AES closing

[w4bfs]

Amateur Electronic Supply closing after 59 years

[W2PFY]

Why, Low sales volume? People got old and the children didn't want it? Prices too high and you can get the stuff real cheap from China? They are going to be required to pay 15 bucks an hour and their margins will be too small?

I need to know

[Pete, WA2CWA]

The power and expertise person behind all their sales and marketing retired in 2013.  Profit margins on amateur radio equipment were never that great. And sometimes, as an owner, you just get tired of working and want to spend your later years just doing fun things or things you didn't have time to do because you were always worrying about the bottom line. Milwaukee main store and, "x" number of employees, is going over to Ham Radio Output.  Life goes on.

[W2PFY]

Thanks Pete,

Profit margins on amateur radio equipment were never that great.

Must be the same thing at Ham Radio Outlet  in NH. I had a burned out item and wanted my money back. They would not refund me but gave me a new replacement which was satisfactory. I have done business with them since so when you deal with these outfits, it's important to find out about their terms on big ticket items.

[Pete, WA2CWA]

I would suspect, although I have no direct knowledge, that HRO, with 13 stores nationwide (and the Milwaukee store being #14), probably gets a better dealer price from the major manufacturers due to volume ordering then the single retailers and probably even AES with 4 stores. Some major manufacturers may even require minimum purchase amounts (like $50K, $100K,etc. per order) in order to qualify for a better purchase discount which would leave many retailers (not enough volume to justify) out in the cold. So a place like HRO can act as "wholesaler" to the smaller retailers and still make their margins. It also provides them the pricing flexibility (sale pricing/discounts, etc.) with end-user customers (you and me).

[W3GMS]

I have been an AES customer for years and have always been very well pleased with their customer service.  Pricing has been virtually the same and in some cases better than HRO.   Sorry to see them fade away, but as Pete said, maybe they just want to retire and do other things.  My sales experience with HRO has not been bad, but just not that great. 

Saying that, they are the biggest one around now but I will still check out Universal Radio and some of the smaller outlets when I get the urge to get something new which I have done in the last several years.  Over the last few years AES got our sales on a Kenwood TS-590S along with a Yaesu 857D for HF mobile use.  Bought a couple of Kenwood TM-281A one to keep  and the other one to gift to someone.  Love  Larsen VHF antenna's so bought a bunch of them as well as some Hustler VHF antennas for my repeater.   

Joe-GMS     

[KB2WIG]

Sometimes its best to spend a few dollar$ more and buy from a smaller 'dealership'.

Watt happens when there's only two or three places to buy things? OPEC comes to mind.

klc

[Jim, W5JO]

Sometimes its best to spend a few dollar$ more and buy from a smaller 'dealership'.
Watt happens when there's only two or three places to buy things? OPEC comes to mind.

I suggest take a look at R&L Electronics in Hamilton, OH.  I just bought an IC-7300 from them and am very pleased with their service and prices.  They are very competitive.

[Pete, WA2CWA]

On big ticket rigs, there generally isn't much, if any, price sway between dealers since profit margins on this stuff is low.

[W6TOM]

 One thing I LIKED about AES was that they didn't charge PRK (Peoples Republik of Kalifornia) sales tax, here in the PR of Alameda County just shy of 10%. HRO on the other hand is a PRK company, I actually recall speaking with the founder at the Oakland store years ago.