maui jim sunglasses

**LENNY** · 07-24-2003, 09:01 PM

We started to sell Maui Jims some time ago, but for some reason they became our number one sunglass seller.
They have nice product.
The question that i have is: Does anyone has any discount on those sunglasses?
The company seemed to not understand my language when it comes to discounts.
How do i get the discount? they are verrry pricy.

**edKENdance** · 07-24-2003, 09:55 PM

Word is, like Oakley you can't sell your maui's for a lower price. They have a set price. They don't want to downgrade their market.
No discount shopper who wants an extra 20% off should buy them. That's the mentality. If you want 'em then you pay for them.
Of course some competitor might be selling them for 20% less...
Price match?
Does anyone police prices?
Rep's blind eyes.

**BobV** · 07-24-2003, 10:40 PM

You can't sell Maui's under msrp, unless you are lucky enough to get closeouts or discontinued product like Costco.

Bob V.

**LENNY** · 07-24-2003, 11:43 PM

I actualy have no problem selling them for MSRP!
The problem is i dont make enough profit on them if i compare them with another brands.
Lets say sillhouettes! We make much bigger profit on them and the company supports us with a 15% discount!!!

**PAkev** · 07-25-2003, 05:48 AM

We also sell MJ as a very narrowly niche product and for this reason we sell at MSRP.

For someone wanting to walk out of our office with a very good pair of plano sunwear this is one of the first sunwear lines I show. However, since we are in the optical business more folks are looking for an RX in them and this is where the tide changes.

MJ will not sell frame only to customize your own polarized lenses. From personal experience, their custom RX turn around time is around 3 weeks. Although I am in agreement you get what you pay for, these lenses compared to other premium lenses in the ophthalmic marketplace are major $$$. MJ requires the customer to return eyewear directly to them for warranty service. The problem is this doesn't sit very well with the person that paid several hundred dollars and is used to purchasing their ophthalmic eyewear from you with the expectations that you are there to meet their service needs.

I believe MJ developed and maintained these policies when they began to have a strong presence in mall kiosk locations. Under these circumstances the person selling their product may be clueless of terminology such as PD, seg height, base curve, etc. However, if they want to swim with the sharks in the ophthalmic environment, they may need to make some policy changes. I would also buy more MJ's if they were connected with one of my buying groups.

Kevin

**BobV** · 07-25-2003, 07:52 AM

Ask them their policy on dr re-do's. There is NO discount if the Rx is off. So then, what do you do? You are charged full price for the remake. Do you re-charge the patient for a dr change?

Bob

**optigoddess** · 07-25-2003, 09:27 AM

If I read your post correctly, are you asking how YOU can get a better wholesale cost? To increase YOUR margin & profit?

Sorry I can't help you there (I work in corporate optics & have no insight into that!)

Karen

**Jedi** · 07-25-2003, 01:00 PM

I think the product is great, but their RX department service is terrible. In the past year I have had 2 jobs that either had been on back order or broken in the lab, then they never called to inform us. One job took almost 6m and the other 2m. They need to stop farming out their lab work and open their own lab. The lenses get made in CA and are QC check in Peoria ,Il. The pair that took 6m was shipped to me broken, and if you know how securely they get wrapped up you know the breakage wasn't from the courier company.

**optigoddess** · 07-25-2003, 01:06 PM

Jedi-

Our last Rx order .... well...it included something "free": Lens Liner!

I had NO idea they farmed out their work....(we sent it back)

Karen :finger:

**EyeManFla** · 07-25-2003, 02:31 PM

OK, that last time I commented on Maui Jim............

First. MJs are a great quality sunwear. The people who run their company, whoever, are CLUELESS when it comes to ophthalmic retailing.

Quite frankly, had it not been for our current rep, I whould have deep sixed Maui Jims along time ago, and I was the one who made the decision to bring them in the store in the first place.

As far as Rxing MJs, I have a whole pile of MJ lenses back in my lab. MJ frames and Nu-polar lenses make a great combination. And yes, my customers are given a choice between having them made at MJ and waiting 3 weeks or having them made at our shop in a couple of days, a week if they want mirror and A/R.

Finally, RX or not, I don't sell below the MSRP and I tell my customers that they pay the same price here as they do at Sunglass Hut or anywhere else. And if there is a problem with their glasses, they return them HERE and I get them replaced by Maui Jim!

**Jedi** · 07-26-2003, 08:38 PM

optigoddess said:
Jedi-

Our last Rx order .... well...it included something "free": Lens Liner!

I had NO idea they farmed out their work....(we sent it back)

Karen :finger:

:drop: WOW! That is horrible. You never see Oakley do that. Apparently MJ will have their own lab by the end of the year. They might not need it if we start sending everything back and closing accounts.

**LENNY** · 07-26-2003, 10:30 PM

Jedi!

I wonder if MJ are cheaper in Canada?

My bestsellers are 501,502,503 and they $1.25 in US

**Johns** · 07-26-2003, 10:48 PM

The owner of Maui Jim recently "dumped" about 20 Maui Jim gift certificates on a local horse show. They were given out as random door prizes during the show. I found out about it because some of the certificates were for Rx, and they were customers of ours that wanted copies of their Rx. Of course he never stopped by to thank me for promoting his product for the last 8 years, nor did he offer any certificates to me or my staff. Oh, and the manager of the riding center said that everyone that works there got a free pair of MJs as well. I guess we (retailers) must be turning a tidy profit for him to be throwning freebie sunglasses around like conffetti.

The last time I asked about a pair of MJ for myself, the rep gave me a form to send in w/ a credit card # for a discount. Considering the all the great product out there that I can sell, I think I've made enough $$ for ol' MJ.

**paw** · 07-27-2003, 10:33 AM

PAkev said, "MJ will not sell frame only to customize your own polarized lenses. From personal experience, their custom RX turn around time is around 3 weeks."

We don't carry Maui Jim and I am not at all familiar with their policies. Are you saying that they require all Rx Maui Jims must be filled by them??? First of all, why? Second, how would they even know if you sold the frame and had it Rx'd at your lab of choice?

**PAkev** · 07-27-2003, 04:31 PM

PAW,

Like one other poster indicated MJ and Nupolar make a great combination. Just like there is no law against putting a Chevy engine in a Ford or vice versa, there is indeed no law against putting your own custom lenses in a MJ frame.

However, even the MJ reps will tell you it is their "Specialized Polarized Lens Technology" you are actually purchasing. I guess from my point of view, I cant see spending money for a premium product only to turn around and scrap the lenses.

AH BUT HERE's THE RUB.......
If MJ' sunwear is truly opthalmic quality this means it is manufactured with the same quality standards as ophthalmic eyewear. Therefore, there should really be no additional charge for a SV RX within normal RX parameters or else the cost of their plano lenses with their "Specialized Polarized Lens Technology" should be adjusted off. But nope ....... You pay for the frame and plano lenses and then also pay for the RX.

Kevin