The Great local dive shop vs. online debate

[Arnaud]

FYI, my "summer" LDS in Spain does not sell any gear and as far as I can tell, they're doing okay. They only do rentals, courses, air and boat dives. They rent brand new Mares stuff every year. Sure, their boat is not amazing, but we always have a great time.

In my opinion, LDSs in the US are just facing the same challenge than any other retail business. With the success of rec diving, the diving population has increased tremendously, resulting in a much bigger market than 20 years ago. For a long time, scuba equipment was a niche market. Prices in a niche market can't fluctuate well because low supply and demand do not offer enough of a real playing field for competition. And since prices are "regulated" by demand and supply, LDSs found themselves in non-competitive oasis. This is clearly changing.

Yet, LDSs are doing business the same way, with the same kind of margin. The Internet has allowed some legit and not so legit business to compete, tap into that market and bring the prices down.

I think it won't be long until we see sporting goods store chains getting into the arena, applying low margin because they sell volume and forcing, in turn, manufacturers to stop the kind of price gauging that's going on.

In short, the market has changed. LDS will have to adapt or will disappear, just like most retails are disappearing.

 

[Dxtreme]

i know of a local dive shop near here that doesnt even allow you to try their BC before purchasing.

whts the difference between this and purchasing from www.leusirepro.com ??

oh yeah ....... i save more $$$ with leisure pro.

if i am a LDs i would, try sell on Internet too at a price that would not make me go chapter 11 and then provide superior cust service locally.

oh yeah, even cust who tries stuff out and then purchase online... treast them nice as well as they bound to come back to the store to buy or service their equip

 

[jonnythan]

metridium once bubbled...
Hmmmm....let's see....FifthD, Extreme Exposure, Lloyd Bailey's, Diver's Supply, and Simplyscuba.com, to name a few, all provide fills and classes onsite. I believe DiveInn does the same, though I'm not sure.

In fact, the only "pure Internet Dive Shop" I can think of is Leisure Pro. Is this really just an anti-LP rant in disguise?

LP is a shop on 18th St in Manhattan.

Besides, what's the difference if I buy from Simply Scuba or my LDS? Either way the LDS doesn't get any money, and the industry collapses and scuba diving disappears.

 

[metridium]

jonnythan wrote...
LP is a shop on 18th St in Manhattan.

Do they have classes or fills? My impression was that they do not, though obviously I don't know for sure.

jonnythan wrote...
Besides, what's the difference if I buy from Simply Scuba or my LDS? Either way the LDS doesn't get any money, and the industry collapses and scuba diving disappears.

You'd have to ask DiverBuoy; he's the one who came out with that "rule", not me. I just enjoy picking them apart.

 

[metridium]

DiverBuoy wrote
In case you were wondering - I have never purchased anything for diving on-line and I never will.

So do you get an employee discount?

Or key-man deals?

Or do you own a dive shop?

 

[zboss]

If we buy things online some stores will go out of business but you will still be able to get fills at or near the local dive sites, or through the dive operators.

 

[SMan]

Just MHO as a new diver, but if you go to the LDS and try things on and ask for advice it would be unfair to purchase on-line. At the very least price things on-line and see what the LDS will do to lower their price. Some of the really local stores without an internet sales presence will not be able to compete on price. But after trying things on and discussing the purchasing decision with the people at my LDS I purchase it there. If I thought my needs were not being met or that I was being mislead, then I would be foolish to do business with that shore ever again. As it has been stated above, service and relationship are what the shops have to compete. When its there it is only fair to buy from your LDS.

And yes I have purchased some things on, but only when I knew what I wanted and never if I had asked for advice/information from my LDS.

Just the thoughts of a new diver.

 

[Uncle Pug]

Jonnythan's call to "put your money where you mouth is" could hardly have gone un-noticed... but so far it has generated no hardy *Oorah!* from the defenders & supports of the LDS.

What about it? Those of you who are filled with earnest desire to see the LDS saved for future generations... here is the ideal way to ensure that maximum profit is put to that end:

Jonnythan's Challenge repeated in case you missed it:

"Buy your stuff online, then calculate how much money you saved that year by not buying from the LDS. Take the difference and give it to your LDS owner in cash"

btw: I totally agree that if you try the goods on at your LDS you should buy the goods from them rather than using their inventory as a *display room* for the online discount e-tailer.

And who was it... awhile back in another thread that suggested buying two regs.... one from the LDS and one on-line... then lying and returning the online reg to the LDS for a refund... thus keeping the reg really purchased from the LDS with warranty... what kind of twisted thinking is that!!!

 

[Rooster1]

kudos to UnclePug and Jonnythan for seeing it the right way (my way) hehehe.........clobber them with the truth and it usually quiets them or leaves them to make up nonsense.(who's gonna fill your tanks)

 

[Uncle Pug]

Rooster1 once bubbled...
(who's gonna fill your tanks)

I took the money I saved and bought this stuff.