R&R Sport

Does anyone know why they are called "Torpedo 7". It seems such a silly name! Torpedo maybe, especially if they have wetsuit/watersport origins. But what's with the 7? Was there a Torpedo 6? :)

@1strider - Yeah, nah ! Said to represent the online store being available 24/7. Started originally as a manufacturer & purveyor of bicycles. Saw opportunity to import and under-cut local market. Got dropped from magazine advertising & cold-shouldered by NZ bike industry pretty quickly. On-line was the way forward. Have since diversified beyond just cycling & also warehouse some stock to shorten delivery time. Or, you could try forwarding your query to Luke Howard-Willis in Hamilton direct, if you like ?. :) www.istart.co.nz/index/DOCC199/F114279

I'm not too angst-ridden about it ;) it just seems such an odd name, when R&R is obvious. But then again what does Apple have to do with the pip fruit industry:)

Steve Jobs was on a fruitarian diet. He'd just come back from an apple farm, and thought the name sounded "fun, spirited and not intimidating". Wozniak says. “We’re on the freeway, and Steve mentions, ‘I’ve got a name: Apple Computer.’ We kept thinking of other alternatives to that name, and we couldn’t think of anything better.” It also got them ahead of 'Atari' (a main competitor) in the phone book. @1strider. Just, sometimes, be aware that companies monitor web-sites. Twin Needle & Macpac, for example, won't hesitate to pull-up on something on a hunting forum. Not that anything defamatory has been said here. Just saying, you know ?.

Can I be bothered….Yeah why not. The name Apple Computer spells out exactly what it’s about. As time passed it is only natural that ‘Apple’ would stand out as a brand name in its own right……it still has nothing to do with the pip fruit industry. Torpedo7 has no such nominal legacy that it could be considered synonymous with its trade. It didn’t start out as Torpedo Fishing Products or Torpedo Swimwear to the point that it is so well known it can be considered a uninym. Macpac, Bivouac have all established their reputation and in my opinion stand on their own as single names. Torpedo7 is just a pretentious wannabe name. Mind you they do have their roots with the lycra brigade so I suppose it figures. Have I crossed the defamation line yet……I doubt it:)

Kathmandu can't do much monitoring, I'm still awaiting a cease-and-desist for suggesting their boots are only good for dog walking. BTW did anyone see the latest Kathmandu boot in Wilderness? $599 a pair, and the reviewer was...diplomatic.

@hutchk. Yeah, to both those. They've got to be careful not to piss-off their advertisers as well. I do know that some other outdoor forums posters get jumped on by companies that follow those boards. Doubt the Matthew would let it go that far ?. @1strider. Some names are harsh descriptive, like the 'Apple & Pear Board', or the 'Congress of the Chinese Peoples Tractor Factory #42'. Some names are purely random or meaningless, like 'Crest Commercial Cleaning' or 'ABC Partnership'. Some names are evocative, such as those decided by Steve Jobs or Luke Howard-Willis, or any number of model of car.

online shopping overseas is absolutely massive.. the online stores can essentially be wholesalers, they can have massive buying power they dont have to pay high rents of shops or add shipping cost to the shops into the retail price.. private courier packages going into australia is increasing at the rate of 30% a year because the overseas online shops are that much cheaper, despite the cost of shipping down under.. there still seems to be a decent market in selling through physical shops. but in NZ the shops dont have anywhere near the range thats available from online shops overseas. even looking at various brands available in NZ the range of items offered per brand by distributors is usually a very small percentage of what is available overseas. brands will ban exporting from online shops to overseas countries that they have distributors in. someone i spoke to who runs a commercial website. struggles to find enough advertising despite having up to 30,000 people who regularly view his website.. he says companies still prefer to advertise in magazines..

re online shopping I buy quite a bit from a well known Chinese outfit (cant name it due to risking being termed a spammer but its related to the 40 thieves) and have mostly been quite happy with the purchases. However I wont buy clothing as its too hard to get the size right and dont buy things that may need servicing in NZ. Take a paralell import into a local shop and they see straight away it isnt theres and do what they can to rush you out the door. Also some things are no cheaper. Why is it I can buy a car gps for under 50 bucks delivered or half what they cost here but the hand helds end up costing more than they are at the local sports shop?

because you are paying for the distributors marketing costs to promote a brand in NZ. they dont sell a lot, so to make a living theres a high mark up. the gear doesnt get shipped in bulk so shipping cost are higher. you buy from an online shop you are cutting out the local distributors costs and markup as well as the shops markup and costs... plus some brands are more likely to sell because of their name and reputation and arguable some distributors markup more based on the brand cache.. go to a large online shop and theres always a lot of gear on special. the savings can be pretty major... get last seasons gear and the unpopular colours for a fraction of the price.. kathmandu sale prices arent too bad for a shop., because they are the manufacturer, theres no middleman distributor or franchisee to make a markup. even major overseas brands can struggle here, berghaus and mountain hardwear, and columbia pulled out of NZ. torpedo7 have some columbia, not sure if they are selling off old stock or are the distributors. the market is reasonably tight here. if the big chain stores dont want your brand you're limited to smaller regional shops to sell what they can.. kathmandu are in almost every town and small shops can't compete with their price , so you end up with two markets. those few who will pay the massive prices for the top brands locally or those who just go to kathmandu or macpac or fco. and now a third market, those who can buy online overseas..