Husqvarna: New Wal-Mart Brand!

[Highclimber OR]

Husky is finally going to be where it belongs lol, no just kidding am a Stihl man but that is just a sub par move by an idiot at Husky. I refuse to believe that their North-American sales have dropped so low that they must market at Wally World. I actually almost feel sorry for all you Husky guys out there but I must LMFAO at the same time.:greenchainsaw::greenchainsaw::greenchainsaw::greenchainsaw:

 

[Muffler Bearing]

Husky is finally going to be where it belongs lol, no just kidding am a Stihl man but that is just a sub par move by an idiot at Husky. I refuse to believe that their North-American sales have dropped so low that they must market at Wally World. I actually almost feel sorry for all you Husky guys out there but I must LMFAO at the same time.:greenchainsaw::greenchainsaw::greenchainsaw::greenchainsaw:

Man don't go rubbing it in.

Theres nothing wrong if Husky has to sell at Wally World. At least they haven't had to stoop really low and sell at Wal-Mart.:monkey:

 

[FXDL]

Why in the world would Husqvarna let Wal-Mart use their preimer brand name on all the point of sale advertising/shelf labels on the absolute pos lowest end push mowers they sell, they are branded as Husqvarna Weed Eater mowers, one sell's for around 130 an the other around 150.

What a idiotic move on somebody's part at Husky. Now when they buy one of these disposable pos they will forever associte the name Husqvarna with that of a moldy turd.

I cannot believe they would do this with their premier brand name? They make some great saws, but within five years the average (not AS) consumer will associate the name with cheap junk. A brand manager needs his head examined or replaced imho. What's next husky saws at Wal-Mart?

Husky at wal-mart, stihl chainsaws at ace hardware... glad dolmar hasn't stooped to these levels....(i know im gonna catch heat for this one)

 

[scotvl]

Husky at wal-mart, stihl chainsaws at ace hardware... glad dolmar hasn't stooped to these levels....(i know im gonna catch heat for this one)

They don't have to, we can buy blue Dolmars everywhere.

 

[indiansprings]

Boy the husky boys are quiet tonight, maybe their all out at the liquor stores getting stocked up for the day their saws show up on the shelf. Of course they'll have to lower their price points and quality a little more, they might just change the color of poulan's to orange. Get stocked up boys, it might take a year or two, but Wally World had got the brand in their sights and since it's offered to Lowe's/Depot, they think they deserve it since they'll buy 20 times more.

 

[Muffler Bearing]

Boy the husky boys are quiet tonight, maybe their all out at the liquor stores getting stocked up for the day their saws show up on the shelf. Of course they'll have to lower their price points and quality a little more, they might just change the color of poulan's to orange. Get stocked up boys, it might take a year or two, but Wally World had got the brand in their sights and since it's offered to Lowe's/Depot, they think they deserve it since they'll buy 20 times more.

I think they saw your post and shot down to wally-world!

 

[FXDL]

Here in a few years we'll see a wal-mart commercial about "rolling back prices" and they'll say "we're rolling back prices on our husqvarna chainsaws, get the 3120xp for $550" they'll show the little smiley face guy knocking the 6 out of 650 next to some happy wal-mart employee, to reveal 550. haha once again i know i'm gonna catch hell for this one

 

[Zero Gravity]

This is a great move for Husqvarna mowers. It will allow them an international distribution channel second to none. The thought that Husqvarna name applied to lawn mowers is hurting the hundreds of other products they manufacture is big stretch. When I run my saw I don't think of my mother's sewing machine. The same will go for mowers. Besides Husqvarna's mower is placed as a premium product well above MTD...John Deer..and many others.

The high quality mower market is a dinosaur in the US. I don't know of one high end brand that is expanding in the consumer market.



ZG

 

[7oaks]

i already have an 090, thank you.

touche`

 

[Rounder]

The economy sucks and bidness is bidness - whatever it takes, buyer beware. That's why - Sam

 

[indiansprings]

The orange color works for BAD BOY ZTR mower's, up 80% in a market that's down 30% a 110% improvement over their competitors. Made in the USA, Batesville, AR build two more assembly plants, hired another 180 employee's, getting overtime to keep up with demand.
That's what quality and value priced will do for you.

It's not far fetched at all that it will hurt the brand, I've seen it happen first hand as a former buyer and divisional for them, left due to all the pressure to import after Sam died, the buy America program went out the door, we were once allowed to pay up to 10-15% more landed cost to the store for American product. They had import quota's when I left, you had to import so much or you weren't doing your job to support the import division.

