I'm finding that the whole dive industry in general is the most bizzaar thing I've ever seen as far as a sporting related industry goes.
Is there any other sport out there that you can think of where the local shop and the internet run in parallel universes?
In other words, lets take rock climbing or wakeboarding or bicycling, do any of those other sports have one type of gear in a brick and mortar shop and a whole different set of gear available on the internet that the brick and mortar shops refuse to carry and pretend nobody is using?
Do some manufacturers have a competition radius and mandated price fixing?
Does anybody in any other sports related retail industry insist on a 100% markup when internet dealers can easily sell for 25% less and still make money.
The dive industry is probably the only retail industry left that has a 100% markup. The standard markup in other retail is 25 to 30%, and 40 or 50% is considered gravy.
Eventually I think LDS's are going to be severely thinned out even more than they are now.
In my area there are two major ones. They both complain about business. If one closed down the traffic would be shifted to the other and it would probably do OK, but I suppose it would depend on which one. One is liked better than the other so if the wrong one went out then foot traffic would still be bad at the not liked one. People would find an alternative.
Me personally, I've been thinking a lot about where I would get air fills and such if let's say they
both closed down. Other gear would be available online or stopping by shops during my travels.
I think I would continue to buy used steel tanks to where I got 10 in total. That would give me 5 outings on average (two tank dive day). For the last outing I would choose to go to Monterey or up to Fort Bragg and take all my tanks in to get fills with an air card. The shop in Fort Bragg isn't going anywhere because it's the only shop around up there and everybody loves them. I never once had to listen to them belly aching about losing money on airfills and implying that I'm some sort of mooch because that's all I ever come in for.
Why don't any stores like Big 5, Sports Authority, or Oshman's carry any scuba gear?
Maybe it's time they did. They could have a list of independant scuba instructors that they could recommend. No in-house instructors needed.
Air fills? Maybe it's time for a tank exchange program like they do at welding supply places. No onsite compressor, no maintenance, no waiting.
But, you have to subscribe to the program and be willing to accept any tank (of the same size and material).
All your answers to your questions are the same -" it's a market economy. " Why don't Walmart or Big five carry gear? The answer is it isn't profitable enough for them to. Why else do you think? Everything is profit driven, that's the basis of how a market economy operates. If you're a merchant your motive it to make money, to make a living so you pursue the avenues that best allow you to do this and you avoid the scenarios that don't.
Plust Scuba is a niche sport. I'd bet Big 5 sells more putters in a weekend then the total dive industry sells regulators in a month.
Why does a dive shop charge a 100% markup and an online store a 25%?
Seriously? How much retail rent does the online store pay each month? You act as if dive shops make up prices that they need in order to keep their leer jets going. How many local dive shops owners are millionaires? You acting as if the 10 riches men in America are dive shop owners and they got that way through bilking divers out of paying outrageous profits.
Sorry, but I have to say you're very niaive if you think the world operates on a 25% profit margin and dive shops are the only ones with a 100% mark up on product.
Go order your gear online, but make sure you call their 800 number and ask them all the questions you want, stay out of the LDS and don't waste their time, money and valuable retail rent oogling over their 100% marked up gear, and waste the time of some very experienced person who can give you the information you want, only to go online and buy the gear. I figure you'll be the same guy posting the question in the future after you drive the LDS out of business "Why are there no local dive shops who carry any gear anymore? How come nobody at a LDS knows anything about any gear anymore? Used to be a time when you could go into a LDS and talk to a knowledgeable person behind the counter who knew all the ins and outs of dive gear. What happended to that?"
Why don't LDS's charge by the cubic foot?
If LDS's charged say .07 cents per cubic foot then it would be fair. A steel 72 would cost $5.06 and a HP 120 would cost $8.40.
They could stop with the games about singles or doubles, HP or LP, and pony bottles. It would go by the cubic foot and you pay for what you get.
Maybe you should just get your fills for free? Have you considered that when somebody goes into business and risks everything, that they want to make a profit as a reward for their risk? Maybe they want to have a house, pay for their kids college, go out to dinner, go on a dive vacation? Seems crazy to me, why they don't just put a jar out there and let you put in it what you think they should earn.
Anyways, for people who cry about how a business operates, I say the best revenge is for you to open up one and teach them the error of their ways. Unfortunately, you'll end up out of business shortly as you discover that you can't pay the rent or the help by only making $10.00 on a BCD. You'll quickly realize all those nasty things like taxes, payroll taxes, workers comp, overhead, expenses, advertising, rent, etc... not to mention things like trying to save for your retirement, all require making a substantial gross profit.
