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Boat Forum / Cruising / January 2006West Marine is Terrible
They have driven out almost all their competition with drastic price reductions. ONce that is accomplished they raise their prices to a level much higher than anyone charged prior to their dominance. They only stock what moves quickly. They stock nothing for the convenience of their customers. If they can not turn it around for a big profit in very short time they will not stock it. They suppress innovation in the industry because they will not stock newly invented or innovative products. They will not stock anything new unless they are certain there are people waiting to snatch the product off their shelves. Their pricing is predatory. When I am in South Florida where some competition remains I regularly note that every other dealer sells the same product for less money than they do. They really the "K-Mart" of the marine industry. I was pleased when they first appeared but I now wish I had never heard the name. I have never owned a Marine supply store. I hold no stock in any marine supply business. I have never even known anyone who owned a marine supply store. I just think that West Marine is really a lousy outfit. You shareholders, employees (no idea how they treat their employees), and defenders just fire away because I, for one, will drive an hour out of my way to buy from any other store. Unfortunately I only able to do so in south Florida. Elsewhere they have destroyed the competition. > They have driven out almost all their competition with drastic price > reductions. ONce that is accomplished they raise their prices to a > level much higher than anyone charged prior to their dominance. It's called cannibal marketing, pioneered by Starbucks I think. > They only stock what moves quickly. They stock nothing for the > convenience of their customers. If they can not turn it around for a > big profit in very short time they will not stock it. That's called capitalism. > They suppress innovation in the industry because they will not stock > newly invented or innovative products. They will not stock anything [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > They really the "K-Mart" of the marine industry. I was pleased when > they first appeared but I now wish I had never heard the name. Not Kmart. Starbucks. > I have never owned a Marine supply store. I hold no stock in any > marine supply business. I have never even known anyone who owned a [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > to do so in south Florida. Elsewhere they have destroyed the > competition. I'm with ya! Gaz > You shareholders, employees (no idea how they treat their employees), > and defenders just fire away because I, for one, will drive an hour > out of my way to buy from any other store. Unfortunately I only able > to do so in south Florida. Elsewhere they have destroyed the > competition. What I always find amusing at Waste Marine is how really CHEAP the stuff is made. God, a bilge blower really shouldn't be made in China in the same factory that makes hand fans, should it? Except for the name-brand sailing rigging an a few other items, any RV dealer has better quality stuff! I think calling it a K-mart is being too nice....K-mart doesn't sell 12V plastic fans for $130.... I used to sell my little product through them. I found them to be ruthless to their suppliers. If you shipped late, they fine you. If you ship early, they fine you. If you ship too many items in an order, you guessed it, they fine you! And they keep the overages. They get terrific margins on many lines and rarely pass them on to the consumer. I suspect that Wal-Mart took notes on them. I had their Port Supply Card which is suppose to be for wholesalers. Frequently the shelf/discounted price was LOWER than the alleged discount offered to wholesalers. It's a wacky company. I buy from the little guy every chance I get. It's the only protest I have. > They have driven out almost all their competition with drastic price > reductions. ONce that is accomplished they raise their prices to a [quoted text clipped - 26 lines] > to do so in south Florida. Elsewhere they have destroyed the > competition. I used to sell my little product through them. I found them to be ruthless to their suppliers. If you shipped late, they fine you. If you ship early, they fine you. If you ship too many items in an order, you guessed it, they fine you! And they keep the overages. They get terrific margins on many lines and rarely pass them on to the consumer. I suspect that Wal-Mart took notes on them. I had their Port Supply Card which is suppose to be for wholesalers. Frequently the shelf/discounted price was LOWER than the alleged discount offered to wholesalers. It's a wacky company. I buy from the little guy every chance I get. It's the only protest I have. > They have driven out almost all their competition with drastic price > reductions. ONce that is accomplished they raise their prices to a [quoted text clipped - 26 lines] > to do so in south Florida. Elsewhere they have destroyed the > competition. Saw it coming when they bought out BoatUS. Maybe some