 

[rms61moparman]

It's about time and good enough for them!!!

They whored the Poulan name into the ground years ago for this very reason.
Now they have to start on another brand to cheapen until the majority of the population thinks "JUNK" when they see or hear the name.
It would have been Jonsered if anyone outside of AS knew what the heck a Jonsered even is.

I wonder how long it will be before the next brand falls victim to the Swedish pimp, and which brand it will be???

Echo- Very likely
Dolmar- Not enough name recognition....yet!
Stihl- Would be my bet.


Mike

 

[THALL10326]

No, they took their cheapest pos two lawn mowers, at least in the smaller store located 13 miles from me and have them branded "Husqvarna" on the price and description sign, the mower's themselves only have Weed Eater across the deck as far I could tell, it was on a elevated shelf, tilted at an angle. The big hang tag on the handle bar had Husqvarna on it.

People will be saying I bought this Husquvarna Weed Eater down at Wally World, it lasted three weeks. I couldn't even determine what brand of engines they had on them, looked like China copy's of the cheapy Briggs. It will leave a bad taste in the mouth of those who by them, having serious consequences for the brand. If Husky ask WM to reprint the signs and put them up, WM will pop them for a huge print and labor bill for changing them.
If I were Husky I'd glady pay it to get my premier brand name off the sign of the cheapest mowers in America.

Well one can't fault Wal-mart over it. Wal-mart spends big bucks figuring out how to get the most out of nothing. Your right though, for them to display those tags with the Husqvarna name on them someone had to approve it. Its really a smart on Wal-mart's part. They will milk that name to death. Husky will see sales rise real fast only to be surprized down the road when Wal-mart says we boosted your sales now we want those mowers 25.00 cheaper this year. Thats when the manufacture has three choices, build them cheaper, slice their own margins or cut ties and lose sales after already losing their once good name.

This is a very heated debate among manufacturers. Wal-mart is the biggest, baddest and meanest retailer in the world. They play hardball not with the customers but with the manufacturers on keeping costs to them low as possible. Manufacturers have a hard time resisting Wal-mart, Home Depot and all the big chains, why, millions in sales and fast sales. Wal-mart has more walk in traffic in one day than most stores see in one year. The candy jar worth millions is hard to resist.

I don't see Husqvarna ever putting their pride and joy pro products in Wal-mart but I do see Wal-mart doing everything they can to get them. Should be interesting now that they are allowed to use the name for sales. They won't stop at just that, rest assured.

I know Springs will agree with all the above because he was one of those who went to the manufacturer with the bad news, am I right Indian??

 

[Paul001]

People are honestly surpised at this?

Do I need to go down the list of names that E-lux has already done this exact samething to? Homelite? J-red? Echo? Shall I keep going?

They now own and control Husky...what did everyone think they were going to do? Little over 10 years ago, I interviewed for a TM position with Husky. At that time they were all about the one source program. Most dealers never signed on for it...so they will go find someone who will.

They are number 2 in saws, and are fine with that. They feel they could stick the saws on a rack at 7-11 and still would move $35K worth of product out of there. They want to be John Deere or atleast sell more mowers than them.

Anyone notice who owns the largest Deck manufactures for those riding mowers? How many of the producers of those decks are owned by E-lux? At one point they owned 2 of the top 3.

There seems to be some real conflict within Husky management as to which direction they want to go...at this point it seems profit margins are their only concern.

 

[Paul001]

Well one can't fault Wal-mart over it. Wal-mart spends big bucks figuring out how to get the most out of nothing. Your right though, for them to display those tags with the Husqvarna name on them someone had to approve it. Its really a smart on Wal-mart's part. They will milk that name to death. Husky will see sales rise real fast only to be surprized down the road when Wal-mart says we boosted your sales now we want those mowers 25.00 cheaper this year. Thats when the manufacture has three choices, build them cheaper, slice their own margins or cut ties and lose sales after already losing their once good name.

This is a very heated debate among manufacturers. Wal-mart is the biggest, baddest and meanest retailer in the world. They play hardball not with the customers but with the manufacturers on keeping costs to them low as possible. Manufacturers have a hard time resisting Wal-mart, Home Depot and all the big chains, why, millions in sales and fast sales. Wal-mart has more walk in traffic in one day than most stores see in one year. The candy jar worth millions is hard to resist.

