Strategy

First time poster on Hot Copper after reading the forums for years. Wish you guys would shut up about downramping and upramping - people have positions, thats the whole point of a discussion forum. Wish the views were more meaty than saying "I LOVE THIS STOCK" or "I HATE THIS STOCK"....

My 2c:

- I think the stores are a branding front to get a bit of buzz - difficult to do in the retailing sector with just an online presence.

- Second to this, the whole premise of the Daigou strategy is to ensure what you are buying is real - tangibility is the key - being able to see and feel a product and see an Australian made badge is a huge part of it. Once they know AuMake is legit, they'll convert to online due to ease

- Commercial real estate is relatively cheap. Lets be frank, the bulk of the Daigou aren't really going to be in George St - they'll be out in the burbs with their family that they are visiting.

- I think the funding rationale was more for inventory and China network than anything

- Regarding the nature of the capital raise; going to existing shareholders was a smart move. If they opened it up carte blanche to insto's and the like, 63c would have been the new bench price. The resistance being seen is because people cannot get into the stock still without being an existing shareholder. Next raise will see the cornerstones come in IMO

- Longer term, the real hook here is having a reputable distribution channel for their own brands with fatter margins. Hence the acquisition strategy.

- Finally, one real motivation for me being in this stock is the Flannery's - they dont invest their family money into crap (look at Vales Point), and they have extensive links into China.