Filson Brand - Not a Good Start

[Brian_B]

If you were a Bronco brand manager you’d be looking for a new job fast. ;-) See the stats: less than 15% of buyers ever take the vehicles off-road, and only 15% of sales are manual transmission. I get your wants, but they’re for the enthusiast, not the broader market. Which is cool. Be glad you got an Everglades when you did.

I'd have to agree with this.

Three years ago, I could count on one hand the number of Broncos driving around my area. And most of those were Sports.

Today - they are all over. Not quite Jeep or Tacoma or Subaru levels of ubiquity, but getting closer every day. And most of them are still 100% stock, maybe with a Sasquatch or NPS bumper sticker or something, taking slow Sunday drives through the mountains. I've only ever come across like 3 other Broncos on a trail, ever, to date - and 2 of those 3 are active on these forums.

Trim levels are all over the place - up to and including Braptors. Two and Four doors are both pretty well represented. Lots of painted hard tops now, the soft top which was almost universal 3 years ago is now a rarity. But yeah, I would say that 15% off road figure is probably pretty close to what I would guess based on what I'm seeing in my neck of the woods.

Can't say how many are manuals off hand - I only know of 1 other for certain, but they definitely aren't common. I would be surprised if it were as high as 15%, and would expect something in single digits.

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[HalfmuleFarmer]

We often were filling orders for Sears, Ace and True Value hardware stores. Same wagons and wheelbarrows, we were just stenciling their respective names on them instead of Radio Flyer.

In the grocery business, this is called “store brands”—the tomato sauce labeled Ralph’s or Vons or whatever. The reality is, just like your wagon, the sauce is made by Classico or Barilla or whoever, and they’re selling it to the grocer, who undercuts their price on the SAME product, with their store brand. They reach an agreement on numbers and shelf placement and promotions, and for the sauce maker, this loss of revenue becomes just another cost of business to gain access to the customer.

What’s happening with Ford and Filson? It’s really just Ford licensing the name, and Filson helping a bit with materials and aesthetics. I’d wager +95% of the work has been done by Ford’s design team. For the customer they are after, which is obviously not a lot of us, the Filson brand has some cachet. The people here who chime in “never heard of Filson” are proving the point — it’s not the B6G audience they’re after.

 

[Imaginary Friend]

If you want an indestructible bag, go with these guys (brace yourselves for pricing): https://duluthpack.com/

I recently read a post (which lead to a heck of a story) on FB where one of their canoe packs was found washed up in Minnesota's Boundary Waters Canoe Area. Turned out the pack's contents were intact and the bag was largely so, and they were hoping to reunite it with its owner. The owner was found, and it was learned that he was in a group that was canoeing and encountered a severe storm that claimed at least one canoe and all contents. The bag had been underwater for over a year. Duluth Pack said they would repair any damage free of charge, as per their normal terms.

 

[Inthenoise]

Looking at the point of failure, that looks like a questionable choice of materials/method. Maybe after all the Yellowstone product placement, Filson is breathing their own fumes a bit and believing the name tag will make physics go away.

 

[Brian_B]

In the grocery business, this is called “store brands”—the tomato sauce labeled Ralph’s or Vons or whatever. The reality is, just like your wagon, the sauce is made by Classico or Barilla or whoever, and they’re selling it to the grocer, who undercuts their price on the SAME product, with their store brand.

On the manufacturing side, they call it "white label" or "private label".. and yeah, it comes from the exact same production line. Just different sticker on the can. They make money on both, just higher margin on the Brand name. There are entire businesses that do nothing but private label and do very well at it.

 

[TooMuchWombat]

It's annoying, sure, but they'll absolutely replace that bag without much hassle. No manufacturer of anything has a 0% failure rate. Way easier warranty remedy than you'd get on your Bronco (or any vehicle really).

 

[userdude]

It's annoying, sure, but they'll absolutely replace that bag without much hassle. No manufacturer of anything has a 0% failure rate. Way easier warranty remedy than you'd get on your Bronco (or any vehicle really).

I would say giving the dealer my Bronco for 4-6 weeks while we wait on an antenna repair is pretty easy, wudn't you say? Hold on! Is that hail??

