Tartan tat kings go Scottish

[slohairt]

it lies in the collective people in the area... the problem is that you'll almost ALWAYS have 1 or 2 people who are more interested in profit than the "collective good". That gives companies like the GB a foothold and it's all downhill.

Walmart can't get a foothold in Scotland and the people block them from opening stores when they try to come in. WIsh the sme could be done for the GB, but I fear they've too much power already.

It would be nice, but I'm sure that other merchants (of other unrelated products) feel it is "good" for tourism.

[highlander_Daz]

youll find very few Scots in the gold bros shops, mostly tourists, as far as renting/owning property the gold Bros money spends just as well as anyone elses, and its one thing they have plenty of.

as for Walmart the call them selves ASDA here

[gilmore]

it lies in the collective people in the area... the problem is that you'll almost ALWAYS have 1 or 2 people who are more interested in profit than the "collective good". That gives companies like the GB a foothold and it's all downhill.

...

I doubt that's it.

Not only are tourists buying Gold Brothers kilts, but so are what is probably the largest market for kilts among Scots: the Tartan Army. If you go to TA websites and look at the pics of the kilts, you will notice that by far the majority of them are Gold Brothers'. Their synthetic colors stick out like sore thumbs. You see almost no identifiable tanks, which is understandable. Who would want to subject an expensive kilt to the stains and rough housing that happens at football games and related event?

The Gold Brothers, like it or not, are giving Scots something they want: cheap, every day kilts.

[gilmore]

A brief perusal of the internet shows that Glen Isla Kilts did indeed manufacture kilts for the MOD, but little else. They do seem to have a business address in Motherwell, in Braehead Industrial Estate.

Does anyone have first or second hand experience with their kilts? What are they made of? What is the qualitiy of the workmanship?

[beloitpiper]

Sounds like the Gold Bros. are just coming into line with Stillwater and Frugal Corner. Why are we still complaining? People sing praises to SWK all the time.

[McClef]

Ah but you must appreciate location Greg.

We are talking of Edinburgh, Scotland's capital city and a major tourism venue upon which GB have fed. Few other places ( if any) in the whole world have such a concentration of tartan establishments.

We are talking of shops, not just online businesses. GB are trying to do what some other businesses do, attract as many people away from other shops as they can, see them close down through lack of business and then take over their market

Usually this would be throught the establishment of out of town shopping centres, or at least with the provision of free parking. That's not something they can do in central Edinburgh but I bet they would if they could.

Stilwater and Frugal are not, as far as I know, physically close in location to other kilt establishments. They are also open and upfront as to who they are are.

Free Enterprise is a wonderful thing when it's open and above board.

[jmercier]

For one Jerry at SWK doesnt try to pass off his wares as the genuine scottish handmade article upon unsuspecting tourists, or to sell cheaply made chincy junk on the royal mile. When people here praise SWK they're praising the value and service, but no one here will say that an SWK is even close to the quality of something that Geffory (Tailor) or Barb T or Matt Newsome or the like would produce. The GB on the other hand are claiming that their products are just as good and trying to drive the hard working custom kilt makers out of buisness.

[David Thornton]

I just re read some of our old "why do they cost so much" threads and everyone agrees it is possible to sell a kilt (a lot) cheaper if machine made and in mass. Well, isn't that exactly what is happening here? Really, If you don't like the guy, don't buy. But frankly I'm getting a bit tired of all this rant.

When you stop buying cheap knock off crap off ebay and deal only with local artisans, and fruit from central America and start buying only from local farmers (I could go on but you get the point), then come back and bash away.

David

[McClef]

With respect David, we are dealing with an almost unique situation.

Of course we need to be careful with ebay etc in our choices. But the tourists visiting Edinburgh are making purchase decisions on the spot and being mislead as to what they are buying, they will think that kilts are the same cost as a pair of breeks. They will think that anyone charging more is profiteering and won't compare like with like.

Even people with a budget deserve full information.

[Nick the DSM]

I dont think it'll ever end. Stateside-wise, I'd still go to stillwater for inexpensive kilts.