News for hackers. Stuff that matters.

A comment on MrBeast Became the Willy Wonka of YouTube. Parent comment

Re:MrBeast Became the Willy Wonka of YouTube by throwaway2037 on Tuesday June 13, 2023 @04:25AM (#36307251)
I am always shocked when I see the prices for "merch". Why does a hooded sweatshirt, that might cost 10-20 USD at Uniqlo, cost 55 USD as "merch" with a 2-5 USD silkscreen print. I agree: It is absolutely "exploiting the parasocial relationship your victims have with you".
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:MrBeast Became the Willy Wonka of YouTube by bruceb on Tuesday June 13, 2023 @04:59AM (#36307500)
No regular price hoodie sweatshirt costs $10-$20 at Uniqlo. They start at $40 for adults, most are $50. They start at $30 for kids. https://www.uniqlo.com/us/en/men/tops/sweatshirts-and-hoodie...

Uniqlo's core business is apparel. They buy in massive bulk. Mr Beast buys in maybe tens of thousands.

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:MrBeast Became the Willy Wonka of YouTube by TeMPOraL on Tuesday June 13, 2023 @07:57AM (#36308934)
Those are pretty high prices. Are they manufacturing those sweatshirts in the US or other Western country, or are they just positioning themselves as premium brand and selling with 400%+ markup?

Or has the clothing market in the US hollowed out in the middle completely? That's what I'm worried about where I live (Poland, EU) - I feel like the middle tier, of normally priced, regular quality clothes for regular people, is all but gone now, leaving us with the choice between a) second-hand stores and bazaars selling counterfeits imported from the East, and b) lifestyle brands selling rags at ridiculous prices.

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:MrBeast Became the Willy Wonka of YouTube by throwaway2037 on Tuesday June 13, 2023 @08:48AM (#36309462)
I guess the prices for Uniqlo are massively marked up in the United States. In Japan, pull-over sweatshirt costs 1,290 yen, or about 9.50 USD.

Ref: https://www.uniqlo.com/jp/ja/products/E458468-000/00?colorDi...

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:MrBeast Became the Willy Wonka of YouTube by bruceb on Tuesday June 13, 2023 @11:04AM (#36311292)
No they don't. That is the sale price and none are available.

https://www.uniqlo.com/jp/ja/men/tops/sweatshirts-and-hoodie... 2990 yen and up for regular price.

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:MrBeast Became the Willy Wonka of YouTube by TeMPOraL on Tuesday June 13, 2023 @04:51PM (#36317071)
> 2990 yen and up for regular price.

That's still only about $20 and up, so right there is a factor of 2x between Japan and the US.

[ Parent | on HN ]