Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Smathers & Branson vs. That other needlepoint belt company

Sorry for the week long blogging hiatus. Work is super busy this time of year and I have not had a day off since Thanksgiving, so I haven't even had much time to read blogs let alone post, I'll try to be better though I promise!


This is an issue that has been bothering me for some time now. Right around xmas time last year a new "preppy" needlepoint belt company came on the scene. Initially I was excited with the idea since Smathers belts are generally too masculine for me and I just thought that something new could be cool. I also loved the idea of the needlepoint headband, finally something for the ladies, and the belts were selling at that time around $125 which is quite a jump from the smathers at $165. Of course this was right when the recession was really starting to hit home for people and price is always king. So of course the Tucker Blair belts were selling well. However, then a few months later Tucker Blair started selling the belts exclusively on their website for $80. This is the reason as stated on their website that they decided to move just to online sales.


we decided to pioneer a new type of distribution model where the retailer isn’t the one that gets the value - the customer does!  “Brick & mortar” stores are great if you’re strolling through Georgetown on an idle afternoon, but with them come substantial mark-ups, limited selection and other customers trying on what will one day be your belt

Now I am all for a competitive market and fair pricing but I do have a problem with debuting your line in stores, having them promote it for you and essentially being the only way that your target market will be exposed to your porduct, THEN underselling your retailers online. the headbands were originally selling for something like $75 in stores but $50 on the website. Now they list the headbands at $40 and they are on sale for $25. Now this is where when you claim that you have the "best product on the market" at "the best price possible" I find that hard to believe when you have substantially reduced the price 3 times. What that really means is you have a cheap product that you are marking up to mark down.

That is all well and good and I am sure most people will say "well who gives a hoot you are getting essentially the same idea (note not the same product) at a lower price". My real grievance comes on the design level. When you take a look at the belt designs of Tucker Blair in comparison to Smathers & Branson all he has done is copy their designs or the idea of the design and maybe change the colors.
Lets examine the evidence:

Smathers


Tucker



Smathers


Tucker


Smathers


Tucker


Smathers


Tucker


Smathers


Tucker


Smathers


Tucker


Smathers


Tucker

As you can see the evidence speaks for itself. Check out each of their websites to compare more for yourself Smathers & Branson    Tucker Blair . Every single belt theme that Tucker Blair has done is a knock off of the Smathers & Branson theme. I mean this guy is not even creative enough to come up with his own themes. Then when you look at the quality of the stitches (you can even see it online) the Stitches in the Tucker belts are not as tight so they make the images look a little distorted. As well the thread feels gross, like a bad wool sweater.

It gets worse:


Smathers Key Fob



Tucker Blair Key Fob
Ok so not only is he copying the idea of the key fob AND calling it the exact same thing he is also copying the exact same style with the leather tab AND look at the little SB in script inscribed in the leather that is the same as Tucker Blair's TB logo. Which leads to even more similarities Smathers & Branso, Tucker Blair both companies have two names and smathers is in Bethesda, MD Tucker Blair is in DC. Its just too much!


Smathers & Branson Dog Collar 

Tucker Blair Dog Collar



Smathers Headband


Tucker Blair Headband

Now in all fairness I will point out that Tucker Blair did come out with the headbands before Smathers & Branson but once again even though Smathers was late to the gate they have a far superior product.

So as you have seen Tucker Blair is nothing more then a knockoff of Smathers & Branson, buying a Tucker Blair belt is the same thing as buying a knockoff coach bag (expect they arent being sold on the streets of New York... Yet) you know how the C's just aren't right on the knockoff and the lining is a crap nylon, thats the same idea here.

 The one good thing that I will say that has come out of the tucker blair brand is that once it came on the scene it gave Smathers & Branson a kick in the ass and they came up with some new themes and products.


Needlepoint Wallet (Daddy is getting this for Xmas)


Needlepoint Flask (Going in Mummy's stocking, believe me she'll use it too)


I think the Mistletoe Cummerbund is hilarious and if I say a guy wearing this at a party I would fall in love immediately


Coin purse



Ladies Belt

I just think that is it really wrong for someone to scope out the success of another business and copy it almost exactly. There was not a hole in the market for fun needlepoint belts so there is really no need for Tucker Blair. He was just not smart enough to come up with his own business model so he stole someone else's. Smathers has done a great job with their brand and continue to make and sell a superior product at a fair price. I know they will outlive Tucker Blair and I hope their sales are soaring  as people purchase the original preppy needlepoint belt.









14 comments:

  1. I have a big problem with Tucker Blair considering that most of the stores that started with their product were "mom and pop" type places. Good for you for pointing out the quality differences as well.

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  2. I, for one, think Tucker Blair is ingenious...it seems like many huge publications think the same (just do a quick google search), while s&b is just a sleepy company run by a bunch of old farts...but that's just my opinion, and i hope you and your 31 followers agree with you, because Tucker Blair already has a following 100 times the size of s&b...maybe you can all keep the company alive while Tucker Blair dominates the marketplace full of consumers who won't want to pay hundreds for their products

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  3. LOL ^

    looks like you got JM's panties in quite a wad!