competition would help? I only use WM as a back up when the other WM doesn't have what I need! > They have driven out almost all their competition with drastic price > reductions. ONce that is accomplished they raise their prices to a [quoted text clipped - 26 lines] > to do so in south Florida. Elsewhere they have destroyed the > competition. Do what I do... get a price quote on the web then either buy it there, or take it into West Marine where they will price match. I went into sticker shock awhile back when I went in to buy a bottle of 3M's Finesse-it clear coat polish. $50!!!!!!!! plus tax! I bought it on the web from an automotive supply for $25, including freight. For several years I worked for two locally owned Marine Supply Stores. We prided ourselves in boating knowledge and service. Many times we could get obsolete and hard to find parts for our customers and personal service was a hallmark. Lots of special orders, special attention and a wealth of marine know-how. Unfortunately when West Marine cameto town our customer base vanished overnight..based on price alone ..and most could care less about the knowledge and service we provided. Both stores closed up. I guess you get what you wish for. When I hear folks gripe about West Marine I remember back when...Just some thoughts on how we all got ourselves in this mess. > Do what I do... get a price quote on the web then either buy it there, > or take it into West Marine where they will price match. I went into > sticker shock awhile back when I went in to buy a bottle of 3M's > Finesse-it clear coat polish. $50!!!!!!!! plus tax! I bought it on the > web from an automotive supply for $25, including freight. >For several years I worked for two locally owned Marine Supply Stores. We >prided ourselves in boating knowledge and service. Many times we could get [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] >what you wish for. When I hear folks gripe about West Marine I remember >back when...Just some thoughts on how we all got ourselves in this mess. This has been a problem for single-store retailers for at least 50-75 years. I remember my father talking about it. And my grandfather. Not the marine business, but same principle. >>For several years I worked for two locally owned Marine Supply Stores. We >>prided ourselves in boating knowledge and service. Many times we could get [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] >>what you wish for. When I hear folks gripe about West Marine I remember >>back when...Just some thoughts on how we all got ourselves in this mess. >This has been a problem for single-store retailers for at least 50-75 years. >I remember my father talking about it. And my grandfather. Not the marine >business, but same principle. People in many cases gat what they want to pay for, but unfortunately they do not understand it themselves. Good service is something most people notice only when it is absent. - Lauri Tarkkonen > People in many cases gat what they want to pay for, but unfortunately > they do not understand it themselves. Good service is something most > people notice only when it is absent. > > - Lauri Tarkkonen The root of the problem, whether you are talking West Marine, Wal-Mart or health insurance for that matter, is the consumer. We all want it cheap. We expect competent help and service, but in their absence, we'll take the cheap. Often we hear people bragging about the low price they paid for something. Rarely do you hear of anyone claiming to have paid a bit more, but it was worth it for the expertise of the salesperson. Health insurance? The system of major medical coverage was fine until the advent of the "HMO" whereby you only had to pay 5 bucks to visit the doc. It's been downhill ever since. Eisboch > The root of the problem, whether you are talking West Marine, Wal-Mart or > health insurance for that matter, is the consumer. We all want it cheap. > We expect competent help and service, but in their absence, we'll take the > cheap. The problem with WM is, they are no longer cheap...in fact, they have become the most expensive. They bought out all their "bricks and mortar" competition, but as online chandleries continue to poliferate, I believe their perceived monopolistic attitude has already begun to bite them in the @$$...I expect them to be in chapter 11 within another 5 years. I THINK they'll survive it, but only by coming marine "convenience stores"...on every corner, but only stocking those few items people typically need right now, and therefore have no choice but to pay list+50% for. A shame...because it was only 10 years ago that they were the superstar...their people were the most knowledgable...best prices...but then they decided to buy out everyone else and it's been all downhill since. The history of their stock price since they first went public in the mid '90s tells the story...and IMO also forecasts their future.  