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Thread: Seems H L Brown in Doncaster have lost their Rolex status

  1. #1
    Grand Master Griswold's Avatar
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    Seems H L Brown in Doncaster have lost their Rolex status

    What was the Rolex window is now Mont Blanc.

    No longer listed as an AD on the Rolex site either, though their Sheffield shop still is.

    Wonder why? Not enough sales to satisfy Rolex maybe?
    Best Regards - Peter

    I'd hate to be with you when you're on your own.

  2. #2
    Master
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    didn't Boris stop by the shop last week to ask if he could get on "the list"?

  3. #3
    Grand Master Griswold's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by BillN View Post
    didn't Boris stop by the shop last week to ask if he could get on "the list"?
    LOL, that would probably do it
    Best Regards - Peter

    I'd hate to be with you when you're on your own.

  4. #4
    Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by Griswold View Post
    Wonder why? Not enough sales to satisfy Rolex maybe?
    Seems consistent with what we hear, viz that Rolex are winding down the number of ADs with a view to rolling out fewer and larger boutiques.

  5. #5
    I hear Fraser Heart of Solihull have blown theirs....
    that’s what Goldsmiths told me

  6. #6
    Master
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    Presumably they can now become "Grey" Dealers!! and have some bloody stock at last

  7. #7
    Grand Master number2's Avatar
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    I only go to Donny for the train to King's Cross,
    One hour twenty seven minutes, sod you HS2.
    Last edited by number2; 17th September 2019 at 17:54.
    "Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it's enemy action."

    'Populism, the last refuge of a Tory scoundrel'.

  8. #8
    Master
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    I'll be up there on Friday, visiting my 96 year old Mum - maybe they will be selling off their Rolex stock at liquidation prices!!

  9. #9
    Grand Master number2's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by BillN View Post
    I'll be up there on Friday, visiting my 96 year old Mum - maybe they will be selling off their Rolex stock at liquidation prices!!
    Offers welcome as I bought the lot
    "Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it's enemy action."

    'Populism, the last refuge of a Tory scoundrel'.

  10. #10
    Journeyman
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    I heard that Rolex are demanding a large investment from each AD to create a dedicated Rolex area within each store which costs around £150k to do.Takes a bit of making back with limited inventory to sell.Rolex say do it or lose the AD status.

  11. #11
    Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by marselluswallace View Post
    I heard that Rolex are demanding a large investment from each AD to create a dedicated Rolex area within each store which costs around £150k to do.Takes a bit of making back with limited inventory to sell.Rolex say do it or lose the AD status.
    The only Rolex stuff I have ever seen in an AD's window is all this sparkly or goldie stuff - and usually for the ladies

  12. #12
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    Old news, Nicky has moved to the Sheffield branch & customers from Donny move over on lists to Sheffield branch.

  13. #13
    Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by marselluswallace View Post
    I heard that Rolex are demanding a large investment from each AD to create a dedicated Rolex area within each store which costs around £150k to do.Takes a bit of making back with limited inventory to sell.Rolex say do it or lose the AD status.
    Our local Rolex AD told me the same thing. Their budget was significantly higher than 150k though.


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    Craftsman
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    Does anyone have any pictures from before and after one of these £150k refits ? Sounds like a made up figure.

  15. #15
    Master
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    A London AD for Omega told me that they wanted him to build a dedicated Omega area within the store at his own expense in order to retain AD status. He reckoned it could cost up to £200K...

  16. #16
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    That explains the large Sheffield HL browns refit then and the new lady looking after lists. I was told on release I'll get pepsi within the first 18 months of release. Now expected another 2 year wait

  17. #17
    Grand Master
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    All part of The Masterplan
    RIAC

  18. #18
    Craftsman Go Big's Avatar
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    Whittles in Preston have built a dedicated Rolex room to their premises. Opened last year IIRC.

  19. #19
    Such a shame that it won't be Goldsmiths that go.

  20. #20
    Craftsman
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    Quote Originally Posted by Griswold View Post
    What was the Rolex window is now Mont Blanc.

    No longer listed as an AD on the Rolex site either, though their Sheffield shop still is.

    Wonder why? Not enough sales to satisfy Rolex maybe?


