Akubra Overload

[Edward]

Seems to contradict the idea of selling hats when you can't sell them online in today's world...

As an AKUBRA retailer, we are currently only able to DISPLAY the AKUBRA range online. If you would like to make a purchase of an AKUBRA product, pleasecontact us online. If you are an Australian customer feel free to call us at our Katoomba Store!

Of course my wallet will thank me as I have, in the past, found it too easy to impulsively buy a hat from Australia and have it delivered just a few days later.

I see Hats Direct has the same on their website.... that's concerning. I have a Fed IV in Moonstone to be set aside for me when the new stock comes in in February. They offered to do that for me when I emailed asking when they'd be next in a few months ago; I hope they're still able to honour that. I won't blame if they can't. but it'll be a real wrench with the Federation being exclusive to them...

Sounds like the company is tightening up its reselling agreements, to limit international sales to go through their distributors only.

I was afraid this might happen when they established an Akubra UK site a year or two ago. I did look at it at one point, but aside from them obviously not having the Federation, by far my favourite Akubra and the only one I've bought several of to date, they're also very significantly more expensive (well, it is rip-off Britain, after all). If I can't buy a Fed again going forward, well.... rather reminds me of the guitar company many years ago that lost my business because they refused to sell to me from the US site... obviously protecting their UK distributor (who was then charging double the US price), but in the process definitively shutting me out because the UK supplier didn't carry the sole left handed model in the range....

Feds aside, I can understand them wanting to avoid their international suppliers being undercut by grey imports, however I can't help feeling that better international pricing structures so we're not being gouged here would be a more effective way of doing that.

Eh, well. Looks like I'll have to look for a new hat brand of choice. I already have a good alternative for a standard fedora, one that rivals even my much-loved Feds in my affections, but the several Cattlemen and other Western style hats I had in mind are probably out the window now. I could doubtless just buy fewer of them at the UK price, but I can't say as I feel particularly well disposed towards the idea of paying out £60 or £70 more than they cost me coming direct from Aus (including the shipping). I need to start working those professional contacts in Aus to get somebody to pay me to go down there and do a few lectures some August...

 

[Edward]

I missed this at the time, but it seems the winds of (negative) change have been blowing at Akubra under the new ownership for some months: https://9now.nine.com.au/a-current-...uts-ties/81facdfd-ebef-4fd6-9cab-ef65602cea4d

Sadly, for me this does not bode well for the brand: I've always found this sort of ruthless focus on "business efficiency" from any new ownership of a business almost inevitably leads to decline in quality or a steep rise in prices. Or both.

 

[Nolanebf]

Charcoal Banjo Paterson is a nice hat... youll like it

View attachment 676902 View attachment 676903

Nice ! It's a beautiful hat. Suites you as well.

 

[RickP]

I missed this at the time, but it seems the winds of (negative) change have been blowing at Akubra under the new ownership for some months: https://9now.nine.com.au/a-current-...uts-ties/81facdfd-ebef-4fd6-9cab-ef65602cea4d

Sadly, for me this does not bode well for the brand: I've always found this sort of ruthless focus on "business efficiency" from any new ownership of a business almost inevitably leads to decline in quality or a steep rise in prices. Or both.

reminds me of the old "Grey Market" camera wars in the 80's and 90's. Importers were flooding the market with Nikon, Canon, Pentax, Miranda, and Olympus cameras in the US that were for foreign markets and had no warranty. You could get a nice camera for 1/2 price, BUT.... any issues you had to send all the way back to Japan and you had to pay for all the repair costs.

Id imagine that todays Hat Importers have lobbied hard to protect their market share

 

[CRH]

Strand Hatters, https://strandhatters.com.au/collections/akubra, is apparently still in full swing. I just recently ordered my Sombrero from them.

 

[Edward]

reminds me of the old "Grey Market" camera wars in the 80's and 90's. Importers were flooding the market with Nikon, Canon, Pentax, Miranda, and Olympus cameras in the US that were for foreign markets and had no warranty. You could get a nice camera for 1/2 price, BUT.... any issues you had to send all the way back to Japan and you had to pay for all the repair costs.

