Simple Question, Deserves a Simple Answer: As Far Bank Enterprises has announced its intention to sell direct in the future—albeit with the caveat that it intends to leverage that action to create broader consumer demand—how will you act, in dollars and cents terms, in 2016 and beyond?
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I am concerned about the state of the fly industry as a whole, especially when it begins to unravel the very thing that kept it afloat and made many of the iconic brands what they are today – the small fly shops! We are taking it on the chin and will soon be pushed out of the picture completely. Currently destination fly shops are barely hanging on and many are gone, the next time you want current information on the waters you frequent where will you get it, from a blogger who is paid by some big comglomerate? That will be timely info for sure! I have become a retailer of flies, leaders and tippets with a few gadgets, soon the corner C-store may be doing that!
I find this Angling Trade poll and its outcome both interesting and also a little suspect.
If these figures are accurate and the 60 who voted are all actually Sage/RIO dealers, then it’s entirely possible Far Banks could be the one facing layoffs in the near future, or even going out of business in a couple years.
If your company is able to forecast, by these results, they stand to piss off over 80% of their core customers/dealerships (the fly shops which buy and sell their brands in bulk quantities and provide free online advertising for them every day on their websites);…as well as almost 50% of them combined have shown here “they intend to buy less inventory than in years past, or none at all in 2016”.
…Then I would suggest Far Bank seriously rethink this idea while there is still time!
The other odd figure is where 11 shop owners predict that having their major manufacturers also become their competition with direct online sales “won’t affect their sales or ordering for the next year”; has me wondering whether these 11 are truly Sage/RIO dealers voting to begin with?
I find it very hard to believe that any surviving fly shop owner in this day and age would make such an unwise and bold prediction given the thousands of small businesses (of all types) across the country that have already closed their doors for this very reason.
A reversal of this decision by Far Bank would certainly be unprecedented, but also an enormous advertising win for both brands and the best (and only) way to ensure that Sage/RIO remain prominently displayed on the racks and shelves of fly shops across the country for years to come.