    Left a sticker on.

    Bezel protector count in deficit.

    Gave someone their guarantee card.

    Or even worse , all three.

  21. #21
    Quote Originally Posted by Buster73 View Post
    Left a sticker on.

    Bezel protector count in deficit.

    Gave someone their guarantee card.

    Or even worse , all three.

    Na, punted out a sports watch to an actual real customer who just wanted to buy and keep a watch.

  22. #22
    Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by marselluswallace View Post
    I heard that Rolex are demanding a large investment from each AD to create a dedicated Rolex area within each store which costs around £150k to do.Takes a bit of making back with limited inventory to sell.Rolex say do it or lose the AD status.
    I heard the same thing from Tarrat's in Rugby; apparently rolex are demanding a minimum square footage dedicated entirely to their watches also. The rugby store was smaller than the area demanded. That store closed in the end because I think Rolex made up the vast majority of the revenue for them - they only had Longines, Tudor and modest range of jewellery

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  23. #23
    Grand Master number2's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by number2 View Post
    I only go to Donny for the train to King's Cross,
    One hour twenty seven minutes, sod you HS2.
    Blooming heck when will the Doncaster station upgrade be finished, ffs it's been ongoing for ages ,,
    "Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it's enemy action."

    'Populism, the last refuge of a Tory scoundrel'.

  24. #24
    Master
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    Rolex is a hard-nosed business; it will make tough commercial decisions. Same, on a smaller scale, with Rolex ADs. Some will disappear, other stores may open. It makes little difference to the likes of us. In fact I rarely go into a Rolex store these days.
    Nothing to buy, and I’m not expecting favours from the staff.
    Last edited by paskinner; 18th September 2019 at 09:03.

  25. #25
    Quote Originally Posted by Benji053 View Post
    Does anyone have any pictures from before and after one of these £150k refits ? Sounds like a made up figure.
    The quotes are going to depend on floor space available, but if all display cabinets, furniture, wall cladding, lighting, carpeting, graphics etc. either have to come from Rolex or an approved supplier £150k isn't going to go far.


  26. #26
    Quote Originally Posted by marselluswallace View Post
    I heard that Rolex are demanding a large investment from each AD to create a dedicated Rolex area within each store which costs around £150k to do.Takes a bit of making back with limited inventory to sell.Rolex say do it or lose the AD status.
    Eh? So with product seeming to go out of the door within days what the hell do Rolex display in these new areas - empty stands, posters for watches that aren’t available to buy, 3d holographic spectacular which almost makes that watch look real, maybe some ‘dummy’ display models?? Strange & bizarre..

  27. #27
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    Quote Originally Posted by vulcangascompany View Post
    Eh? So with product seeming to go out of the door within days what the hell do Rolex display in these new areas - empty stands, posters for watches that aren’t available to buy, 3d holographic spectacular which almost makes that watch look real, maybe some ‘dummy’ display models?? Strange & bizarre..
    It is strange all that upfront outlay fitting out the stores only to have the cabinets mostly empty. Seems more like Rolex are pushing the AD’s to toe the line in terms of flipping. If I forked out that expenditure I would worry for my Rolex license if one of the BLNR’s ended up at a grey. The AD’s which recently lost their status is a reminder to AD’s of what could happen

  28. #28
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    Wonder what support Rolex give their dealer network, if any at all ?

    £150k refurbishment will take a lot of sales to pay that sort of outlay back.

    Added to which there would be no guarantee of official dealership on going in the future.

    Maybe Milton could enlighten us all ?

  29. #29
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    We’re often shop fitting from an electrical point of view but can assure you the cost of the furniture is astronomical!, the last store we did in Westfield’s was only 100m2 and the furniture alone ran to 150k very bespoke and Italian and didn’t look like much lol. We also did one of the Bremont boutiques in the royal exchange Again display cabinets don’t come cheap.


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  30. #30
    Grand Master Griswold's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by number2 View Post
    Blooming heck when will the Doncaster station upgrade be finished, ffs it's been ongoing for ages ,,
    NEVER! seems to be the popular opinion around these parts.
    Best Regards - Peter

    I'd hate to be with you when you're on your own.

