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I was out shopping at go outdoors today and like so many suppliers they have a sale on, till this sunday for this one. 

Now some of the items were darn cheap, which peed me off as a cooker I only bought last year was a third of the price I paid etc.  The thing is can they keep this up, is it dumping of overstock, a genuine sale or are the makers and suppliers feeling the crush?

• People tend to have their camping gear sorted for the wit holiday - especially if we have nice spring weather.
• This time of year is always quite because of the above reason
• Every camper gets to a point where they have everything they need (even me!) - things only get replaced if they're old or broken
• More non-dedicated camping shops are putting pressure on the big camp shops by selling cheap camping gear eg. Aldi and Asda

I can see the points but can they really sell a camping cooker in a plastic case for £4.99 and be making a profit or a 4 man stand up height tent at £49.99 and make a profit, I suspect the items are loss leaders if that is the right term. They get people throught the door.

They had a £15.99 tent but it only  had a hh of 500 so to me it is just a play tent.

Same as the £3.99 camping chair, just how much profit can be in these products.

And the big tents at between 150-180 can they really be so normally over priced at 200 Plus mark.  Maybe I am wrong and the mark ups are really so high.

If you saw the documentary on tele which picked PRIMARK to reveal the extent of incredible cheap labour in third world countries it would give you a new perspective on retail prices. In this case, if I recall, it was exploitation of child labour in India. I play acoustic guitars and often talk to americans on the internet who have been amazed at some of the guitars being imported from China over the last 5 to 10 years. They are of a standard and quality of American made guitars but cost a fraction of the American made price...and I mean a fraction!  After investigation and journalist reports...many Americans now refuse to buy Imported Chinese guitars as 1/ They are now aware of the conditions and pay that the Chinese worker receives...and 2/ they have a stubborn loyalty to American made products. This loyalty, as history proves, will gradually be eroded...as the American car industry found out over the last 25 years. In fact, there have been big American brands that though shouting proudly that their products were American through and through...had been found out....Mexico is not America...but it's a damn sight cheaper to get stuff made there.

Nowadays, more than ever...there are many additional questions one could ask before we purchase many imported...or indeed, if they still exist, home made goods...whether we choose to ask those questions is a matter of information, personal circumstance and conscience.

Retailer will also sell some necessary items, such as cookers at low prices to get yoou into the shop, in the hope that when you are there you will
see a better model at a much higher price and go for that, even though you don't really need the extra features
and buy lots of non necessary must have items, also at full price.

Think about it, you are going camping for the first time, and you know that you will need a cooker - you see an advert for a big retailer for cookers at knock down prices.
You toddle along, and while you are there you see lots of other stuff that you decide that you must have, and spend far more than if you had bought the cooker elsewhere at a higher price.

Also as has been said, you do reach a point when you have been camping a while when you don't need anymore equipment.    I can not think of any major item that I need.   OK I could do with some more cutlery, but that is £5 at my local bargain shop.    Same as I bought 4 mugs for 59p each, at the same shop.
Oh and a Gazebo that I have seen in Aldi, which is also for garden use.   
OK there will always be odds and ends that have to come from a camping shop, but at present nothing big.