Kuiu "Made in China"

[dsclowers]

King Arthur: I am your king.

Woman: Well, I didn't vote for you.

King Arthur: You don't vote for kings.

Woman: Well how'd you become king then?

[Angelic music plays... ]

King Arthur: The Lady of the Lake, her arm clad in the purest shimmering samite held aloft Excalibur from the bosom of the water, signifying by divine providence that I, Arthur, was to carry Excalibur. THAT is why I am your king.

Dennis: [interrupting] Listen, strange women lyin' in ponds distributin' swords is no basis for a system of government. Supreme executive power derives from a mandate from the masses, not from some farcical aquatic ceremony.

--- Some Monty Python Wisdom to lighten the mood.

 

[Shrek]

King Arthur: I am your king.

Woman: Well, I didn't vote for you.

King Arthur: You don't vote for kings.

Woman: Well how'd you become king then?

[Angelic music plays... ]

King Arthur: The Lady of the Lake, her arm clad in the purest shimmering samite held aloft Excalibur from the bosom of the water, signifying by divine providence that I, Arthur, was to carry Excalibur. THAT is why I am your king.

Dennis: [interrupting] Listen, strange women lyin' in ponds distributin' swords is no basis for a system of government. Supreme executive power derives from a mandate from the masses, not from some farcical aquatic ceremony.

--- Some Monty Python Wisdom to lighten the mood.

Ha! Ha! Great stuff , Thanks.

 

[BroodBuster]

Shrek,

Solid response and I truly do value your opinion as I value opinions that challenge mine more then those that agree.

In this case I agree with everything you said except the last sentence.

I guess where we differ is I consider all Gov and the fear they try to instill in us as the enemy and not just those that don't traditionally share western values.

I have several friends that are Chinese and Russian nationals and not only are they good people the one other thing we have in common is that our governments are corrupt and inept and place money and power above all.

 

[Shrek]

It's the nature of the beast that the larger and more consolidated a government the more corrupt and despotic it becomes. Eventually they gather more and more power and it's reason shifts from service to the people to service to itself. Our government has drifted to this . In the end all empires end in collapse and violent revolution. Our empire is no different.

 

[Alaskan89]

Question: KUIU moved their manufacturing to China yet the prices stay the same, I thought having things made in China were done due to cost? Shouldn't the business pass those savings on to the buyer?? Are the Chinese actually doing the sewing or is it done by machine?? Seems we have more questions than answers.

 

[BroodBuster]

A89,

I'm not a textile expert but my job title is Supply Chain Analyst so it's a subject I know a wee bit about.

Typically the process goes something like this. The product is designed stateside. Then the first several lots are built stateside all the while perfecting the manufacturing process. This includes work instructions and shop aids. Once that is perfected to the point that a five year old can maintain the quality standards the product is then offloaded. This frees up the design and manufacturing team to develop new products thus growing the business and starting the process over again.

As for cost that's mainly set by the marketplace but does include the development costs above. Basically the first lot can cost thousands while the last lot costs dollars. If the product is successful and has a long run then there is lots of money to be made. If it flops then there is lots of money to be lost.

Business is always looking to decrease cost so they can increase profit. In theory it's a solid business model. The execution of that model varies greatly though.

 

[Jeff Martin]

Why is the new news?

 

[Shrek]

Alaskan89 , kuiu is an import marketing company out to extract the most money possible. Price is set to what their market will bear.

 

[jm1607]

Question: KUIU moved their manufacturing to China yet the prices stay the same, I thought having things made in China were done due to cost? Shouldn't the business pass those savings on to the buyer?? Are the Chinese actually doing the sewing or is it done by machine?? Seems we have more questions than answers.

That was the huge problem.. Switching to China without telling anybody (people that thought they were ordering North American made gear started getting Chinese stuff in the mail and Kuiu didn't even tell people till they started asking questions) and claiming the main reason why was to pass the savings on to the consumer (never happened).. That's why alot of people, including me, dumped Kuiu.. If they lie about stuff like that who knows what else they are lying about

 

[cuerro viejo]

Alaskan89 , kuiu is an import marketing company out to extract the most money possible. Price is set to what their market will bear.

