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Looks like one retailer's finally had enough of being undercut by Costco...

15K views 130 replies 58 participants last post by  jessejames 
#1 ·
Got an email from Leland Fly Fishing Outfitters in San Francisco that they are liquidating all their Sage rods and will no longer do business with the company b/c they can't compete with Costco. I'm not trying to open up a debate here (it's already been discussed at length several times over), but if want 30% off a new Sage ONE I suggest you get on it:

www.lelandfly.com/On-Sale/
 
#5 ·
I thought it was established that a third party mislead Sage as to their intent when purchasing the rods from Sage and sold them "under the table" to Costco?

Was that Sage just blowing smoke? If so, the fly shop owner has a point.
 
#6 ·
Got an email from Leland Fly Fishing Outfitters in San Francisco that they are liquidating all their Sage rods and will no longer do business with the company b/c they can't compete with Costco. I'm not trying to open up a debate here (it's already been discussed at length several times over), but if want 30% off a new Sage ONE I suggest you get on it:

www.lelandfly.com/On-Sale/
I heard Leland as a whole is going out of business. Sounds like it could be a drowning rat biting as it sinks.
 
#13 ·
That add by Leland is missleading and not accurate and just plain dishonest....Sage did not and has never sold to Costco. It was Costco intercepting a shipment due to someone else that probably did not have the money. Costco does it all the time with many different commodities and they are well known for it and have been sued several times for it. I also know for a fact that at times Sage has gone into Costco and actually bought all the rods themselves to get them off the shelves.
Lets not forget Sage is a very good company, makes great rods and does a lot for the flyfishing industry...
 
#16 ·
Keep in mind too that it is Costco policy that everything EVERYTHING is marked up 15% no matter what PERIOD this is confirmed by the corporate headquarters as my brother was gutsy enough to ask. The problem is not Costco it is the vendor selling the merchandise to Costco. Costco is just looking for the best deal, like all of us do.
 
#14 ·
Keep piling on the hate.... for a Washington company..... on a Washington fly fishing board.

They've apologized profusely for losing track of inventory to Costco. Costco has a long history of working with seedy suppliers to get their hands on products they're not given permission to sell.

Sage is a great local company that is an undeniable leader in fly rod technology for decades. Leland can do whatever they want, but this is stupid business move.
 
#17 ·
I have to agree, don't patronize big companies for over priced manufactured rods, or big box stores that are clearly in it for the profit. Have a custom rod built to your specs by one of the independent experts such as Meiser, Anderson, Burkhiemer etc. same or less cost and built by a fisherman that actually uses the same rods, not a mass produced manufactured rod. Keeps the small shop owner in business and allows us someone to chat with and get expert advice from.

Sent from my GT-P7510 using Tapatalk 2
 
#20 ·
What Costco is doing is called grey market and it is a common practice in retail. The retailer (Costco in this case) buys a large amount of product from a diverter (typically an official retailer or distributor looking to turn the inventory quickly).

While not illegal it tends to piss of the official distributors (like Leland). This happened at a company I worked for. Costco bought a large amount of our product from a distributor who was supposed to be exporting the products to Japan. Our company ended up going into Costco and buying out all the inventory to protect the relationships we had with all our official retailers.

Too bad this happened to Sage, they are a good local company
 
#22 ·
Does Costco sell the entire line of Sage? If not, I cant imagine how this would have such a huge impact. I thought they were just selling a couple of thier lower end disounted rods. While this may sway some to buy that particular rod(s), I would think most people who wanted a quality rod would go to an established fly shop - not Costco.
 
#23 ·
I wonder why Leland didn't get an erection when Sage offered their previously-discontinued XP line through Cabela's?

The economy's been hard on a lot of folks, especially those connected with very discretionary recreational industries such as ours. Everybody's scrambling to make a buck, including Leland. Although it seems a bit to me like cutting off one's nose to spite their face, maybe they've got a better idea how to make money than by selling Sage products.

K
 
#25 ·
I wonder why Leland didn't get an erection when Sage offered their previously-discontinued XP line through Cabela's?

The economy's been hard on a lot of folks, especially those connected with very discretionary recreational industries such as ours. Everybody's scrambling to make a buck, including Leland. Although it seems a bit to me like cutting off one's nose to spite their face, maybe they've got a better idea how to make money than by selling Sage products.

K
If any one here has been following Leland they have been discounting sage rods. For many months they have been offering top line sage rods at 20% off. Now it is 30 percent. Not sure what is all going on but sometimes they act like the sierra nevada trading store with certain brands etc. Buy bulk and discount??? Not sure about the red truck stuff either....many mixed reviews, and hard to know what interests the reviewers have in many cases. Stick to what is known....G.Loomis GLX, Sage XP, and etc.
 
#35 ·
Leland burns bridges and is more than happy about it, even proud of it. From staff to vendors, reap what you sow.

If they discounted 30% per the email of today, it would still be cheaper to buy at Costco. Haven't heard of any 99's near the frozen pizza lately?? Maybe Sage cut em off due to volume or quotas not being met since they began pimping their own goods and another Euro brand.

Either way bad pub' isn't gaining you my business.
 
#38 ·
The rumor in the industry (I've heard it from several shop owners) is that Sage dropped Leland for continually discounting rods. That ad is the most appalling thing I have seen from a fly shop. Beyond that, they are lying to their own customers. This is very sad since Sage did the right thing in dropping them. All shops are expected to play by the same rules and its good to know that repeat offenders don't get away with it even if they are one of the largest dealers in the country.
 
#47 ·
Quoting myself to be clear that my statements above are not anti-Costco. We shop there weekly, they are a great local company that treats its employees very well.

When it comes to buying a new Echo or Sage fly rod, I'll be going to see Pete at Creekside even if it means I have to spend a few more bucks than if I bought it online or from a big box store.
 
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