The True Meaning of Value
The True Meaning of Value. Just recently, I received a flyer from a big box store that had all the major optics brands on sale from 30 to 50 percent off. When you see this, you may ask yourself: With such a discount, does that represent an actual value or is it just pricing the product based on its specs that makes it seem a good value? That’s the riddle to be unraveled. We all know that there must be tremendous pressure within those big box organizations to make more and more profit in order to survive against the competition. And it’s no secret that even at half off any product they’re still making money.
Value is defined as, “The worth of something compared to the price paid or asked for it.” So how do you know if the brand name optic is actually worth the price the retailers are asking? In most cases you don’t. You’re trusting the brand name, the retail sales associate and hopefully, a few honest customer reviews.
The TRACT Story
Here’s a novel idea: How about telling the truth about where a product is made, what goes inside it and ultimately not compromising the quality to meet the demands for increased profits? That’s the concept we’ve developed with TRACT Optics.
Having spent our entire careers in the optics industry, we know the good, the bad and the ugly of the business. Having helped one of the major brands to the forefront of the sport optics world, it was clear that the gap between the manufacturer and the consumer was getting wider and wider. This is mostly due to the domination of the big box retailers that put demands on the manufactures to give an additional 20 percent or so in advertising, merchandising and new store allowances that are way above the 40 percent margin they make every day. With the competitive nature of this industry and the need for growth at the big box level, these demands were not going to change anytime soon. That’s why we put together a new game plan focused on bringing a better product at a better value without the middleman: a direct to consumer (D2C) business model without any barriers or distribution clutter.
No Distributors or Retailers
We decided to take the road less traveled and cut out distributors and retailers to better serve you. From the outside looking in, what new optics company wouldn’t want to sell their products to a distributors network of 1,000 plus dealers across America or hit the jackpot by having Cabela’s or Bass Pro do it for them? However, when your focus is on those distribution channels, you lose sight of the end consumer and what’s important to them.
Basic Math
By cutting out the multiple layers of distribution, we can sell our optics for about 40 percent less than what you’ll pay elsewhere. For instance, if we did make our TORIC binocular available from a retailer, you would most likely pay $930 or higher. But instead you pay $664. It’s a model we all understand.
Surpassing Standards in Customer Service
To us, customer satisfaction is just as important as developing quality binoculars and riflescopes. That satisfaction stems from easy interactions we share, then delivering a product you won’t find elsewhere for the price. If you’ve investigated our company, you will not find perfect individuals or a perfect company, though you will find people committed to serving you to their full potential. We’re grateful for our experience and the optics knowledge to help you make the right choice on your next purchase.
Plus, we’re committed to fixing the problem should something not work or perform in the manner in which it was designed and engineered. That’s what we call the TRACT Trust Assurance. It’s not a marketing name, but a true assurance that we’re going to stand behind everything we make.
The Future of Business in America
It became apparent to us that the consumer market has been evolving in many ways. And why not? A lot of what we do every day is online – it’s where we work, get our news, conduct research, book airline tickets and hunts, and of course shop and pay bills.