3M pricing policy strikes again

[reQ]

Don't know how about you guys in US, in Canada, we just received another price increase notification from ND Graphics. Then called other 3M suppliers and all of them are doing the same, saying that the canadian dollar keeps declining.
Its poor excuse on 3M end, since CAD is still at 0.80 mark and never moved up or down more than 3 cents lol.

Its 3rd price increase from 3M since January lol, none of other brands increased their price more than once per year. Not mad anymore about that BS going on with 3M... i think next year they will be increasing price 6 times per year.

 

[CanuckSigns]

Don't know how about you guys in US, in Canada, we just received another price increase notification from ND Graphics. Then called other 3M suppliers and all of them are doing the same, saying that the canadian dollar keeps declining.
Its poor excuse on 3M end, since CAD is still at 0.80 mark and never moved up or down more than 3 cents lol.

Its 3rd price increase from 3M since January lol, none of other brands increased their price more than once per year. Not mad anymore about that BS going on with 3M... i think next year they will be increasing price 6 times per year.

3m has more price increases than any other company I know of, never a decrease when the CAD goes back up to par though, funny how that works isn't it?

 

[Bob Rochon]

I've made lot's o money with 3M products. Just a reminder, 3M products don't fail like another brand did quite a few years back. Doesn't matter to me, the customer pays for the material.

 

[CanuckSigns]

I've made lot's o money with 3M products. Just a reminder, 3M products don't fail like another brand did quite a few years back. Doesn't matter to me, the customer pays for the material.

3M has one of the worst price to quality ratios i've ever seen! I've seen more than my fair share of failures from 3M, not to mention contaminated rolls, rolls of laminate that are 10-15 yards shorter than advertised, the list goes on. you are paying for the name on the backer paper.

I would say Oracal has the best track record in terms of quality products, and they are less expensive than 3M.

 

[reQ]

1) rolls of laminate that are 10-15 yards shorter than advertised

2) I would say Oracal has the best track record in terms of quality products, and they are less expensive than 3M.

Agree on both points... laminate length is ongoing problem. As for orafol, its more expensive right now compare to 3M but i love it... BUT customers like 3M label, even if they don't understand the product *Its 3M, its gotta be awesome right?*

They make good materials, not super duper awesome materials, just good materials. They have portion of fail on their own like any other brands does. Their marketing is awesome and its why they can increase prices every few months i guess

 

[Bob Rochon]

I don't have much experience with inkjet media being 3M but as far as cut film and thermally printed film, 23 years with only one failure and that was a shorter than advertised life on Magenta. I guess if I was shorted 15 yards of material I'd be upset too.

 

[Gino]

Who cares about the price of 3M...... eggs are going up in price all around our country.

Next week it will be gasoline and then metal buckets.

Just charge accordingly..... all the others do.

 

[reQ]

Just charge accordingly..... all the others do.

For sure. I just don't enjoy telling people 3 times per year why prices are going up & listening to some of them complaining lol

 

[Gino]

For sure. I just don't enjoy telling people 3 times per year why prices are going up & listening to some of them complaining lol

In a little while, I'm gonna go into the pricing category to address this. I'll continue it, so it kinda acts like.... 'in addition to'. Right now, I have something else I hafta do, but I'll be back.

 

[reQ]

In a little while, I'm gonna go into the pricing category to address this. I'll continue it, so it kinda acts like.... 'in addition to'. Right now, I have something else I hafta do, but I'll be back.

Well, link me to it when you will do. I will read.

 

[shoresigns]

Don't know how about you guys in US, in Canada, we just received another price increase notification from ND Graphics. Then called other 3M suppliers and all of them are doing the same, saying that the canadian dollar keeps declining.
Its poor excuse on 3M end, since CAD is still at 0.80 mark and never moved up or down more than 3 cents lol.

Its 3rd price increase from 3M since January lol, none of other brands increased their price more than once per year. Not mad anymore about that BS going on with 3M... i think next year they will be increasing price 6 times per year.

CAD has declined 15% in the past year. Don't know where you're getting your info from.

What I don't understand is why that's an excuse for a 30% increase across the board in most of our material costs, all in the span of about 1 year.

 

[Pagan]

3m price

Try AVERY 1050 Ez combo vinyl and lamination Around $790.00 as good
or provable better around curve,channels and complicated rivet than
3m.

 

[Phil Swanson]

Its easy to say "Just raise your prices" but i feel that I have an obligation to my customers to try to keep my prices reasonable.Working in a small community I know that a lot of these small companies are struggling too and some of these customers are actually my friends. I don't think that saying "screw them , let them pay for the increase!" is the answer. I haven't used 3M for 15 years because of their pricing and haven't had any problems.

Orical baby

Just because the CEO needs another $100k raise 3M throws it at the little people to make it up.

 

[Snydo]

3M has one of the worst price to quality ratios i've ever seen! I've seen more than my fair share of failures from 3M, not to mention contaminated rolls, rolls of laminate that are 10-15 yards shorter than advertised, the list goes on. you are paying for the name on the backer paper.

