Biggest thing killing dive shops?
- Thread starter Eric Sedletzky
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Millennials are not into experiences nearly as much as they are into sharing those experiences. Take a look at the Facebook pages of some Millennials: The experiences are often rather mundane (here I am at the bus stop), but the sharing, with pictures (cool bus stop sign), is continuous and interactive.
How can dive shops tap into this? How can you make a Discover Scuba in a pool a highly-shared and visual and socially-interactive experience?
How can dive shops tap into this? How can you make a Discover Scuba in a pool a highly-shared and visual and socially-interactive experience?
There is another thread right now on SB (Does "Buddy Dive" have a following on the web?) where presumably a Millennial came on and asked people to provide comments on a diver resort. the first two responses were, paraphrased, "try Search" and "what are your questions?" The third post was from the OP: "Rough crowd here on Scubaboard. Never mind." I think what happened was the responders assumed he was asking for information, but in reality he was asking to share. He was searching for interaction, not information.
Scuba training and certification is not about interaction, but it is the gateway to very delightful experiences. So the training has to be presented in a larger context of the totality of the experience. it is not about training, it is not about the gear, it is about the lifetime of experiences....oh, and you have to learn to drive first.
Scuba training and certification is not about interaction, but it is the gateway to very delightful experiences. So the training has to be presented in a larger context of the totality of the experience. it is not about training, it is not about the gear, it is about the lifetime of experiences....oh, and you have to learn to drive first.
Must be nice, none of the LDS in my area serve beer.
Even small things like running videos of recent dives and lists of courses on a screen on the shop floor can be useful in retaining and enticing people to buy things or courses. Having any up to date social media presence can't be a bad thing either.
diver42
Contributor
1. Price competition on equipment. The Internet created competition with lower overhead. This includes fewer returns, if any (because it's more difficult or they're not permitted). A lot of equipment isn't so size-specific that it requires a dressing room. And a lot doesn't require the support of a shop. Regulators don't really need regular service very much anymore. Gas is a commodity.
2. Price competition on classes. At some point there was a mini price war, and the price for classes was reduced about as low as it could go. Now OW classes can be a loss leader for equipment sales. See 1. Nitrox is an online class.
3. Lack of engagement. Many shops have forgotten how to encourage clubs and other social events. Scuba is easy to forget.
Yes, all businesses require regular business skills, and there's no guarantee that dive-shop owners have them. But it isn't all simple business skills.
In the U.S., a Supreme Court case called Leegin should have helped, because it permitted manufacturers to fix prices, preventing some price competition. That's why Apex regulators all cost the same now, and deals aren't available (like they were in 2003-3007). But then a grey-market developed for a lot of gear. Also, a lot of the items with fixed prices have lower margins, whereas the cheaper gear has higher margins. And it's all still sold on the Internet.
2. Price competition on classes. At some point there was a mini price war, and the price for classes was reduced about as low as it could go. Now OW classes can be a loss leader for equipment sales. See 1. Nitrox is an online class.
3. Lack of engagement. Many shops have forgotten how to encourage clubs and other social events. Scuba is easy to forget.
Yes, all businesses require regular business skills, and there's no guarantee that dive-shop owners have them. But it isn't all simple business skills.
In the U.S., a Supreme Court case called Leegin should have helped, because it permitted manufacturers to fix prices, preventing some price competition. That's why Apex regulators all cost the same now, and deals aren't available (like they were in 2003-3007). But then a grey-market developed for a lot of gear. Also, a lot of the items with fixed prices have lower margins, whereas the cheaper gear has higher margins. And it's all still sold on the Internet.
Or even guided trips for the completion of the OW course. Combining the 2, may work well for some of those shops in the cold water locations. Gives some options for those interested in warm water diving, but still involves the LDS beyond classroom/pool. By combining this with experienced divers that go on the trip and do their own dives. You potentially expose the new divers to the passion for diving shared by more experienced divers. Discussion about other trips can increase the chances of a new diver continuing on to experience some of these cool locations they heard about.
As for Seattle:
It's cold. No getting around that. I think people would still love to try it out. Especially how outdoorsy people are in the Pacific NW. So package the class with a couple guided dives and emphasize all the cool lings or rockfish you'll see. I think everyone else hit the nail on the head by advertising at places like colleges and their digital platforms, groupon, etc. Or some promo where if they take the class, the rentals are free for the first couple dive. Idk something that's a 'deal', but not really. Give them something free and charge them somewhere else. Just to get them in the door.
And I really want to emphasize what everyone else has said. Services are the future for millennials. I'm a millennial. I have a little different values than most millenials, but I am still "in love" with buying experiences rather than hardware.
My money priorities go:
1. Bills. Rent, groceries, utilities, car, insurance, etc. All millenials would agree.
2. Saving for a house. I put a couple K away per month. Most millenials don't do this though. They don't save much.
3. Weekend trips!!!!! I live for them! I have no problems spending good money on fun. Disneyland one day and snowboarding the other day 2 weekends ago, Catalina scuba diving trip last weekend, Mammoth snowboarding this weekend (taking PTO tomorrow). I spend at hotels, ubers, snowboard season passes, rent scuba gear, and my GF rents ski gear. And basically all other people in our age group love our weekend trips.
I don't spend much money during the week. It's work, gym, and dinner. And I use my "fun equipment" quite a long time. I basically use it until it REALLY needs replaced. So you're not really going to get me on equipment sales.
I don't have all the answers. But I am a millennial, and I can tell you how we think. My girlfriend and I are the only scuba divers we know that are our age.... And we live in San Diego!!! So that's ABSOLUTELY a market I would try to expand into.
Good luck with everything! I hope the background on me and my friends my age helped.
It's cold. No getting around that. I think people would still love to try it out. Especially how outdoorsy people are in the Pacific NW. So package the class with a couple guided dives and emphasize all the cool lings or rockfish you'll see. I think everyone else hit the nail on the head by advertising at places like colleges and their digital platforms, groupon, etc. Or some promo where if they take the class, the rentals are free for the first couple dive. Idk something that's a 'deal', but not really. Give them something free and charge them somewhere else. Just to get them in the door.
And I really want to emphasize what everyone else has said. Services are the future for millennials. I'm a millennial. I have a little different values than most millenials, but I am still "in love" with buying experiences rather than hardware.
My money priorities go:
1. Bills. Rent, groceries, utilities, car, insurance, etc. All millenials would agree.
2. Saving for a house. I put a couple K away per month. Most millenials don't do this though. They don't save much.
3. Weekend trips!!!!! I live for them! I have no problems spending good money on fun. Disneyland one day and snowboarding the other day 2 weekends ago, Catalina scuba diving trip last weekend, Mammoth snowboarding this weekend (taking PTO tomorrow). I spend at hotels, ubers, snowboard season passes, rent scuba gear, and my GF rents ski gear. And basically all other people in our age group love our weekend trips.
I don't spend much money during the week. It's work, gym, and dinner. And I use my "fun equipment" quite a long time. I basically use it until it REALLY needs replaced. So you're not really going to get me on equipment sales.
I don't have all the answers. But I am a millennial, and I can tell you how we think. My girlfriend and I are the only scuba divers we know that are our age.... And we live in San Diego!!! So that's ABSOLUTELY a market I would try to expand into.
Good luck with everything! I hope the background on me and my friends my age helped.
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