 

[Kevin Scarbel]

If you were a Bronco brand manager you’d be looking for a new job fast. ;-) See the stats: less than 15% of buyers ever take the vehicles off-road, and only 15% of sales are manual transmission. I get your wants, but they’re for the enthusiast, not the broader market. Which is cool. Be glad you got an Everglades when you did.

No, I wouldn't be looking for a new home.
The stats are based on the current status quo, based on the current portfolio of trims, which includes trims that no customer or dealer want. You're looking in the rearview mirror, while I'm looking ahead. That's how I've sold thousands of trucks......I revised the portfolio and, with my experience and vision, built what the market wanted.
I don't care if manual transmission uptake is only 15%. It could be 25%. Honda doesn't make money on manual transmission-only Civic Si's and Type Rs. But Honda continues to offer manual transmissions because in the big picture it's the right thing to do.

 

[Dral97]

If you want an indestructible bag, go with these guys (brace yourselves for pricing): https://duluthpack.com/

Tumi, and same (brace yourself for price). It looks like they are making some of the hard sided luggage in China (I don't buy that stuff), but others are made in Vietnam or the DR.

Reconnaissance Duffel | Tumi US

 

[HalfmuleFarmer]

I don't care if manual transmission uptake is only 15%. It could be 25%.

If you want to make a bet on whether the % of manual sales is going to increase in the years ahead, I’ll take that bet.

 

[Kevin Scarbel]

If you want to make a bet on whether the % of manual sales is going to increase in the years ahead, I’ll take that bet.

As I stated earlier, one potential customer group that Ford is blatantly missing is the Wrangler Rubicon crowd. If I was Bronco brand manager, I would reintroduce the snorkel and winch-equipped Everglades as a 2-door (and 4-door) available with the 2.7L V6 (and 2.3L), and offer a Tremec manual transmission option for the 2.7L. The Everglades was a nice package, with its longer breather hoses, rock slide rails, distinct wheels and other. I have no doubt that my Everglades endeavor would outsell the Free Wheeling appearance package, Bill Stroppe trim and RTR trim (I would discontinue those).

 

[HalfmuleFarmer]

As I stated earlier, one potential customer group that Ford is blatantly missing is the Wrangler Rubicon crowd. If I was Bronco brand manager, I would reintroduce the snorkel and winch-equipped Everglades as a 2-door (and 4-door) available with the 2.7L V6 (and 2.3L), and offer a Tremec manual transmission option for the 2.7L. The Everglades was a nice package, with its longer breather hoses, rock slide rails, distinct wheels and other. I have no doubt that my Everglades endeavor would outsell the Free Wheeling appearance package, Bill Stroppe trim and RTR trim (I would discontinue those).

Read that the first time, got it. I’ll also take the bet that a new 2DR Everglades with a snorkel will never happen. ;-)

 

[Inthenoise]

The new filson bronco is like the old Eddie Bauer broncos. So luxury interior, cooled seats, heated rears, and 3.0L.

But based on OPs experience I am now questioning Filsons quality… who knows maybe they will actually be true to their word and fix his bag strap.

Based on the pics, it looks like poor design and either Filson needs to revamp the design and materials or just plan on having to replace 20% of stock for folks who load or stress their duffel beyond the failure point. Others have said they are having stuff made in China now. That bag is likely not going back to the sweatshop for a "repair." I'd be interested in knowing whether Filson repairs or replaces. Betting the latter.

 

[23OBX2.7]

Based on the pics, it looks like poor design and either Filson needs to revamp the design and materials or just plan on having to replace 20% of stock for folks who load or stress their duffel beyond the failure point. Others have said they are having stuff made in China now. That bag is likely not going back to the sweatshop for a "repair." I'd be interested in knowing whether Filson repairs or replaces. Betting the latter.

Don't forget to mention the 750,000 strong USA prison labour force run by 3rd party commercial contractors where they earn $2 day +/- or the Canadian Temp Foreign Workers hostage to the commercial sponsors who force them to work 75hr weeks at $10 hr then deduct 50% for mandatory sponsor provided accomodations that are festering with mold and rodents plus marginal plumbing LOL.

 

[Solfive]

Well that got serious quick…Those prisoners get three hots and a cot in addition to their $2/day for their poor life choices…but preach on

and I’m pretty sure those Canadians make that choice as part of their free will .

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