I would say Oracal has the best track record in terms of quality products, and they are less expensive than 3M.

I agree 100% with what you say. 3m does have some decent cast products but you pay a premium for them. The low end calendered stuff is utter garbage. Oracal has a way, way better track record in our shop.

 

[Snydo]

http://www.marcgunther.com/what-kind-of-company-is-3m/

The first paragraph, 55,000 products in over 200 countries, $23 billion in revenues in 2009. Wonder how much of that is vinyl sales?

 

[Gino]

Its easy to say "Just raise your prices" but i feel that I have an obligation to my customers to try to keep my prices reasonable.Working in a small community I know that a lot of these small companies are struggling too and some of these customers are actually my friends. I don't think that saying "screw them , let them pay for the increase!" is the answer. I haven't used 3M for 15 years because of their pricing and haven't had any problems.

Orical baby

Just because the CEO needs another $100k raise 3M throws it at the little people to make it up.

Yes, perhaps that is true, but are you being fair to your customers ?? We use quite a bit of OraCal and it has failed on a few occassions, and OraCal let us sit. They did nothing to help. We ended up replacing at our own cost out of pocket replacement. There are others that have done this, too. However, anything connected with 3M has always been replaced and then some if 3M was the common denominator.

I'm not saying to just throw your prices up for the sake of giving someone a raise or a company making money needlessly, but those are the very reasons we raise our prices at our shop. Our overhead increases due to insurance rates going up, maintenance going up, salaries/wages going up, taxes going up, healthcare and so many other reasons, but we still raise prices. As long as our products, service and craftsmanship stay par, there is no reason to question it. Go shop at a shop with less costs and see if you get the same results. If you do, good for you, if not, so be it.

 

[Phil Swanson]

Yes, perhaps that is true, but are you being fair to your customers ?? We use quite a bit of OraCal and it has failed on a few occassions, and OraCal let us sit. They did nothing to help. We ended up replacing at our own cost out of pocket replacement. There are others that have done this, too. However, anything connected with 3M has always been replaced and then some if 3M was the common denominator.

I'm not saying to just throw your prices up for the sake of giving someone a raise or a company making money needlessly, but those are the very reasons we raise our prices at our shop. Our overhead increases due to insurance rates going up, maintenance going up, salaries/wages going up, taxes going up, healthcare and so many other reasons, but we still raise prices. As long as our products, service and craftsmanship stay par, there is no reason to question it. Go shop at a shop with less costs and see if you get the same results. If you do, good for you, if not, so be it.

Thats true Gino, well said. I guess I was venting a little. Its always a little difficult to tell your customers prices are going up again for whatever reason but first and foremost we have to make our profit to stay in business. I think the hardest pricing ( for me anyways) is the non profit organizations like the Little League, Vol. Fire Dept. ect.
I have donated some jobs to these type of organizations but that is a slippery slope! That word gets around fast!

 

[Gino]

Thats true Gino, well said. I guess I was venting a little. Its always a little difficult to tell your customers prices are going up again for whatever reason but first and foremost we have to make our profit to stay in business. I think the hardest pricing ( for me anyways) is the non profit organizations like the Little League, Vol. Fire Dept. ect.
I have donated some jobs to these type of organizations but that is a slippery slope! That word gets around fast!

Cost of doing business goes up, several times a year. Our water bill is almost $500 a month. I remember when it was under $30 a month. Health insurance has skyrocketed over the last 2 decades. Life insurance is also soaring. Security and fire alarm contracts go up every year and so do taxes. The list goes on, so we raise our prices yearly also...... to stay in business.

Non-profit and other charitable organizations usually have plenty of money, they just don't pay state taxes, if they are registered as such. Where you're going wrong there is..... don't advertise on the banner or board that this whatever was donated by such & such sign shop. That's silly and dangerous. If you advertise doing things for free, you'll be obligated to do all kinds of things for free or become labeled prejudiced. You could even suffer legal ramifications.

Hey, why did you do their sign for free, but you won't do mine ??

I donate to whomever I want and it stays between me, the recipient and God. That's all that has to know you did a good deed. In my opinion, it's no longer a good deed or from the heart, if you hafta advertise it. Even if it isn't from the heart and you're trying to get your foot in the door, don't advertise it, unless you're prepared to take an onslaught of freebie people.

 

[player]

All the MBA CEO's and their henchmen are making salaries in the millions with huge pensions and multimillion dollar severances, while they have everyone else scurrying around like rats. I don't donate a nickel for any cause anymore.

$500 donation... Maybe buy the CEO breakfast. $5000 donation...Maybe 1 hour of his time. $50,000 donation... pay for his travel expenses for 1 trip.

 

[Phil Swanson]

Don't get me wrong Gino, I certainly don't advertise that I am donating to a cause or charity but somehow it seems to get around anyways. People don't actually ask for a donation sometimes but when they say that they want something like you did for XYZ (witch was a donation) you kinda know what there getting at.

 

[Gino]

Do you sign down in the corner...... sign courtesy of - - - - company.... or say, sign donated by so & so ??

When sending the invoice, do you say sign is No Charge ??