Should Numpad be in the Base kit?

[dvorcol]

Full Base kit vs TKL + Numpad



Assuming overall contents don't change, a TKL Base kit is cheaper than a Full Base kit, and a Full Base kit is cheaper than a TKL Base kit + Numpad kit. One group of buyers doesn't want numpad support, the other group requires it. Which group should pay more so the other pays less? I think there's no universal answer, but looking at numbers from past GBs adds some perspective.

Jamon was the first GMK set I saw with a separate Numpad kit. Wondering how popular the Numpad is, I started keeping track of Numpad take rate.



It's interesting that Numpad take rate varies widely between sets. One big factor is probably the set's theme. For example, almost 80% of DSA Scientific buyers purchased a Numpad kit. Maybe science and numbers are related...

Last year I summarized prices and take rates for some DCS and KKB sets. The raw numbers are to the best of my knowledge accurate. Anything regarding averages should be taken with a grain of salt. Or perhaps a cup, or a bag. 

More

Kit content details beyond Full vs TKL are not considered at all. Zero, zilch, zip, nada, nothing. In reality, for some sets the TKL kit has more small bars, or novelties, or 40s mods, or UK ISO, etc. that would bloat a Full Base kit. For other sets this is not the case. Some Numpad kits have additional keys that don't fit in a Full Base kit, but others are bare-bones. And some Full kits are fuller than others. I'm ignoring a lot of other set-to-set variables too: number of stock and custom colors, MOQs, sales margins, GB dates, etc.

DCS sets



Averaging kit prices from 14 DCS sets (7 Full Base, 7 TKL + Numpad) yields:
   $124 Full Base
   $121 TKL Base = $3 less than Full
   $30 Numpad
   $151 TKL + Numpad = $27 more than Full Base

So with split kits, a Numpad user paid about 9 times what a TKL user saved.

I only have order numbers for 10 of these sets:


The average Numpad take rate for 5 DCS sets was 30%. Is it best to have 30% of customers pay $27 more so 70% pay $3 less?


KKB sets



Averaging kit prices from 17 KKB sets (7 Full Base, 10 TKL + Numpad) yields:
   $96 Full Base
   $92 TKL Base = $4 less than Full Base
   $20 Numpad
   $112 TKL + Numpad = $16 more than Full Base

So with split kits, a Numpad user paid about 4 times what a TKL user saved.

I only have order numbers for 7 of these sets:


The average Numpad take rate for 2 KKB sets was 23%. Is it best to have 23% of customers pay $16 more so 77% pay $4 less?

[LightningXI]

Really interesting data. Given this and primarily personal belief, I'm in the camp that it's worthwhile to keep full base kits to become a standard that has general compatibility that is as expansive as possible and does include the numpad.

I can't see the few bucks of saving by TKL or smaller users being worth of numpad users taking such a big hit monetarily.

[dvorcol]

I use the Numpad, but I'd like to think this is an unbiased summary of actual numbers.

For some manufactures, separate kits might make sense. Perhaps KAT/KAM with Keyreative's original pricing & MOQ methodology, for example. Unfortunately, none of those sets offered Full Base so there's no way to check. It doesn't matter now anyway because Keyreative has overhauled their pricing methodology.

I've always wondered how IC survey results compare to actual orders once the GB ends. Does anyone have any experience with this?

[Trackpoint]

Interesting, I would have thought that there would be a greater difference between the TKL and full kits. I rarely use a numpad, but for a few more bucks it seems worthwhile to include them. I do wonder though if low-MOQ sets gravitate towards TKL kits (and obviously, as you noted, there are way more variables as well that weren't taken into account).