To think if a product was any good it would be sold in shops

[LaurieFairyCake]

The only thing I've ever bought that was good was Avon Glimmersticks and I could easily have bought other good eyeliners in shops.

So basically I'm saying all direct marketing is a pile of poo

mumsnet merchandise?

Agree, but there are exceptions. What about the Brazilian Keratin kits from Amazon, they are amazing, with endless glowing reviews yet major retailers don't stock them.

I'm convinced that Boots don't stock them because they'd make vast shelves full of products redundant. Boots have a vested interest in UK women having shit hair :)

I don't know about any merchandise apart from books and I think you can get them on amazon

Many major retailers take such a large cut that if you've little margin in your great product it's not worth selling through them. Lots of companies are better off selling fewer units but making a higher % profit of each one

Whenever I see anything on QVC that's supposed to be a miracle product I do find myself thinking 'well how come you're the only ones selling it?'

Laurie there's a whole range of MN stuff now. I'm sat here in my YABU t shirt whilst drinking coffee from my YANBU mug. I like to mix things up a bit.

I'm always suspicious of things that are apparently miraculous but only sold in one place too.

"Whenever I see anything on QVC that's supposed to be a miracle product I do find myself thinking 'well how come you're the only ones selling it?'"

I've been with QVC from when it started and a lot of their once exclusive products are now stocked elsewhere.

I think that QVC UK benchmark products because they can always send them back to QVC US and not lose out.

Department stores don't have that option.

What becomes available in the shops and how it is backed up by advertising/marketing doesn't happen by accident.

I liked the piss take of the Board Meeting of the Magazine staff in Absolutely Fabulous, but It was probably somewhat true.

Cheaper version always are going to become available on the kitchen ware etc.

I agree that if some shops had to market some of the products they would be pointing out what is wrong with what they are currently selling and how we have been being conned.

With the beauty products it's just a matter of what suits. But we choose based largely on Advertising.

I like some of the Avon stuff, for that price range.