JB Hi-Fi: if you can’t beat ’em – join ’em. Direct Imports available online

Our love for the best prices and recent trends towards online shopping have forced one of Australia’s largest ‘traditional retailers’ ‘ JB Hi-Fi to begin offering ‘grey imports’ direct from their website.

Clearly labelled as ‘Direct Import’ and available online only, JB is offering Digital SLR cameras, lenses and accessories for sale which will come direct from overseas distributors. There is no doubt there are bargains to be found here.  Looking at something like a Canon 1100D Twin Lens kit, retail is just under $800, Kogan online (Grey Import) is around $679 and JB Hi-Fi is just under $650.

Of course (and importantly) postage is on top of that. Plus, you have to wait. But is that a big enough deal to stop Aussie buying grey?

So, what does this mean for Australian retailing?  Will these deals mean you wouldn’t look at buying retail in Australia? Credit must be given to JB for their very clear disclosures – they list clearly terms like “grey market”, and they talk about the risks of having to wait for the delivery, electrical compatibility, and non-english manuals.  All things that you don’t see as clearly marked on other similar sites.

JB Hi-Fi Have gone to a lot of trouble to be very clear to differentiate these lines of products from their own, but make no bones about it, they are testing the waters here and if it works the flood gates will open and JB Hi-Fi will become one massive online grey importer. With a brand like JB Hi-Fi behind it that’s going to have some clout in the marketplace.

(Originally published by me @EFTM)