Here is an issue I have with prices..... Why do dealers mark up the prices based on the dollar when they already had it in stock before the dollar went up?...... I have recently witnessed prices jacked up on a rifle that was already purchased and available and the excuse was always the dollar conversion.....
It's as bad as when gas prices go up.... same damn gas in their tanks, but suddenly worth more today than it was yesterday, although it was purchased at yesterday's price..
unlike may others, i expect a dealer to take their cut...... but using the dollar excuse is lame when you bought it when the dollar was almost equal....
Pricing a rifle, shotgun, accessory is sometimes a little more complicated that simply "following the dollar".
And yes, there are some mfg's that "set the price", but that is a very small group. The sellers has almost exclusive control of the price they put on the sticker.
Some set the price and sell at that whether the dollar goes up, down or sideways.
If I paid say 500 bucks from the wholesaler for Rifle A, and say I bought 10 of them (my projected sales for that market), once received I would mark them up (typically 20-25%) and put them on the shelf (maybe for $600 bucks in this example). If I only sell 6 of them, but the dollar goes from par to 80 cents in the process, then depending on 1) what the competition is selling them for 2) if I plan to reorder the rifle at the new price (might now be $580 for "replacement stock" or 3) how badly I want to get rid of them (might be a model change coming) I will (personally decide, in my case) what I want to do with the price.
Myself, I try and leave the price at whatever it went on the shelf as originally - that is just less work for me.
But if say it's a popular seller that I'm going to "restock" then I might blend the price.
Again, in the above example if I have 4 of the original 10 left that I paid 500 bucks for ($2000 worth of stock) and I re-order 4 at the new price (call it 4 x $580 as an example - $2320) now my 8 rifles cost me an average of $4320/8 or $540 each.
At that point I could 1) price them at $725 reflecting the entire wholesale price when the new ones were received or 2) blend the price to something between $650-$675.
So I would make more than my margin on the (older) 4 and make less than my margin on the (newer) 4. And yes, the customer will pay more than they would have the week before, but less than if I had not had stock and simply brought that model in at that point.
But as the retailer you have to be mindful. It's not the 1970's where you didn't know what Bob's Guns was selling it for even a few towns away. Today everyone comes in with their smart phones, flashes up Google and instantly knows what rifle A is selling for at any of 50 sellers, half of which will ship right to your door with a few clicks. If I'm selling for 100 bucks more than Bob's Guns you will buy from him and I will be stuck with stock.
Now, if I'm the only one who has the product, the wholesalers are on "standing order" or not taking orders at all, and the "replacement cost" to me is (whatever) dollars, that WILL be reflected in the selling price.
My point is, it's just a little more complicated that simply following the US dollar. Most sellers are not in a position to import themselves so they use wholesalers. Even if they do import themselves they are at the mercy of the US dollar on a daily basis. And even though the wholesaler might have got their stock at PAR their prices tend to reflect either a blend or full replacement cost as well "for them".
And if you think a 20-25% mark-up sounds high, you can consider that the "cost to do business" usually runs at about 12.5%. That's the "break even" point. Most retailers will tell you that you have to account of 4% for "rent", 4% for labour, 2% for utilities and 2.5% "processing costs" (if you use a credit card, and many do, they take a big chunk out a sale in relative terms).
So there is very "little room" on a firearm/optic/ammo etc to move one way or the other when your cost is determined by someone else. You don't have the luxury of a clothing or furniture retailer where there is minimally a 100% mark-up and on some furniture it runs as high as 800%.
And ultimately, as a consumer, it's YOUR CHOICE as to whether you pay the price or not. Everyone was aware that the buck was at par for better than a year. If you "waffled" on something you wanted, it's NOT the retailers fault that the buck is only worth 72 cents now and that rifle you wanted is 300 bucks more than it was last year.
