[Closed] Planet X's brexit woes

wot crashtestmonkey said. Especially;

[i]If someone at P-X Towers paid attention this is stuff companies pay a fortune for. Reduce your bewildering range, stop variable pricing, improve QC and CS. [/i]

Well put.

We're only moaning because we want you to be better Planet X.

Is it too late though?

I imagine someone who has built a company from pretty much nothing to being worth 20 million in 20 years probably doesn't give 2 hoots what this forum says because all in all, its a success.

I think I missed the bit where the company is 'worth 20 million' - where's that info from?

Yep, for every buyer from here - who weighs up every pro and con and knows every bike on the market and who tracks prices, reads reviews, etc - there will be 5 more who just get tempted by something shiny - see the discount and take a punt.

As a member of the former, I'll be shopping at PX about as often as I do at Sports Direct (who are also reasonably successful without me).

It's a shame - their BishBashBosh looks like it could be right up my street, but the fact my friend has one and has suffered with a few returns to get it right has put me off. I absolutely hate being deprived of my bike.

crispedwheel - I think I missed the bit where the company is 'worth 20 million' - where's that info from?

I wouldn't buy any PX/O-O products based on my experience of poor quality goods from those brands, and what I've learned of their 'customer service'. And sq225917's attempt at a 'defence' (not to mention stealth advertising, surely that's against forum rules?) only makes me even less likely to ever shop with them.

As for admiring Mike Ashley, well, that kind of sums it up really.

sq225917 as I and others have made clear on a number of occasions in this thread, every time you make a thin skinned and defensive reply on here, you create further brand damage. Yet for whatever reason you cannot see this. You need to accept the truth of the issues you are getting from your customers - I am one of them. If you choose a one dimensional path of arrogance then good luck, you will need it. But you can actually make more money as a company by listening to your customer's needs and their very valid criticisms. Start by acknowledging there are some key areas of improvement needed, and follow it up with action and clear communication.

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Yep, the variable pricing is the main reason I don't buy from them anymore.. and the variable quality.

I finally unsubscribed to their email spamming list this morning.

If Planet-X are reading this - stop treating your potential customers like idiots.
The weekly 'final/everything must go/look what we've just found hidden in a box/Christmas come early' sales aren't fooling anyone.
It is all just the same tat they were pumping out last month, just with different prices.
I'd much rather they found a niche (maybe they had one a few years back) and tried to be good at it..

I've recently ordered a new Exposure light, it is nice to know that if it falls over in 4 years time they'll only be too happy to fix it for a fair price.
Can't say the same for Planet X customer service.

I imagine someone who has built a company from pretty much nothing to being worth 20 million in 20 years probably doesn't give 2 hoots what this forum says because all in all, its a success.

you're probably right. The fact that Chain Reaction and Wiggle went from being local bike shops to being worth £150m and £180m respectively (2014 figures, quoted in press about their merger) in the same market in a similar period is unlikely to dent the ego of Dave Loughran.

Tescos is clearly a successful and huge business, that doesn't mean they can't make poor decisions and suffer financially as a consequence.

I guess for those asking what happened to the inbred/scandal On-One of old that we all liked, this is the answer:
https://partners.singletrackworld.com/Alpkit-Technical-Clothing-Equipment/showcase/bikes

Aye, indeed. Said as much earlier as an example of doing things properly.

I wonder if sq gets paid for this, or if he's got a telling off from the boss coming? I do social media stuff for work, if I got reactions like this my boss'd wedgie me.

sq is probably the boss.

A business with any kind of media strategy would/should control channels of communication like this, especially as it has such a reputational impact. So no, prob a bit sneeky on the side, but if not then a massive own goal.

AlexSimon

I guess for those asking what happened to the inbred/scandal On-One of old that we all liked, this is the answer:
https://partners.singletrackworld.com/Alpkit-Technical-Clothing-Equipment/showcase/bikes

Yeah good point that - Alpkit are very similar to the PX/OO of old - a limited range of niche bikes and parts with a definite slot in the the market.

Guess PX lost that by the random all-sorts stocked to try and grow turnover. That and the terrible pricing policy and woeful social media presence demonstrated here.

Alpkit are very similar to the PX/OO of old - a limited range of niche bikes and parts with a definite slot in the the market.

