West Marine Scuba Shops-Within-Stores - What to you think?

[JackConnick]

I use their small boutique stores as they are in out-lying areas that have no other marine stores.

It will be interesting to see if they have air fills and service. LDS service varies like any retailer, and it doesn't look like WM is going to have much selection.

Years ago they were great stores, the Nordstrom of boat stores, then they got completely corporate, with terrible private label brands and poor selection and even worse service.

Niche ratailers like myself who offer a good selection, great service and pricing (plug!) have little to worry about.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

If the model of having a scuba shop within a store will work anywhere it will be at West Marine. Sports Chalet started with this and does quite well.
As far as prices, I don't think they will be any higher than an LDS. I'll bet they will be slightly less at about 10 to 15% regular discount and maybe slightly more with rewards card or Port Supply account.
Air fills may be another issue, we'll just have to see.

It's interesting, our local LDS just changed hands (the store manager bought it) and he claimed that 50% of his business is non scuba related.
It can be anything from rafters looking for thin wetsuits to surfers to people looking for waterproof lights, paintballers getting fills, snorkelling gear, and a lot of other stuff.
So now he's a dive shop that's getting in a lot of other stuff including surf boards, stand up paddle boards, kayaks, and other water sports items.
He changed the name from Pinnacles Dive Shop to Seals Water Sports.
So this is the same thing as West Marine sort of, just in reverse.

 

[Akimbo]

… Sports Chalet started with this and does quite well…

As I recall, Sports Chalet started as nearly separate dive and a snow skiing shops to compensate for off-season sales losses. West Marine could benefit from some non-seasonal synergy in terms of their customer base, but it will probably be more difficult in most areas to find personnel to wear both hats.

It will also be difficult if they are limited to one major supplier of dive gear. Just about every piece of gear I use comes from a different manufacturer... including you.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

As I recall, Sports Chalet started as nearly separate dive and a snow skiing shops to compensate for off-season sales losses. West Marine could benefit from some non-seasonal synergy in terms of their customer base, but it will probably be more difficult in most areas to find personnel to wear both hats.

It will also be difficult if they are limited to one major supplier of dive gear. Just about every piece of gear I use comes from a different manufacturer... including you.

One of my best long distance buddies works at the La Canada SC just a few miles from Pasadena. The owner of SC was a dive nut himself, so he wanted to incorporate scuba in with the rest of the skiing and other sport stuff.
SC must be doing something right because look how many of them there are in how many states now.

I remember seeing a travelling scuba kiosk at Costco. All of it was IST gear, which I don't know much about, but it seemed to be a generic line. They actually had everything a person would need to be fully set up to dive including everything like regs, bc's, fins, suits, gloves, hoods, masks, snorkels, computers, compasses, light sets, weights, did I leave anything out?

I could see WM doing something similar, with the addition of air fills.
Yes, staffing would be a challenge if people had technical questions. But if people knew what they wanted then anybody could ring it up.

 

[DiveNav]

..... SC must be doing something right because look how many of them there are in how many states now......

FIY, Sport Chalet was recently acquired by Vestis. See here

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

FIY, Sport Chalet was recently acquired by Vestis. See here

I had no idea, learn something everyday.
I wonder how this will work out for my buddy.

 

[GrumpyOldGuy]

... All of it was IST gear, which I don't know much about, but it seemed to be a generic line. .

IST is a Taiwan manufacturer for US brands, Scuba Pro is/was one of them. Anyway, they sell some gear under their own name / design which tends to be generic, 2nd string stuff.

When we talk on-line scuba gear sales, people always taunt where are you going to get your fills if the LDS all close up. West Marine is one possible answer.

 

[Wookie]

I am interested in neither Mares nor SSI. With that said, I see this as an opportunity to really shake up the scuba dinosaurs who "don't do travel" or "don't do local diving" or "don't repair that brand". Full service shops who take care of their customers and "get it" like Jack Connick and Beaver Divers have nothing to worry about. That grumpy old guy who owns a dive shop in Oklahoma doesn't have anything to worry about either, because West Marine isn't much interested in diving in Oklahoma. Some folks in some of the ocean states need to be watching their backs, however.

 

[Scott]

What will West Marine use for a pool or classroom? I don't see them clearing retail space or adding square footage to a store to add a pool and classroom.
They will likely 'contract' with the local SSI facility.
A different model than SC who has air fills, classroom and pools onsite.

 

[Rayallyn]

West Marine down here in the keys we refer to them as Tiffany's. They are high priced except for some of their own brand name items which are cheaply made and the store clerks or so called associates mostly don't know what they are talking about. I will definitely not trust them to fill my tanks or service any of my gear.