  31. #31
    Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by Buster73 View Post
    Wonder what support Rolex give their dealer network, if any at all ?

    £150k refurbishment will take a lot of sales to pay that sort of outlay back.

    Added to which there would be no guarantee of official dealership on going in the future.

    Maybe Milton could enlighten us all ?
    You get to :

    - sell those watches we decide to supply you with

    - enjoy the halo effect of the Rolex brand around your business

    ....at least until we make the next shop-fit demand / insist you employ a watchmaker / take all this month's allocation of models that you don't really want.

    With regard to main agents, all the power in the relationship seems to lie with Rolex.

    If you haven't noticed, many independents who lose the Rolex agency then wind up altogether soon afterwards.

    Why Goldsmiths --- often the unprofessional joker among retailers with its clone production-line of box-shifting, shiny-trousered, perma-smiley nincompoops --- should seemingly be championed I have no idea.

    I wonder how hatman14's sales from the back door are going? I'd imagine Lee B still lurks here and often wonder about calling in to the Bullring showroom to create some excitement.

    H
    Last edited by Haywood_Milton; 18th September 2019 at 12:30.

  32. #32
    Master
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    It's purely a business decision. If it is worth their while, the AD will stomp up the money and refit. If it isn't, he won't bother and lose the franchise. It is the ADs decision and this type of thing has been going on ever since the inception of the francise system.

  33. #33
    Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mick P View Post
    It's purely a business decision. If it is worth their while, the AD will stomp up the money and refit. If it isn't, he won't bother and lose the franchise. It is the ADs decision and this type of thing has been going on ever since the inception of the francise system.
    Not with anything like the level of demands that Rolex has been placing upon many independents in the post-Hudson era.

    #bringbackhenry

  34. #34
    It must be worthwhile for the ADs to maintain their Rolex dealerships. Otherwise they would quit on their own. People seem to forget that Rolex does not require maintaining a dealership or force people to buy their products at gunpoint. Both are purely voluntary.
    Probably what is happening is Rolex feel they have enough equity in the bank to flex their muscles more and are making demands they never made before.
    I like this dichotomy- wannabes always say that Rolex is a mass produced non-exclusive watch but there are never enough to please the ADs and the customers.
    Last edited by RAJEN; 18th September 2019 at 12:55.

  35. #35
    Master
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    The retailers mark up on Rolex watches must be good to make this investment worthwhile

    Having a guess - RRP = £5,750 - buy in price from Rolex = £4k max - dealer margin £1,750 I would think minimum - how many watches do they have to sell just to break even on their investment?

    So the next time you buy a 'Hulk" for £14k - it probably only cost the dealer £4k or £5k - cheap watches Rolex!!

    Rolex annual production - Official figures are not known but industry "experts" (they appear all over the show), reckon it is 800,000 units and maybe up to a million with Tudor contributing maybe 200,000 units.

    Most people love Rolex ........ and they seem to have mesmerised the mid range luxury watch market - they are really sought after worldwide ......... but they are a volume producer and if you want something special and individual isn't it better to look elsewhere?............ just a question

    the only "new" Rolex I could buy because they are the only ones that are available at shortish notice at a reasonable price, (around RRP), would be an OP........... if I was looking for a Sport Stainless, there are lots of very well kept used models out there from other manufacturers for 50% to 60% of their current RRP.......... and if you want a Pepsi ....... well there are a few for under £1k new.

  36. #36
    Quote Originally Posted by BillN View Post
    The retailers mark up on Rolex watches must be good to make this investment worthwhile

    Having a guess - RRP = £5,750 - buy in price from Rolex = £4k max - dealer margin £1,750 I would think minimum - how many watches do they have to sell just to break even on their investment?

    So the next time you buy a 'Hulk" for £14k - it probably only cost the dealer £4k or £5k - cheap watches Rolex!!

    Rolex annual production - Official figures are not known but industry "experts" (they appear all over the show), reckon it is 800,000 units and maybe up to a million with Tudor contributing maybe 200,000 units.

