SWFA business model?

[Balderdash]

I've owned them since they were Tasco branded 20 years ago and will admit I've never had one fail and they have all tracked great, but I know and have seen where a lot of people have had them fail. More so the variables than the fixed but the fixed powers do fail too.

Nothing mechanical is infallible. At this stage of the game, I've seen enough well built products go bad that it doesn't surprise me when I hear or read of someone having trouble with just about anything.

I do shake my head at how far some folks go with personally identifying with the brands of gear they choose. Lot of deniers ready to pounce the minute someone reports having trouble with their pet brand.

 

[Balderdash]

I heard Japanese wizard ghosts would come down from the heavens and reassemble the dust back into an optic and there would just be a super chicken sitting in the middle of the crater.

Super Chicken scopes, Kieth Richards and cockroaches will be the only thing left after the big bombs go off.

 

[ljalberta]

There’s plenty of instances of SWFA scopes having issues that have been noted on this and many other forums. They do tend to get recommended, along with NF, quite often based on a general history of reliability and durability though.

I’ve had numerous Leupold and Vortex scopes fail to hold zero and inaccurately track that have undergone very little abuse. I have not had this experience yet with my SWFA. Everything can fail, but some things tend to fail less often than others.

If someone says SWFA are bombproof, I would assume they mean it in the same sense people refer to tents as being bombproof. I don’t think I’ve personally seen a post where anyone has indicated they can’t or never fail.

 

[CorbLand]

And just like that. BACKORDER. Great business model.

Did you call and talk to them? I ordered a 10X on the 28th and it said they didn’t have the quantity on hand and it would be back ordered. I got shipping information this morning.

 

[Fartrell Cluggins]

Did you call and talk to them? I ordered a 10X on the 28th and it said they didn’t have the quantity on hand and it would be back ordered. I got shipping information this morning.

I did not. I am not sure that listing as backordered an item that is available is a good business model either.

 

[CorbLand]

I did not. I am not sure that listing as backordered an item that is available is a good business model either.

No, it’s not but this is nothing new. SWFA has been this way for years. There are people that are willing to wait for their scopes and do. There are people that aren’t, and don’t. Based on this thread and the three others, they are selling plenty of scopes doing what they are doing.

 

[Balderdash]

No, it’s not but this is nothing new. SWFA has been this way for years. There are people that are willing to wait for their scopes and do. There are people that aren’t, and don’t. Based on this thread and the three others, they are selling plenty of scopes doing what they are doing.

Right on.

I honestly hope they don't change a thing. I'm very pleased with their business model. They offer great scopes that are as durable as anything else out there, and they are an exceptional value. They've earned a great reputation, and now demand is higher than supply. They could've jacked the prices up until the point that demand went down, but they are so far choosing to keep prices low.

I don't mind going on Backorder; they fill them eventually, and it's like holding a spot in line.

 

[BRTreedogs]

I was pretty shocked they gave everyone the sale price when they backordered at full price.
They could of easily sat on there shipment for a few days until the sale was over and doubled there profits.

 

[Fartrell Cluggins]

No, it’s not but this is nothing new. SWFA has been this way for years. There are people that are willing to wait for their scopes and do. There are people that aren’t, and don’t. Based on this thread and the three others, they are selling plenty of scopes doing what they are doing.

Not having enough product to meet demand on a regular basis is a poor business model. That's simply inarguable.

 

[BRTreedogs]

Not having enough product to meet demand on a regular basis is a poor business model. That's simply inarguable.

Well do some digging and find out the manufacturer.
Get on alibaba and contact them.
The could give an F in China about and sort of copyright or patient.
If you can get ahold of the manufacturer they will for sure sell you the product.

Order a big old batch. See how it works for ya.
With "covid, Ukraine and tariffs" its not just an order whatever you want and have it in a couple weeks market any more.

I highly doubt that's how they want to run there business. I betting they are at least a year out from the time they place there order. They only have so much money they can afford to front over that year. And if they demand doubles there's nothing you can do. Its not as simple as letting them know to double your order. They have other customers to please as well.
So if you need twice as many. Thats an entirely new order. And if isn't gonna get produced until they get to it.

 

[CorbLand]

Not having enough product to meet demand on a regular basis is a poor business model. That's simply inarguable.

This argument has been had. Please read all fifteen pages of this thread.

Cliff notes are some businesses are happy with what they have and do. They make enough to provide for what they want and need. They don’t want to take on more so they do what they do and it works for them.