    I think this is a classic case of "you get what you pay for." I can't speak for their other products, but boy those headbands are uncomfortable. I haven't tried a S&B headband so I can't make a comparison. Great post.

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  4. Smathers & Branson has amazing quality! I just placed my first order from Tucker Blair and I am very excited! I never realized how similar the styles/motifs are to one another! xx

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  5. I have a couple tucker blair items, I bought them after they moved online and with the lower price. My belt hasn't had any problems, so I don't have any complaints about the quality. If the smathers and branson is nicer, great, let them charge $165 for it. Don't see what all the crying is about.

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  6. Everyone knows Tucker Blair totally ripped off Smathers and Branson. Smathers and Branson do it the best, period end of story. It's really sad that someone thinks they are creative and starts a whole company by literally just copying a well know, well established company. S&B will be here for the long haul!

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  7. Hahaha wow you totally hit a nerve with some people especially JM hahaha. Well I can't really speak for either except I do love my TB headband but I do agree that S&B are SO much nicer...I just don't have the money right now to afford it!!

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  8. Hate to say JM, but Smathers and Branson is run by two very adorable and extremely nice guys, not "old farts". I have met them both and they couldn't be more helpful or friendly.

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  9. Love the needlepoint ANYTHING! xoxo

    SC

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  10. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  11. WOW TWA - come out fighting. While well articulated and points clearly outlined, I'd say it's hard to place criticism on Taylor and his crew for some of the most widely known and seen American icons and themes: lobster, flags, jolly roger, nautical flags etc.

    It's the same argument people have made about Polo and his designs or Levi's and thier's - truly the best form of flattery and better for the industry overall.

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  12. Brian- I totally agree, "mom and pop" store front. Thanks for the comment

    JM- Tucker Blair is not ingenious he is just copy exactly, someone else's ingenious idea. I did a "quick google search" and the only HUGE publication that I found was a small weakly written puff piece in New York Mag, as well I dont believe the piece even appeared in the actual print copy but just online, also check out the comments sounds like not too many fans. I suggest that you do a "quick google search" on Smathers & Branson and you will find that they were in INC. magazine as 2 memebers of their top 30 UNDER 30 list.. thats right UNDER 30 so I would hardly say they are a "sleepy company run by a bunch of old farts" Dont kid yourself my friend not in Tucker Blair's wildest dreams will he ever be 100 times more successful then S&B I am confident his company will be a distant memory in a few years.

    BS- You crack me up! I couldnt agree more with you about the headbands

    Anon- No crying here, just pointing out how tacky your knockoff belts are.

    KAG- Thanks for stopping by, love you blog. I knew with your retail experience that you would understand what I am talking about. In addition I look forward to getting my hands on the castaway cord skirt with the embroidered pheasants soon :)

    KAC- You rock that headband girl! Cant wait to catch up when you are home for break.

    Beth- Nuttin' wrong with needlepoint. I think I might just have to learn how and make some of my own stuff soon.

    DAM- Big fan of your blog, you do great work over there at Southern Gent. Now I do see your point on the themes I understand you there. However, I would have liked to see tucker blair really do something new and different with the themes or maybe even have one original thought of his own and come up with his own theme, for at least one belt. I stand by my analogy of his belts with the knockoff pocketbooks you can buy off the street in NYC. He just has better packaging and you dont have to fly to NYC you can order them from the comfort of your couch.
    As for your comparison to polo and levi's I must respectfully disagree sir. I thought of a comparison of a brand that has done a good job of elaborating on a popular idea and adapting it to their own business model. Southern Proper.
    Now any prepster with half a brain knows that shep and Ian popularized the whimsical silk tie. However what southern proper did was take that idea and adapt it as their own. They have amazing themes, great colors and have brought that into headbands for woman and continue to expand. Those girls have done something right, they have almost no overlap with VV at all, they have taken one ingenious design and reinterpreted it to create their own niche market.

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  13. I tagged you on my blog! Smooches. xoxo

    SC

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  14. Wow, I had never realized that the similarities were so uncanny... Ok, this is needlepoint plagiarism! Have nothing negative against either company. Perhaps Tucker Blair can just start coming up with their own designs, that's all.

    JC Penney tried to come up with it's own "Polo" brand in the 80s. (Or was it Sears?) It was Le Tigre. OMG anyone who wore one of those shirts was immediately branded a loser! Yes, I was middle school and shallow and would not be caught dead with a Le Tigre on my shirt.

    Lots of knock offs in the 80s. Just like Sergio Valente jeans were no Calvin Klein. Sergio? Le Tigre? Yes, my point exactly. In the end the knock off gets knocked out!

    Yes, imitation is the most sincere form of flattery... but TB seems to not be imitating here, but copying... just saying... I do love me some needlepoint!

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