Prices Across The World

[Whitespirit66]

Stop rubbing it in.

Not only cheap petrol/gas, but you're lucky enough to live in The US. Tennessee would do me. Fantastic countryside, and the JD didtillery in Lynchburg.

Sorry to tell you this but.....the wife's family is originally from Tennessee, and we are going down there for a week next summer. I wonder if that distillery is on the way...it will be now!

I would make sure that your route takes in the distillery, though Moore County is dry. Unbelievable really. Then have a paddle on the Ocoee River where Deliverance was filmed.

 

[WalksWithTurkeys]

What does it cost in China, Japan, Arabia etc?

Nowhere near as much, no doubt! I was trying to be fair by acknowledging that sometimes there are a few differences for production runs in smaller quantities which would justify a small difference in price. But certainly not the huge difference which is often seen.

But also, to be fair, are the retailers in all those places paying as much in taxes, compliance with regulations etc. as are retailers in Britain?

You are right. A UK seller has to buy from the local distributor who adds a mark up to cover his staff costs, transport and distribution, and then the retailer has to add a mark up to cover her staff costs and overheads such as rates. Our staff costs are much higher than in China. The US is a bigger market, so the distributor can reduce costs. Plus US fuel is much cheaper so transport costs are lower.

I bought a nice battery charger from China for £13 including P&P. The same item is available from UK online shops for £24 plus P&P. I bought a nice torch/flashlight for £20 direct from China, same item costs £50 here.

 

[JBR]

Tennessee would do me. Fantastic countryside,

I don't recall saying any such thing!

 

[EFLImpudence]

A UK seller has to buy from the local distributor who adds a mark up to cover his staff costs, transport and distribution,

Do they not have a local distributor who adds a mark up to cover his staff costs, transport and distribution in the US?

and then the retailer has to add a mark up to cover her staff costs and overheads such as rates.

Do they not have a retailer who has to add a mark up to cover her staff costs and overheads such as rates in the US?

Does everyone with a car go to Detroit (or wherever the factory is) for spares?

Our staff costs are much higher than in China.

..but if that is where everything is made, what difference does that make?

The US is a bigger market, so the distributor can reduce costs.

Bigger market, yes - 5x - but the distances are huge >5x.

Plus US fuel is much cheaper so transport costs are lower.

Would the price be proportionate to the distances?
That is - fuel, a quarter the cost; distances, four times as far.

Apart from the trip across the pond, is there a difference?

I bought a nice battery charger from China for £13 including P&P. The same item is available from UK online shops for £24 plus P&P. I bought a nice torch/flashlight for £20 direct from China, same item costs £50 here.

So, shops double the price. I do not know if this is justified or not.
It may not be good for the country but it would seem doing away with shops and buying on the net is the way to go.

Wouldn't this lead to a decrease in delivery traffic? Direct to customer.

 

[PBC_1966]

I don't recall saying any such thing!

Sorry - Not sure how that happened! Now corrected.....

 

[WalksWithTurkeys]

A UK seller has to buy from the local distributor who adds a mark up to cover his staff costs, transport and distribution,

Do they not have a local distributor who adds a mark up to cover his staff costs, transport and distribution in the US?

and then the retailer has to add a mark up to cover her staff costs and overheads such as rates.

Do they not have a retailer who has to add a mark up to cover her staff costs and overheads such as rates in the US?

Does everyone with a car go to Detroit (or wherever the factory is) for spares?

Our staff costs are much higher than in China.

..but if that is where everything is made, what difference does that make?

The US is a bigger market, so the distributor can reduce costs.

Bigger market, yes - 5x - but the distances are huge >5x.

Plus US fuel is much cheaper so transport costs are lower.

Would the price be proportionate to the distances?
That is - fuel, a quarter the cost; distances, four times as far.

Apart from the trip across the pond, is there a difference?

I bought a nice battery charger from China for £13 including P&P. The same item is available from UK online shops for £24 plus P&P. I bought a nice torch/flashlight for £20 direct from China, same item costs £50 here.

So, shops double the price. I do not know if this is justified or not.
It may not be good for the country but it would seem doing away with shops and buying on the net is the way to go.

Wouldn't this lead to a decrease in delivery traffic? Direct to customer.

The main comparison I was making was between China and the UK. But yes, America is a bigger market so as the other poster said economies of scale operate. One office can handle six times as many people. Regarding transport, most goods will go by sea and land anyway. And a bigger market means more competition too. They have huge land and can set up a warehouse cheaply, land here can cost a fortune.

Don't you buy on the net? You get poorer customer service compared to a real shop, usually.

 

[EFLImpudence]

Ah, sorry. I thought you were talking about America v Britain.

Yes, I buy on the net, however, if you can buy on the net for £20 and it costs £50 in a shop, that can buy from the same source (possibly at a discount), that sounds like a rip-off to me.

It would seem from the OP that Russia, Saudi and Germany do not do this.

 

[terrypin]

What tosh, no way can it be that heavy.
I think there's a mistake in translation from American to English.

 

[securespark]

I don't speak fluent American.

 

[PBC_1966]

My (American) wife says that I'm bilingual.....

 

[JBR]

My (American) wife says that I'm bilingual.....

You have two tongues?
I bet she's pleased!

 

[securespark]

If I buy from Germany, will I get any import taxes fees or VAT etc slapped on top?

 

[PBC_1966]

One of the few benefits of EU membership (not that it isn't completely wiped out financially by the numerous drawbacks) is that you don't get charged import duty importing from another EU country, and you don't get U.K. VAT charged at import. However, unless you supply a VAT registration number to the seller, you will have to pay German VAT on the total. (And the intra-EU reporting for businesses to account for that is horrendous!)

 

[securespark]

Happy to pay VAT at the German rate.
If I purchase the item from Germany, it will save me at least £120 all things considered.

 

[JBR]

Interesting. What's the difference between German VAT and ours? (I don't have a VAT registration number.)
If it's worth it, I might buy a lot more from Europe.