By Lorna Brett

Bricks and mortar retailers are fighting back against their online nemeses by charging customers a fee to use their change rooms to try on goods that may subsequently bought for cheaper online.

According to The Australian, customers at a number of ski shops have reported being charged a $50 “fitting fee” to try on ski boots. The charge is refunded only if the boots are bought in-store, with experts tipping this trend is likely to be adopted by other specialist retailers losing the battle against internet discounting.

Snowsports Industry of Australia chief executive Eric Henry said retailers pay high wages for specialist boot-fitters, who may spend up to two hours helping consumers try on boots.
 

“Their time is valuable. People will wander into a shop and spend an hour or two with the boot fitter, then go out and buy them off the internet. The owner of the store wants to ensure that if he doesn't get the sale, at least he pays for their time,” Henry said.
 

InSki manager Dominik Drexel said his Sydney store charges $50 for a "boot fitting voucher,” which is refunded only when the ski boots are purchased in-store.

"We are a very small business trying to survive. I would never hold it against someone if they got something online for cheaper, but we can't really work for free,” he said. Drexel said InSki guarantees the fitting and comfort of the boots it sells, and adjusts them if necessary – a service online customers can’t access.
 

Bumps, a Melbourne ski shop, charges non-customers $1 a minute to adjust ski boots bought somewhere else. Owner Peter Haley said some boot distributors are charging up to $100 to handle warranty claims for boots bought from international retailers, which aren’t covered by warranties in Australia.
 

“If everyone goes down the track and buys more and more gear overseas, then when they do need to get boots adjusted, there will be no one left in this country that can afford to provide the service and training,” Haley said.
 

Competition, about more than just price

Last week, assistant treasurer Bill Shorten told International Fashion Group managing director David Mendels that traditional retailers have the advantage of being able to offer customer service.
 

"Competition is about more than just the price. Consumers might be able to find something cheaper online, but they won't have access to personal service or advice,” Shorten said in a letter.
 

“The fact is that local 'bricks and mortar' retailers still have many competitive advantages over online retailers,” he added.

Mendels said the letter infuriated him, revealing that his turnover has fallen 25% as consumers begin to buy designer jeans from the US. He said revenue has slumped by at least $100,000 a month, and sales of True Religion designer jeans had dropped by 8000 pairs in the last three months of last year.
 

"Consumers are going into stores and trying on brands and then going online to the US to avoid the duty and GST. A garment bought from overseas means there is no garment bought here,” he said.