Select to expand quoteKiterBen said..
What influences my purchases is when you enquire about a kite and the retailer shows that he actually cares about your purchase. I have emailed and contacted a number of stores asking when they will have something in stock or when something will be released etc and have had no response. It shouldn't be the buyer chasing the seller. In the end I purchased from the retailer that gave the best service.
I'm the same. For me its about customer care. Sure, i can save a few dollars here and there if i went searching. But i never got into kiting to save money. Yeah, maybe there's a better kite out there for me somewhere. But my local guys have always shown me first class service. My local owns a kite school and even though i did lessons with someone else down in Margaret River, when i was body dragging, dropping my kite in front of everyone, and just generally being a total nuisance here in Perth, and before i bought a single thing from them, these guys were always patient and helpful. Five years later, (8 kites, 4 boards, a harness or two, and some repairs here and there later), i'm sticking with them. That's how i choose my purchases.
After many years of bad choices, I have learned to never buy the first edition of a new line of kites. Instead go for a version 3 or more (eg slingshot fuel/RPM or BEST TS series). the first ones are always duds that need tuning in the following year releases. Or sometime they are so bad that they are just discontinued. So basically no amount of hype influences my purchases anymore.
Friends and personal experience (that includes Eppo) determines what I ride. Also what I read helps me decide. Eventually you know the style of riding that you like and you pursue that. After that you work out which dealer really wants your business.
I've just recently bought a new quiver, the pros did not influence my decision at all.
Love to watch Alex Pastor - Airrush.
Len10 - Slingshot/Best.
Youri - Slingshot/Best.
Marc - Switch.
But that's probably because "they" publish the best content and I like their style.
I was riding Cabrinhas Switchys and now North vegas, I have an old F1 and a couple of Naish (Fly and torch).
I couldn't tell you who rides for North or Cabrinha, nor do I care.
What sold me was doing my research on the worldwide forums, see what real people were saying about the kites and the problems, plus the support from the dealers/shops.
I personally like bomb proof construction and flying characteristics that suit my needs. (Although I'm not a fan of the North bar but that's another story)
Then once I had decided upon my shortlist I set out trying to get a demo, my local dealer Kite Republic lent me a couple of kites to try.
I feel in love with the Vegas the first time I flew it.
So now I only buy gear after a test ride.
Learners will most likely go with what the shop pimps them, or a mate peer pressures them into.
Hi Wizard,
You're missing a retailers perspective for your assignment so I'll wade in. We sponsor 7 riders for SUP and kite. Do they influence others to purchase gear from us? Some do, some don't. Do we get a return on our investment? From some yes, from others we hope to break even.
We sponsor a variety of riders, they are not all hotshots. in fact, it's my experience that the best riders don't sell us that much gear. The best sponsored riders are the ones that are regular riders with an infectious enthusiasm for the sport and a willingness to help out and talk to other kiters.
If you are looking for direction when looking to buy new gear. Ignore the magazines. Ignore the hype. Find out the allegiances, most have them 
Sift through the rider reviews and use this to short list the kites you want to demo. When you demo, try and forget what you have read and heard and take your time judging each kite on it's merits to your riding style. Everyone wants different things from kites and I have seen some ridiculous information handed out from well known people. Their advice may suit them and their style, but wouldn't suit most.
I am constantly surprised by how many gullible people there are out there, luckily there are a lot of at least half decent kites, so they can still get to ride, albeit not as well as if they were on the right gear for them, but happy enough anyways.
With the enormous amount of information out there, I find that many of the riders that demo our kites tend to be over analyzing their decision. Do a curt amount of research to create a short list of three kites, then demo them.
Spend more time riding than reading
DM
Select to expand quoteNoBS said..
I base my purchases on the Seabreeze 'pay per review' format..
If EPPO says it's good, then obviously why would you bother with anything else.
If only he could predict when waveslave will be placed in a retirement village or even the Keno 10/10 number sequence.
Living in a retirement village can wait, NoBS.
God's waiting-room can wait awhile ....
cause apparently I live in your head dude,
on a permanent basis it seems.
I live in the head of a simpleton,
and it's rent-free.
lol.
Select to expand quoteWizard said..
If you saw a top ten rider with particular gear, are you more inclined to purchase that brand?
And to all kiters - do professional or sponsored riders influences your decision to buy products - or is it more the school you did lessons at, your mates, product reviews in magazines etc??
