Was: Pricing Poll - Now: Dry 24/7 For Canadians On The Way!

[CDTMS]

Edit: Poll closed and topic edited

Hello fellow Canucks,

Ungh.. pardon the WALL OF TEXT but once again I'm trying to build a company that suits YOU, so I need more input.

We're getting close to the Dry 24/7 product being our first item we'll be importing. What I need now is feedback on pricing.

Obviously we have to ensure we can cover all the necessary costs, but at the same time we need a pricing level that is within your budget, or I'll be stuck with a warehouse full of stuff!

So the question is, what is the top dollar you would pay for a case, given the following information:

- This would be for medium or large (small is old medium product and we won't carry small until it re-tools into the new/better product)

- Cases are 72 count (4 bags of 18 .. pretty decent sized case)

- Ground shipping would be included within Canada, within reason (see footnote)

- If demand sprouts up, I'll offer local delivery one or two nights a week to Edmonton, Sherwood Park, Spruce Grove, Stony Plain, etc.. surrounding areas... so long as it doesn't cost more than the ground shipping would! (Not driving to Red Deer! )

!!! but....... if people want to organize group buys to coincide with monthly munches/meet-ups in Calgary, Red Deer, etc. then I am open to delivering large case loads! Wouldn't that be nice? Great for privacy too if that is an issue..)

- When we grow into a larger warehouse space with an office that can be staffed 5 days a week I will offer a discounted case price for local pick-up, but it will not be available immediately.

- Privacy for ground shipping would be taken into account (inside out boxes or double boxed, obscure labels where possible, etc... whatever I can do within reason)

- Canada Post money orders would be accepted, or

- No surcharges for credit card fees, and

- These are not taxable, so the price you vote for is the full price to your door.

The retail price on Dry Care's website is $124.95 US including US shipping.

The current "bank" rate of conversion puts that just under $130 CAD. "Tourist" rates, what you and I can trade at, put it closer to $135 CAD.

Add in the cost of shipping, importing, container storage fees, brokerage, warehouse/office space, yada.. yada... are you still awake?

But we will go as low as we can to make YOU happy. Our #1 priority is happy customers - so long as we can pay the rent!

Let's find a middle ground and see if it works for both of us.

Please only vote if you are in Canada and would actually consider ordering product, as it would be silly if you were in the US since you already know your price!

The footnote to shipping - what we would do as a fairness policy to customers is determine a baseline ship rate to major centers within the country. If someone from say, Eureka NWT wants to order, then we would charge the customer the difference only in shipping to bring the product to such a remote location. So if it normally costs us $10 to ship a case to, say, Toronto, and $30 to northern NWT, then we'd charge the $20 difference. This will be treated as fairly as possible on a case by case basis for remote orders.

Cheers!

[belinda_sue_fox]

I'm not Canadian. Never voted.

Poll seems a tad "Whats the most i can charge".

[CDTMS]

Oh no, please don't take it in that light. I mean, if I wanted to be a prick and milk a niche market, I would just ship it in and charge $150 a case and say "Hey, that's the breaks, if you want it, you'll pay for it".

Couldn't be farthest from the truth.

Sure my outwardness is a bit odd and out of place, but the entire idea here is to build an outlet that serves the community as a whole and gets them the product they want in an affordable range.

Tomorrow I'm supposed to hear back from Dry Care with a finalized price on cases shipped directly from their factory, and my logistics/customs brokers will have me a quote on the ship and rail transport costs to our location.

Factor that to what people are willing to pay, and if it's in the negative, well, then it doesn't work - and we come back to the community and see what they think, do we bring it in at a higher cost to them, or do we move on to the next product.

That being said, if people vote $140 a case and I can actually sell and ship them for $130 AND afford all the bills then you bet I will!

I've been in business for myself for 14 years, yes, I opened my first when I was 18, so I know the importance of a good customer relationship. It might come across as weird to care so much about customers but damnit, that's what I do.

That being said, if I don't get any input at all, then it leaves me in a bind to know if the product will actually sell, so please, do vote and keep the comments coming. I've gotten a few by E-mail and they are very appreciated - sales@cdtmedical.ca

The more open you are with your comments, the better this company will grow.

