On the subject of comparing its RRP to that of a Reign there are a couple of things to consider. 1. Comparison is made assuming the same business model We know YT does direct, Giant does not so should be more affordable, right? Not quite. Giant owns their factories and produce millions of bikes a year. R&D costs are set off against several models so too overheads and marketing expenses. The international site lists 24 bikes on the MTB side alone. YT has 8 counting alu and carbon seperate. To put that in perspective: there are more Reigns in Giant's line-up than YT has bikes in total! Just having your own factories give you a MASSIVE advantage as there isn't a supplier in the chain who needs to make his cut and lead times could be shorter (as you call the shots). Also Giant spec own brand gear that once again should come in cheaper than having to buy from a manufacturer who's core business it is to make money off that sale. 2. "Payment" We don't know when or how these bikes are paid for. Forward cover, paying in Eur, USD or Yen all make a big difference. 3. Landed Cost Most manufacturers have tier system in place with importers. If it's a shop (like William's who do Ibis) the volumes will be lower and therefor he will pay more than a full on distributor with a network of shops. We don't know what the YT SA's deal is. (And rightly so) 4. Apples and Oranges Giant make some fine bikes that don't stand back for the best of them. Quite often they ARE the best of them. But we are comparing a mass producer with a niche, boutique brand here. For starters we should be looking at Santa Cruz, Ibis, Yeti and the likes for a real like for like. 5. Stock Levels / Order Quantities Again, not sure what the deal is, but I would assume YT SA bring n smaller qty's and will have to do so more often. Giant does several containers full of stuff further reducing costs.
