I don't necessarily disagree with their entire premise. We certainly don't need EVERY shop trying to utilize the internet, and maybe this is one way for Aqualung to set themselves apart from the others.
But as Time Magazine so eloquently pointed out in their "Man of the Year" edition, the information age is here and now. The consumers are more in control than ever, and companies who are reluctant to embrace this new spirit of consumerism will lose out on significant revenues. Print media is all but dead and broadcast media is on the decline. Interactive media is THE force to reckon with now, and you will see more and more Fortune 500 companies convert their advertising budget to online opportunities.
The sales can still be local, but the information stage of any purchase is largely to be an online experience. ScubaBoard stands as the internet's 800 pound Scuba Diving Media Gorilla. I would suggest that more buying decisions are made here than just about any place else. We don't even sell any equipment. But our advertisers do.
BTW, I read Time's article on line. Print is dying a slow agonising death.