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I can buy 3lb of Vidalia onions from Whole Foods right now for $3.99 ($1.33/lb). The prices on his site range from $40 for 5lb ($8/lb) to $110 for 40lb ($2.75/l
by eurleif 4y ago
I can buy 3lb of Vidalia onions from Whole Foods right now for $3.99 ($1.33/lb). The prices on his site range from $40 for 5lb ($8/lb) to $110 for 40lb ($2.75/lb). What's the deal with that?
It's great that he found a business that works for him, and this was an enjoyable read, but I'm confused about the value proposition. Is the target audience people who can't buy Vidalia onions from a supermarket due to geography? He mentions putting up a billboard in Georgia, the state where they're grown, so that doesn't seem to be it. Are his onions so much better than other Vidalia onions as to be worth the extra price? If so, I would be more inclined to try them if the site made that clear -- the word "superior" is used in one place, but it's not emphasized or expounded upon, and reads more like puffery than like a full-throated claim of superiority.
- viscountchocula 4y ago"universally, the domain name always comes first, the business idea comes second" The target audience is people who are too lazy to Google "Vidalia onions" and just go to vidaliaonions.com, I guess?
- namdnay 4y agoMaybe they weren’t as common back in 2019?
- astura 4y agoVidalias have been ubiquitous in grocery stores my entire adult life (which is ~20 years)
- WesternWind 4y agoIf you live in a bigger city like Seattle or LA you are probably set when it comes to getting food, even specific onion varieties, but the mail goes everywhere, and there are plenty of places where you don't have those options.
- user_named 4y agoYou actually miss the point if you think the prices are a problem. He's got the brand and audience that allows him to charge a higher price. WF onions have no brand or audience they are a commodity.
- deleted 4y ago[deleted]
- mtmail 4y agoThe website (https://www.vidaliaonions.com/product/ https://www.vidaliaonions.com/product/) includes shipping costs.
- eightturn 4y agoHi Eurleif, Peter(author) here.. Essentially - for most folks - it's very difficult to find Vidalias at the grocery. If they do, the quality isn't to their liking. And ultimately, my customer want to ensure they're buying genuine Vidalias, as a lot of places mis-mark other 'sweet' onions as Vidalia, and they're not (so they're hot, pungent, etc). Hope that helps!
- ZetaZero 4y agoIMO, the story is not about the onions. It's about building a business from a domain name. A good domain name is worth x10 in marketing. The other HN articles show more of strategy of building around a domain name. https://news.ycombinator.com/from?site=deepsouthventures.com https://news.ycombinator.com/from?site=deepsouthventures.com
- zach_garwood 4y agoSome folks are VERY particular about their produce.