Air fill cost/price

[MNScuba]

OK, how's this:

Internet Dive Shop and Coffee House

Pay a yearly membership fee like a fitness center. Go in, sit at the computer while your tanks get filled and order your supplies through the shops online catalog while you enjoy a cup of coffee.

The wheels are turnin'!!!

 

[Drew Sailbum]

I've paid $5-6 a fill for air, and only $7 for an air fill and rental of their cylinder. It's a definite loss leader used to drive floor traffic for the LDS.

But since my LDS is a bit out of the way (40 minute drive away from the lake), I get a lot of my fills at the local volunteer fire dept. They have a nice set-up to fill their air bottles and some dive bottles for the local search and rescue types. And they are more than willing to barter a little compressor rebuild time for some air fills.

 

[Uncle Pug]

Originally posted by Murdock325
Internet Dive Shop and Coffee House

Pay a yearly membership fee like a fitness center. Go in, sit at the computer while your tanks get filled and order your supplies through the shops online catalog while you enjoy a cup of coffee.

The wheels are turnin'!!!

I like it!!!

A symbiosis could be worked out with several established e-tailers to provide equipment purchase *bids* for the shops clientel... small kick back to the shop to cover costs...

Computers available for online chats like ScubaBoard....

Coffee and an Espresso bar (a must in the PNW)....

Couches and overstuffed chairs.... with tables full of magazines & books (keeps them there longer)... not to buy but to look at for free...

Good air fills take time.... make the time enjoyable and give a good fill for $20!

Membership fee is good....

 

[ucladiver]

imagine this: a millionaire couple is going to hawaii for a week and think diving *might* be fun, so they drop by the local shop and buy all their gear (we're talking wetsuit - $300, BC -$500, reg $500, computer $600, etc... all times two!). they probably dive twice and decide its not worth the hassle. if you opened a shop in a neighborhood with a disproportionate number of these types.. well you could afford to give away air.. lucky me, there happens to be a shop just like this about 10 minutes aways from me ...unlucky for me im not one of the millionaires...

 

[Lost Yooper]

If e-commerce is the way of the future, and LDS's can't compete, then what's going to happen is groups of divers will simply kick in for a compressor and nitrox/trimix banks and go diving. I don't think people will stop diving, they'll just find other routes.

When I said I could pay for a compressor for $25/fill, that's about right. The compressor would be paid for in a few years, then you're looking at maintenance. I don't count my time, since this is a hobby. For us, we have a group of guys who kick in for a trimix/nitrox station. The same could be done for recreational dive groups and a compressor.
There isn't a LDS around here that has anything I need. They can't (or won't) carry any of the equipment I want, the gasses I want, or the instruction I want. I get everything online -- equipment and knowledge -- and go in with a group for trimix and argon. I'll stop in for air and nitrox fills once in a while, and chat with they guys.

There are solutions to this, and something will have to happen to make shops competitive. Manufacturers could start by stop requiring LDS's to sell $700 regs that cost $30 to make (speaking facisiously here ). I don't know what all the answers are, but something will have to give, I suspect.

Where there's a will, there's a way.

Mike

 

[large_diver]

I'm sure this debate could go on forever.....

Yoop makes a good point about the mfrs. (at least here in the US)

Local shops in general have absolutely no power vs. the manufacturers. The diving trade retailers are small and decentralized. They can stop carrying a certain line of goods if they aren't happy with the mfr........but of course, this doesn't get them anywhere in many cases, because someone else down the street already sells the same brand. I am sure there is some sort of retail dive shop association, but it is not strong or unified enough to extract concessions from large mfrs.

As a result, the mfrs. dictate almost all the terms and prices under which their goods are sold. Shops are forced to sell at or above a minimum retail price. This means higher prices to you and me.

In other industries, larger centralized retailers (such as the Wal-Marts and Krogers of the world) represent a significant amount of their vendors' volume. This gives them leverage to play hard ball with the vendors to get what they want. This isn't available in most cases to dive shops.

Now the internet comes along, and information on regional price variations is easier to get; at the same time, there are some great deals available on-line.

Dive shops are no doubt getting squeezed hard just like other bricks and mortar businesses that face internet competition.

I have no doubt there are some shops that were barely hanging on financially before this all started to occur. Some have gone out of business. Others are facing declining sales. Some are thriving because they continue to add value to their customers through good advice, quality training, decent product availability and fair prices.

I don't think the internet means the death of all local shops.....but I do think it raises the bar for customer service. If shops won't rise to the challenge, they will go out of business. At the same time, this will likely strengthen the shops that are smart operators and who are satisfying their customers -- more customers will come their way..contributing to the vicious cycle that is killing the off the more marginal shops.

I should have thought of this as a good case study write-up during business school.....

 

[ChrisM]

Free air fills, but they are known for outstanding customer service as well. Unfortunately, in a part of town I don't drive by much (Beverly Hills)

My local local chain stroe w/ dive dept. charges $3, ponies are free.

My little bit further LDS charges $4.50 a pop, even for ponies.

 

[voidware]

I met a guy who had about eight tanks plastered with stickers: "Free air fills for life" from some store in new jersey. Of course, he is here and that shop went out of business...but that would be pretty nice.

 

[sharpenu]

The reason shops struggle is this:

1 The mfr. tells tham what price they have to sell at in order to be an authorized retailer.

2 Grey market stores, like leisure pro and dive inn, sell at less than this, but aren't authorized this = no warranty.

3 Many divers get gear on ebay.

4 there are chain dive shops here in Fl, and they sell gear at lower prices, which drives down prices here. Problem is, the chain store offers NO service. No nitrox, air only. No fishing license, no classes. This hurts the full service LDS. Here in FL, the shops take a beating on fills. You can get O2 compatable fills here for around $1 and nitrox fills for as low as $5

 

[Ferrara]

As always some neat ideas. I will, however, offer one correction. It wont help the LDS to be allowed to lower prices unless the manufacturer lowers our prices. I read reports of people buying zeagle equipment for less than I can as a dealer.

Yooper,
Be careful. I didn't have a LDS that offered what I wanted so I started setting myself up so I didn't need one. It turned into a dive shop. BTW my shop does have the equipment and gases you need.