Then what is Sitka and firstlite? What do you hunt in?

 

[cuerro viejo]

That was the huge problem.. Switching to China without telling anybody (people that thought they were ordering North American made gear started getting Chinese stuff in the mail and Kuiu didn't even tell people till they started asking questions) and claiming the main reason why was to pass the savings on to the consumer (never happened).. That's why alot of people, including me, dumped Kuiu.. If they lie about stuff like that who knows what else they are lying about

That was about demand not cost savings. Simple fact the sew house couldn't keep up with demand. Period.

Find an America textile pant in the US that's taking on new orders. Look at EXO mountian gear already, they can't get enough packs built.

 

[MuleyFever]

(insert almost any company name here) is an import marketing company out to extract the most money possible. Price is set to what their market will bear.

This also includes US companies exporting. Your crusade against KUIU is sad.

 

[AK Troutbum]

Hey I just got a KUIU t-shirt for my birthday, and guess what, it's made in the USA! I couldn't believe it.

 

[PA 5-0]

That was the huge problem.. Switching to China without telling anybody (people that thought they were ordering North American made gear started getting Chinese stuff in the mail and Kuiu didn't even tell people till they started asking questions) and claiming the main reason why was to pass the savings on to the consumer (never happened).. That's why alot of people, including me, dumped Kuiu.. If they lie about stuff like that who knows what else they are lying about

I thought they did lower the prices:


Blog entry off their website: KUIU has grown at an incredible pace over the past 36 months. This growth has forced production overseas to increase our manufacturing capacity to keep up with demand. To better cope with our direct to consumer sales model, I developed a vertical manufacturing process with Toray and The Merino Company. After 18 months, the vertical program is catching up with the demand resulting in KUIU carrying the highest inventory levels since its launch in 2011.

Our growth has given me the opportunity to renegotiate better pricing on several of our key, high volume styles in 2014 which has translated into a significant price reduction on fabric, trims and manufacturing. After receiving these discounts, I did not feel it was right to maintain current pricing and increase our margins. Instead, I have chosen to pass these savings onto you by lowering the prices of these key items:

• Attack Pant $149.99 $129.99
• Guide DCS Jacket $229.99 $189.99
• Guide Pant $199.99 $149.99
• Guide DCS Vest $149.99 $119.99
• Chugach NX Pant $249.99 $229.99
• Chugach NX Jacket $299.99 $269.99

I have had people suggest we should raise our prices because we cannot keep up with demand. Going against these suggestions, I believe lowering prices is the right decision for our customers and what this brand stands for.

I want to thank you all for the continued support for KUIU and recommending our products to others. It has given us the opportunity to continue to innovate and now bring industry-leading products to you at even lower prices. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate it.

Jason

 

[ckleeves]

I thought they did lower the prices:


Blog entry off their website: KUIU has grown at an incredible pace over the past 36 months. This growth has forced production overseas to increase our manufacturing capacity to keep up with demand. To better cope with our direct to consumer sales model, I developed a vertical manufacturing process with Toray and The Merino Company. After 18 months, the vertical program is catching up with the demand resulting in KUIU carrying the highest inventory levels since its launch in 2011.

Our growth has given me the opportunity to renegotiate better pricing on several of our key, high volume styles in 2014 which has translated into a significant price reduction on fabric, trims and manufacturing. After receiving these discounts, I did not feel it was right to maintain current pricing and increase our margins. Instead, I have chosen to pass these savings onto you by lowering the prices of these key items:

• Attack Pant $149.99 $129.99
• Guide DCS Jacket $229.99 $189.99
• Guide Pant $199.99 $149.99
• Guide DCS Vest $149.99 $119.99
• Chugach NX Pant $249.99 $229.99
• Chugach NX Jacket $299.99 $269.99

I have had people suggest we should raise our prices because we cannot keep up with demand. Going against these suggestions, I believe lowering prices is the right decision for our customers and what this brand stands for.

I want to thank you all for the continued support for KUIU and recommending our products to others. It has given us the opportunity to continue to innovate and now bring industry-leading products to you at even lower prices. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate it.