    Most people love Rolex ........ and they seem to have mesmerised the mid range luxury watch market - they are really sought after worldwide ......... but they are a volume producer and if you want something special and individual isn't it better to look elsewhere?............ just a question

    the only "new" Rolex I could buy because they are the only ones that are available at shortish notice at a reasonable price, (around RRP), would be an OP........... if I was looking for a Sport Stainless, there are lots of very well kept used models out there from other manufacturers for 50% to 60% of their current RRP.......... and if you want a Pepsi ....... well there are a few for under £1k new.

    Can you try that again please...……………..but in English...

  37. #37
    Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by forest172 View Post
    That explains the large Sheffield HL browns refit then and the new lady looking after lists. I was told on release I'll get pepsi within the first 18 months of release. Now expected another 2 year wait
    She moved over to Sheffield from Doncaster.
    Join queue been waiting over two years for Hulk.......

  38. #38
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    Quote Originally Posted by adrianw View Post
    Can you try that again please...……………..but in English...
    I've obviously spent too long living in France - and this 40 degree heat is making me ramble - hopefully Brexit will cure this

  39. #39
    Quote Originally Posted by BillN View Post
    The retailers mark up on Rolex watches must be good to make this investment worthwhile

    Having a guess - RRP = £5,750 - buy in price from Rolex = £4k max - dealer margin £1,750 I would think minimum - how many watches do they have to sell just to break even on their investment?
    .
    £4791, before VAT with a likely retail margin of around 40%.

    Although you shouldn’t need to sell too many higher end gold and platinum Rolex to cover your refurb cost. I’d say a newly refurbished boutique should be good for 10 years, 5 minimum.

  40. #40
    Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by chrisparker View Post
    £4791, before VAT with a likely retail margin of around 40%.

    Although you shouldn’t need to sell too many higher end gold and platinum Rolex to cover your refurb cost. I’d say a newly refurbished boutique should be good for 10 years, 5 minimum.
    interesting - I was hoping someone would have a better idea of the Retail margin - (I aimed on the low side, as I did not really have anything to go on) - but with the little Retail knowledge that I have I would have expected the RRP to be twice the Retailers buy in price, adjusted for VAT and taxes in overseas markets.

  41. #41
    Master steptoe's Avatar
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    Less Rolex retail outlets means more supplies of watches for those still punting out Rolex's.

  42. #42
    So if you can’t source a Rolex, consider buying something else.
    What a revolutionary idea! How come no one thought of it before?

  43. #43
    Grand Master number2's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Griswold View Post
    NEVER! seems to be the popular opinion around these parts.
    I took a look at the plans a few hours ago, looks like parking and drop off zones are being moved away from the station.
    "Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it's enemy action."

    'Populism, the last refuge of a Tory scoundrel'.

  44. #44
    Grand Master number2's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by RAJEN View Post
    So if you can’t source a Rolex, consider buying something else.
    Exactly, with so many brilliant watch brands available, but Rolex is the current fashion must have.
    "Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it's enemy action."

    'Populism, the last refuge of a Tory scoundrel'.

  45. #45
    Master
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    You must refurb your entire shop to display nothing of interest.

    I really like certain models but the whole charade is an absolute joke.

  46. #46
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    Quote Originally Posted by g40steve View Post
    She moved over to Sheffield from Doncaster.
    Join queue been waiting over two years for Hulk.......
    I was in an AD , when a customer in front of me enquired about a "hulk" , the salesperson, with a cheeky smile said "I'm sorry sir but the closest you'll get to a hulk is by watching the movie" . Everyone did have a laugh including said person making the enquiry .

  47. #47
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sweepinghand View Post
    I hear Fraser Heart of Solihull have blown theirs....
    that’s what Goldsmiths told me
    Yep I was told this a couple of weeks ago, they have till Christmas to clear the order books :)

  48. #48
    Quote Originally Posted by Ghost Chilli View Post
    You must refurb your entire shop to display nothing of interest.

    I really like certain models but the whole charade is an absolute joke.
    Which charade exactly??

  49. #49
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    Fraser Hart Solihull is losing their AD status?!
    Quote Originally Posted by Coronet king View Post
    Yep I was told this a couple of weeks ago, they have till Christmas to clear the order books :)
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  50. #50
    Craftsman
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sibo View Post
    Fraser Hart Solihull is losing their AD status?!

    Sent from my SM-G965F using TZ-UK mobile app
    Yes

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