Panasonic Power Tools
Discussion
, I even made a comment on it to the guy that I'd never seen one before so it stood out.Easily equal to Bosch, DeWalt etc, they just don't seem to have the marketing behind them, which is why you don't see them around as much as the blue and yellow stuff. I stand to be corrected, but I believe Panasonic are the worlds largest manufacturer of Li-on batteries which most cordless tools use nowadays.
Panasonic have the best batteries and they make the cells for all the other manufacturers. On that side at least, they have a great reputation.
They are trying to position themselves as a higher end brand while Bosch, Makita and DeWalt chase huge volumes, they said they are never going to be that mass market in Europe.
My slight issue with them is, they might be better than other manufacturers, but if nobody is knows it then they/we aren't going to sell many.
What would it take for trade users to change brand? Demos? Reviews? Word of mouth from friends?
They are trying to position themselves as a higher end brand while Bosch, Makita and DeWalt chase huge volumes, they said they are never going to be that mass market in Europe.
My slight issue with them is, they might be better than other manufacturers, but if nobody is knows it then they/we aren't going to sell many.
What would it take for trade users to change brand? Demos? Reviews? Word of mouth from friends?
Uphill struggle IMO. Everyone knows Bosch etc. IIRC Makita did well when they got the BT contract. Sky used to use Bosch. I guess what they need is someone like that to switch to them. Guys on site will then see them everywhere & try them 
Maybe it's me but they would have been better off using another group name for the power tools too. Matsus
ta comes to mind but I guess that wasn't used for obvious reasons!!!
Maybe it's me but they would have been better off using another group name for the power tools too. Matsusta comes to mind but I guess that wasn't used for obvious reasons!!!Andrew[MG] said:
Panasonic have the best batteries and they make the cells for all the other manufacturers. On that side at least, they have a great reputation.
They are trying to position themselves as a higher end brand while Bosch, Makita and DeWalt chase huge volumes, they said they are never going to be that mass market in Europe.
My slight issue with them is, they might be better than other manufacturers, but if nobody is knows it then they/we aren't going to sell many.
What would it take for trade users to change brand? Demos? Reviews? Word of mouth from friends?
Surely it depends on the margins and how willing Panasonic are to accommodate you. They are trying to position themselves as a higher end brand while Bosch, Makita and DeWalt chase huge volumes, they said they are never going to be that mass market in Europe.
My slight issue with them is, they might be better than other manufacturers, but if nobody is knows it then they/we aren't going to sell many.
What would it take for trade users to change brand? Demos? Reviews? Word of mouth from friends?
Providing margins were significantly better than the usual bunch Id be telling them I am happy to give it a go and actively try to sell the product to my customer, providing they did the following:
- Generous discount (or free batteries etc) on first order so you can sell cheap stock to local firms to generate word of mouth, goes a long way.
- Keep minimum order value low until you were confident in buying more at a time.
- Offer quick delivery and low carriage paid so you can keep stock levels low to minimise risk
- Offer FOC Demo units for instore
- Ensure they offer comprehensive warranty/guarantee for when they come back complaining saying "My Dewalt never did this...."
If they actually want to break into the market and get people like you on side I doubt there would be an issues in achieving the above - in which case Id take a punt and actually try pushing the product.
If its anything like the stuff we retail I can only assume the margins on the popular lines are shot to pieces - so Id want to offer an alternative. If after a few months you haven't got anywhere then sell it off at cost and move on.
Edited by russy01 on Thursday 24th April 11:44
Andrew[MG] said:
That's pretty much my thoughts too, start small and see where we can take it.
What field are you in? Margins are tiny for tools!
Toys & Models, but I think in fairness margins are tiny for everything nowadays due to the ease of retailing!What field are you in? Margins are tiny for tools!
Its a numbers game for us, all about QTY if you sell the big names. They are plastered all over the web by the nationals and on the end of the aisle in the grocery stores - so we just all compete for a tiny slice of the pie!
I don't know a thing about tools, but Id be excited at the prospect of trying to sell the Panasonic tools if they are co-operative. At least you have the name of Panasonic to help - imagine trying to sell "Bush" or "Goodmans" power tools!
Considering buying a load of panasonic kit myself this time around, as dewalt/makita have gone downhill and I've never had anything made by panasonic across a wide range I haven't thought was pretty decent, and like said they're recognised as the world leaders in battery tech which is where a lot of power tool hassle is today. I'd say the major prob is a lot of tradesmen still consider the above brands a premium item which they're increasingly not.
ITS stock an increasing range so it's gaining in popularity.
If you decide to retail it send us a PM
ITS stock an increasing range so it's gaining in popularity.
If you decide to retail it send us a PM
Tbh I've never seen boarders use Panasonic, they always seem to use hilti. I had the 15v impact , drill driver combo and it was brilliant until it got stolen. Only went with Bosch as a replacement due to some other tools using the same batteries. On the job I'm on at the minute there are a few with Panasonic so I'd give it a gi if I were you
Gassing Station | Homes, Gardens and DIY | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff