Real McCoy's / Joe McCoy's Jeans

[Broark]

I just noticed that all their products have been taken down on their website.

Weird.

[Max Power]

The last days I almost tried to order several RMC goods over rakuten until I realized this wasn't possible anymore. Yuichi also doesn't sell overseas anymore, as he told me.

[beautiful_FrEaK]

Well with the RMC shop in NY and also the new one in London soon, they might just want to sell their stuff at local prices. North America and Europe is covered this way.

 

Could one buy from take5 still?

[matt72178]

Can we have a source for that news Matt72178? The RMC Nagoya website still contains exactly the same information.

 

The Real McCoy Nagoya confirmed the news in Facebook

[matt72178]

Well with the RMC shop in NY and also the new one in London soon, they might just want to sell their stuff at local prices. North America and Europe is covered this way.

 

Could one buy from take5 still?

Take5 is no longer a dealer of The Real McCoy. The New one is named Incredible Shop.

[Max Power]

Too bad for those willing to buy via rakuten. It will take the same direction as Iron Heart with exclusive western retailers and high prices that don't reflect the Yen.

[matt72178]

We can still purchasing in RMC Nagoya through proxy.

[Geeman]

Take5 is no longer a dealer of The Real McCoy. The New one is named Incredible Shop.

I see that Take5 BKK has also changed its name, now Lee Public, any reason or connection with them both changing?

[kiya]

Real McCoy's have decided to cut off the western market from sales coming from Japan to give their stores in America and Europe a fair chance at selling the product at the prices they have to due to shipping/importing/duties/taxes.

Any brand that understands international business would do the same thing, it's what happens with nearly every large brand (Diesel, Levi's, etc..). 

[matt72178]

To Geeman,

Lee Public? I thought the new shop is "Me&Son". Take5 sometimes share their pictures on facebook.

Anyway, the news is totally predictable. I wish they can keep up the good work.

[setterman]

Sounds like it's time to take care of any direct from Japan purchases we've been putting off.  From what I've read the yen is about to level off and stay at current levels, to slightly below, through 2015.  More brands follow suit and cut off the western market, and jeans that we can currently get for $120 to $200 direct from Japan are going to jump up to $250 to $325 in the US.      

[Max Power]

Real McCoy's have decided to cut off the western market from sales coming from Japan to give their stores in America and Europe a fair chance at selling the product at the prices they have to due to shipping/importing/duties/taxes.

Any brand that understands international business would do the same thing, it's what happens with nearly every large brand (Diesel, Levi's, etc..). 

 

I hope that only applies to those stores that have all their gear available in the west. Would suck not to get japan exclusive stuff. And while I can see the reason behind that decision, the brands and stores should also ask themselves, why the western customers should pay the high prices while the Yen gets weaker and weaker and most brands / stores don't adjust their prices.

Edited December 2, 2014 by Max Power

[big truck]

It is quite possible that the stock was bought at a higher price yen wise than it is now. So a US or UK retailer reducing their prices would lose out. 

[Maynard Friedman]

Perhaps someone could invent a 'proxy' service to get around this issue!

[big truck]

I never thought of that! 

[exaptavist]

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Edited October 12, 2015 by hoggreaser

[itsbenhere]

Major shame. Guess I won't be getting any bucos... I wonder how this will turn out for them.

[exaptavist]

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Edited October 12, 2015 by hoggreaser

[itsbenhere]

^True... I'm sure there's going to be plenty more things for me to spend my money on in the meantime.

 

For me though, it's a shame because restricting japanese sales isn't going to encourage me to buy from overseas stockists... I just straight up won't buy new from anyone, because at a certain point the clothes are not worth that much to me.  Is it really helping anyone at that point?

 

Case in point, I was eyeing a flat head hoodie from self edge for literally years but I couldn't justify spending 400 on it.  Que pasa sales comes, I buy it, and I've literally been wearing it every day since.  But I still don't regret my decision not to buy (not just because it eventually went on sale!), because imo it aint worth 400!

[lance]

Too bad for those willing to buy via rakuten. It will take the same direction as Iron Heart with exclusive western retailers and high prices that don't reflect the Yen.

Completely agree with you, Max. When the Yen is strong, they use it as a rationalization for steadliy increasing prices. Yet when the Yen weakens, it's import taxes and shipping that keep prices high. Seems hard to justify having it both ways.

Edited December 2, 2014 by lance

[Foxy2]

I see that Take5 BKK has also changed its name, now Lee Public, any reason or connection with them both changing?

Take5 BKK was a partnership for a limited period of time - that time has come to an end and it appears that both parties were not interested in extending the partnership...

[itsbenhere]

^agreed, but what's cool is that I know IHUK at least dropped their prices since they realized that the yen was steadily decreasing (and they predicted it wouldn't increase in the future as well.)

 

But this was a while ago, and I don't think they've done it again since the most recent major drop in yen value.  

[setterman]

For me though, it's a shame because restricting japanese sales isn't going to encourage me to buy from overseas stockists... I just straight up won't buy new from anyone, because at a certain point the clothes are not worth that much to me.  Is it really helping anyone at that point?

 

^This.  Cutting customers off from direct sales isn't going to send them to a US store where they can pay $150 more for a pair of jeans, so as to cover the cost of a store front that's hundreds (if not thousands) of miles away from them and they'll never step foot in.  They'll just say "fuck it" and buy something else.         

[exaptavist]

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Edited October 9, 2015 by hoggreaser

[exaptavist]

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Edited October 9, 2015 by hoggreaser

[LFC4ever]

And Kapital. Got a very aggressive reaction when I pointed this out a year ago.

Thing is this market segmentation and control usually attempted when a brand wants to move from "cult" or niche to mainstream global rarely works. I mean all you do is piss off the core base and rely then on marketing to the new segment and getting them to pay inflated prices. Which essentially means you're selling fashion and restricted exclusivity more than anything else and that's not a basis for longer term success. In fact it would put me off the brand. More than ever markets are global and controlling pricing by geography is outdated and detrimental to the brand unless you just want to squeeze short term profits at the expense of longer term market share. I believe the local distributors deserve the opportunity to demonstrate local value add on their own terms why not give them a better deal and allow them to compete effectively in their local markets and demonstrate their customer service and expand that way instead of his short term squeeze every penny out of the consumer approach. And in this instance it's the brands and manufacturers who are at fault.

[mikkadehachikai]

I could write a dissertation, I guess, on the things I do not like about some brands with great products. In regards to the Real McCoys, every time I visit their Shibuya/Harajuku store and would like to try a shirt or a sweat - I am asked to get changed not in a dressing room but in the middle of the shop in order for the clerk to verify that I wear an undershirt on me. Working in the service industry here, this attitude beggars belief. And I make a purchase every second visit - first time, I check how it fits, second time I buy.  Flat Head - aggressive usage of  brand logos and prints all over the products, some outdated website and product availability verification system. Going to the Hachioji store, some times I am made to wait 10-15 minutes to get the attention of the clerk who likes to talks with all old timers. How hard is to understand - I would like to buy this in that size, please have it for me in store to see how it fits, I cannot buy just only based on a size. Warehouse - great, you have a webstore, it would be greater if you indicate the materials of the products, even greater if one could use a credit card and or a money wire and greatest if you could reply to mail inquires. Iron Heart - well, if you could somehow get this function on Rakuten where the customers willing to buy a certain size get notified when a sold-out size gets back in stock, it would be great.

Just top of my head. All in all, great products, amateurish approach to the contemporary retail (prevalent throughout the Japanese export industry, I hasten to add.) 

[Sugar Mountain]

In contrast to your account, I've had great experience of instore shopping and browsing with The Real McCoy's, Warehouse and The Flat Head. In each store, the staff were friendly, attentive and did not pressure me at all. This was in Osaka but I don't think it's appropriate to make such sweeping generalisations about the brands based upon your negative experiences in Tokyo.

 

This has certainly been an interesting development. I ordered from RMC Nagoya only a couple of weeks back and must have just snuck in there. All the more reason to travel to Japan and try before I buy, although thankfully Incredible Shop here in town is building up their stock of McCoy's and offers near enough JP prices.

[aho]

I can only speak to Osaka as well but all of the stores I went to went above and beyond in helping me (WH, FH, RMC, etc.) but I'll be in Tokyo next month so I'll let you know how that goes

[Sugar Mountain]

And Hong Kong?