AXE MUSIC - Feature Article

AXE MUSIC INCORPORATED slashes prices in reaction to strong Loonie!!!
 

By Brian Cymbaluk, THE INFORMER PRESS - AXE NEWS

November 6, 2007

Calgary – AXE Music Incorporated, longtime LOW PRICE CHAMPIONS of the Musical Instrument Retail Sector in Canada, is using savings achieved from the rising buying power of the Canadian dollar to cut prices on most items at both of its brick-and-mortar superstores in Calgary and Edmonton, and at www.axemusic.com , the Canadian leader in online musical instrument shopping!   

The rise of the Loonie above parity with the U.S. greenback has given this iconic retailer more leverage in negotiating with suppliers of imported goods.  "AXE Music has hammered on our U.S. vendors to obtain better pricing and parity on everything from music books, guitars, drums, P.A. gear and more.  Prices are getting better daily with the strong Canadian Dollar, and AXE will always lead the way with responsible reactions to dollar fluctuation and Guaranteed Lowest Prices at all AXE Music locations,” AXE President Brian Holowaychuk stated recently.   "We understand that the rising Canadian dollar has led to a demand for lower pricing, and AXE Music will be the first to provide real Canadian savings for real Canadian families: our real Canadian customers!”

In truth, AXE Music’s Price Cutting Program was initiated almost two months ago when the Loonie started its rapid ascent, and today, most all products imported from the U.S. are already priced at par or even cheaper than they are in the U.S. marketplace.

Specifically, AXE is now selling all Books and Magazines at the U.S. sticker price… A FIRST in Canada in our industry. This is a major move for AXE, as most existing inventory was purchased prior to the meteoric rise of the Loonie, meaning items sold today are most likely sold at a loss to AXE, but at a great savings to our loyal customers! 

“We are working our suppliers in a most aggressive fashion to get AXE competitive with the U.S. market!  With hundreds of price drops daily, most products sold at AXE are offered with as good as, or even better, pricing than in the U.S.” says Holowaychuk confidently.  “We are a very proud Canadian company, born and raised here in Alberta.  The last thing we will ever do is give our loyal customers any reason to shop on the other side of the border, which often leads to a myriad of problems, the most common being paying way more than they bargained for when they originally placed their order.”

U.S. retailers who sell to Canadians often conveniently fail to educate their customer to the fact that after Shipping Charges, GST/PST Charges, Customs Charges, and Brokerage Charges, (costs that often only arrive after the fact), most Canadian Shoppers can actually end up paying more than if they had just stayed home in the first place, and with many more hassles, not the least of which are any potential warranty problems. 

Products purchased in the U.S. do not carry Canadian Warranties!  If the item purchased ever develops an issue requiring a warranty repair, the costs of shipping, along with those aforementioned nasty not-so-little border charges, are paid by the owner, not the manufacturer or the retailer where they purchased the item.  U.S. Retailers have little to no experience with Canadian Taxes, Duties, Shipping, or Geography, but unfortunately are still quick to make the sale.  As many Canadian Consumers have said about their first cross-border experience..."I tried it once...but never again...what a nightmare!"

“Canadian shoppers are within their rights to demand better prices,” said Richard Talbot, President of Talbot Consultants International recently. “I think a lot of Canadian retailers are just sitting on the fence, wondering what impact lowering prices will have on their sales. They want to know what their competitors are going to do.  No one wants to be a leader when it comes to cutting prices.”

Well AXE MUSIC is that kind of leader! 

·    They will not sit back and wait to evaluate what impact dropping their prices will have on their sales; not at the AXEpense of their customers! 

·    They will not sit back and wait to see what their competitors will do; again not at the AXEpense of their customers! 

"Customers are not stupid," Holowaychuk says. "If they know that they can go to the U.S. and buy an item for $2.50 that’s selling here at $4.50, why wouldn’t they?  AXE will not allow that to happen!  This is why we are aggressively  bringing our pricing in line with the U.S., sooner rather than later!”

The Canadian Loonie is strong, and so is shopping at AXE MUSIC, where you can feel secure you are getting the BEST price, not the wrong one!

 

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