Top ten riders (i.e. PKRA champions?) don't influence my gear choices because I'll never do what they do (i.e. insane freestyle tricks).
Professional or sponsored riders don't influence my gear choices much, because they get paid to ride their gear. I'm much more influenced by people who, like me, have to pay for their gear, and have no vested interest in any particular brands.
One demo session is never enough for a kook like me to get a true feel for gear. I do my research and then buy with no demo, and have always been stoked. I start by seeing what people are riding at my local spots. I regularly chat to people about their gear to find out why they chose it and how they rate it. I'm influenced by word of mouth and 'buzz' around gear, and a bit of brand image. Also, purely subjectively, call me a tosser or worse, but whether or not the gear looks good to me, matters a fair bit. If anything starts looking good to me, I research online by reading manufacturer's blurbs, reviews on SeaBreeze (by Eppo and others) to see if the gear sounds like it will suit my needs.
Once I've narrowed it down, price and availability come in to play. I'll also sound out a few dealers and see what vibe I get from them; are they keen to see me stoked with my new gear and a good deal, or do they just want to rack up a sale?
School, no. All the kites I was taught on were from a high-quality brand, great kites and all, but I don't like how they look so I've never owned any. One thing I'm interested in is the brands that dealers themselves ride when they kite. Seeing a dealer choose one brand for their own personal kites when they've got a few to pick from carries more weight than any sales pitch they could give me.
None of my mates kite, so no.
Summary of influences: Look/buzz/word of mouth - blurbs/reviews - availability/dealer vibe - price point/value for money
Good luck with your assignment.
Hmm.. Nice place in Falcon... Bahahaha
Crustier than a loaf of tip top you are slave!
In reality, even with many pages of complicated explanations of how and why people buy, most people just buy the brand they had last year.
Me included...
All kites are pretty good these days, and there is much to be said for something that you are used to using.
I find "clusters" of brands in local areas, ppl see their kite mates riding a certain brand....then they can talk about it with them and buy the same gear based on that.
In our local, there is a lot of Cabs, one bloke bought a 2013, told all of us it is shizen..... we listen to that and won't buy that year model. We'll wait and buy the 2014's if they change them back .
Select to expand quotePlummet said...
I have lost faith completely in sponsered riders. They typically are completely one eyed and totally unable to highlight any negative points about a kite/board.
+1
Have noticed this get worse recently.. And if you don't agree with some of them, "some" retailers included, you're obviously a kook and are doing it wrong Bad form and to be honest, pretty silly from a sales perspective 
Select to expand quotedefault said..Plummet said...
I have lost faith completely in sponsered riders. They typically are completely one eyed and totally unable to highlight any negative points about a kite/board.
+1
Have noticed this get worse recently.. And if you don't agree with some of them, "some" retailers included, you're obviously a kook and are doing it wrong Bad form and to be honest, pretty silly from a sales perspective
+2
For the life of me, I dont understand why company designers dont ask for feedback from the various country kite forums on particular model kites and what the 'General masses' thinks unanimously - of what theyd like to be improved / added.. 
A one way question and no need for them to reply as it would be a market study and stop keyboard Moronism :)
Compared to 5+ team riders who dont generally ride in our world
Select to expand quotedefault said..Plummet said...
I have lost faith completely in sponsered riders. They typically are completely one eyed and totally unable to highlight any negative points about a kite/board.
+1
Have noticed this get worse recently.. And if you don't agree with some of them, "some" retailers included, you're obviously a kook and are doing it wrong Bad form and to be honest, pretty silly from a sales perspective
[/quoteTthis cracks me up when someone posts that they are struggling to do this or that on a certain brand of kite, the retailer just posts a video of a team rider doing just that making them feel more pissed[V , dont stress the are plenty of kook shop owner kiters out there
Select to expand quotecauncy said..default said..Plummet said...
I have lost faith completely in sponsered riders. They typically are completely one eyed and totally unable to highlight any negative points about a kite/board.
+1
Have noticed this get worse recently.. And if you don't agree with some of them, "some" retailers included, you're obviously a kook and are doing it wrong Bad form and to be honest, pretty silly from a sales perspective
[/quoteTthis cracks me up when someone posts that they are struggling to do this or that on a certain brand of kite, the retailer just posts a video of a team rider doing just that making them feel more pissed[V , dont stress the are plenty of kook shop owner kiters out there
bahahaha...^^^