SignaturePeggie ---------- Peggie Hall Specializing in marine sanitation since 1987 Author "Get Rid of Boat Odors - A Guide To Marine Sanitation Systems and Other Sources of Aggravation and Odor" http://shop.sailboatowners.com/books/detail-books.htm?fno=0&sku=90&cat=1304 They bought out all their "bricks and > mortar" competition, but as online chandleries continue to poliferate, I > believe their perceived monopolistic attitude has already begun to bite [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > items people typically need right now, and therefore have no choice but > to pay list+50% for. Here in Beaufort, we have a WM Express which just about that. I was disappointed with the selection of stock. It seems that they weren't even on a par with the fishing and boating gear in the sporting goods section at out local Wal-Mart. Leanne > They bought out all their "bricks and >> mortar" competition, but as online chandleries continue to poliferate, I [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] >a par with the fishing and boating gear in the sporting goods section at out >local Wal-Mart. Interesting... when I owned my own boat a while ago, I signed up for some part time work at the local WM, so that I could get the employee discount for my project. It was an interesting experience. There were some people who worked there who had a vast amount of experience, others were strictly retail clerks with no experience other than ringing up stuff. I don't claim to have vast experience, but I think 30+ years of sailing counts for something. :-) I found it to be a depressing place to work. The "managers" were very, very concerned that I was interested in stealing their jobs (masters degree, etc.). I wasn't at all. I was only there for the discount and would have worked for zero $ if they had given me the option. I tried hard to explain that to them, since their unease was obvious. It didn't help mostly. The store manager was not much better. He was only interested in getting the registers working continuously, and while there's nothing wrong with that, he really didn't care about the customer beyond them buying something. Actually, he was quite savvy about that, constantly reminding us to not discount customers who looked poor. (My experience was that these guys, mostly asian, would walk in and buy several outboards in one pop in cash, and they weren't even concerned about a discount through their advantage or port supply cards.) So, I, thinking that I could possibly help customers make some good choices about what they were looking for, would sometimes spend a few minutes talking to them about such things as anchoring techique, equipment to buy, merits of this item over that. Man, did I get in trouble. Apparently, I didn't always recommend the most expensive item, and had the temerity to actually talk to them, when I was supposed to immediately hand them off to a more "senior" person... e.g., someone with more retail experience. :-) Well, I got the parts I needed, then I quit. But, I do know a couple of people who've stuck it out. They had bigger projects. :-) Signature"j" ganz @@ www.sailnow.com snip, snip > It was an interesting experience. There were some people who worked > there who had a vast amount of experience, others were strictly retail > clerks with no experience other than ringing up stuff. I don't claim > to have vast experience, but I think 30+ years of sailing counts for > something. :-) At our local store most of the sales people are part-timers, either semi-retired boaters or students. I think the only full time person is the store manager. Not enough business, especially in winter, to have more full time staff. I think the level of service and expertise shown by the staff must vary a lot from location to location and I don't really think its entirely fair to complain about this. You have to assume they hire the best qualified local people that apply for the job. Same thing for the store manager's attitude toward customers. My local independent chandler has some dim bulbs working for him and some very helpful guys. It pays to get to know whom you need to speak to so I wouldn't necessarily make a final judgement based on 1 visit. > snip, snip >> [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > very helpful guys. It pays to get to know whom you need to speak to so I > wouldn't necessarily make a final judgement based on 1 visit. Yeah, you're right of course. I've had good experiences in other stores, notably the Sausalito store. I would not go quite that far about hiring the best local people. What they tend to do is hire people to do the unloading, which means early morning hours typically. Then, after several weeks, they graduate to working in the store during the day. Some of the assistant managers came up this way, which might not be a bad things, but some of them are not that bright. Signature"j" ganz @@ www.sailnow.com > Interesting... when I owned my own boat a while ago, I signed up for > some part time work at the local WM, so that I could get the employee > discount for my project. So, how much is the employee discount? What sort of bennies, if any ? L8R Skip, rehabbing to be able to continue to refit until my shoulder's finished and we leave SignatureMorgan 461 #2 SV Flying Pig KI4MPC http://tinyurl.com/384p2 The vessel as Tehamana, as we bought her "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." - Mark Twain >> Interesting... when I