[Elecraft] WSJ article

[N2EY at aol.com]

In a message dated 9/8/05 5:14:53 PM Eastern Daylight Time, 
n5ia at zia-connection.com writes:


> Just look what the Walmart Super Stores and the Home Depot's have done to
> the local grocery stores and hardware/lumber yards.  And what Mc Garbage has
> done to the local burger joint.  It's the power of advertising.
> 
> 

I disagree!

It's the power of people's buying habits, plus the economies of scale, plus 
competition.

Wally World et al survive and flourish because people - customers - take
their business from the established stores and bring it to WW. 

The short-term gain is that WW can offer lower prices and a bigger selection. 
The
long-term consequence is that local businesses are wiped out.

And it's not just local businesses. The big chains dominate the 
manufacturers,
forcing them to cut costs or lose the contract. (Look what WW did to 
Rubbermaid). They go "overseas" for products, forcing US manufacturers out of 
business. 
And then folks wonder where the good jobs went...

Also in order to keep costs down, quality is sacrificed. Also serviceability, 
so that you have to buy a new one because the old one wasn't meant to be 
fixable. 

--

We saw a version of this happen in amateur radio 30-odd years ago. The 
old-line US ham radio manufacturers were mostly pushed off the shelves by imported 
rigs from Japan. The same happened in "consumer electronics".

Fortunately a few US ham mfrs. survive, like TenTec. The success of Elecraft 
is
proff that at least part of the market looks beyond the price tag, at things 
like simplicity, performance, serviceability, etc.

We don't just vote at the polls - we "vote" economically every time we buy 
something.

73 de Jim, N2EY