Jason

This is a Kuiu thread lets not bring facts into it please.

 

[tipsntails7]

Pa those price drops did not come directly after the move from Canada, they renegotiated because of volume that Jason guaranteed to toray and the sow shops. Those price reductions are great but are they a direct result from moving to china? Maybe they are. But that's busness 101 for decreasing price per unit. I'm sure the Canada sow shops do similar deals wih high volume accounts. Kuiu moved to china for the same reason everyone else does. They wanted more product, faster and at cheaper rates. Nothing wrong with that.

 

[69ChrisCraft]

I can't say I've met a lot of young Americans who want to spend a career in front of a sewing machine. American made clothing is simply not viable economically when you factor in the labor cost of a job that nobody wants to do anyways.

I suppose if somebody came up with a robot that could sew, thus employing maybe one maintenance guy, you'd all be happy buying American made? Of course that robot would probably be made in Japan. But hey the tag has a little American flag on it.

And for all of you "Patriots" who are pissed about this please turn in your German made optics, Italian made boots and Mexican er American made trucks.

The global supply chain bus left the terminal in the 90's!

And if you really want someone to blame this on go ahead and blame it on me as I build large freighter airliners for a living reducing the cost of bringing these types of items to market so that we can all afford them.

Of course the Co. I work for is the largest exporter in America so while you're bitching about me I'll just wrap myself in an American flag knowing my employer is carrying the load of American manufacturing

I'll continue to buy the best quality for the best value with solid customer service. And I don't really give a crap where it's built. Especially if I hit the overnight air button

Amen.

 

[Jeff Martin]

I can't say I've met a lot of young Americans who want to spend a career in front of a sewing machine. American made clothing is simply not viable economically when you factor in the labor cost of a job that nobody wants to do anyways.

I suppose if somebody came up with a robot that could sew, thus employing maybe one maintenance guy, you'd all be happy buying American made? Of course that robot would probably be made in Japan. But hey the tag has a little American flag on it.

And for all of you "Patriots" who are pissed about this please turn in your German made optics, Italian made boots and Mexican er American made trucks.

The global supply chain bus left the terminal in the 90's!

And if you really want someone to blame this on go ahead and blame it on me as I build large freighter airliners for a living reducing the cost of bringing these types of items to market so that we can all afford them.

Of course the Co. I work for is the largest exporter in America so while you're bitching about me I'll just wrap myself in an American flag knowing my employer is carrying the load of American manufacturing

I'll continue to buy the best quality for the best value with solid customer service. And I don't really give a crap where it's built. Especially if I hit the overnight air button

Very well said!!

I also find it ironic that KUIU's harsh's critics don't/didn't care about where the fabric was made, just sewn. The KUIU fabric was never made in Canada nor the USA. So is the line drawn at where it is sewn?

Where do you draw the line with:
Optics? Not a single supplier of optics where the parts and final product is not from over seas - Not Vortex, Not Leupold, etc....
Headlamps?
Vehicles?
Boots?
Tents?
Sleeping bags?

Look, I support the USA as much as anyones and I certainly appreciate the spirit, but bagging on KUIU for this sounds hypocritical and not well thought out. I think this is more about KUIU than China or any other country for that matter. That is just my opinion..

 

[Shrek]

That was the huge problem.. Switching to China without telling anybody (people that thought they were ordering North American made gear started getting Chinese stuff in the mail and Kuiu didn't even tell people till they started asking questions) and claiming the main reason why was to pass the savings on to the consumer (never happened).. That's why alot of people, including me, dumped Kuiu.. If they lie about stuff like that who knows what else they are lying about

This captures why this thread was started and is the root of why Kuiu jumped the shark for me. A month or so after people were recieving Chinese goods the Canadian maple leaf was still on the their website. They were perfectly happy to mislead customers as long as possible.

Btw , for those not paying attention this thread was started 10/10/12. It now just shy of two years old and nothing has changed my opinion that they are a sleazy company.

 

[cuerro viejo]

Shrek- what hunting clothing mfg do you use?