Cheers!

[aleyxsis]

me being a canadian i appreciate your business input !!.I have never bought on line or cases of diapers before because of the shipping or delivery probs in canada ..But it sure would be nice to have another choice other than tenas or undependables good luck !!!i hope it happens

[belinda_sue_fox]

It's just the wording on the poll section " what is the top dollar ".

[aleyxsis]

i get ya bel !

[freswith]

I think it's a resonable bit of market research. After all, who wants to be stuck with a container-load of fetish nappies in a rented warehouse. .....where the roof leaks.

[CDTMS]

@belinda: Agreed, I've changed the wording.

@freswith: You have already identified one of my fears, one which requires the product to stay ON the pallets or up on a shelf. I was just thinking about that this morning, if there was a water leak, the boxes would be ruined, but would the plastic bags allow the diapers themselves to survive? ... or would I have a dry office and a warehouse with bulging walls full of used SAP ...

[CDTMS]

Haven't posted for a few days, waiting to see what the competition between UPS-Purolator-Canada Post-Canpar is going to result in. It's the last piece of the puzzle I need to determine costs.

The "no account" rate to ship a case of Dry 24/7 across Canada is a whopping $52. We need to get that down under $20.

More news later this week.

[drynot]

Gee....I can't answer the question without having tried the product first. I don't have a point of reference (diaper) to compare it to.

However I can speculate. IF the diaper was on par, performance wise, to Bambino's AND the case was indeed a 72 count as opposed to the 48 count of Bambinos currently offered by B4NS then a price around the 130 dollar mark wouldn't be out of line IMO.

[iamcanadian]

Gee....I can't answer the question without having tried the product first. I don't have a point of reference (diaper) to compare it to.

However I can speculate. IF the diaper was on par, performance wise, to Bambino's AND the case was indeed a 72 count as opposed to the 48 count of Bambinos currently offered by B4NS then a price around the 130 dollar mark wouldn't be out of line IMO.

i am with this , quality over quantities are best always

but better price with more the better id be up for getting such , it all varies in what your looking @ or need into them

If the quanity is less and the product is wayyy superior spending the xtra $ to get them is worthwhile ,

Same as if the product is better on the wallet and the case has more , then you have yourself a constant product you will buy on a average basis and keep going to ,

[CDTMS]

The case count is indeed 72, there are 4 bags of 18 in each case. However, this is what is causing me a shipping headache, as the case weighs 36 pounds!

That's a lot of pulp and SAP! Once you remove the box and the plastic, that's almost half a pound per diaper!! I'm going to have to weigh this myself when they arrive...

I'm still waiting for a volume representative from Purolator to contact me. If they don't by tomorrow, I move onto to UPS.

This is a potential $30K+ year shipping contract and someone is dropping the ball on it big time. I don't have time to wait around!

I need that case to cost me <$22-23 to ship in order to keep the final price in the ~$130 range.

And the Canadian dollar not to slip anymore! And ocean freight costs stop climbing... and border services doesn't decide they want to inspect the entire container and de-stuff it and send me a $3000 bill

I think I thought this was going to be EASY for some reason! No wonder these companies don't do this already. It's not worth their time or the lost profit.

BUT!!!

Right now, from the quotes I have in my hands... if I bring in a 20 foot ocean container.. which is 300 to 325 cases... after paying for the cases, the ocean freight, the brokerage, the taxes, train, trucking and storage...

After all that, as long as Purolator comes through for me on a volume contract - it looks feasible to be able to sell them for the equivalent of $125 US and still include the shipping.

Cross your fingers!

And an edit to add - I will be sending out at least two or three cases worth of free samples - so you will be able to find out first hand what these are like.

[AutieAB]

The case count is indeed 72, there are 4 bags of 18 in each case. However, this is what is causing me a shipping headache, as the case weighs 36 pounds!

I can believe it, they're thick diapers.