owned my own boat a while ago, I signed up for >> some part time work at the local WM, so that I could get the employee [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > Skip, rehabbing to be able to continue to refit until my shoulder's > finished and we leave It's been a while now, but it was significant. Other than that, there were no benefits. Signature"j" ganz @@ www.sailnow.com >So, how much is the employee discount? What sort of bennies, if any ? I've been told that it's about 35%, and that even the part timers get decent medical coverage. One of my former neighbors told me that's the main reason he works there. I believe the 35% is about right. I don't know about the medical coverage, since I didn't need it and didn't inquire. Signature"j" ganz @@ www.sailnow.com >>So, how much is the employee discount? What sort of bennies, if any ? > > I've been told that it's about 35%, and that even the part timers get > decent medical coverage. One of my former neighbors told me that's > the main reason he works there. I'm one of those part time West Marine employees. I work almost entirely for the discount (certainly not the wages!), although my wife says I have to quit before we go broke. I am outfitting a trawler for the Great Loop and need the price break. Some of the discounts are around 50%. Most are about 33%, but electronics are poor, as there is little profit in them. I think most of the associates are people like me, although most work more than I do. Their advantage is that many of us really do know what we are selling. If you walk into a store and ask if anyone has ever taken a boat to _____ and how did they outfit it, someone will tell you to talk to ____, who will almost always not be working that day. The disadvantage is that we are not all really as devoted to the company as we are to our boats and working part-time sometimes keeps us out of practice with their awful computer system. It's a fairly decent company to work for with a 401k that they contribute to, health and dental insurance for those who work more than 20 hours a week. flexible hours and, most importantly, THE DISCOOUNT. It's boring up here in the cold weather and very hectic in the warm. Our catalogue is a wealth of information and worth the cost of a membership just for the information. Renew now before the price goes up. Prices are sometimes higher than the competition, but we match theirs. We also take back anything you are unhappy with. There are certainly things I would do differently if I ran the company, (such as their advertising, for example) but I don't, and don't want to, either. Capt. Jeff > I'm one of those part time West Marine employees. I work almost entirely > for the discount (certainly not the wages!), although my wife says I have [quoted text clipped - 27 lines] > > Capt. Jeff Maybe things are different from where you hail... it's all over the map down here with who works there. A large percentage of employees are strictly retain. They have experience only wrt WM stuff. Of course, there are people who are quite knowledgeable as you suggest (and as you are). Signature"j" ganz @@ www.sailnow.com >Maybe things are different from where you hail... it's all over the map down >here with who works there. A large percentage of employees are strictly >retain. They have experience only wrt WM stuff. Of course, there are people >who are quite knowledgeable as you suggest (and as you are). I've found most of the people in our local store to be reasonably knowledgable, and some with a great deal of cruising experience. I think it depends on the area. Back in the north east where wages are higher, I think they have trouble hiring and retaining good people. Here in FL with a large retiree pool to draw from, it is probably easier to find good part timers. Will West match Defender prices? > I'm one of those part time West Marine employees. I work almost entirely > for the discount (certainly not the wages!), although my wife says I [quoted text clipped - 28 lines] > > Capt. Jeff They will in my store! Capt. Jeff It really is a good experience to do business with people with experience (like yourself) when shopping at WM. Easy to tell those folks from the "professional retail types", especially when I makes cracks about $200 impulse buy sunglasses, the sailors laugh and the others frown! > > They bought out all their "bricks and > >> mortar" competition, but as online chandleries continue to poliferate, I [quoted text clipped - 46 lines] > Well, I got the parts I needed, then I quit. But, I do know a couple > of people who've stuck it out. They had bigger projects. :-) Bob Cross wrote: > For several years I worked for two locally owned Marine Supply Stores. We > prided ourselves in boating knowledge and service. Many times we could get [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] >>Finesse-it clear coat polish. $50!!!!!!!! plus tax! I bought it on the >>web from an automotive supply for $25, including freight. I've had that experience. As a kid (in my teens) I worked in my stepfathers hardware store in Eatontown, NJ. " B.D. Wolcott's Sons, Farm and Garden suppliers since 1891" We knew what we sold and gave countless