Major Industry Change re: Online Scuba Sales....

[Scared Silly]

The dive industry is probably very similar to the ski industry. Some what gear intensive, typically travel to the areas, vast majority do one big trip a year, is done for the whole day, as Chris pointed the vast majority of participants are white upper middle class andabove. There are the exceptions but in general this is true. The ski industry has had flat growth for years I bet the dive industry growth is the same, flat.

Since the world is a mess PADI is seeing less and less certs because people do not want to travel. So they are doing everything they can to drum up business.

I wonder what would happen to the industry if there were more clubs doing the teaching and just had shops selling gear. Something that is fairly common in parts of the world.

 

[mdb]

The dive industry is probably very similar to the ski industry. Some what gear intensive, typically travel to the areas, vast majority do one big trip a year, is done for the whole day, as Chris pointed the vast majority of participants are white upper middle class andabove. There are the exceptions but in general this is true. The ski industry has had flat growth for years I bet the dive industry growth is the same, flat. /QUOTE]

Scares Silly: Exactly right.

 

[Web Monkey]

The people who shop at Neiman-Marcus have more disposable income - both absolutely and in terms of percentage - than the person who shops at Walmart. Same is true of the people who live in the big houses, or drive expensive cars, etc, etc.

You may not like that. You may wish it weren't true. But you can't disagree.

That's just silly, and I can disagree a lot.

By choosing less expensive vendors, more money is available for SCUBA.

People who shop at Neiman Marcus may have more disposable income, or a higer tolerance for debt, or are willing to give up a hobby like SCUBA.

Terry

 

[RJP]

That's just silly, and I can disagree a lot.

By choosing less expensive vendors, more money is available for SCUBA.

People who shop at Neiman Marcus may have more disposable income, or a higer tolerance for debt, or are willing to give up a hobby like SCUBA.

Terry

I don't mean to seem argumentative, but your thinking on this is just plain wrong. By extension of your analogy the best target customer would be a homeless person - or maybe a buddhist monk - since they have ZERO expenses.

Know what the difference is between a buddhist monk and people who shop at Neiman Marcus? Buddhist monks give up everything, people who shop at Neiman Marcus don't give up anything.

Seriously. Neiman-Marcus shoppers have a median houshold income with six or seven zeros. They buy what they want, when they want. They are not driven by price, they do not wait for sales. They don't have a tolerance for debt, because they don't HAVE debt. They have wealth.

"That's where the money is..."

 

[bwerb]

So...about the new Ferrari at I saw at Costco...

(Actually Costco has higher average income shoppers than most stores)

I always wanted to ask him if he remembered which car he brought when he rolled out with a full cart..."dang...honey you'll have to stay here unit I get back...I don't have room for you and the jumbo toilet paper rolls!"

 

[cerich]

So...about the new Ferrari at I saw at Costco...

(Actually Costco has higher average income shoppers than most stores)

I always wanted to ask him if he remembered which car he brought when he rolled out with a full cart..."dang...honey you'll have to stay here unit I get back...I don't have room for you and the jumbo toilet paper rolls!"

It's funny, I shop at Costco and Walmart, I enjoy both(like the meats at Costco...) however on MOST things (including tires which they really push as being the best value available, I look often because I buy new tires every year) Walmart is less expensive for the very same items. Costco wins beause it allows the middle class "feel" they are being "bargain buyers" when in fact they aren't. Check out the parking lot at Costco, average car there is 40K plus.

 

[bwerb]

Costco...the $100 dollar store"...

It really depends on the item...Costco can be really good or...average. They work on a lower GM (generally between 8-15%) but...as manufacturers, you tend to give them "something different" so that the "value" equation is there without direct comparisons available.

 

[mike_s]

The dive industry is probably very similar to the ski industry. Some what gear intensive, typically travel to the areas, vast majority do one big trip a year, is done for the whole day, as Chris pointed the vast majority of participants are white upper middle class andabove. There are the exceptions but in general this is true. The ski industry has had flat growth for years I bet the dive industry growth is the same, flat.

Scares Silly: Exactly right.

I've often thought that the average local dive shop (LDS) could also be your average local ski shop (LSS). Makes you wonder why you don't see more shops that way?

It seems like a good match and especially good for the 'deadness' of the opposite seasons that both sports retailers endure.

I mean very few snow-skis are sold in July and very few regulators in February.

anyone else have thoughts on this?

 

[Scared Silly]

Location, location, location. About the only stores that I know of that do this are Sport Chalet (S. California) and Decathelon (France) but both sell alot than just skis and scuba gear. But yeah it is interesting.

I am much closer to the outdoor industry than the scuba industry. I attend the OR (Outdoor Retailer) show that is here in Salt Lake twice a year. I have been to DEMA only once before (I will at DEMA next though). But for instance at the OR show retailers do not pay anything to attend but they do for DEMA and have to pay extra after the 3rd person. I would think that one would want as many retailers as possible to show. This certainly does not encourage this. And to my knowledge there is no internet fighting within the OR industry - there are some other fights. I have also noticed that the key pricing in the scuba industry is much harder than in the OR industry. Part of this is probably due the fact that my ties to the outdoor industry are much different - independent DM at a university program versus being the founding board member of an outdoor advocacy group.

 

[bwerb]

OR rocks...best show there is. Great industry!

Ahem...

The OR industry is one which has really recognized who their consumer is and how to serve them. Much can be learned from them. In many cases a clear recognition or WHO your customer is allows you to clearly define how best to serve THEIR NEEDS. Often time companies are so wrapped up in HOW to make their next buck that they miss WHY someone would want to buy from them...if you switch your priorities...suddenly, the why makes the how a moot point.



Scared Silly...PM me and let me know which booth to stop by to say hi in January!