Online Sales - The importance of buying from local businesses

[PhilEllis]

Well, one answer to this that has merit is simply supporting your local economy. Since many of us in the states live near large cities, the impact of this isn't as obvious, but in smaller towns, the local economy can be much less stable. Once it starts to fail, it can be hard to control and can have disastrous effects on those who live there.

Unfortunately, simply supporting your local economy will not help many dive stores. There are so many local dive stores in markets that are so small, all of the local support in the world will not help. Furthermore, almost all local, regional, and national "support your local community" program fail miserably. We are all consumers in a national or worldwide market. We will support local merchants when it is painless. We will not pay a premium to support a local merchant.

Important Note: If you don't believe this, how do you explain leisurepro, scuba.com, divers-direct, divers-supply, scubatoys, etc. It is simple. We will completely abandon a local merchant to save money.

Anyway, just my opinion.

Phil Ellis

 

[MikeFerrara]

Please tell us more. I'm guessing one is the policies of some of the mfgrs and distributors. But that is largely within the control of the retailers. They can always say "NO" to policies like those of Scubapro and Aqualung.

As the t-shirt says "been there and done that". Sure the small retailer can say "no" but who does it hurt? You can't be a store without something on your shelves. When the manufacturers are large and the retailers are small, the manufacturer is in the drivers seat.

As things transition from may small stupid retailers to fewer large smart retalers, the manufacturers will have to learn to "take a knee" and please the customer for a change. They'll have to earn shelf space.

 

[redacted]

As the t-shirt says "been there and done that". Sure the small retailer can say "no" but who does it hurt? You can't be a store without something on your shelves. When the manufacturers are large and the retailers are small, the manufacturer is in the drivers seat.

As things transition from may small stupid retailers to fewer large smart retalers, the manufacturers will have to learn to "take a knee" and please the customer for a change. They'll have to earn shelf space.

That brings up another thought. There is good reason you don't find 100 pound elephants in nature. They can't survive. Yet that is what so many LDSs are. I really think we are headed to a very small number of larger shops and not-for-profit clubs which can fill in the coverage for gas and training.

 

[MikeFerrara]

That brings up another thought. There is good reason you don't find 100 pound elephants in nature. They can't survive. Yet that is what so many LDSs are. I really think we are headed to a very small number of larger shops and not-for-profit clubs which can fill in the coverage for gas and training.

As far as retail, I agree. However there are some value added activities that a good dive shop can provide. Training for example. The problem is that most dive shops use everything as a loss leader except for retail and nobody needs them for retail. Since all those other services are loss-leader, they don't do any of them very well. So...they get to work real hard for free.

The manufacturers and the agencies just love the fact that all those dive shops are willing to do all that work for free. The agency gets paid for the cert and the materials so they aren't giving anything away. The manufacturer gets paid for the product up front so they're doing ok...and the stupid dive shop owner rents pools, supports fill stations, buys insurance, works long hours teaching and taking people diving...and he hasn't made a nickle until he sells you that BC. Oops but now you can buy the bc for about what he pays for it and he gets NOTHING but the privilage of doing all the work and covering the cost of sales for larger retailers.

 

[Coalcracker]

That brings up another thought. There is good reason you don't find 100 pound elephants in nature. They can't survive. Yet that is what so many LDSs are. I really think we are headed to a very small number of larger shops and not-for-profit clubs which can fill in the coverage for gas and training.

AWAP: I think you nailed it. The local stores with limited brands and high pricing and attitude are going away.We will see fewer stores and more independent instructors, many with their own compressor, local clubs, private owners etc.. There will be large stores in the major metro areas and large specialty e-commerce folks.

I've been a landlocked diver for quite some time. I make my annual trips and do some NE diving and get to Florida and NC and up into NE.

I've mentioned before that I now consider LP to be my local store.
They are 3 hours from where I live. I've also ordered from Scubatoys-great service and quick shipping and Scuba.com. Phil will be next on my list since his honest posts and good website make his store another good choice.

 

[ReefHound]

Well, one answer to this that has merit is simply supporting your local economy. Since many of us in the states live near large cities, the impact of this isn't as obvious, but in smaller towns, the local economy can be much less stable. Once it starts to fail, it can be hard to control and can have disastrous effects on those who live there.

That can be a valid point IF one practices it consistently in their consumer decisions. Do they also drink the local beer, buy the local food products, and shop at the little local owned shops instead of the national chains? Even if it means paying higher prices? If one can say yes to all of that then they can talk about supporting the local dive shop, if not then they are just making up an excuse. And before a LDS owner preaches to me about supporting the local economy he had better be doing it himself in his personal purchases as well as his own business purchases.

 

[jasondcrawford]

How long do you give it til every Super Walmart or Dick's Sporting Goods has a compressor?

 

[ReefHound]

Phil, as usual you make some great points.

Variety - having all your gear of matching brand and model has almost become a stigma that experienced divers avoid. It screams out newbie diver. Just as computer geeks chosse components and build their system on the kitchen table rather than buying a brand name system, experienced divers like to kit themselves with their preferred items from many brands.

Pools - building your own pool is ultimately the only dependable solution, while costly it allows you to be in control of your own destiny.

Travel - I don't know why more shops don't do more to promote local diving. Our local ponds are pretty unappealing but still there are many dozens of divers out there every weekend, virtually all of them on their own if not taking a class. None of our local shops really make a strong effort to get divers out there every weekend, perhaps they see no money in it but it would establish themselves as the active shop in the area.

 

[PhilEllis]

How long do you give it til every Super Walmart or Dick's Sporting Goods has a compressor?

That will not happen, except MAYBE in the central part of California and the maybe south Florida. You CANNOT operate a commercial air compressor at a profit unless you are located in a VERY high density diving area. Fill Express is succesful because of where he is, combined with the friendly policies. Further, it simply isn't worth the preceived liability for the small amount revenue for most big box stores.

Phil Ellis

 

[timle]

The problem I always have with this argument is my real life experience with most local dive shops.

Products -

An LDS by definition is a specialty store. So why is it when I walk into most of them and want a canister light, a backplate, a wing, a drysuit (all made by companies headquartered in the state I live in, Florida) they don't know anything about them? Salvo, Dive Rite, Halcyon, and Oxycheq. Need I go on? Why are you trying to compete on mass produced mass market items? Do you think a bicycle shop should only carry bikes that Walmart or Sears will have? Or should they investigate brands that people are look at for more than the price?

Training -

So the online store can't provide training but you the LDS can. Should you provide crappy training from bottom of the barrel instructors so you can have the cheapest class around. Then use the class as a chance to sell all you possibly can to newbies that have no clue. Newbies who will then resent you when they learn more, and do all future shopping online and find another place for training?

By far the best training I have received is from instructors I found myself - on the internet of all places. I live 2 hours from the heart of cave country, does the one shop in my town that does technical diving hook me up with a NSS-CDS instructor for Cavern class? Nope they want to do a PADI class and then find me an instructor later who will take it. Well I fell for that and took that class.Then later I took cavern again from the same guy who taught me Intro to Cave and who will be my full cave instructor when I'm ready. I WAS seeking to build a relationship apparently my dive shop was not.

Fills -

The LDS I frequent in cave country does fills in short order out of the back of my truck. Why do I have to drop my tanks off for hours to get them filled by someone who doesn't seem to know what DIN is locally? My LDS in cave country does not harass me if I have some gear not from them and come in for fills all the time. They don't even question it. Will they sell me gear? Sure. Have I bought stuff from them? Yup. Will I again? You bet. If I show up with a new tank, not from them, to get a fill am I charged more or beat up on? Nope!