Snapper and Walmart

[Dennisfly]

Here is a very interesting article about how Walmart does business and how Snapper refused to be part of it. web page

[keltonkrew]

Great ariticle!

[KentT]

Actually, that was the CEO of Simplicity who did that, after they bought Snapper...

So far, it seems to be working well for both Simplicity and Snapper... now a part of Briggs & Stratton.

[Strugglewithin]

Well, Sears sells Simplicity ZTR's. So I would imagine it's just a matter of time before we see Snappers in the bigger stores. It seems as though more and more of these companies are putting their L/G products in the bigger stores and getting away from the "dealer" platform. Something I'm kinda torn on myself.

I sure can't blame Snapper for not wanting to be a part of the Wal-Mart mess. They hijack their suppliers constantly.

[Kyle_in_Tex]

Not only a great article but a great American made lawnmower! I recommend them to anyone with a lawn.

[KentT]

Sears sells a "previous-generation" ZTR made by Simplicity... they don't sell the current generation of machines. Additionally, like all things Sears has built to spec, there are some cheaper components put on it specifically for Sears...

Simplicity bought Snapper to get:
1. Their manufacturing capacity
2. Their dealer network

Simplicity is using that manufacturing capacity to make their smaller snowblowers (and their tillers also, I think). Simplicity is selling a couple of their L&G tractors with Snapper labels on them...

Both are now doing well financially. Simplicity has bet it all on the dealer network...

Before you criticize that approach, Stihl is doing the same thing and succeeding also....

[Spiffy]

I was wondering who built the Sears Z. I figured perhaps Electrolux.

Didn't look bad, but I wasn't estatically impressed either; of course, after looking at mostly commercial or psuedo-commercial machines, perhaps not fair.

[Spiffy]

Other than I know of guy who wouldn't part with his 20year old push Snapper, don't know about the residential series. However, the Snapper commercial Z, we bought last year, is a pretty tough animal! [img]/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]

[Strugglewithin]

Sears sells the current line of Simplicity. They are not "last year" models. If that were the case, Simplicity would have know about the little issue with the pto clutch stud breaking off and I wouldnt have had to call them to inform them about it. I work for Sears in the technical assistance department. I work pretty close with a lot of these people.

Is it the exact same thing you get from a Simplicity dealer? I'd say not. But you do get what you pay for. And the ZTR's we sell are really not for a commercial outfit.

[KentT]

I didn't say last year's models -- I said a "one generation old" design. They're brand new, but they're not the same machine that's sold as a Simplicity or Snapper.

The Simplicity/Snapper machines are a whole new model while the Sears is continued production of the old model, with some cost-saving components....

And, that's from the VP of Operations at Simplicity, during a tour he gave me in 2004...