Steep and Cheap.

**gonzo** · 03-05-2005, 12:14 AM

How many others are fully addicted? It is my homepage now since I missed the O-Sin swallow tail and Anon goggles...still bitter. Too bad there is no commission - I have at least 5 friends that have bought shit on my referral.

Interesting marketing theory at play. Many of the friends I referred said they checked out the main site and now check the site regularly. I would be interested to see what the sales #s are on the steep and cheap site and what the main site's numbers have done since it was started. Even if you just break even on the specials, more volume will be created elsewhere, more catalogs sent out...

Good stuff guys!

...now how about an iPod jacket and probe!

edit: right now I am tempted to stay up for 40 more minutes to see what tomorrow has to bring...

**FollowMe** · 03-05-2005, 12:23 AM

Better be quick on the draw 'cuz I'm on it

.

**Ripzalot** · 03-05-2005, 01:34 AM

Rome Chronic Bag.

Material: 300D micro-ripstop, 150D poly lining
Volume: 4400 cu in
Hydration Compatible: Holds to canned beverages
Access Types: Top, side, bottom
External Pockets: One goggle, one drink, one passport pocket
Recommended Use: Daily snowboarding, travel
Warranty: Limited lifetime

Volume: 4400 cu in? WTF? Must be a BC thing.
Passport pocket? The perfect thing to be carrying in your "chronic" bag. Save time and hassles at the border. "Unh, sir, it's all right here in my chronic bag!"

**Samwich** · 03-05-2005, 02:14 AM

I was looking at that too. Pretty sweet deal, but the product description is pretty dumb. Hydration compatible? the pockets of my jeans can hold two canned beverages (actually, wearing my ski jacket and pants, my pockets can hold a combined load of 12 canned beverages. I know that because it was raining and the fucking box broke on the way home from the liquor store.), but I don't tell my friends that they're hydration compatible.

Maybe I should.

**SquawMan** · 03-05-2005, 08:19 AM

if they were smart (SteepandCheap) they'd have a daily email instead of expecting people to remember to visit the site every day

**gonzo** · 03-05-2005, 09:27 AM

Originally Posted by SquawMan

if they were smart (SteepandCheap) they'd have a daily email instead of expecting people to remember to visit the site every day

i think the point is to make people visit the site every day, so that could defeat the point.

**fez** · 03-05-2005, 10:04 AM

Originally Posted by SquawMan

if they were smart (SteepandCheap) they'd have a daily email instead of expecting people to remember to visit the site every day

They do have an RSS feed so firefox users can add a live bookmark.

there is another site like this, not ski specific though, more electronics and random crap. http://www.woot.com

**ScottG** · 03-05-2005, 10:43 AM

Originally Posted by gonzo

i think the point is to make people visit the site every day, so that could defeat the point.

Actually, the point is they want to sell out all of their overstock merchandise.

Daily email would help that. But only if you got it in time to get your item before it sells out.

Having you check the site means nothing, unless they want their hit count increased so they look bigger to their sources and their investors, and possibly someday get banner ad revenues from the traffic.
aha - that may be it - the old web page hit counter.

**gonzo** · 03-05-2005, 10:45 AM

Originally Posted by ScottG

Actually, the point is they want to sell out all of their overstock merchandise.

Daily email would help that. But only if you got it in time to get your item before it sells out.

Having you check the site means nothing, unless they want their hit count increased so they look bigger to their sources and their investors, and possibly someday get banner ad revenues from the traffic.
aha - that may be it - the old web page hit counter.

Ahhhh...I don't agree. Meh.

**yogachik** · 03-05-2005, 10:48 AM

I got my Giro 9 helmet yesterday and it fits perfectly. I'm also hooked on the site. Out of curiousity, how much were the Anon goggles?

**ScottG** · 03-05-2005, 10:53 AM

Originally Posted by gonzo

Ahhhh...I don't agree. Meh.

you confuse me, Gonzo.

I thought I was agreeing with you when you said they want folks to check the site every day.

Not all their shit sells out.
If an email spam caused more items to sell out, that is good, no??
more sales = more money.

But, what other reason do you see for forcing folks to check the site every day??
Web traffic is the only thing I can think of.

**gonzo** · 03-05-2005, 11:06 AM

No no - I agree that they want people checking their site, and I agree that they have excess inventory they are trying to unload, but I doubt everything they put on steepandcheap is overstocked. By getting people to come to the site they not only generate hits, but they also get people to think about it every day and worry that they are going to miss out on something if they don't check the site.

Also, they probably realize that spam email sucks. If they just wanted to unload excess inventory, spamming the largest possible number of emails would probably be the best bet, but I get the impression that they are taking this as an opportunity to craft their brand, which, as far as i can tell, is a combination of cool-patagonia-catalog & online-gear-sales domination. The site is very well constructed and managed, is extremely easy to use, lists everything that you missed when you didn't check the site, and is even gets traffic on the daily product message board. Plus, the stuff they put up tends to be quality gear and is evenly distributed male/female ski/snowboard/general activewear etc. I'm guessing it won't be long before every outdoor gearhead checks the site every day...

What I'm saying is that they seem to be gunning for, and are getting, vastly greater affects beyond increasing the hit count and unloading overstock.

Do any mags work in marketing there?

**Ty Webb** · 03-05-2005, 12:58 PM

i found steep and cheap this past monday. Since then, i havnt gone to bed before 2:00am (east coaster). My roomate is worried...

**lax** · 03-05-2005, 02:02 PM

i really wish i read that the item changes daily, goddamit tha giro helmet was exactly wahat i wanted

**bcbobcat22** · 03-05-2005, 05:05 PM

Its one of my RSS feeds on firefox....so sweet and easy as hell to check everyday. I got the snowshoes a few days ago, helluva deal.

**Platinum Pete** · 03-05-2005, 05:08 PM

steepandcheap is a lot like a site I visit daily: www.woot.com which is essentially the same deal, super discounted cool stuff available for one day only. woot is more gadget oriented and has hilarious copywriting.

**Son1cdeth** · 03-05-2005, 05:11 PM

I'm hooked like a crack addict too.

I also missed those Anon goggs. Anyone remember how much they were selling them for?

**gorms** · 03-05-2005, 05:13 PM

The goggles were $49.

I am also hooked and have been checking daily.

**ski_faster** · 03-05-2005, 05:24 PM

I check daily and so does my friend that bought an O-Sin and a Helmet now. His wife is starting to wondering what is going on since packages have been showing up at his door the last two Fridays.

**Beaver** · 03-05-2005, 07:44 PM

It sucks that they only ship UPS. UPS charges about 20% brokerage fee to bring shit into Canada.

**Big Blue** · 03-05-2005, 07:53 PM

Originally Posted by bcbobcat22

Its one of my RSS feeds on firefox....so sweet and easy as hell to check everyday.

OK, I'm stupid, but what's an RSS feed? I use firefox, but don't know about this.

**LaramieSkiBum** · 03-05-2005, 08:10 PM

Google is your friend - rss howto

**gonzo** · 03-07-2005, 11:31 AM

This morning my world was turned upside down. I check steep and cheap and see Fischer X-country skis for $200...then check again and see Smith Regulator.

First OJ, now this....

**phUnk** · 03-07-2005, 11:36 AM

By driving traffic to the website, they can get metrics on how many people are checking the site, what days, what time of day, how much do they surf once they are there, do they add the item to their carts and then bail on the purchase, etc, etc.

With a direct email, they miss out on a big part of that information gathering.

I bet they'll end up doing both eventually, just to cover all their bases. Kind of a shotgun approach.