imagineero
Addicted to ArboristSite
Not sure if you guys in other states have noticed any changes, but things have been changing in Sydney. Stihl used to have a policy of selling only to dealers, and not discounting their prices. Part of the deal was that you had to be able to service the products. Dealerships were given to people other than chainsaw shops, but you still had to have a workshop - like mower shops etc.
Last couple months things have been changing. Sydney tools lost their license supposedly for discounting. They've gone to husky. The blue mountians stihl shop closed down. Mostly because the lady running the place was actually Mrs crabapple from Southpark. They hadn't sold anything in years.
An actual photograph of the lady who ran the stihl shop in the blue mountains;
The latest blow is GYC in Sydney. They were as far as I know the biggest stihl dealer in Sydney, certainly the one with the most parts in stock. They didn't discount, and toed the Stihl line generally, but Stihl didn't extend their license this year and instead decided to go in a 'different direction'.
They're selling in box stores. Mitre 10's mostly, which started early this year. One dealer was telling me that there have been a lot of returns from HO's buying home grade saws on special and then basically destroying them through lack of knowledge. The dealers are all required to fuel up the saw, explain the functions and demonstrate it running before letting you take it. Not the case at box stores, who also don't carry parts or service saws. There is now no excuse to not buy your saws directly overseas. If Stihl isn't going to offer dealer support then why have a presence in aus at all?
With the loss of GYC and the 3 Sydney tools stores, there is now no Stihl dealer in Sydney anywhere. There are a couple hardware stores that sell base models and string trimmers but no parts. The closest actual dealer would be either serven hills or penrith... about a 100km round trip. In contrast to that, Husky is ramping up dealer support and offering more deals to customers. I can see a lot of pros switching to husky over the next few years.
Are you other guys around the country seeing this sort of stuff too? Is stihl pulling out of the pro market in aus?
Shaun
Last couple months things have been changing. Sydney tools lost their license supposedly for discounting. They've gone to husky. The blue mountians stihl shop closed down. Mostly because the lady running the place was actually Mrs crabapple from Southpark. They hadn't sold anything in years.
An actual photograph of the lady who ran the stihl shop in the blue mountains;
The latest blow is GYC in Sydney. They were as far as I know the biggest stihl dealer in Sydney, certainly the one with the most parts in stock. They didn't discount, and toed the Stihl line generally, but Stihl didn't extend their license this year and instead decided to go in a 'different direction'.
They're selling in box stores. Mitre 10's mostly, which started early this year. One dealer was telling me that there have been a lot of returns from HO's buying home grade saws on special and then basically destroying them through lack of knowledge. The dealers are all required to fuel up the saw, explain the functions and demonstrate it running before letting you take it. Not the case at box stores, who also don't carry parts or service saws. There is now no excuse to not buy your saws directly overseas. If Stihl isn't going to offer dealer support then why have a presence in aus at all?
With the loss of GYC and the 3 Sydney tools stores, there is now no Stihl dealer in Sydney anywhere. There are a couple hardware stores that sell base models and string trimmers but no parts. The closest actual dealer would be either serven hills or penrith... about a 100km round trip. In contrast to that, Husky is ramping up dealer support and offering more deals to customers. I can see a lot of pros switching to husky over the next few years.
Are you other guys around the country seeing this sort of stuff too? Is stihl pulling out of the pro market in aus?
Shaun