I don't see Husqvarna ever putting their pride and joy pro products in Wal-mart but I so see Wal-mart doing everything they can to get them. Should be interesting now that they are allowed to use the name for sales. They won't stop at just that, rest assured.

I know Springs will agree with all the above because he was one of those who went to the manufacturer with the bad news, am I right Indian??

You forgot a piece of the puzzle. Contracts that require X amount of product to be delivered by Y or penalty flag!

Expand your manufacturing to meet those requirements, further increase sales, which drives down the cost of goods per...then when they come back and demand that $25 cut in price, things are really tough. You've expanded, invested capital, have additional workforce...reduce the price or lose it all

 

[leeave96]

I think the marketing idea is to push the Husky brand down the food chain with Poulan to make room for their new high quality dealer line:

McCULLOCH!!!!!!!!!!! :greenchainsaw:

 

[THALL10326]

You forgot a piece of the puzzle. Contracts that require X amount of product to be delivered by Y or penalty flag!

Expand your manufacturing to meet those requirements, further increase sales, which drives down the cost of goods per...then when they come back and demand that $25 cut in price, things are really tough. You've expanded, invested capital, have additional workforce...reduce the price or lose it all

I didn't forget it , I just didn't say it. Yes your 100% correct. You just described what has killed many makers who didn't forsee that until it was too late..

 

[indiansprings]

Yep, I was one of those sleazy turds going after the mfgs, for their last penny of profit and positioning/leveraging to attain their "premier brand".

Don't be so naive to think those good ole boys down in Bentonville with the "ah shucks, we're just country boys" routine haven't stratagized and planned every move out in advance on the chess board. You can bet your azz they have screamed to holy hell about other big boxes having the brand and WM not being allowed to have it. They'll suck them in this year and really put the screws to them at the end of the season, "Now you have seen the power of the husky name in our stores, we need it expanded or we need to find another brand, maybe source from China and private label". We'll guarnatee 50 saws a location, let's see 50 x 7500 , 37,500 intial order to the wharehouses, tough to turn down if a declining market. You hit X price point and we'll buy 60,000. It's the way the games played. You get them to give you terms of say 2% cash discount 60 days, since WM borrows at prime the cash discount is equal to 90 days dating so in reality they pay in 60 days, it's like having 240 days dating, would you dealers like to have the same terms.
Wal-Mart will get a 2% defective allowance off the top and then electrolux will have any defectives above that amount deducted straight off their check.
New store discounts of 10% off invoice at a minimun. It's brutal, sad part is product development already knows what it cost to produce most items, they rescearch factories globally to determine true production cost, info passed on to the buyers. A good buyer prolly knows more about the actual cost of the product than the buyer and probably has been to a facility first hand to see similar product made. I made literally hundreds of factory visits in the years I was there, the worst thing a factory can do. A simple tour can give away too much information to a trained eye.

 

[TommySaw]

why are you guys talking about E-Lux again, didn't we go over this a couple months ago:monkey:

Husky has to sink or swim on their own now, I'll take a look at the mower section next time I'm over there and see for myself

 

[joe912]

People are honestly surpised at this?

Do I need to go down the list of names that E-lux has already done this exact samething to? Homelite? J-red? Echo? Shall I keep going?

They now own and control Husky...what did everyone think they were going to do? Little over 10 years ago, I interviewed for a TM position with Husky. At that time they were all about the one source program. Most dealers never signed on for it...so they will go find someone who will.

They are number 2 in saws, and are fine with that. They feel they could stick the saws on a rack at 7-11 and still would move $35K worth of product out of there. They want to be John Deere or atleast sell more mowers than them.

Anyone notice who owns the largest Deck manufactures for those riding mowers? How many of the producers of those decks are owned by E-lux? At one point they owned 2 of the top 3.

There seems to be some real conflict within Husky management as to which direction they want to go...at this point it seems profit margins are their only concern.

That's all very well and good, but Electrolux divested Husqvarna in 2006. Husqvarna is an independent, publicly traded company again (first time since 1978)

With the downturn of the economy, Husqvarna has been pressured to "create value" for it's shareholders. I believe that the decision to sell Husky branded low-end power equipment is unfortunate, but not all that surprising.

Profits for shareholders are more important than the quality of the products.


As for which brand for them to sodomize next. I say Partner . It's catchy, and not many people are familiar with the brand