Differences between Regular Stores and Parallel Stores, and Their Characteristics

Customers who are considering purchasing a watch, especially those who have in mind to choose based on price, often see the words “parallel store” and “parallel import goods”.
Many people may be attracted to watches that are sold at a lower price than the regular price.

So, to what extent do you actually understand the difference between a “regular store” and a “regular product”?
This time, I would like to introduce the difference between "regular store" and "parallel store" once again! 

What are “regular stores” and “parallel stores”?

"Regular stores" and "parallel stores" are largely divided by the difference in the method of receiving goods.

"Authorized stores" refer to shops that have signed a sales contract or agency contract directly with a watch brand/manufacturer, or shops that are directly managed by the manufacturer.
We receive watches directly from watch brands and manufacturers.

A "parallel store" refers to a shop that does not deal directly with a watch brand/manufacturer. It is common to purchase from wholesalers and overseas buyers.

There are pros and cons to each, so let's take a closer look!

Advantages and disadvantages of regular stores

The following three points are typical advantages of regular stores.

• Unification of prices!

At regular stores, the prices are set so that they can be almost unified worldwide, except for exchange-related circumstances.
It is said that there is basically no severe price fluctuation

• No difference in quality!

At regular stores, we purchase directly from watch brands and manufacturers, so we always ensure the highest quality.
There is no problem in thinking that it definitely meets the product specifications presented by watch brands and manufacturers.

• Service is consistent!

Products purchased from authorized stores always come with a certain level of service.
The manufacturer will take care of the maintenance that is required on a regular basis, so you can use it for a long time with peace of mind.
Some brands even offer extended product warranties.

The following two points are typical disadvantages of regular stores.

• Price is not flexible!

The unification of prices, which can be cited as an advantage, also leads to disadvantages such as the ideal model being expensive and unobtainable, and the negotiation of price reductions being completely unacceptable.
In addition, due to the weak yen and rising raw material prices, a wave of fixed price increases is surging into the watch industry.
However, it can be said that these are the parts that cannot be helped to keep the brand value high.

• You may not get the model you want!

Regular stores sell watches produced by watch brands and manufacturers, so naturally models that have finished production will be discontinued.
If you fail to buy the model you wanted, you may find yourself in a situation where you cannot purchase it at a regular store.

In recent years, some popular models of some brands have not been able to balance demand and supply, making it difficult to purchase.
In general, it can be said that purchasing at a regular store is recommended for those who want to purchase a watch with the highest level of security.

On the other hand, if you don't have any concerns about after-sales service or maintenance, or if you want to compare prices and quality, I don't think you need to stick to regular stores.

Advantages and disadvantages of parallel stores

The advantages of parallel stores are:

• Product prices are low.

Among the reasons for using parallel stores, I think that many people think that the low price of products is the first.
In parallel stores, most of the shops set prices at the global market price without being influenced by the list price set by the watch brand/manufacturer.
If it is an excellent parallel store, there are many cases where the price is below the list price, except for some brands and models, without setting excessive premium prices.

• Maintenance is often cheaper than the manufacturer.

I think that each shop offers various maintenance services, but what can be said in general for excellent parallel shops is that they have their own repair workshops.

And repairs and maintenance at the affiliated workshop are often cheaper than manufacturer maintenance, with exceptions. There are various reasons for this, but we will never perform inferior work to manufacturer maintenance.

It can be said that the parallel store is unique in that it starts with the selling price and is cheap until aftercare.

• There is an encounter with a rare model and a discontinued model!

Watches are evolving day by day through the efforts of watch brands and manufacturers. However, if you turn the back, the handling at regular stores is changing day by day, and it means that past models are no longer available.

However, if it is a parallel store, it does not matter whether it is handled at a regular store or not.
We use a variety of purchasing routes to purchase current and past models, and we even handle vintage watches and limited-edition watches.
It is because of parallel stores that you can now get the model you longed for in the past.

The two disadvantages of parallel stores are:

• Choosing a shop is difficult!

Among the many parallel watch shops, there are some shops that cannot completely eliminate the concerns about product quality and after-sales service.
As you can see, the quality of products and after-sales maintenance is not uniform, so you have to choose a shop while checking with your own eyes.
Those who are new to luxury watches should be especially careful.

• Possibility of copy products!

Regular stores purchase directly from watch brands and manufacturers, so you can be sure to get the highest quality genuine products.
However, since there are various procurement routes at parallel stores, there is a possibility that malicious counterfeit products may enter.
In recent years, the sophistication of counterfeit products has become a big problem, but we at MOON PHASE are able to prevent such risks with experienced buyers and a strict inspection system.

In general, it can be said that purchasing at parallel stores is recommended for those who are looking for inexpensive products and those who are looking for rare models that cannot be found at regular stores.
On the other hand, we do not recommend purchasing from parallel stores for those who "always seek the highest quality and peace of mind" and "those who do not want to compromise on watches."

summary

This time, I wrote an article about the difference between "regular store" and "parallel store".
Both have their pros and cons, which is a tricky part!

In the midst of this, we at MOONPHASE continue to strive every day to be the “excellent parallel store” that has appeared several times in this blog.
Experienced buyers carefully purchase and only handle products that have undergone strict inspections.
In addition, we work closely with partner repair workshops to provide attentive after-sales support.
We will continue to strive to provide our customers with the lowest prices and the highest sense of security.

If you have any trouble with purchasing a watch, please contact us immediately!