Trends in Catalogues

Was reading through the latest Bunnings catalogue, dropped in the letterbox today.

Noted with interest a dramatic change in content: once there was pages of GMC tools, now there was only one, and that was the tool bag.  I don’t have a particular opinion about what is actually advertised, but it is strange seeing a brand that was once so strongly supported, (and I daresay made up a massive percentage of the total tool sales over the last few years) suddenly vanish.

All that is left is a tool bag that has in the vicinity of 100% markup.

No Triton either (not that that’s unusual), but it has been that was for a long time, and for a long time sales haven’t been that high.  Does the fault lie with the manufacturer, that their product is no longer desirable? (The ongoing interest in the product on Ebay seems to contradict this hypothesis).  Does it lie with the customer, or the market, with other tools moving into the traditional areas occupied by these brands?  Perhaps, but even then, walking into these hardware outlets, and there isn’t any particular competitors product obviously available, not at the same quality.  Does it lie with the retailer, not continuing to actively support the brands?  I don’t know the answer, but it raises interesting questions.