grrrrrr Alpkit & Howies = On-One skool of stock control

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grrrrrr Alpkit & Howies = On-One skool of stock control

37 posts & 24 voices | Started 4 months ago by Stoner | Latest reply from swiss01

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middle class muppets

Pages: 12 Next »

Stoner - Member

I love the little guy. But they can make it hard to love them sometimes

During their sale, the Howies website managed to "sell" me £100 of stuff that wasnt in stock.

Now, needing to replace* my Filet Vest, all alpkit can manage is oodles of stock for midgets, dwarves, and 26" wheeled cyclists. 130x dinky or smaller sized in stock, a big fat 0x proper sized stuff.
It's a fullsized consipracy, that's what it is.

We do not have any more Filet's on order - if sizes or colours are out of stock they will not be available until mid 2012

Is not making me feel the luv either.

* eviscerated by a trailing briar whilst stumbling about on the common in the dark last night. Must watch where Im going more...

Posted 4 months ago #
willard - Member

I feel your pain...

A Filet was supposed to be my Christmas pressie, but as no stock until summer, I was tempted by, and succumbed to, a Buffalo pile shirt. Not as smart, but just as warm.

To be honest though, they did have a long SH800 in stock when I wanted one, so it's not all bad. And they have Hunka XLs in stock as well, so tall people are not completely forgotten.

Posted 4 months ago #
Ringo - Member

midgets, dwarves, and 26" wheeled cyclists

Posted 4 months ago #
Stoner - Member

when I was after a Bivvy bag, hunka xls were......out of stock
So got an army goretex one instead.

I did get a long skyhigh from them too though, which was nice.

Posted 4 months ago #
geoffj - Member

Impressive - a pop at 3 companies in 1 thread title.

<serious mode> looks like they could do with giving the buyer / stock controller a kick up the jacksie </serious mode>

Posted 4 months ago #
neninja - Member

That's always been Alpkit's sales model with the Filo and Filet. Get a large run made and when they've gone that's it until the next year.

Love my Filo jackets - an early one and a newer one with hood. Blinding value.

Posted 4 months ago #
wwaswas - Member

Get a large run made and when they've gone that's it until the next year.

Makes sense - saves carrying loads of stock all year round for kit that only sells for 6 months of the year

Posted 4 months ago #
Wozza - Member

Tried to order a Filet a few weeks ago but they were out of stock until summer. Then I noticed go-outdoors were selling 700 fill North Face for £60. Bargain.

Posted 4 months ago #
simon_g - Member

No Gamma headtorches again till March either. Just as they win (another) Trail magazine test. You'd think they might start placing bigger orders...

Posted 4 months ago #
Stoner - Member

Ive got a spare 650 NF one but it's nowhere near as nice as the alpkit.

There's been loads of down gilets for sale lately but they all cost the same as alpkit ones but just dont feel as nice and dont loft as well.

Posted 4 months ago #
geoffj - Member

I love my Rab Microlight - http://www.freetime1.co.uk/Models.aspx?ModelID=3528

Comes in proper biffer size too.

Posted 4 months ago #
honourablegeorge - Member

http://www.finisterreuk.com/ have down jackets in stock

Posted 4 months ago #
TooTall - Member

I now worship at the Temple of Rab. Their XXL has proper long sleeves as well.
Stoner - at least you are petite enough to even think about those brands! Bleedin' Hobbit-pandering kids clothing sizes!

Posted 4 months ago #
Stoner - Member

cheers geoff, george.

Unfortunately no Bise in XL @ finisterre.
and I just cant love that Rab corrugated look

Posted 4 months ago #
paul78 - Member

Can't have everything in all the time.... if you want a small friendly super profeesional progressive company like Alpkit then you will have to give them allowance that they cannot hold millions of pound worth of stock...

Their kit is very good quality and usually at half the cost of the competitors ... no wonder it sells out

Posted 4 months ago #
Stoner - Member

yes, yes, we all get that bit, but a 6 months lead time!!?? Really?!?

Posted 4 months ago #
vorlich - Member

It doesn't look like PHD have got any bargain box vests in your size, but I'm going to plug them anyway:

http://www.phdesigns.co.uk/bargain_box.php

Posted 4 months ago #
geoffj - Member

if you want a small friendly super profeesional progressive company like Alpkit

super professional? really?

We aren't even half way through winter yet and they've sold out.

Posted 4 months ago #
mustard - Member

http://www.finisterreuk.com/ have down jackets in stock

No they don't!

