moves

moves

Audioholic Chief
The PSB synchrony ones are listed at 5k but can be on sale for a price of 4k. That's a huge sale... I wonder how much mark up there is on these speakers.
 
walter duque

walter duque

Audioholic Samurai
The PSB synchrony ones are listed at 5k but can be on sale for a price of 4k. That's a huge sale... I wonder how much mark up there is on these speakers.
Must have been maybe 4-5 years ago (I am not sure about the years now) I could have bought them for $1800.00 as floor models. Maybe the dealer wanted to break even, he sure wasn't selling them at a loss. At that time they retail was 4k. I figure at 4k retail, dealer cost is a little over $1500.oo.
 
monkish54

monkish54

Audioholic General
The PSB synchrony ones are listed at 5k but can be on sale for a price of 4k. That's a huge sale... I wonder how much mark up there is on these speakers.
From what I have heard (from random people and my uncle who was the vice president of marketing for a popular speaker company) the markup is very large.

Here's how it goes:

The manufacturer makes a speaker for X amount. They sell it to the dealer for 2.5x that amount. The dealer than sells it to you for 2x what it cost them. :D
 
walter duque

walter duque

Audioholic Samurai
From what I have heard (from random people and my uncle who was the vice president of marketing for a popular speaker company) the markup is very large.

Here's how it goes:

The manufacturer makes a speaker for X amount. They sell it to the dealer for 2.5x that amount. The dealer than sells it to you for 2x what it cost them. :D
I would say cost is less than 2k. I am picking up some towers next month that retail for 13k for 2k from an OEM.
 
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Irvrobinson

Irvrobinson

Audioholic Spartan
From what I have heard (from random people and my uncle who was the vice president of marketing for a popular speaker company) the markup is very large.

Here's how it goes:

The manufacturer makes a speaker for X amount. They sell it to the dealer for 2.5x that amount. The dealer than sells it to you for 2x what it cost them. :D
On high-end, low volume products the mark-ups can be that high. The industry uses somewhat different terminology though, as they work from MSRP. Dealers refer to prices like you describe as "50% margin products".

In reality few people pay those prices, except on very hot or very hard to get products. Most high-end speakers are sold at B&M stores with a 20-25% discount from MSRP. That's why internet direct is sometimes not quite the bargain it appears to be, especially if you pay shipping.

For volume products the margins on speakers aren't that high. On electronics the MSRPs are still high, but who pays them? AVRs seem to sell for a 30% discount the day they're released on Amazon, and the B&M stores have to nearly match it lose the sale. The only electronic products I've seen these days that sell for MSRP or nearly so are from Apple.
 
mtrycrafts

mtrycrafts

Seriously, I have no life.
...

Here's how it goes:

The manufacturer makes a speaker for X amount. They sell it to the dealer for 2.5x that amount. ... :D
Does this mean that the X amount is the raw parts cost or includes labor and overhead too and the 2.5X is net profit?
 
monkish54

monkish54

Audioholic General
Does this mean that the X amount is the raw parts cost or includes labor and overhead too and the 2.5X is net profit?
The X would include labor and overhead, if I'm not mistaken.

I'm not 100% sure.
 
KEW

KEW

Audioholic Overlord
I think 45 to 55% markup is typical (markup at the retailer).

However, it does vary:
Some speakers like the Pioneer FS52 clearly do not have such a high markup ($130 MSRP ea. for tower with 4 decent drivers) unless Pioneer is forfeiting their profit before the dealership.
But another budget speaker is the Infinity which has a MSRP of $380, but routinely is on sale at $100 to $130! Implying a >60% markup! It may be that Frys does some kind of special "buy in bulk" deal to get a special price out of Infinity, but somebody is forfeiting their normal profits.

I'm not sure the markup (as a percentage) is much higher for expensive gear. Obviously, 50% of $80,000 is a lot more than 50% of $500.
 
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A

avengineer

Banned
Certain items carry higher margins than others. Speakers in general have some of the highest margins, while TVs have almost none. In the old days of the 1970s we used to tag phono cartridges with prices like $79, then turn around and throw them into the deal for $10. Still made money on them. Those days are long gone.

There are still items with high margins. That doesn't mean we should begrudge retailers their margins, though. They serve a valuable function that manufacturers are mostly unwilling to fulfill themselves. Without the margin, the dealer wouldn't be a dealer, it's the only way they pull any income. If you like walking into a store and talking to the same guy you bought from, let him make his money.

There are also conditions where a retailer can sell product at or below his cost. Closeouts, discontinued items, refurbs of course, but sometimes an item can be added into a package so that it looks like it's below cost, but probably isn't.

It's useful to keep in mind that deep discount internet prices are sometimes available because the seller is not authorized by the manufacturer to resell their products. Those items won't carry the manufacturers warranty, which some might be fine with, but it's a nasty surprise if you need that warranty. Manufacturers are actively trying to curtail unauthorized sales, so if the price seems too good to be true...check deeper, make sure you know what you're getting. There's also been a lot of "knockoff" product, looks almost identical, but it's not the real deal.
 
mtrycrafts

mtrycrafts

Seriously, I have no life.
The X would include labor and overhead, if I'm not mistaken.

I'm not 100% sure.
Boy, if that 2.5x is after labor and overhead, I guess depends on what is included in overhead although I would think everything then, that is pure profit then?
 
walter duque

walter duque

Audioholic Samurai
Boy, if that 2.5x is after labor and overhead, I guess depends on what is included in overhead although I would think everything then, that is pure profit then?
Going by my speaker builder, a pair of speaker that retail for around 4k cost about $750.oo to build, dealer cost is just around $1500.oo so that's a 100% mark up for the builder, that gives the retailer $2500.oo to play with. My local dealer is selling Focal Labs Grand Utopias for $45k which go for about 150k and he is not loosing any money, that's for sure.
 
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KEW

KEW

Audioholic Overlord
Or you can buy Philharmonic and get them at around the builders price!
 
monkish54

monkish54

Audioholic General
Or you can buy Philharmonic and get them at around the builders price!
I already did that! :p

Plus, the designs are completely opposite. One is a very wide (pretty much) controlled directivity loudspeaker. The other is a narrow constant directivity speaker. :p

Different designs for different rooms. :D
 
KEW

KEW

Audioholic Overlord
The markup for pro audio speakers is not so great as consumer Audio:


$2700/pr active Focal Solo6Be:



$5500/pr passive Focal Electra 1007Be


I don't know that these are essentially the same speakers, but the driver descriptions are the same. The 1007's are rear ported vs the Solo6 with a front port.
 
monkish54

monkish54

Audioholic General
The markup for pro audio speakers is not so great as consumer Audio:


$2700/pr active Focal Solo6Be:



$5500/pr passive Focal Electra 1007Be


I don't know that these are essentially the same speakers, but the driver descriptions are the same. The 1007's are rear ported vs the Solo6 with a front port.
They make the pro more practical and the consumer more sexy. :p
 
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