Product Comparison: Double Grommet Web Belts

We see a lot of young people wearing the double grommet web belt these days. They give casual pants and shorts a bit of a military edge, deriving, as they do, from real military belts where soldiers actually used the eyelets for attaching equipment. Both Sears and Walmart have a good supply on display, which got us to thinking. What do you get for the extra money you spend at a department store for this basic belt? Let's look.

We sell double grommet web belts at Strait City Trading for $6.75. Comparable belts sell for $16.00 at Sears: and for about $9.00 at Wal-mart. We bought a sample from Sears and set it side-by-side with our Strait City Trading belt to see how they compare.

Similarities

• Both belts are made from imported fiber from China.
• Both belts have rectangular double prong roller buckles with keeper and metal tip.
• Both belts are 1-1/2 inches wide with double rows of metal eyelets.

Differences

• Price! Double grommet web belts from Strait City Trading are less than half the price at Sears.
• Strait City Trading's eyelets are 1 inch apart while Sears are 1-1/2 inches. Since the eyelets are also the buckle holes, the Strait City Belt is more adjustable
• Sears belt is a tad softer to the touch and less reflective. In general, the Sears belts seem to have fewer blemishes than what we're getting here at Strait City Trading.

Walmart's Double Grommet Web Belts

Walmart's belts are cheaper than Sears'; $8.83 for small/medium and $9.93 for large and extra-large. The weaving is a little irregular and the buckles, retainers and tips are "antiqued". Otherwise their belts are like Sears' belts. They also sell 2X and 3X sizes.

Shopping Experience

Shopping at a department store can be very appealing. You can see things all in the same place; you go there with friends; you see what other people are wearing; you touch, try on, look at different angles. Returning unwanted purchases to department stores is generally as easy as it was to buy the item in the first place.

On the other hand shopping on-line is so-o-o easy. You use a search engine to go right to what you want; you can hop from one store to another with a mouse click; there's no pressure from peers or salespersons. Returns can be as easy as printing a label and handing a box to the postman.

Conclusion

It's a trade-off. People know and trust Sears and Wal-mart. And, for the most part Sears and Walmart protect their reputations carefully. (Don't give your phone number to Sears, though, they do a lot of cross marketing.) Unlike Walmart, Sears plays the department store high-price-sale-price game, so if you can wait, you can get a bargain.

But think about it. Sears doesn't make belts; they import them from China. I'm sure they pay less than we do, even for marginally better quality belts, with their purchasing power. But then they have to pay high rent at a mall and they have to pay people to arrange the merchandise attractively and to assist you with your purchase.

That's where Strait City Trading comes in. By keeping costs to minimum, we can supply you with inexpensive manufactured goods with less mark-up.

---