The training agencies entice dive retailers to do business with one hand tied behind their proverbial backs.
Future of DiveShops?
- Thread starter CAPTAIN SINBAD
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OP
CAPTAIN SINBAD
Contributor
How do they do that?
drrich2
Contributor
Compared to much of the world, the working class is American is affluent, but let's say we describe this target market. Are they the $100,000 - 250,000/yr gross income segment? Since more divers are male, from what I understand, will you design advertising to appeal specifically to affluent males? Or try for 'genderless' advertising?
Now, here's the follow up question. Those of you who don't consider yourselves affluent. Let's say 'something happened,' and you became affluent. All of a sudden, you were grossing another $100,000/year, for example. That's gross, for the whole family, some of it might go to private school for the kids, a new car, etc But you can channel some into scuba diving. The question:
If you were 'affluent,' how would your dive equipment, training and travel differ from what you have & do now?
You've got to understand your target market, and what they want before you can sell it to them, yes?
Richard.
Now, here's the follow up question. Those of you who don't consider yourselves affluent. Let's say 'something happened,' and you became affluent. All of a sudden, you were grossing another $100,000/year, for example. That's gross, for the whole family, some of it might go to private school for the kids, a new car, etc But you can channel some into scuba diving. The question:
If you were 'affluent,' how would your dive equipment, training and travel differ from what you have & do now?
You've got to understand your target market, and what they want before you can sell it to them, yes?
Richard.
$100k HHI (household income) is considered the low cut-off of affluence for the US overall. Of course it's all relative, as $100k in Gretna NE (the highest median income town in Nebraska at $77k) has you doing pretty well. On the other hand $100k in Short Hills NJ (median HHI of $238k) has you looking for a 1 bedroom apartment two towns away.
Some use $250k HHI or $1mm in investable assets as the cutoff for "Elite Affluent."
They become a WXYZ shop and only hire WXYZ instructors and alienate ABC divers and instructors, independent instructors, the students of independent instructors, and then go on to adapt agency standard policies that piss off customers. For example, one large retailer recently alienated just about every cave diver in the world regarding nitrox fills.
OP
CAPTAIN SINBAD
Contributor
Yes. I always wondered what benefit does a shop get from being a PADI shop or SDI shop? Why not be a dive-shop that offers training from multiple agencies? In the DC outskirts, we have a few shops (Coral Edge Adventures) that offers that but in most cases dive shop loyalties have been purchased by one agency.
My question ... what do diveshops get in return for being exclusively owned by one agency?
A 5-something or other rating from the agency and a pat on the back as they board the train to Suckersville.
OP
CAPTAIN SINBAD
Contributor
I think a better way to answer that question would be to state how would my diving habits be if my house-hold income was twice more than it is today.
In terms of purchases, I do not see myself making a lot of purchases from the LDS if I was richer. I own most of what I need and I am not a gadget collector. Second thing I look at is travel. This is also an area in which I do not see my LDS making any money from me if I was richer. I would still take ONE annual trip involving air-travel because of time limitations and other life commitments. By being more "affluent" this will not change to two or three trips as I need to save leave to do this. My one annual trip will not be happening through LDS because when I book my own trips, I can shop for a better deal at a destination of my own choosing. Going with an LDS does not give me the choice of a destination that I can not book for myself or a rate that I can not get for myself. Thus even with me being twice as rich, I do not see anything going to the LDS.
I think LDS will get my travel business if they could put together trips that do not exist outside the LDS. This may take some time and resources but if an LDS can transport a portable compressor to Greenland along with 8 steel tanks and 100 lbs of lead then it can say that it has opened up a cold water destination to diving that was not possible before. Now you have my interest! this is something new and something I can not book for myself. It is beyond "Bonaire." If LDS's work on opening areas to diving that were never possible before then they will have my business. Cozumel I can reach on my own anytime and do not need an LDS.
drrich2
Contributor
If I had a great deal of additional money, I think I would...
1.) Have bought a Hollis SMS100 to try out side-mount. Doubt I would've gone for with it, but would've tried it.
2.) Would've bought a BP/W setup to try & develop decent proficiency, so as to know whether I preferred that vs. jacket.
3.) Might, emphasis on might, have replaced my Cobalt 1 with a Cobalt 2.
4.) Time is an issue for me as much as money. If I had a lot more time off, and a lot more money, then I would book more dive trips. Some places I want to go, like Moorehead, NC and the AquaCat, I've got the confidence to book myself, but foreign lands where English is not the default are another story. Raja Ampat, Komodo, Wakatobi, I might like some reassurance via traveling with a group that would 'take care of me.'
5.) I might bring family with me a bit more often.
Perhaps a dive shop-arranged trip could focus on offering a range of excursion type activities for non-diving family to enjoy? If you've got 15 dives in a group heading to Bonaire or Curacao, or maybe Belize, perhaps you can land a good non-diver rate and emphasize that the non-divers will form their own group, and have fun things to go do. Even if you the diver are a type A, bold, intrepid sort, maybe your spouse is likes a 'handler' to take her places & show her a good time?
I'm guessing rich people are more apt to get a 2nd or 3rd set of gear. Things like BP/W, side-mount gear, a full-face mask with communicator module, a HUD dive mask, might be of interest.
Richard.
1.) Have bought a Hollis SMS100 to try out side-mount. Doubt I would've gone for with it, but would've tried it.
2.) Would've bought a BP/W setup to try & develop decent proficiency, so as to know whether I preferred that vs. jacket.
3.) Might, emphasis on might, have replaced my Cobalt 1 with a Cobalt 2.
4.) Time is an issue for me as much as money. If I had a lot more time off, and a lot more money, then I would book more dive trips. Some places I want to go, like Moorehead, NC and the AquaCat, I've got the confidence to book myself, but foreign lands where English is not the default are another story. Raja Ampat, Komodo, Wakatobi, I might like some reassurance via traveling with a group that would 'take care of me.'
5.) I might bring family with me a bit more often.
Perhaps a dive shop-arranged trip could focus on offering a range of excursion type activities for non-diving family to enjoy? If you've got 15 dives in a group heading to Bonaire or Curacao, or maybe Belize, perhaps you can land a good non-diver rate and emphasize that the non-divers will form their own group, and have fun things to go do. Even if you the diver are a type A, bold, intrepid sort, maybe your spouse is likes a 'handler' to take her places & show her a good time?
I'm guessing rich people are more apt to get a 2nd or 3rd set of gear. Things like BP/W, side-mount gear, a full-face mask with communicator module, a HUD dive mask, might be of interest.
Richard.
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