Hi all,
Just a few quick questions. Myself and my business partner are thinking about opening a wetsuit type superstore in Perth WA, that would cater for all waterbased needs, from wetsuits to water bottles and everything in between.
We are established in Europe however, do not have much knowledge of the Australian set up. How much would a wetsuit cost you on average in Australia? Mid range style suit.
Also, are you guys more brand or price concious? We have very cheap offerings that do well over here. Just fishing for some response (pardon the pun).
Thanks,
Shaneire
If you can't google wettie prices in Australia then I wish you all the best for running a superstore
But to at least contribute something 
, quality at the right price will work, we get ripped on lots of things in Australia.
I recently paid $230 online for a Radiator 1.5 mm long sleeve spring that is poifect for mildish winter here in metro Perth.
Woud think you might struggle with a traditional retail model concept here. (Research Billabong.... share price down 78% before you commit to a shiny showroom lease).
Not trying to put you off , but join the dots
, quality at the right price will work, we get ripped on lots of things in Australia.
DUDE; we will do our best if you are as good as you say you are!! Happy shredding..
You could make it an online store with postage from the warehouse? I know if there are good wettys for good price, I'll be a regular customer as I go through mine so fast needing them for work.
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Agreed on quality conscious.
For me, I'd rather pay $300 at your megastore for a wettie that is $400 at the surf shops, than buy your homebrand $69 one. You can guarantee it is the same quality but they never are...
OTOH I can 'tfind a cheap kids steamer. Springsuits for 6-7 y/o's are $30 at many places, but as soon as you wnat a steamer you have to buy a quality brand and the cheapest is $120 for a Peak (Ripcurl made to a budget). That is still crap, if you can offer kid's steamers at $70 you'd have me.
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Shaneire,
If you want to set up shop in Australia, I personally would suggest you aim to price well below most local prices. Here in Oz, people are becoming increasingly aware of how expensive things are here compared to overseas (even after shipping and taxes). As more and more people realize this, more and more people are moving to online shopping. And this is not just my own personal opinion; there have been several articles in newspapers this year talking about the issue. There is even a government inquiry trying to determine why Australian retail prices are vastly more expensive than overseas.
As the issue gets more exposure, and as more people move to online shopping, I can only imagine (and hope) that retail prices will drop. So if you base your projections on current prices, you may find yourself in some trouble down the line.
On the other hand, if you can setup an online shop that offers great prices and reasonable shipping (direct from your overseas warehouse), this might be quite successful. I'm not sure if you're aware, but Australia has a $1000 GST-free threshold on imported goods, so if you ship your products directly from overseas, the customer doesn't have to pay GST.
I guess the one issue people may have would be that they can't try things on for size before purchasing, but a good return policy might ease people's fears in that respect.
