Lee Valley & Festool

[Warren Wilson]

I saw the following odd message on the Lee Valley website. Anyone know anything about it?

Dear Customer,

Circumstances beyond our control have made it uneconomic to continue offering the FESTOOL line of power tools. While the associated accessories and supplies are also affected by the same external forces, we will continue to support the products already sold to the best of our ability.

We fully expect that this will be a relatively short-term problem, and hope to offer the complete line again soon.

In the meantime – we'd suggest that this is a good time to replenish your supplies!

Please accept our apologies for the unplanned interruption in service.

Lee Valley Tools Ltd.

[Jonathan Spool]

Most likely due to the weak status of the Canadian currency

[Rod Sheridan]

Most likely due to the weak status of the Canadian currency

That's my guess as well, imports are tough, great time to export..........Rod.

[Rich Harkrader]

The Canadians went all in on oil. The flop has not been kind to them...

[Steve Baumgartner]

And no doubt coupled with the way that Festool strictly dictates the prices charged for their products. LV got caught in the middle.

[Grant Wilkinson]

I don't see it on the website. Is it on the US site or the Cdn one?

[Don Kondra]

Festool is one of the main headers at the top of the Canadian page. If you click on it you get the message.

If you change your country to the US, it is not listed at all.

Cheers, Don

[Harvey Miller]

Was just at their Ottawa store. They've removed all their Festool power tool stock from the showroom. The only thing left on the shelves are consumables & some accessories.

[Timothy Shouldice]

Wow, sucks for anyone who had been planning on buying a Kapex come Feb. 1st when they were scheduled to be on sale.

[James Zhu]

Wow, sucks for anyone who had been planning on buying a Kapex come Feb. 1st when they were scheduled to be on sale.

There are other Festool Canadian dealers, http://www.festoolcanada.com/where-to-buy/buy-online/

I have not checked all the dealers, but elite tools and FMI Group still have the Kapex 10% off for Feb on their website. Maybe it is time to buy it, cause Festool might raise the price if the Canadian dollar keeps falling.

[Will Rowland]

I went by the Rockler in Houston last weekend to pick up some Dominos, and I was surprised to find out that Rockler has also stopped carrying Festool products, including consumables.

A bit of Googling around suggested that Festool was requiring Rockler to purchase, and maintain, high levels of inventories of the full Festool range of products - and Rockler balked at the prospect.

[Chris Parks]

Festool Australia has just had an exception granted by the government concerning price maintenance. From March or maybe April they will be allowed to tell the retailer(s) the minimum price the product can sell for. It makes sense in some ways where all the retailers play from the same level and one dealer cannot cut the others selling margin to shreds but it is tough on the user who must pay the Festool tax. I as a retailer never held sales as I think in the end they are counter productive, sell the product at a fair price and sales become null and void.

[Mike Chalmers]

The Canadians went all in on oil. The flop has not been kind to them...

That's a little simplistic. A couple of provinces (states in the USA) have a lot of their eggs in the oil basket, however, oil does not drive the total economy. Does it hurt some places? Sure. Is it the reason our dollar dropped? Not really.

It is, however, good to note that there is someone that realizes we Canadians do more than ice fish and cut trees.

[Kelby Van Patten]

That's a little simplistic. A couple of provinces (states in the USA) have a lot of their eggs in the oil basket, however, oil does not drive the total economy. Does it hurt some places? Sure. Is it the reason our dollar dropped? Not really.

The banks, economists, and CBC might disagree.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/cana...-say-1.2933280

[Mike Chalmers]

The banks, economists, and CBC might disagree.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/cana...-say-1.2933280

Just means our exports to you will be cheaper. We shall sell more and have a bigger market share of your economy. Cheaper gas and a resurgent industrial sector. Perhaps not the best situation, but, it could be a lot worse. Also remember we came back from the crash better than most in the world, including the US of A.

The down side is that the laguna 3HP cyclone I want is going to be going up in price. Just have to wait a little longer.