lectures on "how to do this or that". It was satisfying work. People would walk in the store with an object in their hand and a puzzled look on their face. "I need one of these" and we would sell it or order it. When the home centers started coming in, the mantra became, "I've looked everywhere, but I knew that you'd have this (widget)." But along the way they left most of their money at the home centers. We used to sell a marine line of paint and cordage, just to keep the post boating centric :) Working on Ocean Planet last year I came to appreciate Hamilton Marine, in Maine. They have a good assortment and prices seemed reasonable. They have a web presence. Jonathan SignatureI am building my daughter an Argie 10 sailing dinghy, check it out: http://home.comcast.net/~jonsailr Yeah, I've starting using Hamilton for various items via mail order. Never had a problem and when I've had to talk to someone to find out about the part I was looking for, I was happy to get the information I needed (they called me back). Bob Didn't know WM would do that. Thanks for the info. MMC > Do what I do... get a price quote on the web then either buy it there, > or take it into West Marine where they will price match. I went into > sticker shock awhile back when I went in to buy a bottle of 3M's > Finesse-it clear coat polish. $50!!!!!!!! plus tax! I bought it on the > web from an automotive supply for $25, including freight. > I just think that West Marine is really a lousy >outfit. Not fair in my opinion. It's true that their prices are rarely competetive, but for small stuff the convenience of having one 5 minutes away is nice. I also find that their service and return policies are excellent. Several times they have helped me get warranty service on items I no longer had the receipts for. Several of the local employees have told me that they also offer excellent benefits, even to the part timers, so they are not exactly a Wal Mart in that respect. For big ticket items it pays to shop around and order from out of state. I've had good luck with both Defender in CT and Pyacht in MD. http://www.defender.com/ http://www.pyacht.com >Not fair in my opinion. Suggesting that a populist rant against any big business is overblown is a bit like standing in front of a freight train. >> I just think that West Marine is really a lousy >>outfit. [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > > http://www.pyacht.com Some of their prices are pretty crazy. I needed two simple hook latches to hold swinging doors shut. Local independent chandler had only 1 at $5. Went to another chandler and he wanted $8 so I thought I'd go up to West Marine to check on their price. $13 !! I said to the store manager "Making a hook latch is not rocket science. How can you charge twice as much as anyone else?" He just shrugged. Another time a friend wanted to buy a large fender at an advertised sale price but they would not sell at that price because the sale was 3 days away. He went to the local independent and got the exact same fender for less than the advertised sale price. At first he was mad at them but then decided they did him a favour. They are pretty good on warranties though and if you get the West Marine Advantage card you'll get some money back in the mail. They will also match other people's prices by word-of-mouth on smaller items and by show of written price on more expensive things but they're not the first place I go to. I wanted an outboard they were to have on sale in a couple of days and they wouldn't give me the sale price either. I bought it anyway and, since I would be out on the boat, had my daughter go in when the sale started and get the difference refunded through their price guarantee. >>> I just think that West Marine is really a lousy >>>outfit. [quoted text clipped - 36 lines] > items and by show of written price on more expensive things but they're > not the first place I go to. I do use WM when I have to. Would rather just use Defender but for some items I just can't wait. I bought a Whale flipper pump for our little boat and amazed the little hunk of plastic costs $80. When I opened it I found not only was it grubby, but also already broken! I figured a customer must have broke the pump and then returned it to the store. It was in a plastic bag with a cardboard folded and stapled at the top. What really surprised me was when I returned it and explained to the salesperson what the sit was, he just shrugged. Of course it wasn't his fault, but I did have to make 2 PITA trips for an overpriced toy pump that didn't work. And I swear, if the bag had a picture of a car instead of a boat on it the thing would cost $9.95. MMC > >> I just think that West Marine is really a lousy > >>outfit. [quoted text clipped - 36 lines] > and by show of written price on more expensive things but they're not the > first place I go to. >And I swear, if the bag had a picture of a car instead of a boat on it the >thing would cost $9.95. All kidding aside, some of this stuff is available at RV stores, for less of course. That's a good idea Wayne, I'll try that next time. Thanks > >And I swear, if the bag had a picture of a car instead of a boat on it