The challenge for Stern is profit margin and growth....if theres no pressure to increase margins then I'm sure their fine with the status quo since theres little to no risk. For this relatively small boutique market its the perfect business model, but they will always be limited on gross margins. The only way to increase these margins is by increasing the wholesale price to distributors or reducing their overall manufacturing costs.

Of all my NIB purchases not ONE distributor had the game in stock...all were shipped directly from the manufacturer (Stern, CGC, JJP)....basically the distributor plays the role of customer acquisition...its also my experience that distributors try their best, but if you really need technical support they add very little value. All will have u directly call the manufacturer....

They have a great business model....they make a high end product and sell directly to the public...no reason manufacturers couldn't easily do this...their all essentially low volume businesses