Guess PX lost that by the random all-sorts stocked to try and grow turnover

they seem to have wanted to be all things to all men and been a bit scattergun. They follow the Sports Direct model of buying up bankrupt heritage labels to stick on Chinese catalogue kit, but then try to introduce premium lines such as Holdsworth and Viner (didn't they buy an entire manufacturing line in Italy with the plan to hand build high-end frames?). Then they stick 3 different labels, including a premium name, on the same bike/frame, only to be called out by the owner of one the names they've licensed (Tomac) who, it appears but feel free to correct me SQ, has to approve the use of his name.

All this whilst buying up warehouses full of random old/bankrupt kit and selling it off like a bargain bin, tarnishing the image of the supposed high-end stuff listed alongside it.

I'm sure SQ is doing this off his own back out of a sense of loyalty to his employer which is commendable, at least he gives a sh1t which is more than can be said for the QC and CS departments and very possibly the management.

only to be called out by the owner of one the names they've licensed (Tomac) who, it appears but feel free to correct me SQ, has to approve the use of his name.

It's odd as it would be so easy to make their ranges look coherent:
Viner - High end road and CX
PX - Mid to low end road and CX
On-One - Mid to low end MTB or hardtails only
Titus - High end MTB or full-sus only
Holdsworth - faux vintage/retro stuff
Tomac - Dropped, maybe CX I guess
Selcof - Components
Jobsworth - Tools and hardware.
Sells the clothing under the same verticals and jobs a good 'un.

But then you'd struggle to hide cheap frames and kit so well...

i was quite tempted by some of the winter gloves 😳

The Planet-X to Alpkit goes deeper than that, David Hanney was director at Planet-X and is now director at Alpkit and Mango bikes.

Have Planet-X done something to p*ss off Shimano, seems very little of it on their site and on their bikes.

teamhurtmore - Member

i was quite tempted by some of the winter gloves
Posted 39 minutes ago #

Not buying it through the official channels I would imagine.

It was very strongly hinted that a UK distributor dropped Giro because a container load appeared at PX without their say so

😀

Oddly enough their tri stuff was great a few years ago. Still use it now.

sq225917 - Member is either

Dave Hinde or
Ronnie Pickering 😆

This thread has had one useful outcome for me, I didn't realise the Sonder Camino existed and now I do thanks to the link posted above I'm ordering one, far more like what I wanted than the London Road was and I don't expect the price to drop through the floor for a few hours the day after I pay.
Alpkit have always been good to deal with too....

"I imagine someone who has built a company from pretty much nothing to being worth 20 million in 20 years probably doesn't give 2 hoots what this forum says because all in all, its a success."

Yep. Nothing wrong with that. It's not criminal to make a profit.

What is annoying is when times are bad at a company they blame something rather than themselves.

Like I said I stopped buying from (Ragley), on one etc firstly due to QC but secondly the way a customer is treated.

A random challenge for anyone game...

List any one item from the first three days of the 12% sale which equals or beats the sale price from mid summer. 😆

I'll list a few that are not with their mid summer price IIRC...
Planet X Bright Ride Hi-Viz Jacket £15
Knuckleball £35
El Guapo Corto £20
WTB Nano £21
BSC Type 1 £8
Vittoria Hyper Voyager folding £13
Smagasboard/ Chunky Monkey £13
Carbon fatty Fork £89
Bung for above fork £5

Excellent stealth marketing, let's all go on a website that we've largely decided is unethical and look at sale items. That won't result in any additional sales will it?

While we're around it let's look at our pension pot and then compare it to how well arms deals are doing o the stock exchange.

Been toying with the idea of getting a codine 650b for a couple of weeks. After finding out my job is secure for the next 7yrs I thought go for it!
Was £650 now £899!
That plus this thread I'll think I'll look for something else 🙁

For the most part PX/OO have, over the last few years, become their own worst enemy and I don't have a lot of sympathy for them.

People confusing turnover as the basis for 'value' when the business value is based on earnings, so based on £100k earnings, and a earnings multiple of 5 then I'd say they're worth £500k or 1/40th of what others are saying. There's certainly not much goodwill to speak of, aparts from some cr@p brands and shoddy reputation. Might even be less, given their exposure to foreign currency valuations and restructuring costs...

oh and whilst we're playing price spotter I just looked at the Fatty carbon fork which was posted in one of the fatbike threads I've been following as it was selling for £90, to be paired with a £55 Fatty front wheel. Since the sale kicked in the fork is £130 and the wheel £70.

So,

That won't result in any additional sales will it?

no, it probably won't!