the > >thing would cost $9.95. > > All kidding aside, some of this stuff is available at RV stores, for > less of course. I hope somebody at WM reads this string. It perfectly represents the public sentiment I've heard around the marina for some time now. Until they change, we can vote with our purchasing power and letters. I save all the business I can for Fisheries Supply in Seattle. Great physical store AND online store. Price is never an issue and the staff knows "stuff." > They have driven out almost all their competition with drastic price > reductions. ONce that is accomplished they raise their prices to a [quoted text clipped - 26 lines] > to do so in south Florida. Elsewhere they have destroyed the > competition. I hope somebody at WM reads this string. It perfectly represents the public sentiment I've heard around the marina for some time now. Until they change, we can vote with our purchasing power and letters. I save all the business I can for Fisheries Supply in Seattle. Great physical store AND online store. Price is never an issue and the staff knows "stuff." > They have driven out almost all their competition with drastic price > reductions. ONce that is accomplished they raise their prices to a [quoted text clipped - 26 lines] > to do so in south Florida. Elsewhere they have destroyed the > competition. >I hope somebody at WM reads this string. It perfectly represents the public > sentiment I've heard around the marina for some time now. [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > store > AND online store. Price is never an issue and the staff knows "stuff." Is that the same one with the circular blue-ish logo which had by far the most expensive prices when I was searching various high-ticket items recently?? If so, "price is never an issue" means, pay the price, cuz they're good guys, or something else? And, not a West fan, but, if they'll match prices, if you just check, aren't they, then, the lowest price available, and right in your backyard (metaphorically speaking, of course - if you're in a marine area)? L8R Skip SignatureMorgan 461 #2 SV Flying Pig KI4MPC http://tinyurl.com/384p2 The vessel as Tehamana, as we bought her "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." - Mark Twain >And, not a West fan, but, if they'll match prices, if you just check, aren't >they, then, the lowest price available, and right in your backyard >(metaphorically speaking, of course - if you're in a marine area)? I have both a WM and a Boaters World less than 10 minutes away. Competition is good. Absolutely agree with the sentiments expressed here. I'd rather do without than buy from West Marine, or fix it with duct tape, or sell the boat, or sink it: ANYTHING to avoid buying from West Marine. Someone mentioned Fisheries Supply in Seattle, and I'd certainly endorse that outlet, too. But my favorite online chandlery is Go2Marine. By their own admission, this is a bunch old broken-down Alaskan fishermen, but migod do they know the business. They'll suggest the BEST alternative, even if it's lower in price, or even--believe it or not--if some other retailer stocks it. Great guys to work with, typically the lowest price for standard items (not quite always), courteous and quick service. First rate. Check the website: http://www.go2marine.com/main.jsp (No, I don't own any stock in the company, don't know personally any of the staff. Just the testimony of a very satisfied customer. AND THEY AIN'T WEST MARINE!) Dick B. MV "Annie" > They have driven out almost all their competition with drastic price > reductions. ONce that is accomplished they raise their prices to a [quoted text clipped - 26 lines] > to do so in south Florida. Elsewhere they have destroyed the > competition. > Absolutely agree with the sentiments expressed here. I'd rather do without > than buy from West Marine, or fix it with duct tape, or sell the boat, or [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > > http://www.go2marine.com/main.jsp For a bunch of broken down old fishermen, they sure have figured out a sophisticated Web site. I too tended to avoid West Marine, but in many places it's either there or do without. I will also second the RV dealer for parts. When building a boat, I found that I needed to avoid the marine stores for everything I could and try alternative sources such as the RV places. The prices are dramatically different. -paul You know, folks, on the basis of all this testimony, it occurs to me West Marine is offering us a fantastic investment potential here. I'm going to call my broker and short the hell out of its stock. LMAO. > They have driven out almost all their competition with drastic price > reductions. ONce that is accomplished they raise their prices to a [quoted text clipped - 26 lines] > to do so in south Florida. Elsewhere they have destroyed the > competition. Beat you to it. Sold long ago. Go2MArine sold my little Nobeltec trainer for a few years. Great folks to do biz with. And those poor suckers have to live and work on Bainbridge Island. Whatta life. > You know, folks, on the basis of all this testimony, it occurs to me West > Marine is offering us a fantastic investment potential