First of all, I am not a fan of Harry Porter. I never really complete any episode of Harry Porter either novel or movie... Very important point for me to refuse reading novel! Simply because I don't kill trees for the sake of entertainment or knowledge. Please save a tree a day, ok?
So what raise my interests to blog about this very latest and last release of Harry Porter and the Deadly Hallows?
I can't stand someone fooling the public and I can't let them get away by saying nonsense to my beloved Malaysian consumers, although I am selling or buying nothing at the moment...
Harry Porter and the Deadly Hallows retail price for Malaysia bookstores is RM 109.90. Well, what the hell? Is that expensive to get a novel for my kids?
After the official release, Carrefour and Tesco Malaysia have came out a very attractive pricing! RM 69.90 per novel! Yes! Almost 50% slash! With RM 109.90, you can almost afford to buy 1 for reading and 1 for collection in Carrefour and Tesco Malaysia!
The war started by the most childish actions of 4 major chain Bookstores in Malaysia. I don't want to name them because they don't deserve a name here. These bookstores boycott Carrefour and Tesco by stop selling the novel and canceling all the events for this last and memorable release of Harry Porter. You can see it clearly, the consumers, fans, or the loyal readers did nothing wrong! Why these 4 giant bookstores want to spoil their excitement or the happiness of having an event with other Harry Porter's fans? I simply don't understand why these bookstores wanted to do these against their customers who actually feed them for life.
On 23rd July 2007, this son of the god, Malaysia Bookseller Association president Cheah Thye Wee, come from no where and says he will supports these bookstores in their decision. Yeah! Malaysian really needs this kind of bright minded species. Sorry. I can't categorized him as a human because it will definitely drop my level of intelligent to the ground if I do so... I don't see his action will do any good to the bookstores, readers, publisher or the author... Support them for not selling the novel, you are indirectly asking them to cut-off their most profitable best-seller for year 2007 or perhaps 2008 too. This may lead to a great decrease in sales, at the end, no profit, no bonus and no increment for the employees! Who to blame? Yes. Blame this kind of species, ok?
As I always emphasize, killing the others does not prove you are any better than them. Do you get me? Boycott the hypermarket in this way is simply a waste of resources. In the other way, by getting this up to the newspaper, you helped the hypermarket to promote competitive price offers!
On 24th July 2007, today, 4 major bookstores and a Singapore Penguin has reached to an agreement to resume the sales of the novel. Oh Yeah! Childish boycott last only a day. It really fast and effective! I salute to you!! I admires your decision making skill more than I love sexy chicks!!!
The Singapore Penguin also confirmed that selling the novel at the price RM 69.90 is at a loss. Now we see what I can quote from the TheStar Online newspaper.
Earlier, Penguin managing director Eddy Teo urged the hypermarkets to practise good business sense and fair trade.
“The public must understand that bookstores don’t make much profit because their source of income is only books while the range is diversified for hypermarkets,” he said.
He said bookstores had to worry about hypermarkets and other parties who did not have to provide a range of book titles but had the resources to price key titles very low and use them as “loss leaders” (items sold at a loss in order to attract customers).
He confirmed that books sold at RM69.90 were being sold at a loss.
First, he emphasized good business sense and fair trade but never clearly express the definitions of those. So it is a smelly rubbish sentence!
The rest of the sentences, we will need to do a little maths to justify it better. Let's pray I still remember on how to use a calculator...
I quickly browse into the world most well-known bookseller website, namely Amazon.com . Search for Harry Porter and The Deadly Hallows. Viola! I got a result and price at USD$17.99. Ok... make it USD$18.00 (USD$0.01 for the tips). Now, we need a currency converter! Okay! Can you see it? USD$18.00 = RM 61.2232 or we round it up to RM 61.30.
If Amazon.com is making profit with that price, I could not see any points that Carrefour and Tesco Malaysia selling it at RM 69.90 is at a loss. Now, you tell me who is the loser need to get lost and go back to Singapore for fuck sake.
Time to get real, my dearest booksellers. Although, I already banned you for life but herewith my 2 cents.
Market is based on the demand and supply. When a great supply and great demand exists in the market but nobody run into your shops, then it must be your problem. That is your damn fucking own problem!! Yes! I am the meanie! You are running a business and could not be as competitive as the others, who to be blamed? I would advice you to fire your Sales and Marketing Manager, let's double up the pay and hire someone who knows how to do business like those hypermarkets! Ok?
Stop threatening the readers, the consumers or your competitors. We are not idiots. Please do not make yourself looks like an idiot or get some idiotic species to stand by your side. It actually looks a lot more awful by doing so.
My last words to my dearest reader. Please make your wise purchase, you purchase from whoever got a valid license/permit, the author and the publisher will still get the same amount of profit. So, buying a cheaper but original novel does not show you are not a loyal fans! It helps to grow the economy if you can make your purchase wisely.
Happy Reading!