Any updates on Pi Zero availability ?

[Ragooman]

Has there been any updates recently from the Raspberry Pi Foundation on the availability of the Pi Zero ?

I see they now have the Pi Zero-W too. I recall reading an article last year that the Pi Zero production has ramped up to 50,000units each for Europe and North America regions. I'm not sure about the rest of the world. That was about the time I had purchased one from Adafruit. But there'a only 2 distributors where I live in the USA, Micro Center and Adafruit. Canada also has just 2 distributors there too. I suppose this allotment of 50,000 units per month is shared between these 4 dealers.

Has this production quantity been consistent each month since last year ?

I thought this would reduce or eliminate the price gouging on eB@y since last year but it hasn't. Since last year when I bought mine, I notice the inventory at these dealers has sustained quite well. Usually they would be out of stock for weeks. But now I think these dealers stagger their inventory throughout the month until they get their next monthly allotment so as to maintain their in-stock status.

Micro Center at first limited sales to 1x per person and also disallowed online sales, only in-store purchases were allowed. But then I heard they removed the 1x per person limit, but still no online sales permitted. But now they instituted a new pricing strategy which reportedly is their a method to stave off the price gouging on eB@y. Now they charge double and more if somebody wants to purchase multiple units. The Pi Zero-W is $10 for single quantity. But then for 2x to 6x units, it is now $15 each, and any higher they become $20 each. So they are using price gouging methods to stave off eB@y price gouging. I can tell you right now, the price gouging on eB@y has not succumbed. How can they justify this ?

Adafruit still has the 1x per person limit. But at least they allow online sales. I think because they still don't have a retail storefront for people to walk-in and shop

I also wondered how this compares to the production quantities for the newer RPi models. Are these magnitudes greater than the Pi Zero production ?

My reason for these questions is because it is very difficult for a small business shop to use these few dealers as OEM suppliers to get adequate quantities. Because it is nearly impossible to order directly from the Raspberry Pi Foundation, either getting approval or quoting large quantities to justify this. Also the typical distributors, Amazon, etc, etc are practically locked out from distributing the Pi Zero.

[achrn]

The Pi Zero-W is $10 for single quantity. But then for 2x to 6x units, it is now $15 each, and any higher they become $20 each. So they are using price gouging methods to stave off eB@y price gouging. I can tell you right now, the price gouging on eB@y has not succumbed. How can they justify this ?

We don't know. Ask them.
Or sue them, if you like.

Anyway, seems quite creative to me - the normal bleating about availability claims that people are willing to pay a premium price for multiples. Here we have multiples on offer, at a premium price, and ... still bleating.

[Ragooman]

The Pi Zero-W is $10 for single quantity. But then for 2x to 6x units, it is now $15 each, and any higher they become $20 each. So they are using price gouging methods to stave off eB@y price gouging. I can tell you right now, the price gouging on eB@y has not succumbed. How can they justify this ?

We don't know. Ask them.
Or sue them, if you like.

Anyway, seems quite creative to me - the normal bleating about availability claims that people are willing to pay a premium price for multiples. Here we have multiples on offer, at a premium price, and ... still bleating.

I think the American equivalent for the "bleating" term is 'whine'
Being inquisitive is what helps solve problems, not whining.
And the hype revolving around this availability creates hysteria when there is no excuse
eB@y is synonymous with price gouging​
if you were born under a rock, you'll always get burned on eB@y
This is a franchise store and I think it will only hurt their reputation

[Gavinmc42]

Recently as in this week or this month?
Every few weeks this seems to get rehashed.

No change, what you found is what the situation is.
But something may happen soon
Soon is a measurement in unicorn time.

Pick Fuzzy Unicorn is the code words for locking posts that rehash the same thing over and over.
Everybody has a whinge, lots of yelling and conspiracies are suspected.

The situation is they are selling them as fast as they are making them.
Yet people still want more, wonder why that is?
Let us all agree not to buy any for 1 week to build stocks up?
Er probably won't work, I have not got one for a month.
Ok, everybody stop buying for 2 months?

[Martin Frezman]

To OP:

Yes, you've sussed it out correctly. The Zero is not really a product in the conventional sense. It is kind of a trinket - that occasionally falls from the sky, into your lap, like rain in a desert. A company should not and can not rely upon it for a production use. It is not suitable for commercial use. If you think about it, the situations is kinda like the licensing terms of many pieces of software - where the licensing terms for "personal use" are much more lenient than those for commercial users. Effectively, the Zero is only licensed for personal use.

For their own reasons, the RPF has chosen this route. As many others, past, present, and future, have told you and will tell you, that's just the way it is and only they can change it. As to whether they are right or wrong in this, who can say? I generally think it is wrong - that it should be a product in the conventional sense - but I do see why they do it this way. I may not agree with it, but I do get it.

