Why We Don't Do Discounts (And Why That's Better for You)

Most brands run the same playbook: mark everything up, then discount it 30+% off for Black Friday. Or Memorial Day. Or whenever they need to move inventory.

You've seen it. A $120 base layer that's "on sale" for $84. Was it ever really worth $120? Or was the price inflated from the start so the discount looks good?

We don't play that game. Hemcroft doesn't do discounts. Not on Black Friday. Not for your first order. Not ever.

Here's why.

Fair Pricing From the Start

Our pricing is simple: we mark up enough to cover costs, keep the business running, and invest in improvements. That's it. No inflated prices. No fake urgency. No waiting for a sale to get a fair deal.

If we can make it for less and still run a sustainable business, we price it lower. If it costs more to produce, the price reflects that. You're not subsidizing a discount model where some people pay full price so others can get 40% off.

Adventures don't wait for Black Friday. You need gear when you need it. And you shouldn't have to feel like you're getting ripped off just because you didn't wait for a sale.

What Discounting Actually Does

Here's the thing about discount culture: the more you can discount, the higher the markup has to be in the first place. That means the product either has a low actual cost (cheap materials, cheap labor) or a massively inflated perceived value.

Either way, the loser is the buyer – especially if you miss the sale.

We're not interested in that. Hemcroft is gear I needed myself. I make it the way I'd want it as a customer and as an outdoorsman. That means honest pricing, honest materials, and no games.

What You Get Instead

You get gear that works. It's not for Milan. It's for the field.

If you want to maximize value, we offer bundles – sets, multiples, combinations that make sense. If there's a real benefit to buying more (for you and for us), we'll pass that on. But we're not going to mark something up 150% just so we can "discount" it back down to where it should have been priced in the first place.

We also produce in the EU. That costs more than outsourcing to the cheapest factory we can find. But it means better quality control, fair labor, and a supply chain we can actually stand behind. It's part of the cost, and it's worth it.

The Long Game

Here's the reality: if more brands priced honestly, we'd all have access to better gear. The gap between entry-level and top-tier is way too inflated, and a lot of that comes down to pricing games and brand markups that have nothing to do with the actual product.

We're playing the long game. We're the egg in the chicken-and-egg story, and we've decided the egg comes first. As our sales grow, our demand in the supply chain grows. That puts us in a better position to negotiate better terms and pricing. And when that happens, we'll pass it on.

But we're not chasing every customer. We're building something we respect. Quality over quantity – in the product, in the pricing, and in the business.

Why This Matters

You shouldn't have to wait for a sale to get a fair price. You shouldn't have to wonder if the "discount" is real or just marketing theater. And you shouldn't have to feel like you overpaid just because you bought at the wrong time.

Hemcroft costs what it costs. It's fair. It's honest. And it's the same price whether you buy it today or six months from now.

That's how it should be.