OK first of all Filofax do not like the use of the word 'discontinued' because in reality a model is phased out. It doesn't disappear over night. The remaining stock will be sold off no matter how long it takes.
For instance on Saturday we found a new Almond Deco in a shop in Glasgow. The price was reduced, and it was in perfect condition and it had a 2014 diary insert. The Deco hasn't been in the catalogue or the UK website for more than a year or so?
So things don't just vanish instantly a new model is announced. With the phasing in of new models as older ones are phased out gradually, the choice in the range remains quite big. It is not like a fashion house with this years and last years collection!
It is also worth remembering that different countries do not always have the full model range or at the same time, so certain colours might not be available in the first year in some countries but will be available longer than in other countries.
The old rule of 'if you like it buy it' naturally applies.. do not wait hoping that a particular model or colour will appear on the 'Last chance to buy' page.
I miss a few models may be, but I have plenty of the ones I enjoy owning and more importantly using, to not be concerned about the ones that I missed at some point in the past. After all they often come up for sale on Adspot....
It is understandable that Filofax phase out and replace their products. That is good business sense to encourage the market. We, as Filofax fans, need them to do this otherwise we could be looking at the company failing completely and then where would we be? So in response to your question, I am neither sad nor worried as I think it gives us a future to look forward to with the company, and, as you say, old models do continue to be available thanks to Adspot and other sales listings if you didn't manage to grab one while they were still current.
ReplyDeleteThe idea of an artisan Filofax factory continuously producing all the models each day and then scaling down production of old models to use a production line for a new one, is a romantic myth! Filofax don't make any organisers themselves and haven't for 20+ years. A single order for each model (excluding inserts which are still produced by Letts in Scotland) is placed with a third-party Chinese manufacturer (except The Original which is made by a satchel maker in the UK, including some Chinese components). The order is based on anticipated sales - say over 12 months. Sometimes the batch ordered is very small - such as The Journey. Only if the particular model sells well, will further orders be made and why subsequent batch(es) can be to a different standard from the first (such as The Malden). Sometimes, models are concentrated in certain markets (the Luxe for example) and stock moved around. Often forecasts are wildly overoptimistic and why unsold products spend months in the "last chance" section or are "dumped" for sale through TkMaxx. Personally, I think this all results in the range being far too large, with lots of very similar models, but it's what a lot of companies do these days.
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