Ian
what rug doctor do it much more of selling a product to solve a problem. (that may or may not be now) its not marketing to a market that has a need. i lay money on it that they only make money on the backend of the sale selling detergent.
they where selling a machine on a shopping station and the detergent total value was more than the machine. great angle get the machine free approach.
Respect
Ian harper
No doubt there is a huge mark up on those little bottles of shampoo, and they are marketing to a need, a need for clean carpets.
Was the machine you saw on a shopping channel one of the £500 jobbies they hire out in B&Q, if so how much shampoo etc did you have to buy to get the free machine.
I will lay many on the fact they make on the carpet cleaner hire as well, they even supply the invoice books.
My thinking is it is a 500 quid machine that rents out for £15.00 a day, B&Q probably hire these from Rug Doctor anyway on a maintenance package at a pretty good discount rate on the volume of the sale. Rug Doctor then supply the marketing stand and of course make as much profit on the chemicals. I think they are 2l bottles, just enough to do a house, they are £7.00, B&Q obviously get a cut of that too.
Who ever came up with the idea to stick a few Rug Doctors at the end of these DIY Sheds was a genious.