RRPs of DVDs - are they for real?

[RMCF]

Everytime I look at the online retailers they always have their new releases (indeed all DVDs) listed something like:

£11.99 Free Delivery | RRP: £19.99 | You save: £8.00 (40%).


But is £19.99 really the RRP? If you go into your local HMV or Zavvi (when it was still alive), the highest price would be around £13.99 for new releases.

So are they just making up this figure so that they can tell you you are saving a massive percentage?

[goodtimes]

yep

[nwgarratt]

Originally Posted by RMCF

Everytime I look at the online retailers they always have their new releases (indeed all DVDs) listed something like:

£11.99 Free Delivery | RRP: £19.99 | You save: £8.00 (40%).


But is £19.99 really the RRP? If you go into your local HMV or Zavvi (when it was still alive), the highest price would be around £13.99 for new releases.

HMV sell plenty of DVD's at their RRP. I have even seen some at £27.99 in the past just for a DVD. I believe Matrix Reloaded was the last one I saw.

[Pincho Paxton]

W H Smiths is a ripoff. Even in their SALE the prices were about £14.

[4hero]

Originally Posted by Pincho Paxton

W H Smiths is a ripoff. Even in their SALE the prices were about £14.

Plus they try and sell you chocolate you don't want I no longer go there.

[Gae]

Welcome to the wonderful world of the retail industry. Basically, for as far as I can remember, retailers have slapped on a ludicrous RRP, so that they can then con the customer into thinking they are buying a "bargain". Even at this "reduced price" (yea...lol) they still have it at a price that is way above what it is worth or what it costs to produce en-masse. IMO, all too often their profit margins are way too high. I recently saw a Plasma TV for sale on one website at £750. On another website it was selling at £1150. How can you justify an extra £400 for the same product? The usual "mentality" is that if someone is happy to pay that price, then they are justfied in selling it at that price.

I hate to say it, but if Retailers want to survive in this day and age of the credit crunch, they need to treat their customers with a bit more respect and try to sell more of their goods, but at respectable prices. Most people aren't as naive as they were 10-20 years ago with regards shopping and there are more and more bargains out there if you make the effort to shop around. It's supposedly called the "Free Market" but with certain retailers who have high prices on exclusive goods, I call it "Rip-Off Britain".

Gae

[xit2050]

Originally Posted by Gae

if Retailers want to survive in this day and age of the credit crunch, they need to treat their customers with a bit more respect and try to sell more of their goods, but at respectable prices.

Isn't going to happen... Japanese manufacturers have announced that cameras and flat screen TVs are going to be 15-20% more expensive in the coming months (probably when the new models arrive).

[Shoka]

My 2p:

The RRP of a DVD is chosen by the manufacturer not the retailer. The retailer will be given a certain amount off the Trade Price of the DVD based on volume, promotion etc and can therefore offer the DVD at below RRP or sell it at RRP and make a higher profit. An RRP is exactly that Recomended Retail Price, and is so rarely observed these days.

In todays market an RRP of £19.99 for a 1 disc DVD does seem a bit high, DVD product as a whole has been totally devalued by the big studios campaigning titles after a month or two on the market. generally people seem to hold off buying all but essential releases on the release date as they will no doubt be £6.99/£5.99 in a month's time.

[Gemini-Phoenix]

I always have to laugh when sites such as Amazon or PLAY.com take the liberty to inform us that a standard Dvd has an RRP of something like £24.99, even though they're offering it for £15.99 and make that sound like a bargain!

[Goooner]

Originally Posted by xit2050

Isn't going to happen... Japanese manufacturers have announced that cameras and flat screen TVs are going to be 15-20% more expensive in the coming months (probably when the new models arrive).

No doubt they'll all be sitting there collectively scratching their heads, wondering why they aren't selling any

[nwgarratt]

Originally Posted by xit2050

Isn't going to happen... Japanese manufacturers have announced that cameras and flat screen TVs are going to be 15-20% more expensive in the coming months (probably when the new models arrive).

Not just TV's, but anything imported in will be more money. Blu Ray players have already raised in prices since Xmas. The poor exhange rate doesn't help.