They could raise prices to reduce demand but they haven’t and don’t seem to want to. That is ok and their choice. If you are willing to pay more for a product to have it in your hands 5 days later, I have a 10X on the way. 700 bucks and I will have it to you no later than 1/5/23.

You can call it a poor business model but it seems to be working for them. It’s more of a different business model and it works. I have seen it work on many different occasions. Not everyone in this world runs a business to make as much money as possible. Some do it to have the life style they want. Sometimes that is enough to get by and be happy.

 

[JustSomeGuy35]

This argument has been had. Please read all fifteen pages of this thread.

Cliff notes are some businesses are happy with what they have and do. They make enough to provide for what they want and need. They don’t want to take on more so they do what they do and it works for them.

They could raise prices to reduce demand but they haven’t and don’t seem to want to. That is ok and their choice. If you are willing to pay more for a product to have it in your hands 5 days later, I have a 10X on the way. 700 bucks and I will have it to you no later than 1/5/23.

You can call it a poor business model but it seems to be working for them. It’s more of a different business model and it works. I have seen it work on many different occasions. Not everyone in this world runs a business to make as much money as possible. Some do it to have the life style they want. Sometimes that is enough to get by and be happy.

Based on recent information, it seems like they're making some changes to their company and products. That, coupled with multi year supply chain issues, could potentially explain the "poor business model" that many of us complained about.

I've disagreed with you in the past about your point of view but I understand it better now. The way I see it, swfa has their own niche in the scope market and so it makes sense that they'd manage it different from other companies.

Honestly, my original view of swfa's business model has softened since trying other scopes at similar price points (Helos 2-12) and finding that they're nowhere near as durable. I'm also less bitchy now that I have a lifetime supply of swfa 3-9's.

I'm living and learning!

 

[sndmn11]

Actually...
Keeping supply below demand is an outstanding business model. It creates urgency, it increases demand by human nature, and it keeps your overhead at a minimum.

Perceived scarcity is the best marketing tool around. Look at people stocking up on these scopes, look at folks overpaying for reloading supplies anytime they get an in stock notice, look at what happened with TP and sanitizer.

 

[BRTreedogs]

Actually...
Keeping supply below demand is an outstanding business model. It creates urgency, it increases demand by human nature, and it keeps your overhead at a minimum.

Perceived scarcity is the best marketing tool around. Look at people stocking up on these scopes, look at folks overpaying for reloading supplies anytime they get an in stock notice, look at what happened with TP and sanitizer.

For real. I'd have a huge supply and keep marking them back ordered. Then release some, back ordered.
All the while laughing myself to the bank

 

[sndmn11]

For real. I'd have a huge supply and keep marking them back ordered. Then release some, back ordered.
All the while laughing myself to the bank

I do think the last week has shown everyone what kind of folks run SWFA. Like has been said, they could have charged backorders at the purchased price.

They also very very clearly had no reason to discount them for in stock purchases, but they did. I'd have probably kept things back ordered at the discount, then ended the discount and shown them as in stock. I doubt they would have sold fewer, but they did a very honest and forthright thing to show in stock and keep the discount.

 

[ETtikka]

If they had the “perfect business” model, their scopes would be designed to have higher profit margin and cost a lot more, plenty of other options in that area, no thanks

 

[BRTreedogs]

I don't think the world has been over ran with 2.5-10 nxs ether has it?

 

[Fartrell Cluggins]

They have closed their storefront. They have dramatically reduced their overall inventory. They can't meet customer demand for their flagship products. That certainly has great business model written all over it. Isn't that what thriving businesses do? Cut inventory by 80%, close physical stores and struggle to meet customer demand?

 

[CorbLand]

They have closed their storefront. They have dramatically reduced their overall inventory. They can't meet customer demand for their flagship products. That certainly has great business model written all over it. Isn't that what thriving businesses do? Cut inventory by 80%, close physical stores and struggle to meet customer demand?

If you are going to online, then yes that is exactly what you do. Last time I checked, Amazon doesn’t have a store front.

This has been my point in this thread the entire time. Everyone has it in there head that there is only one way to run a successful business. There are plenty of ways to make it work and each business owner gets to choose the way they want to run it.

Using the last two to three years as a base line is not a good judge of what businesses are doing. If we are running on businesses are failing because they don’t have inventory, about 60% or more of businesses in America are “failing.”

 

[Fartrell Cluggins]

If you are going to online, then yes that is exactly what you do. Last time I checked, Amazon doesn’t have a store front.

Last time I checked, Amazon never had a storefront. You completely ignored the fact that SWFA has seen a substantial contraction. Businesses that are succeeding don't normally do that. By all means, please ring in with additional irrelevance!