here. I'm going to [quoted text clipped - 30 lines] >> to do so in south Florida. Elsewhere they have destroyed the >> competition. Hey, Dan, I can't complain. We live on Lopez Island in the San Juans. Buzz by Bainbridge now and then on our ole Vic Tug, "Annie." Cheers, Dick > Beat you to it. Sold long ago. > [quoted text clipped - 36 lines] >>> to do so in south Florida. Elsewhere they have destroyed the >>> competition. > They have driven out almost all their competition with drastic price > reductions. ONce that is accomplished they raise their prices to a [quoted text clipped - 26 lines] > to do so in south Florida. Elsewhere they have destroyed the > competition. I generally price shop between Boaters World, Wal-Mart and West Marine and buy where it is the cheapest when I need something fairly fast. When time is no problem I try to shop and then buy over the internet. > They have driven out almost all their competition with drastic price > reductions. ONce that is accomplished they raise their prices to a [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > convenience of their customers. If they can not turn it around for a > big profit in very short time they will not stock it. We used to frequent the Delaware BOAT/US store. It got expanded about the time of the takeover -- and now has less useful equipment. Stuff that I bought one year wasn't available the next. Now, we only stop by for auxiliary stuff we need "now". I have to say that that store and the Rock Hall WM have quite knowledgeable staff. Most of them are there for the discount. One's a frequent contributor to various sailing mags. I've started using the local *marina* stores as my first choice. If nothing else, if they have it in stock, I've spent at least an hour less traipsing back and forth to the "low cost" store. Each one soon gives me a "professional" discount comparable to most web prices when I factor shipping in. That seemed strange until I asked one owner. Yes I asked a thousand questions and chewed the fat for hours some times, but I actually bought and sometimes helped him sell. I get into Fawcett's about once a year, usually for some thing(s) that broke on our annual trip. Of course, we browse in that boaters' "candy store" and chat "a bit". Last year, it was just a battery, which was easily found. The cashier remembered us and gave us a pretty nice discount. Checking later on the web for the same battery, I found that the price difference was more than eaten up by shipping and the convenience of only having to drag the battery 50' to their dock. I was happy to find out that when I buy at some of the marina stores, I'm supporting Fawcett's, their supplier. If they don't have what I want, they have the catalogs and will order it. Often, it's there the next day. Once, I ordered at 4:30 pm and it was there before 9 the next morning. Almost always, they get it by the next weekend, which is fine for most things. I'm not so cheap that I shop entirely by price, but in the few cases where I didn't automatically get the discount and I knew a price, they cheerfully matched it as best they could. I don't sweat the small differences as their service is far superior. I know my marina guy made several calls to Raritan last year, getting them to make up a rebuild kit for our Cricket. That sort of service is priceless as I just don't have the time to call during business hours. Of course part of that is *my* attitude. While chewing the fat, I've heard some stories of their more obnoxious customers. SignatureJere Lull Xan-a-Deux ('73 Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD) Xan's Pages: http://members.dca.net/jerelull/X-Main.html Our BVI FAQs (290+ pics) http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/ > I have to say that that store and the Rock Hall WM have quite > knowledgeable staff. Most of them are there for the discount. One's a > frequent contributor to various sailing mags. I've used that WM in RH, and concur. While I agree with the general tenor of the posts, I'll put my kudos in for the WM staff in Deale, Being right in the midst of all the boatyards they stock heavily on maintenance items, the kinds of things you'll dash off to a store to buy 'cuz you need it right now while working on your boat. I've also had the staff advise me of upcoming sales, including spcial, not advertised sales. Those stores excepted, I concur with the rest of your post. >> I have to say that that store and the Rock Hall WM have quite >> knowledgeable staff. Most of them are there for the discount. One's a [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > >Those stores excepted, I concur with the rest of your post. Well, not trying to bash all WM stores... the one in Sausalito is top-notch. I can't say all of the same for others in the area. SignatureCapt. JG @@ www.sailnow.com jganz@sailnow.invalid (Jonathan Ganz) wrote in news:dr95lu$pon$1 @shell2.bayarea.net: > Well, not trying to bash all WM stores... the one in Sausalito is > top-notch. I can't say all of the same for others in the area. The one here is "top notch", too, it's the stuff they sell that's really CRAP. |
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