IPhone [sic] and other popular products... are designed and assembled in the US, and manufactured in China".
I don't really have a problem with products made in China and of course businesses are trying to survive. The problem with this move isn't really the move itself; the real problem is that the underlying hypothesis that price is the cause of their worries is incorrect, in my opinion. In my experience the people who buy at $145 are the exact same people who buy at $200. That is, I don't think there are many people with a hard budget of exactly $150 sitting on the sidelines because an ATT costs $185-230. The real reason that ATT isn't as popular as it used to be is because they haven't actually released anything new or innovative in years. I believe their last real product launch was the G1 in 2017 (which I think was really cool, but not a huge seller). Sure, they've changed lather slots into holes, rebranded similar products as "Windsor", and added a couple finishes and materials, but those things are minor and do not drive sales in a meaningful way, I suspect. ATT hasn't had a hit since the SE1 came out years ago. In fact, they haven't really even tried. Customers want to see companies with the drive to create new, interesting, and hopefully innovative products. They'll pay an extra $40 for that all day. As further proof that the crowded market and high prices aren't the problem, Blackland is flourishing (as are others, clearly). Our weekly sales have doubled in the last four months even if you exclude the Tradere pre-order. The market is there if the products are interesting enough.
I hope ATT rights this ship. I've always been rooting for them and I'll continue to do so. Hopefully this move pumps some air into their sails (and sales), but I'm skeptical.