donnad
Contributor
please PM me also. i just need to know who i need to be careful with please.
Any good shops in Houston?
- Thread starter USCG flyer
- Start date
Please register or login
Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
- Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
- A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
- You can make this box go away
USCG flyer:
He had problems with three different shops so it seems to be pandemic.
Anyone looking for a good shop can now check out Gander Mountain in Spring. They just recently opened their SCUBA shop. They have about 5,000 sq ft of space set aside for SCUBA.USCG flyer:
The grand opening will be on June 30th. They currently have a HUGE selection of dive gear from several manufacturers. They have teamed up with Divers Direct, so pricing is competitive also.
Not in place yet, but they will have there compressors and fill station setup within a few weeks.
NAUI courses are also going to be offered.
Where in Spring???
Debraw
Contributor
Wow, Gander Mountain? Aren't they a chain sporting goods store? Any idea what manufacturers they are going to carry?
The store is located just off of 45, between 1960 and 2920.
They currently carry Mares, TUSA, and EVO. They also have a huge selection of dive lights, knives and a whole list of other accessories.
They currently carry Mares, TUSA, and EVO. They also have a huge selection of dive lights, knives and a whole list of other accessories.
NauiIT:
Are you affiliated with this in anyway?
I've long thought that the biggest threat facing the LDS is not the online stores but the possibility of a superchain getting serious about scuba. Gander is huge in the MidEast and in over 21 states. What the superchains usually do is turn the tables and dictate terms to the manufacturers and suppliers.
Debraw
Contributor
I guess I am a bit shocked to hear that a scuba shop that large will open in that area. A few shops have went out of business this past year in that area and I am curious as to what market analysis they used to think they can support such a huge undertaking. They may be competitive with pricing like Diver's Direct, (heck, I can beat Diver's Diirect, pricing) but they will still be held to manufacturer's Minimum Advertised pricing. I wonder if they will be a full service scuba shop? I will definitely stop in and check them out when I am down in that area to visit the family.
Debraw, you don't need to come to town to check them out, they will come to you. Seriuously, Gander is a HUGE general sporting goods chain (like Sports Authority or Academy), they didn't just open a store, they already had 3 or 4 stores in Houston, they have stores in Tyler, Sherman, Corsicana, and probably will have several in Dallas soon. They have 100 stores nationwide.
They don't have to support themselves on scuba. They already have the floor space and the name recognition and the advertising. They run full multipage color ads every Sunday in the newspaper here. They can assign a few blocks to scuba items and probably move a 100 sets of fins in a week.
When do major chains like Home Depot or Sports Authority or Walmart ever let suppliers dictate terms. I doubt Gander entered this arena on a whim and have probably done extensive research and had serious discussions with major manufacturers. They might even be prepared to lose money on it for several years.
If they are serious about this, this could be your biggest competition ever. Online stores can beat you on price but they can't match you on service. They can't fill tanks, teach classes, or conduct trips. Other LDS can but face the same constraints you do. All you have to do is be better and more efficient than them. But a superstore chain can do both, beat you on price AND provide local services. They have advantages you can't compete with. They have purchasing power that, if we use other examples in other industries, will mean they can sell below your cost. They can subsidize or carry losses a long time, if necessary. They are publicly traded as GMTN with a $90 million market value.
I don't think they would put the LDS completely out of business but they will be the lion and the LDS will be the jackal, feeding on the scraps the lion missed.
Here is their press release announcing their partnership with Divers Direct. For example, they say "Divers Direct will support Gander Mountain by recommending and supplying products and services, training Gander Mountain associates, collaborating on signage and fixturing, and developing relationships with local dive instructors."
They don't have to support themselves on scuba. They already have the floor space and the name recognition and the advertising. They run full multipage color ads every Sunday in the newspaper here. They can assign a few blocks to scuba items and probably move a 100 sets of fins in a week.
When do major chains like Home Depot or Sports Authority or Walmart ever let suppliers dictate terms. I doubt Gander entered this arena on a whim and have probably done extensive research and had serious discussions with major manufacturers. They might even be prepared to lose money on it for several years.
If they are serious about this, this could be your biggest competition ever. Online stores can beat you on price but they can't match you on service. They can't fill tanks, teach classes, or conduct trips. Other LDS can but face the same constraints you do. All you have to do is be better and more efficient than them. But a superstore chain can do both, beat you on price AND provide local services. They have advantages you can't compete with. They have purchasing power that, if we use other examples in other industries, will mean they can sell below your cost. They can subsidize or carry losses a long time, if necessary. They are publicly traded as GMTN with a $90 million market value.
I don't think they would put the LDS completely out of business but they will be the lion and the LDS will be the jackal, feeding on the scraps the lion missed.
Here is their press release announcing their partnership with Divers Direct. For example, they say "Divers Direct will support Gander Mountain by recommending and supplying products and services, training Gander Mountain associates, collaborating on signage and fixturing, and developing relationships with local dive instructors."
ReefHound:
I will be teaching for them.
Similar threads
