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The Raspberry Pi store is much cooler than an Apple Store

techcrunch.com

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Re: The Raspberry Pi store is much cooler than an Apple Store

#61

Post by Tor3 »

tsumnia wrote: post #29

Because this headline demands a cynical response - this isn't cooler than Apple, its cooler than RadioShack. Also, why the couch? Unless there are some coding camps at the location, I can't imagine someone (even a parent) coming in and needing to sit down. Maybe an experienced sales associate that maps out the types of activities that can be done, but I doubt that as well.

> Also, why the couch?

I love shops with couches or comfy chairs. And every shopping mall should have them, spread around. If I can't sit down now and then I don't stay there for very long - I need to get out of there. Another poster mentioned that he never shopped together with his SO - he goes to his shops, she goes to her shops. That's fine when you're in your own town. That doesn't work so well when you're visitors to an unfamiliar city. And I hope to go to Cambridge reasonably soon. With my wife.

Re: The Raspberry Pi store is much cooler than an Apple Store

#63

Post by IshKebab »

Spivak wrote: post #28
LeoPanthera wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's 5 dollars for one . If you want 2-5, it's $10 each, and if you want 6+, it's $15 each. This is exactly my point. It's asinine to advertise it at $5. If you don't live near a physical Microcenter, it's not even $5 for one, because they charge shipping too.

I don't know any stores that include shipping on their price tags. But you're right, the Zeros are so popular that the MSRP of $5 is difficult to achieve without them being constantly sold out. Hard to blame the market for correcting, they're worth way more than $5.

That's not how economics works! If they aren't making a loss at $5 then by now they have had plenty of time to ramp up production to meet demand (and save money since more production means lower costs).

The fact that they haven't strongly implies that they are selling it at a loss.

Re: The Raspberry Pi store is much cooler than an Apple Store

#64

Post by dom96 »

lrem wrote: post #55
Nursie wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Some of the alternatives (Orange Pi Zero in particular) might be a good option... They have more powerful hardware too, AFAICT, though the mainline linux support isn't as good. (Although looking at that now, the cheapest board is still about $9)

See, being able to run "just Linux" is about the main selling point of RPi. It's no secret you can get boards with better performance/price or performance/power, or even build your own RPi at a lower price (not sure about zero). But RPi being just "plug and play" with familiar software platform means that I can just go and link my software skills with physical doohickeys.

> even build your own RPi at a lower price

How would you go about doing that? Any guides out there for something like this?

Re: The Raspberry Pi store is much cooler than an Apple Store

#65

Post by simonh »

jldugger wrote: post #41
sswu wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This post on the forums [0] is the best answer I've read yet. They sell the Pi Zero (W) at such a low price to promote the platform for educational and non-commercial purposes. However, the margins are so low at that price that they cannot afford to sell in bulk. They apparently do offer bulk buys (>500 [1]) at higher prices. The few options to buy multiple are to buy kits (which basically pass that bulk pricing in t…

> However, the margins are so low at that price that they cannot afford to sell in bulk Typically, ordering in bulk is how you _support_ low margins, by amortizing all the various fixed overheads. What I suspect you mean is 'the margins are negative, and we're hoping to make it up via attach rate.'

I don't think they're planning to make it up at all. I think the point is to make the entry price for beginners and people on low income as affordable as possible. I think people here complaining they can't order them in bulk at $5 or assuming there's some clever business scheme behind it all are kind of missing the point.

BTW has anyone here found the 'introduction video' Techcrunch mentions in the article, that they say makes such a good case for the store? The only one I can find is the music video one that really doesn't make a case for anything. Unless that's the one they mean? Confused.

Re: The Raspberry Pi store is much cooler than an Apple Store

#66

Post by stan_rogers »

benj111 wrote: post #56
laumars wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> this isn't cooler than Apple, its cooler than RadioShack. Arguably it could be cooler than both. You’re making an arbitrary distinction where one isn’t needed. Plus we never even had RadioShack in the UK (maybe Maplins might have been more apt? But I think the Apple comparison serves the authors point quite fine). > Also, why the couch? Plenty of shops in the UK have seating. It isn’t that weird at all. > Because t…

"we never even had RadioShack in the UK" We did kind of . Tandy was basically RadioShack, they even sold RadioShack branded products. I would like to say that it rebranded as RadioShack towards the end, but I cant find any evidence of that. So that's probably just my failing memory.

Tandy and Radio Shack are the same company. On this side of the pond, Tandy was the brand for a leatherworking hobby shop run by the company, while Radio Shack was electronics; you'd usually find a Radio Shack and a Tandy store next door to each other in the sixties and seventies.

Re: The Raspberry Pi store is much cooler than an Apple Store

#68

Post by adrianN »

sswu wrote: post #38
LeoPanthera wrote: post #2

I wonder if they will sell you more than one Raspberry Pi Zero? The Zero is advertised as being $5, and it makes me angry every time, because it's not possible to buy it at that price. Every Pi retailer either has a one-per-customer limit, and charges shipping, or, charges up to $15(!) per Zero if you buy more than one. So it's essentially a $15 device being advertised as $5. I shouldn't be so annoyed about it, but I…

This post on the forums [0] is the best answer I've read yet. They sell the Pi Zero (W) at such a low price to promote the platform for educational and non-commercial purposes. However, the margins are so low at that price that they cannot afford to sell in bulk. They apparently do offer bulk buys (>500 [1]) at higher prices. The few options to buy multiple are to buy kits (which basically pass that bulk pricing in t…

If they can't afford to sell in bulk, the margins are actually negative.

Re: The Raspberry Pi store is much cooler than an Apple Store

#69

Post by michaelt »

gambiting wrote: post #52
owaty wrote: post #40

How are they going to afford the rent and salaries? Besides being very niche, their margins must be very low.

Isn't the whole raspberry pi company set up as a foundation/charity? They probably take a loss on the store to promote the idea.

Right, but resources they spend running a loss-making store are resources they don't get to spend on other opportunities that might better advance their foundation's goal.

Staffing a shop with skilled EEs could get expensive fast.

Re: The Raspberry Pi store is much cooler than an Apple Store

#70

Post by fnord123 »

jldugger wrote: post #41
sswu wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This post on the forums [0] is the best answer I've read yet. They sell the Pi Zero (W) at such a low price to promote the platform for educational and non-commercial purposes. However, the margins are so low at that price that they cannot afford to sell in bulk. They apparently do offer bulk buys (>500 [1]) at higher prices. The few options to buy multiple are to buy kits (which basically pass that bulk pricing in t…

> However, the margins are so low at that price that they cannot afford to sell in bulk Typically, ordering in bulk is how you _support_ low margins, by amortizing all the various fixed overheads. What I suspect you mean is 'the margins are negative, and we're hoping to make it up via attach rate.'

I think they misspoke. I think they didn't mean bulk but really "retail" or "commercially". i.e. small number of units to large number of customers vs. large number of units to small number of customers.
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