When I first opened Hiawatha Cyclery in 2005-06, my wholesale price on a standard B17 was $33 and retail prices were $75+. At that time, Brooks was being acquired by a new owner. That new owner, from my perspective, picked up on the fact that Brooks had become a boutique brand (partly thanks to Riv!) that would benefit from a high, exclusive price. The import/distribution channel also changed. Prices rose pretty dramatically at first during this transition, then stabilized and rose more slowly to the present $70-75 range for a B17 (wholesale price for US retailers, who have mostly kept a margins constant to sell at $110-120). The higher prices must be working because Brooks now has a huge variety of products they didn't have before. IMO, much of it is frivolous and way out of my price range, but the high cost of entry certainly adds an element of swankiness to the brand. I don't buy the ungodly expensive rain slickers and panniers and such, but I still think the saddles are a good deal.
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