Benchmade going brick & mortar only

[slow1911s]

I spoke with my biggest Benchmade wholesaler on Friday and Benchmade is no longer selling to distributors. They are only selling knives to dealers who have brick & mortar, FTF sales.

If you're looking for something, I still have access to whatever stock happens to be left. Here are a few models I can still get (but maybe not in every configuration)

• Monochome
• Rant
• Nimravus
• HK
• Griptilian
• Mini Griptilian
• Houdini
• Pardue AXIS
• Presidio AXIS
• Dejavoo
• Mini Nitro
• Stryker
• Kulgera
• Osborne AXIS

 

[Soundslikejosh]

Wow this sucks. Any idea why?

 

[slow1911s]

Wow this sucks. Any idea why?

They want to "...police the internet."

I have no hard numbers, but I speculate that online sales (through folks such as myself) is a substantial portion of their gross receipts.

As a dealer, I'm disappointed. When I started into the retail business, all I really wanted to sell was Benchmade and Emerson knives. Two, well known, US made, US owned outfits that made great products with great materials. I have expanded the products I offer, but I am discouraged with Benchmade's decision.

 

[Soundslikejosh]

Yeah, I could see where Benchmade would be unhappy that potential customers have an easy access venue for purchasing their products. I mean, hell, they might even like the product and then post a link where their friends might buy the same knife. The atrocity of it all. Just think, 2 extra knife sales that might not happen if they don't sell over the internet. I sure hope they squash this BS before it gets out of hand.

Maybe they are trying to change, but Benchmade isn't a name you find in every shop. I find it frustrating, as it appears that they are shooting themselves in the foot. I suppose there is a good reason but it's not yet clear to me.

 

[waloidian]

trying to manipulate or minimize internet commerce has been a recipie of failure for companies since the late 90s.

 

[JByer323]

Our rep has been talking about this for awhile. Surprised they actually did it though.

 

[Mike Elzinga]

While it can be discouraging for the purchaser there are a number of reasons to do just such a thing. It will boost sales for all stores that have chosen to be dealers for Benchmade, thus supporting the "mom and pop" portion of american commerece. I am not saying that this is all around a positive thing, but I do know of several companies that have chosen to support the indepedant dealers rather than the masses. Time will tell if this is the right choice for Benchmade.

 

[rhino]

While it can be discouraging for the purchaser there are a number of reasons to do just such a thing. It will boost sales for all stores that have chosen to be dealers for Benchmade, thus supporting the "mom and pop" portion of american commerece. I am not saying that this is all around a positive thing, but I do know of several companies that have chosen to support the indepedant dealers rather than the masses. Time will tell if this is the right choice for Benchmade.

That would be the case if there really were a significant number of retail establishments that actually carry a variety of Benchmade products for sale on the premises. This is not the case, and it's not because of competition from internet sales.

Most walk-in customers have no idea that Benchmade exists, much less have any awareness of the depth and variety of their product lines. People who shop online do.

If Benchmade wants this to work, they're going to have market more aggressively in print media and perhaps even television. Good luck with that.

 

[Soundslikejosh]

That's what I was trying to say. Good job Rhino.

 

[JByer323]

Most walk-in customers have no idea that Benchmade exists, much less have any awareness of the depth and variety of their product lines. People who shop online do.

I agree. I had a hell of a time convincing hippies that they wanted to drop $100 on a knife, when you could get something else for $20. Having said that, we sold more Benchmades then any other brand other then Victorinox, and we were as far from a "tactical" store as you can get.

 

[yotewacker]

I think its because most of the mom and pop places have overhead to contend with. So they sell for list price. The newer generation of internet sales allow for no showroom or place of sale of any kind. So these people usually discount the knifes. But then when a warranty issue comes up. These people take the knife to the mom and pop store for a warranty. To which they never sold the knife to begin with. So they are tired of putting out labor to care for this. IMHO

 

[m_deaner]

But don't lots of "brick and mortar" stores also have Internet storefronts? New Graham Knives and Smoky Mountain Knife Works are a couple of examples. Will these stores still be allowed to sell Benchmade on the Internet? I'm guessing yes...

 

[slow1911s]

But don't lots of "brick and mortar" stores also have Internet storefronts? New Graham Knives and Smoky Mountain Knife Works are a couple of examples. Will these stores still be allowed to sell Benchmade on the Internet? I'm guessing yes...

I expect that will still be true.

 

[Mike Elzinga]

Dont take my previous post to mean that I think this is a good idea for Benchmade, I just wanted to point out a possible reason for the move. I also have it in my line of work where people expect me to warranty all their broken stuff, listen to them bitch about it and do so with a smile when I never was involved in the sale transaction.

I totally agree that Benchmade had better implement a new marketing strategy to offset the loss of internet sales, lest they become a thing of the past. I have seen a fair number of magazine ads for them, but I doubt what I have seen will amount to enough exposure to offset the loss.

 

[paddling_man]

But don't lots of "brick and mortar" stores also have Internet storefronts? New Graham Knives and Smoky Mountain Knife Works are a couple of examples. Will these stores still be allowed to sell Benchmade on the Internet? I'm guessing yes...

Grand Prairie right outside St. Louis - they got all of my business for non-Busse stuff when i lived there. Good folks, great showroom but I got the feeling that the vast majority of their sales were of the web variety.

 

[waloidian]

For me personally, I never go to a b&m store for warranty service if I bought something online. Not sure why others would, unless there is an authorized in hous service center at a store. We will still see their products sold online, people always find ways around the rules.

 

[Soundslikejosh]

Not to beat a dead horse, but a big part of the problem here is not just that Benchmade needs to increase their advertising, but they need to increase the number of dealers, and provide incentive for keeping good stock. I know that is rather circular, because if they had a large demand (caused by marketing to the end user) there would be incentive to be a dealer and have good selection. However, my point is that those folks who already know and want BM knives are going to have a problem. It's not just a matter of recruiting new sales but retaining old customers. I wouldn't know where to buy a BM locally, except JLWaters, and their prices on so many other things were quite high, so I really don't shop there.

I wish there was a place to complain to them directly about this because it's really frustrating, and it's not like they've got the market cornered. There are other good manufacturers out there, and you don't have to serach high and low to get them.

 

[waloidian]

I was just in JLW today and they had an ok selection, but yeah, their prices are high. They can be talked down a bit though, which is nice.

 

[am94pm]

BM, with there little move did lose some sales. I had a PD that was looking at buy several knives, when I went to place the order with my distributor, I was told of the new policy. The PD decided on another brand. When I contacted BM they told me they where trying to protect the "brick and mortar" dealers. When I did work retail we always sold BM's for less than retail anyway. Also did you know that BM is importing some of their knives now?

 

[dblagent]

I had heard that BM had tried this a while back and it had failed, but I'm not sure if it is true.

That said, I only get knives online with VERY rare exception. I was pricing some BMs but with the new policy I see no reason to support them. I can understand B&M stores, but there are no B&M stores that I even know of around me that has a selection of BMs. I tend to know what I want and get just what I want online, I do not go to browse. We will see how New Graham and the like works out, but the short of it is if there is no online dealers that I can get BM from then I'll not get BM.

I really do not like the whole idea, so I'm hoping it fails!