How do Local dive shops stay afloat?

[scuba_mike]

I've only been diving for four years now but I'll continue to buy my gear at my local shop, actually my second local shop because the first one closed earlier this year. Nowhere else can I get the in-person advice about all of the models, pros & cons and sometimes try something out before I buy. I value this personal service extremely highly and am very willing to pay a bit higher price. And if they don't have what I'd like, they're very happy to order it.

I also see supporting the local shop as supporting the local dive community. I dive each week with a group of people who I met through the shop. Without the financial support of equipment sales, this focal point wouldn't exist in my area and I'd likely be doing a lot less diving due to not being able to meet as many divers.

Cheers!

 

[Mark Vlahos]

I went into my Local Dive Shop (LDS) the other day and the prices were so much more than on the internet. Now it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that the internet doesn't have overhead, a store lots of employees etc.. Does anyone here buy their gear from LDS? If so what's the advantage?

This issue has been beaten to death many times. The only issue that matters to any of us is the issue of value. If you, or I, find value in any business we will patronize that business. If we feel that that business offers us no value we will take our money elsewhere.

For some people the value is purely monetary, they will search for the lowest price period. Others will place value in the ability to touch merchandise before buying, and having the ability to compare items side by side while actually looking at the real item, not just a picture of it. Some value the in person shopping experience, while others like the impersonal shopping on the internet. In some cases the lowest price may be at their local shop, in others the local shop may have some of the highest prices in the country.

The fact of the matter is that there are valid reasons for everyone to support their choices about where to buy SCUBA gear. The most important thing to remember is that those choices are personal.

I will not think less of you if your choice is different than my choice.

Mark Vlahos

 

[Sea View]

Yes I buy locally as long as I can get a reasonable break. I don't expect rock bottom internet pricing just a decent chunk off list. What is the value? Here is an example.....

I shop the internet as well, get some idea of prices and models then compare to what my LDS has - to get an idea of high & low price & compare product reviews etc.

When it comes to the actual purchase, I'd really rather buy from my local store and I have had this conversation w/them. This particular store is frindly & really good about it, they realize they have competition and want to work to keep your business, I have found others where I would not discuss it - I don't go there anymore, consequently they have lost mine.

Here's another good example, Last month I was looking for a new BC and pair of LP108's they had my BC but couldn't get the 108's, but they would match my best price on a pair of LP95s (+Tax, by the way my killer price was $256 on Fabers their MSRP was $355 - they matched it!) then I was asking about an air card, they threw in free air since I bought the tanks there - You can't buy that on the internet - they do everything they can to come close to pricing (I never expect a match, just reasonable - but sometimes they get real close). There have been the rare times they don't have what I'm looking for and I have to get it someplace else - but that's rare.

Personally, Where I really find "Value" is when you become part of the family, they know you by name, you feel comfortable to drop in & hang out for 15-20 minutes for no reason at all. Ask about the Viz, maybe top off your tanks after a dive or before the boat, talk about what's new (New o-ring) / trips / shore dives this weekend etc. ...I have not been able to find that level of comrodery on the internet - it's more important than price, if they'll do what they can to reasonably discount from MSRP - I'll do what I can to support my LDS.

 

[nauifins73]

I shop exclusively at my LDS.

 

[ChrisA]

Yes, all the "real stores" have unskilled imbeciles working at them!

You mistake pay with ability. Teachers are another example oof this. They are typically paid low but the job requires education and training. Pay is generally determined by supply and demand.

 

[redrover]

I’m finding it hard to believe, but it seems that the bulk of the ScubaBoard populace has overpriced, unhelpful, conniving dive shops that are out to rook every sucker they can. I’m feeling very lucky that this is not my situation and I hope it is just the complainers that speak up and make it seem that way.

I feel I’ve paid very comparable prices and sometimes less than I have seen online among the three dive shops that I frequent. I’m not against online purchases, like many people living in remote locations I shop online frequently. On the advice of posters I’ve looked for several things at Scuba Toys and they had none of them. I am looking for a couple of things on e-Bay but so far they appear to have very competitive bidding, add the shipping and Voila! Not such a fantastic deal. I could have spent a great deal more time and energy exploring more internet links and possibly saved .3% total (new diver/full rec gear) by not supporting a local business with readily available goods and services available 8 - 13 hours a day, 5.5 - 7 days a week.

At the shops here I don’t think I get special treatment; it seems just like anyone else. I don’t get anything accidentally forgotten to be rung up, added on or free. I haven’t felt pressured to buy anything and alternatives have been suggested including items they do not carry. Staff are very willing and patient to educate me about a product, often so well that I see I do not need or want it. None of the shops are rapture of the deep or without flaws, but as a consumer, neither am I and I think I they are good value for my little disposable income deposits.
(I’m really jealous of you folks that get free fills tho.