Primaloft Eco® synthetic insulation fill (100g/m2) | We’re no strangers to rain in the UK - Synthetic fill retains 75% of its warmth when wet, whereas down fill only retains 15% of its warmth when wet

Posted 4 months ago #
vinnyeh - Member

super professional? really?

We aren't even half way through winter yet and they've sold out.

That's how they work though, and they openly state it- for the high demand products you effectively go on a wait list to be informed when it's in stock at the start of the season. When it's gone, it's gone.

you may have noticed that when M&S etc sell out of the coats they've ordered for the winter that's it - they've a larger range so there's normally something left over for you to buy, but the lead times for supply mean that it's normally impossible to order more something sells out quicker than expected. Come February Alpkit don't want to be left carrying unsold down jackets, although I imagine they're wishing they ordered a few more now.

Posted 4 months ago #
geoffj - Member

vinnyeh - you are of course correct.

The problem is that folk don't like going on waiting lists. We live in an on demand world and folk come to expect to be able to buy what they want when they want it.

If they are selling out too quickly, then they need to raise the price, or order more or both.

We aren't even half way through winter yet

They are not exactly perishable items.

Posted 4 months ago #
Houns - Member

Lose some weight fatty

Posted 4 months ago #
YoKaiser - Member

http://www.urbanoutfitters.co.uk/p-brands/patagonia/icat/patagonia/

Some patagonia vests and jackets cheap, bright colours though.

Posted 4 months ago #
paul78 - Member

I am sure if Alpkit just sold down jackets then they would have plenty of stock all of the time .. but they don't ...

They pride themselves on developing new and affordable outdoor equipment that is genuinely fit for purpose ... this development costs time and money so I guess as a small company regardless of how many jackets they think they could sell the pot to buy in stock is not infinite..

.. increase prices ??? pretty sure if they did that they would get shot down by the ST massive

Posted 4 months ago #
alpkitizzy - Member

Hi Stoner, If you've ripped your filet, you're more than welcome to return it to us for a repair. Email me a photo to support@alpkit.com and we'll see what we can do. The reason why the filet is currently out of stock, is due to a re-design. Hopefully we can bring you something even better than the filet was before, I always wear mine in the office!

Posted 4 months ago #
tomaso - Member

Ordered an XL Filet down jacket in blue just before Xmas and it turned up last week - it was shown as out of stock and on pre-order when I clicked on the website.

Ordered a Howies T-shirt (XL) during the sale and its shown as dispatched.

Posted 4 months ago #
teamhurtmore - Member

...try buying something from Boden

Posted 4 months ago #
rOcKeTdOg - Member

Stoner, it's your own fault for being average

Posted 4 months ago #
Stoner - Member

Thanks Izzy.
Have you ever watched American Werewolf in London?
My Filet now looks like an extra from the "Stay on the road. Keep clear of the moors" scene...

but if you think you can fix it, Id be delighted if you could.
And you'll have to pencil me in for one of the new ones then....when they get here...

What's the redesign?
I remember giving some feedback when I first got the filet - I think I mentioned it ought to come pre-fitted with the Alpkit zip toggles as.

Posted 4 months ago #
alpkitizzy - Member

Hi Stoner,

Firstly pop some gaffar/duct tape over the rips to stop anymore down escaping. Whack it in the post and we'll get Alpkit Anna to fix it. She says it won't look brand new again but it will still keep you warm

The address is:

Alpkit Ltd
Unit B3 The Ropewalk Ind Est
Ilkeston
Derbyshire
DE7 5HX

If you pop on the website and download the returns form and fill it out, then we'll sort that out as soon as it get here.

Many Thanks

Izzy

Posted 4 months ago #
Stoner - Member

Thanks Izzy. Emergency wound dressing applied.
Will package up tomorrow to see if Anna can resuscitate.

Posted 4 months ago #
Stoner - Member

for what they lack in stock, they certainly make up for in surgical skillz.
heat patch repair to the torn nylon. Just arrived back. Looks like it should make it to the summer where hopefully it shall hand over duties to it's replacement when they arrive.
Big thanks to Izzy and Alpkit Anna for the fix.

Posted 4 months ago #
stevie750 - Member

have been trying for a while to buy stuff from howies but every time I am shopping the website stops working

Posted 4 months ago #
edd - Member

Great to hear - good work AlpKit.

Posted 4 months ago #
honourablegeorge - Member

stevie750 - Member
have been trying for a while to buy stuff from howies but every time I am shopping the website stops working

Are you outside the UK, by any chance? I don't have a postcode, and if you leave the postcode field blank, the site always errors out during the checkout process.

Failing that, they're very nice over the phone.

Posted 4 months ago #

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