Garmin GPSMAP 66i (GPS And Satellite Communicator) And Exclusivity Agreements

 

I was looking at the Garmin GPSMAP 66i (GPS and Satellite Communicator) and noticed that it is "Available exclusively at REI." Has Garmin ever done this in the past with any other products? For those here that have more retailing and marketing experience than I do, which is pretty much everybody, is that a good move for Garmin? Is that a good move for REI? I assume it is, because if it wasn't, they would not have done it. Is it a good for consumers? I assume that it isn't because that will likely eliminate competitive pricing.

https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/p/623975

https://www.rei.com/product/163568/garmin-gpsmap-66i-gps-and...

Unusual, but not unheard of.

Garmin has done this in the past. I think the old nuvi 1100 was a Walmart exclusive when it was introduced. The GPSMAP 66i will be a niche market at best and not a mass seller. It also requires a subscription service in order to use the messaging/tracking functions. Maybe this type of product is a good fit for a high end retailer.

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Alan - Android Auto, DriveLuxe 51LMT-S, DriveLuxe 50LMTHD, Nuvi 3597LMTHD, Oregon 550T, Nuvi 855, Nuvi 755T, Lowrance Endura Sierra, Bosch Nyon

From Costco

There was an automotive GPS (I think trivially different from others) that was exclusive for Costco.