It's a bit unpopular but what some companies do (I'm looking at you, NorthShore Care*) is break the cases open and repackage them a bag or two smaller than the manufacturer actually sends out and sell those as 'cases'. It's unpopular because it makes it a bit more complicated for people to compare prices but I'd wager the reason they do it is to keep the shipping weight (and therefore cost) down on larger, heavier cases. It's probably a reasonable thing to do in your case considering that (1) 72 is a relatively large case size to start with when most premium brands ship in the 48-60 diapers/case range (medium) and (2) you're a start up with not a great deal of competition.

You'd have to be upfront about it though, so people don't go looking up Dry 24/7's site, seeing one case size, looking up your site and assuming the same case qty. If you want to win points, make the price per diaper, including [normal] shipping crystal-clear on your site.

-----

* To back up my claim there before I get told off compare the case sizes for 'cases' of medium Tranquility ATNs at Amazon seller Parentgiving (96: 8 x 12). I'm sure some other companies do it too.

[CDTMS]

Whaaa.... shrinking cases? There's no justification for that.

If you are constantly shipping larger cases, you go to your shipping company and you arrange for a volume contract based on those sizes.

I will open each and every case before they go out to ensure the right product is in them, and undamaged, but there's no way I'd be opening cases and removing bags.

My Puro rep did get back to me this afternoon and I'll have my volume rates on Monday.

The good news about Puro is they are in cahoots with Canada Post .. so if one can't reach the customer the other will, and I pay the same rates - mostly.

Now everyone run out in the streets tomorrow and yell THE ECONOMY IS BOOMING THE ECONOMY IS BOOMING so the dollar will stabilize and I can get cheaper case prices

[aleyxsis]

Well unfortunately the government already proclaimed that! Without us diaper wearing people lol mcsquinty knows all so does stephen haarpoon

[BBoy]

Unfortunately I am cheap. $1/diaper is all I pay, which means I am relegated to buying store bought brands like Attends and Tena. I love to try Abena, Bambino or Molicare however the price keeps telling me no.

Good luck, hope the busiess is a great success.

[CDTMS]

I got my shipping rates in writing today. $22 and change for 36 lbs to Toronto. Bang on where I needed it to be.

This is huge news folks.

We are moving forward with the order.

More news later this week ... but right now the hope is to have stock for the first week of September.

Once the container clears customs and I find out how large of a hole they rip me there with 'surprise inspections' then I will know our introductory price. I am still aiming for low $13X.

[Juliabam]

I got my shipping rates in writing today. $22 and change for 36 lbs to Toronto. Bang on where I needed it to be.

This is huge news folks.

We are moving forward with the order.

More news later this week ... but right now the hope is to have stock for the first week of September.

Once the container clears customs and I find out how large of a hole they rip me there with 'surprise inspections' then I will know our introductory price. I am still aiming for low $13X.

New entreprenours need support in every try they make to open a new market, but starting what you talk about sounds like risky business, afteral of what I see, only a handfull have replied to your "market analysis" and given that maybe only some percentage have cared to vote for you and give you hints about what they are willing to pay, it still may only leave you a market of a few handfulls that knows about your upcoming businenss. Starting a bussiness ón a basis like that sounds rather risky, especially considering the sort of amounts it looks like your'e gonna need to sell to split up the shipping to canada and warehouse fee in small enough amounts for the prices to stay fair and still offer you profit. Unless you could buy from local bussiness that is.

Square duck posted earlier today, a link to a cannadian bussinesss that already imports and sell an array of products the same sorts, including other related products, and therefore seems to already have it figured out how to import stock and redistribte their goods. Have you considered asking them for some sort of partnership importing more products of the specific brands you like, and that way maybe split the costs with them and have a more secure investment as it seems they already have a customer base to deal it out to?

the link to Square Ducks post, if you wish to take a look at who they are and what they offer is here Square Ducks post

[CDTMS]

Oh my.. bear in mind this forum is only one small segment of our future business.

On here you see me talking about Dry Care and shipping logistics because that is the product and issue relevant to this specific customer base.

Dry Care is not the only product I will be selling, and retail is not the only side of our business. We're gearing up for a few different products, aiming at wholesale facility purchases.

Once the Dry Care product is actually in stock, I'll most likely branch out to post on other forums while we work on the next product to import, but I chose DD first as it gave me the best impression as the most mature and stable community.

