Until the Reject Shop next to us put in the same range of low-cost Bartel calendars as us we were selling them at the suggested price. As soon as they got their calendars, we had no choice but to price match. We discovered the considerable price difference between our price and the Reject Shop’s price when a customer pointed it out.
Had we known that Bartel was going to supply the reject Shop we would not have taken on this range.
Suppliers need to be transparent with us – otherwise we are not able to make fully informed decisions.
Once bitten twice shy as they say.
Well said Mark
once again a supplier treating us and making us look like idiots
I am pretty sure there is nothing new here I know last year they had the calendars in the cheap shop down the road from me .
We had a similar experience with Bartel Years ago and now give them minimal orders. There are so many other options out there.
Have to agree with the above two comments that this has been going on for a few years now. One year in our centre we had The Reject shop, Post Office, another discount store, a chemist (trying to pass as a newsagency also) and ourselves selling the same calendars. It was just a price war and everybody ended up selling at and below cost. We no-longer sell any Bartel products as a result.
We have had similar problems with other suppliers also as new discount store varieties open up where orders are placed at a head-office level and area reps are unaware of those orders until they reach the shelf.
We stopped buying Bartel Calendars because they went into “KingKong” in our centre. Same pricing issue. I can say though that there is more and more or our “gift” suppliers getting into these stores………some I am about to drop.
I should of added that its my belief that the “deep discounters” are no longer just that. They are no longer just getting the run out stocks, they are getting into the new and everyday gifts more and more. They are also really starting to merchandise very well indeed. Going to be hard to keep ahead of these guys.
Same issues here Allan with the “Bargain Box”. I heard they are getting involved with Artwrap candle stands.Something that we have had the 5 years we have been here.
David Messent (similar to Barterl but better quality) supplies exclusively to newsagents and I support him for that reason !
Remember when Steve Parish went into liquidation, Bartel contacted that very same day trying to sell me their products. The fact they were trying to take advantage of someone else like that stopped me from ever dealing with them again. Their postcards and calendars are low end anyway, its years since any of the pics have been updated. I got a great recommendation here for Visit Gallery postcards, and they are superb. Not sure who else does calendars but I would rather sell none than deal with Bartel.
Werner Bartel is also a copyright thief. He used a photo of mine for many years in his calendars and publications of the Zig Zag Railway. I went to their office & pointed this out to his staff & they fobbed me off. I asked for the return of my original transparency (it was positive film) & they claimed to have lost it!The image was used for many years always with his name crediting him as the photographer. Thief!