Ties
Couldn’t agree with you more .
For the cost of a pair of pants you could have a new A2 from 5 Star.
best of luck to ELC, I am sure someone will pay these ridiculous prices.
Interesting take on this Tim. Furthermore I think you’re spot on. I remember about 2 years ago when ELC raised their prices 3 times in one year, that we had a similar discussion, and several, including myself thought that 3 price increases in one year was over the top. A few took the position that ELC made great products and ELC was well within their rights to charge whatever the market would tolerate and to focus on the Asian market to expand their brand. Now this is the part where I think you’re spot on..... The US and European consumers of flight jackets are no longer the focus of ELC or their business model, and the consumer group that helped get them to the point where they are now, has been relegated to the back of the bus. It’s true that ELC can do what ever they choose to do but what goes around comes around. I have all of the ELC jackets I will ever care to own, I said as much after their third price increase in one year. So for me, it’s good bye ELC and hello 5 Star...and if Karma happens to come around and bites ELC in the ass.... they will have no one to blame for it but themselves.Before COVID for the last wee while ELC have been trying to position themselves as a luxury brand rather than clobber specifically for historic flight jacket enthusiasts and they've been targeting the Far Eastern markets.
This is just them "doubling down" on that. Us guys here (and the historic aviation buff) are no longer their primary focus like we were, they want the cashed up kids in China, Taiwan and Japan with an Americana fetish to cough up these prices.
COVID and its affects on economies could change all that and make it more difficult for them. I posted a very good article here a few weeks back by a French investment bank demonstrating luxury spending in the middle to upper demographics significantly slowing in the Far East because of the pandemic. ELC isn't a Bally, Hermes, Gucci, Prada, etc, they're very niche so they'll have more trouble than those bigger luxury brands.
Will people in Asia fork out 300 quid for a pair of camo trousers by the boatload, time will tell. But one thing is for sure with that email and its accompanying pricing they've well and truly dumped their traditional historic aviation/WWII buffs by the wayside.
I used to be the biggest ELC fan back in the day. Now I couldn't care less about them. I love my Irvin from them but I bought that back when they were focused on making jackets for the WWII aviation nut and you could feel their passion for that. Now they just come across as a pack of greedy rip-off artists.
Interesting take on this Tim. Furthermore I think you’re spot on. I remember about 2 years ago when ELC raised their prices 3 times in one year, that we had a similar discussion, and several, including myself thought that 3 price increases in one year was over the top. A few took the position that ELC made great products and ELC was well within their rights to charge whatever the market would tolerate and to focus on the Asian market to expand their brand. Now this is the part where I think you’re spot on..... The US and European consumers of flight jackets are no longer the focus of ELC or their business model, and the consumer group that helped get them to the point where they are now, has been relegated to the back of the bus. It’s true that ELC can do what ever they choose to do but what goes around comes around. I have all of the ELC jackets I will ever care to own, I said as much after their third price increase in one year. So for me, it’s good bye ELC and hello 5 Star...and if Karma happens to come around and bites ELC in the ass.... they will have no one to blame for it but themselves.