Megs Grit Guard Vs original "The Grit Guard"

Josh@BR

Josh@BR

New member
Joined
Dec 25, 2010
Messages
206
Reaction score
0
So I was interested in buying a grit guard just to have that extra little bit of peace of mind with not causing swirls when washing so I did some research. I found the original Grit Guard which was 9.99 or 2 for 17.99 and the "Meguiars" grit guard for 7.99 or 2 for 14.99. They both have the exact same dimensions and design but Grit Guard offers 4 colors where Megs only offered yellow. I didn't care about color so I bought the cheaper Megs one. When it arrived I inspected it to see if I could find a Meguiars logo but there wasnt one. All I found on it was:
GRIT GUARD
1-866-592-5925
WWW.GRITGUARD.COM
MADE IN U.S.A.
PAT#7,025,880
Is this the exact same item as the regular Grit Guard? If so why do you think it would be sold this way? I'm just really curious. I know the original Grit Guard is very popular and I'm not sure too many people know about this cheaper Megs one. I'm all about saving money so this was a no brainer for me to buy the cheaper one.
 
Yeah I saw those too and I'm pretty sure they are the same.
 
Yeah I figured. Anyone know why they are sold this way?
 
I just bought the Meguiars grit guards and they say gritguard.com on them...
 
Megs seems to be doing this with more then one product.
 
Josh@BR said:
Yeah I figured. Anyone know why they are sold this way?
Click to expand...
It's called profit margin. Meguiars is large company and can purchase in huge bulk thus reducing the cost.
 
Rsurfer said:
It's called profit margin. Meguiars is large company and can purchase in huge bulk thus reducing the cost.
Click to expand...

I didnt know Meguiars bought other companies products and sold them as their own where it's that obvious. Kinda weird...
 
Remember Meguiars is now owned by 3M corp. Some very deep pockets they have there.
 
they licensed use of the product which was likely patented, avoids litigation and still offers a great tool within their line.
 
Rsurfer said:
It's called profit margin. Meguiars is large company and can purchase in huge bulk thus reducing the cost.
Click to expand...

Exactly. Grit guard is happy because they sell a ton of hem to Meg's. Meg's is happy because with their name on it, and the cheaper price, they can sell a ton of them. The consumer is happy because they saved a few bucks. Win for everyone.
 
It is no different than Meg's selling applicators, etc. that they do not make. They figured there are enough Meg's buyers who wanted a yellow grit guard so they are filling a market need.
 
Meguiar's is probably one of the companies that does it the least! They have their own development capabilities and have been doing it longer than anyone else. Plus 3M has some hard core chemical engineering. Still, all companies will need to outsource something from someone who can do it at a lower impact to the company, and they should! Spending extra in making the same product you could buy cheaper makes no business sense, unless you can sell it at a higher price point.

Believe it or not, there are companies out there with zero manufacturing or development capabilities that sell many a product. And they are great products! Most will make sutle changes to formula, changes in color or shape, and let the manufacturer do the engineering. Others will suplement with more engineering or intermediaries at the expense of cost, again depending on what they forecast their sales to be.

The result is a growing market full of a great array of products anyone can get in on as deep as they want. From low end to ultra high end, most competetively priced. Makes for a great hobbie!
 
jlb85 said:
Meguiar's is probably one of the companies that does it the least! They have their own development capabilities and have been doing it longer than anyone else. Plus 3M has some hard core chemical engineering. Still, all companies will need to outsource something from someone who can do it at a lower impact to the company, and they should! Spending extra in making the same product you could buy cheaper makes no business sense, unless you can sell it at a higher price point.

Believe it or not, there are companies out there with zero manufacturing or development capabilities that sell many a product. And they are great products! Most will make sutle changes to formula, changes in color or shape, and let the manufacturer do the engineering. Others will suplement with more engineering or intermediaries at the expense of cost, again depending on what they forecast their sales to be.

The result is a growing market full of a great array of products anyone can get in on as deep as they want. From low end to ultra high end, most competetively priced. Makes for a great hobbie!
Click to expand...
Very good info sir. Now my question is what are some of the products out there that are or nearly are exactly the same as a different company's product and which is cheaper? Knowing little short cuts for saving money is something we can all appreciate I think.


Sent from my T-Mobile myTouch 3G using Tapatalk
 
Josh@BR said:
Very good info sir. Now my question is what are some of the products out there that are or nearly are exactly the same as a different company's product and which is cheaper? Knowing little short cuts for saving money is something we can all appreciate I think.


Sent from my T-Mobile myTouch 3G using Tapatalk
Click to expand...


Ones that are exactly the same is dificult as most will make slight tweaks. But my philosophy is to find a brand or seller who has good service. The Porter Cable has a great warranty, but Griots Garage has such great customer service, for example, that getting the Griots DA polisher instead of the "original" PC is a no-brainer, especially if you are already their customer.

At least in most of the detailing market there seems to be a more equitative pricing strategy. The family of new sealants which all seem to be very similar all cost roughly the same. So it really boils down to what brand and products you like. And it is hard to go wrong with almost any brand or product on AG. I usually start shoping carts at various sites and boil them down as I compare prices and find the products in the fewest places possible. And I always keep and eye out for specials! Free shipping is huge for us if our orders are under a certain amount! Free 2 day shipping specials mean I order stuff for my inventory in PR. And buy in bulk when it is smart to do so. We bought 20 drying towels (yellow Viking ones) at dirt cheap. And they sucked. They are now what we use to mask and cover cowls from splatter, among other mundane uses, amd a waste of money :(
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top