)

Ya know, just seeing the what do I plug into where and such questions….geesh! I’d really hate to think about depending on my ability to figure out life support apparatus by internet and how un-relaxing it would be to see if I got it right.

 

[MikeFerrara]

Most dive equipment manufacturers, in fact, DO allow their products to be sold on line. The exception is aqualung and scubapro but I don't own any of their products and never will. Some dive equipment manufacturers try to force a store to sell their brand exclusively or as close as they can get by having huge required anual minimums and large buy-in requirements. Then they can control things like service also. Amoung other things it forces shops to push one or two brands very hard. What if a shop wants to stock a specific scuba pro reg but has more of a market for Zeagle bc's? Well, scubapro doesn't like that. They insist that you styock their whole line.

I seem to be doing more and more shoping online for everything. Went in a hardware store the other day looking for a burnishing tool...the kind you use to redo the edge on a cabinet scraper. No one in the store even knew what it was even though they had packages of cabinet scraper on the shelf...for about 25% more than you can get them for online. The online stores sell the burnishing tool too. I took the time to explain to the guy what it was, even drew him a picture and explained how they're used, and I explained how silly it is to stock the scraper without the burnishing tool. I should send them a bill.

The brick and mortar stores are loosing it. Not only don't they have the selection, they don't have the inhouse expertise. It used to be that if you went to hardware store you found some one that knew hardware. Not any more. The same is true for dive shops. I like to visit them because I used to own one. A year or so ago I was in Chicago visiting family. There are lots of dives hops in and around Chicago and my wife and I took an afternoon and a phonebook and just drove around checking them out. I wasn't impressed, not even with the conversation. We should all be thankful that divers no longer need to rely on dive shops for information or products. They're missing it on price, selection, expertise and service.

 

[ssra30]

I buy from LDS when I can as long as I don't feel that they are ripping me off. There are certain stores that I refuse to patronize anymore. I certainly prefer the back up service that I can get from the store. However not all LDS are created equal and some of them are really horrible at service, arrogant and pretty clueless about their products in general.
When I buy from internet, I generally don't expect much in term of back up service and buy at your own risk kind of attitude but the transactions have always been smooth and they usually will answer any question that I have when I email them before purchasing and actually generally quite helpful.
Interestingly enough, I have not found any of the major internet dive suppliers who annoyed me the way some LDS managed to do. May be I don't have very good inter-personal skill

 

[The Kraken]

One point that many respondents keep bringing up is the "expertise" of the employee at the LDS. In many cases the "expertise" is sadly lacking in the employees. The owners/managers may have provided a high level of knowledge when starting the business, but it seems that as the business grows the management tends to start looking more at the profit margins and costs of doing business than they do the level of "expertise" of the day-to-day employee.

Please keep in mind that I am not applying this as a carte blanche condemnation of all LDS's, it's just an observation of many LDS's that I have frequented.

There is one LDS here in the Atlanta area that employs persons with whom I don't think I'd care to dive, much less rely upon for "expert" information or advice.

Many LDS employees are hired for three reasons, they are divers, they have a modicum of knowledge of the overall diving industry, and they work cheaply.

Keep this one tenet in mind, the sole purpose of a business is to make a profit. Now, how the business goes about making that profit is another matter.

the K

 

[cdiver2]

I buy from LDS when I can as long as I don't feel that they are ripping me off. There are certain stores that I refuse to patronize anymore. I certainly prefer the back up service that I can get from the store. However not all LDS are created equal and some of them are really horrible at service, arrogant and pretty clueless about their products in general.
When I buy from internet, I generally don't expect much in term of back up service and buy at your own risk kind of attitude but the transactions have always been smooth and they usually will answer any question that I have when I email them before purchasing and actually generally quite helpful.
Interestingly enough, I have not found any of the major internet dive suppliers who annoyed me the way some LDS managed to do. May be I don't have very good inter-personal skill

LDS's are having a hard time since the INTERNET came along and the manufacturers are making it harder for them. Some stores change there ways and at least attempt to compete with the INTERNET in one way or another. Others just whine about it and take there frustration out on customers.

eg I was buying some stuff from my LDS for a friend in ST Lucia about $50 worth, I asked could you knock the tax off as it is going out of the country...no. I have given this store some of my photographs to display in the store and worked on there photos in PS, put them to disk so they can use them in there advertising.
I buy the big $ items on line but attempt to buy at my LDS if the price difference is not to big, but I think that is going to come to an end.

Many of the owners think we owe them a living and should support them (at our expense) sorry you don't lower your price if I am put on a three day week or lose my job.