Anyway, that's the way it is, but expect the parrots to chime in and tell me I'm wrong about this.

[Ragooman]

To OP:

Yes, you've sussed it out correctly. The Zero is not really a product in the conventional sense. It is kind of a trinket - that occasionally falls from the sky, into your lap, like rain in a desert. A company should not and can not rely upon it for a production use. It is not suitable for commercial use. If you think about it, the situations is kinda like the licensing terms of many pieces of software - where the licensing terms for "personal use" are much more lenient than those for commercial users. Effectively, the Zero is only licensed for personal use.

For their own reasons, the RPF has chosen this route. As many others, past, present, and future, have told you and will tell you, that's just the way it is and only they can change it. As to whether they are right or wrong in this, who can say? I generally think it is wrong - that it should be a product in the conventional sense - but I do see why they do it this way. I may not agree with it, but I do get it.

Anyway, that's the way it is, but expect the parrots to chime in and tell me I'm wrong about this.

could this explain this strange distribution arrangement ?

Where only a couple of distributors in a region are able to lock an arrangement, and other large organizations such as Amazon, etc are prevented from selling this ?

Another thing I noticed on the RPF website, they mention that Farnell and RS are the actuall distributors and the rest of these stores are just Resellers. But then how are places like Amazon prevented from being a Reseller, when they sell every other product from RPF

[Gavinmc42]

Where only a couple of distributors in a region are able to lock an arrangement, and other large organizations such as Amazon, etc are prevented from selling this ?

Simple really, they cannot make enough Zero's for the big guys and the margin is too small for the usual big two/three/four/five/six who have a license to make the other versions.

RPT arrange the manufacture of Zero's and because they are the production arm of a charity the profit is not a big issue.
RPF then sell them via the hacker type distributors, who make a tiny amount but can up sell other stuff at the same time.
These small distributors are the one who understand us tinker/hacker types.

Remember these things are $5 and $10, what sort of profit can you put on that.
RPF keep it low because they want them to be affordable for everybody.

[achrn]

could this explain this strange distribution arrangement ?
Where only a couple of distributors in a region are able to lock an arrangement, and other large organizations such as Amazon, etc are prevented from selling this ?

Another thing I noticed on the RPF website, they mention that Farnell and RS are the actuall distributors and the rest of these stores are just Resellers. But then how are places like Amazon prevented from being a Reseller, when they sell every other product from RPF

A limited number of resellers is not an unusual arrangement. There are plenty of products that are only officially available from a limited number of distributers and/or resellers.

Why don't you ask Amazon why they refuse to sell Pi zeros?

Or, if you're so keen for there to be an alternative distribution channel for Pi Zeros, why not make a proper approach to RPF and become a reseller?

[Martin Frezman]

Funny response. Yeah, like you're not being facetious...

[Ragooman]

Where only a couple of distributors in a region are able to lock an arrangement, and other large organizations such as Amazon, etc are prevented from selling this ?

Simple really, they cannot make enough Zero's for the big guys and the margin is too small for the usual big two/three/four/five/six who have a license to make the other versions.

RPT arrange the manufacture of Zero's and because they are the production arm of a charity the profit is not a big issue.
RPF then sell them via the hacker type distributors, who make a tiny amount but can up sell other stuff at the same time.
These small distributors are the one who understand us tinker/hacker types.

Remember these things are $5 and $10, what sort of profit can you put on that.
RPF keep it low because they want them to be affordable for everybody.

ak ok, this must explain what I read about last year,
how the existing RPi boards are manufactured by RS[?] or was it Farnell[?]
and they can manufacture an inordinate amount of boards to sustain the demand worldwide
And then the Pi Zero is manufactured by the smaller RFT group, which has limited production capacity

[bensimmo]

Production capacity, but they are increasing it as they can. (ZeroW I believe would be first to increase as it makes more ££ I believe)
Problem is people keep buying the damn things so they sell out.
Of course the UK has it easier to find them as RPT are here and not far from a plant making them.
Still PiHUT/Pimoroni have a one per order and PiHUT must have just had new stock as they where out of both Zero's over the weekend.

Farnell etc have licenses to make the other Pi's. Other Pi's have a different distribution/making setup last time anything was mentioned.

[bensimmo]

Just read these two post
viewtopic.php?f=63&t=176564&start=175#p1174681
And a bit later on in that thread (ignore the bits around the posts)
viewtopic.php?f=63&t=176564&start=175#p1174960

[FTrevorGowen]

O.K. I'm locking this thread whilst it's still quite civil. AIUI, nothing has changed since statements made by @jamesh in a previous similar thread. IIRC, the nub of that was along the line of "improvements are planned and progressing" but it will take time.
Trev

[jamesh]

Just to confirm what Trevor has said, nothing has changed since I posted on the linked thread above. We are still working on this issue, but it's quite complex (for reasons I cannot go in to) and I cannot give any timescales for anything.