Leica Store in New York?

[Iron Flatline]

Hi all.

Just when Leica opened their new boutique in Berlin, all the local retailers were no longer allowed to carry Leica, but they could still special-order some things.

Now I got an e-mail from B&H in NY stating that the 1.25x viewfinder magnifier, a rather common item, will no longer be available, only upon special order.

Will Leica be opening a NY Boutique soon? If this is their strategy (a good one, I believe) I still think they would be making a mistake by cutting out B&H, a huge world-wide online reseller.

Anyone know anything. In the absence of facts, anyone in the mood for a wildly-speculative answer?

[lambroving]

Doubtful. Over here, that would be "restraint of trade" and would attract Federal lawsuits.

[tobey bilek]

B&H speciql orders items that do not sell at a certain rate to keep inventory low.

Photo Village in New York is a Botique Shop, but here it is called a Shop Within a Shop. The Leica Dept is partitioned off with wood framed glass walls and has special Leica only display cases. Rich had pics on the net when he first set up, I mean to tell you it is impressive to say the least. Pure class.

[rsolomon]

New York has a number of leica dealers... i can't imagine them going down to one but of they did someone would make out BIG time

[cbretteville]

Isn't B&H the biggest selling dealership on the planet? Leica would loose way too much sales.

[Iron Flatline]

Originally Posted by lambroving

Doubtful. Over here, that would be "restraint of trade" and would attract Federal lawsuits.

This is a little off-topic to my initial post, but: how could it be considered restraint of trade? Isn't a manufacturer allowed to decide how and through whom it wants its products distributed? There's plenty of companies that only sell through their own boutiques, and a select number of specialized retailers. Kiehl's comes to mind, as do a number of high-end fashions... incl. Hermes, come to think of it.

I disagree with you, if Leica decided to be suicidal and count out it's big vendors to go "boutique only" it would be foolish, but hardly illegal.

However, doing representative boutiques, with a few key vendor relationships, might nicely underscore their exclusivity and high-end brand. Maybe B&H could run a nice online boutique for them...

[Shootist]

I don't know anything about your original post but it does seem as more dealers of Leica stuff are limiting there inventory. I've been trying to buy a 24mm f/2.8 lens and every dealer I've look at doesn't have them in stock and B&H says "Accepting Orders" and that it is not a stock item. They also listed the +2 diopter this way now but on Monday they actually had them in stock and I ordered one of them they then not 20 minutes later went back to Accepting Orders. It's the same with the 1.25 MAG VF attachment. They did have them in stock a short time ago and then it went to Back Ordered and now it is Accepting Orders. I ordered one It would seem as they are limiting there stock on certain items and when they get orders for them they order 1 or 2 extras and when those extras are gone it goes back to Accepting Orders.
I really think this is because Leica equipment is NOT in high demand, like Nikon and Canon stuff is. And because of the debacle with the M8 dealers have said &*^%$ Leica.
They are more then likely a hard company to deal with.

[lambroving]

Originally Posted by Iron Flatline

I disagree with you, if Leica decided to be suicidal and count out it's big vendors to go "boutique only" it would be foolish, but hardly illegal.

Once a franchise has been issued in the U.S., it is virtually impossible to cancel that franchise unless the dealer has been convicted of a felony or committing serious abuse. Even in the latter instance, there would be a civil trial if the company were challenged and courts usually side with the merchant. This applies even if the company is sold and comes under new management.

As to providing more product to one dealer over another, or no product at all, beyond a fixed allocation system based upon past sales, the company has no right to deny product or fix prices. (Dealer are also prohibited from fixing prices among themselves.) The Federal Trade Commission will investigate and prosecute all such complaints at no cost to the dealer. The U.S. is certainly not like Europe. Case law is very settled here regarding the above.