Id imagine that todays Hat Importers have lobbied hard to protect their market share

Yes, I've been somewhat expecting a stunt like this since the UK site cropped up with its significantly higher prices a few months ago. TBH, all it really achieves is makes me more willing to do without that to support the designated local supplier. I accept that they're paying duties and shipping, but given they'll be shipping in bulk at a much reduced per unit price as well as buying the hats themselves at a much reduced rate, it'd be interesting to see what the profit margin is that's different. The website does carry a "warning" to the effect that buying hats from Aus might look cheaper, but customs and shipping, ya ya, which s what alas did make me wonder if our days of shipping direct from Katoomba were numbered.

 

[Stu K 323]

Yes, I've been somewhat expecting a stunt like this since the UK site cropped up with its significantly higher prices a few months ago. TBH, all it really achieves is makes me more willing to do without that to support the designated local supplier. I accept that they're paying duties and shipping, but given they'll be shipping in bulk at a much reduced per unit price as well as buying the hats themselves at a much reduced rate, it'd be interesting to see what the profit margin is that's different. The website does carry a "warning" to the effect that buying hats from Aus might look cheaper, but customs and shipping, ya ya, which s what alas did make me wonder if our days of shipping direct from Katoomba were numbered.

I agree, I always assumed that the UK would be forced to use Elms of Burford or similar. But seeing the higher prices for a much smaller selection of hats….I’m not really in the mood to spend that kind of money on a hat that I don’t 100% want, if that makes sense? There are other options I would wish to explore.

 

[Edward]

I agree, I always assumed that the UK would be forced to use Elms of Burford or similar. But seeing the higher prices for a much smaller selection of hats….I’m not really in the mood to spend that kind of money on a hat that I don’t 100% want, if that makes sense? There are other options I would wish to explore.

Yes, that's where I'm at with it. The Akubras I've bought since 2008 have been a Riverina, a Rap (porkpie), six Federations (two of them at least dlx), and a Campdraft. The ones I was likely to have bought from H gonig forward were a moonstone Fed DLX; a grey Cattleman and possibly a Territory both to safari-ise; and maybe also a Sombrero and a bluegrass Campdraft. Elms only offer the Cattleman in a colour I don't want, and the Territory at that marked upcharge. I see the Akubra.co.uk page is announcing it is shutting down / merging with Elm of Burford, offering that the Elm website will bring us, inter alia, "more hats". Maybe things will change in terms of the available range, though I fear they'll be the only game in town for buying an Akubra in the UK if the new Akubra owners are tightening who gets to be a supplier the way they did back in Aus. It just seems such a backward step to me, but hey ho - so much for global trade. Even more frustrating than Stetson's not stocking Stratoliners in the UK or Europe!

I know exactly what you mean, though - I bought the Akubras I have because I wanted those specific models, not because I just wanted "an Akubra". If I can't get what I want from them I'll go looking for it elsewhere, rather than buy what they do have. It'll be interesting to see if this sticks, I suppose.

 

[Marcus G]

So happy to have my new Banjo Paterson! Love it to death! It's a nice crossover hat, and while I prefer to wear it with more casual clothes, I think that it can easily be worn with sport jackets and suits. Stylemasters and Hamptons are my preference for suits and jackets tho in the city. I prolly need the grey Banjo, too.

 

[Nolanebf]

So happy to have my new Banjo Paterson! Love it to death! It's a nice crossover hat, and while I prefer to wear it with more casual clothes, I think that it can easily be worn with sport jackets and suits. Stylemasters and Hamptons are my preference for suits and jackets tho in the city. I prolly need the grey Banjo, too.

Nice ! I think the Banjo is for me. I'm blue collar eh, a tradesman, so the most I ever dress up in my lifestyle is casual or just a slight step above. Mostly i'm just in filthy work clothes(10horurs a day) Nothing formal is required usually and I feel a fedora would even maybe be a bit over dressed, however I still love the campdraft, due to my love for the Stetson Open road style hats but I'm in the process of ordering my graphite grey Banjo atm. Looking forward to it very much ! Hope it meets my needs ! I'll end up with both some day, I'm sure of that.

Forgot to mention: it looks very sharp on you!