Part of the reason we chose Dry Care first is the fact they already have a customer base in Canada, but they can no longer afford to ship to it. They will be notifying all past customers of the new availability in Canada, which is why we are starting out with a larger order rather than a smaller skid order.

Hope that clears things up a bit. I am proud to say that this is the fourth (is it too early to say successful) venture that I've started since 1998, so I hope the back of my ears are dry by now!

[drynot]

Quick question.....will you be providing samples to folks who haven't tried these diapers out yet?

[drynot]

Quick question.....will you be providing samples to folks who haven't tried these diapers out yet?

[AutieAB]

Oh my.. bear in mind this forum is only one small segment of our future business.

OK, can I ask a question that's occurred to me a couple of times in this thread?

Are you directly targeting the ABDL market? The incontinence market? Both? Will you be openly "ABDL aware" or the more normal "ask no questions tell no lies" approach? The ABDL market is small compared to the personal incontinence market, I'm sure, but you're doing market research/customer awareness on a forum mostly (by no means entirely) populated by ABs and DLs...

Don't get me wrong, I wish all sellers were this open with the community but it does confuse me just slightly...

[CDTMS]

Quick question.....will you be providing samples to folks who haven't tried these diapers out yet?

Yes! And the icing on the cake is that the the first bit of samples will be FREE! As a reward for signing up to our website early, you'll be eligible to receive two samples, no charge, no shipping, no nothing.

When the website is up and the product is in, we will make a post and let you know how many samples are available.

After that, I will always samples for a reasonable price, but I will have to charge shipping for them.

And no, I will NOT be doing a "pay more for samples and get credit on your first order" type of deal, they will be normal priced samples.

OK, can I ask a question that's occurred to me a couple of times in this thread?

Are you directly targeting the ABDL market? The incontinence market? Both? Will you be openly "ABDL aware" or the more normal "ask no questions tell no lies" approach? The ABDL market is small compared to the personal incontinence market, I'm sure, but you're doing market research/customer awareness on a forum mostly (by no means entirely) populated by ABs and DLs...

Don't get me wrong, I wish all sellers were this open with the community but it does confuse me just slightly...

Actually, my main focus is on private homecare providers in my region.

Around here we have such piss poor choice in product that it's almost like a vendetta to get better stuff into the market.

I'm not a stranger to the *B/DL world. I don't openly flaunt this because sometimes it can come with a taint that "Oh look, it's just another *B/DL thinking he can buy a bunch of diapers cheap and exploit the rest of the *B/DL market".

I know that's not what you implied, but those thoughts are out there.

*B/DL aware? Absolutely. Will we plaster that fact on our website? Probably not. That's what forum advertising is for.

Does it scare some people away if you put those things on your website? Who knows?

It's one of those areas where your products can be used for both situations .. the "NEED IT" and the "WANT IT". It's not like bondage gear which is just "WANT IT" .. well.. some of you might "NEED IT" too but that's a different story

I'm not embarrassed by my product. It's meant to capture your bodily fluids. Why you wear it or what do in it, shove down it, etc... has absolutely no bearing on my ability to provide it to you.

Where we draw the line is if someone attempts to roleplay an AB situation into their ordering. No... simply not acceptable and we will not participate.

We're here to provide you with a quality product through a discreet and utmost professional business transaction meant to never make you question why you ordered from us.

I'm not a roleplayer hater, I'm simply a public company, and the product does not dictate a shift in discipline.

You're providing us with private details and credit card information, you'd expect professionals handling it on the other end.

I hope that answered your question, if not, please clarify, or feel free to email me at sales@cdtmedical.ca if you have any questions that you'd like answered out of the public eye.

Cheers.

[drynot]

Around here we have such piss poor choice in product that it's almost like a vendetta to get better stuff into the market.

I agree 100% I'm getting tired of going into medical supply stores and only finding cloth backed Tena's avaiable. I buy all my diapers online now but it still would be awesome to have a greater selection of diaper brands here in Canada.

[CDTMS]

Find a need and fill it, that's why we're here

Our shipment is due to be packed by Tuesday and then it's onto the wild blue yonder ... or is it the wild orange oil slick..