Could be trouble for leisurepro and others

[tardmaster]

It is well known that the 2 big suppliers have extremely restrictive business models.

I, as an informed purchaser, will not buy any products from them AT ALL!!!

If it makes you so unhappy why not change product line, break out of the old school LDS model and do something different??

LDS's that want to stay the same will slowly die out, those that recognise the world is changing and adapt their business model accordingly will thrive!

I'm in Australia but my LDS is in Illionois, a brick and mortar dive shop very well known that give me excellent prices AND excellent service. I win and they get a loyal customer and therefore they win as well.

Easy to through blame around but these forum threads aren't new - make a positive change and get some loyal customers!

Good luck

Thanks for the advice, but....if you read in my last post, also the one that you quoted, my lds has CLOSED IT'S DOORS. also, your lds is not "L" to you. it's not the [place you go for air fills, or the place you go to to just hang out. Our owner doesnt have the money to keep inventory to compete with big shops. he was relying on the loyas to keep coming in and getting air fills, hanging out and taking more classes. all of that works if the new people coming in buy their stuff for you. when they buy online from the big guys we couldn't complete. We are out of business.

 

[furby076]

The problem is Leisure Pro isn't a brick & mortar business, so in the event you allow the proliferation of gray market goods to force your local dive shop to go under, who does your service and where do you get air????? Besides, I would be willing to bet you first got introduced to the Aqua Lung products in a B&M shop anyways....

A good comparison of control is Apple products. They control price worldwide - period.

Actually Leisure Pro is very much a brick & mortar business. You live in NY you should go and visit them. I went last Christmas to visit them. I needed a dry suit and my LDS wanted about $1000 MORE for the dry suit then LeisurePro. My LDS also has less variety. So what did I do: I grabbed my girlfriend, rented a nice hotel, had a fun weekend in NY during Xmas, and went to LeisurePro. I tried out a bunch of suits, paid for the one I wanted, and they shipped it to my house. I could have just as easily ordered it online. When I went into LeisurePro they have tons of people working there, and tons of customers browsing.
They also give valid advice/tips/suggestions. I've also never felt pressured to buy from LeisurePro by their sales people. I always order from the same guy and one time I asked if he had a product I wanted (Nauticam 550d housing). He didn't and instead of pressuring me to buy one of his products (I still hadn't bought the Canon Camera), he spent time, looked at the camera I wanted and said "go with the one you suggested, it's better then what I got". How did my LDS treat me with regards to this topic? I wanted a dSLR (which they don't have) and the LDS owner tried to pressure me to buy a point and shoot telling me it's just as good as a dSLR. How many people here believe a point & shoot gives the same quality as a dSLR?

The markup from my local LDS to LP is not small. I bought the Atom 2.0 w/transmitter (brand new) for $700. My dive shop wanted, 3 years ago and still today, $1000. I care about my LDS, but I care about my wallet more.

I support my LDS via getting training there and referring customers to them for more training. I cannot justify spending 30-40% more in equipment, and I don't like people pressuring me to buy something just to buy something from them.

Point is - LDS is not necessarily better then online. LDS has the option of selling equipment online (google shopping is not expensive). LeisurePro is very much brick and mortar - they just also do really well online.

 

[matthewmark_john]

once AGAIN.....i have no problem with competition. I also have no problem with a volume store offering a bigger discount. What I DO have a problem with his a rep telling me that NOBODY is allowed to sell this particular product for anything lower than $x.xx and then you see it on LP cheaper than that. sure maybe it's the rep that is lying. I don't know and by now it's a moot point. Our shop has closed it's doors.

I think that you have a good point -- from what you say, the manufacturers may by hypocritical or reps may be lying. That REALLY sucks for the LDS owners; the mfg's are basically throwing the shops under the steamroller of price-point economics. I also think that nobody has argued against your point; at least I can't find evidence that anyone has in the posts I've read. I think that the topic shifted from the specific problem to its more macro-economic causes and effects.