Online Sales - The importance of buying from local businesses

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The real problem is......local scuba stores have done so much to p*ss off the customer that ANY profit they make is begrudged. Let's face it.....that is the real truth. It has been said over and over on this board.....when scuba consumers spend money at a dive shop, they feel like they are "paying for the owner's" recreation and travel.

Phil Ellis

I think you hit the nail on the head in an earlier post, how the average diver has $1,000 to $4,000 a year to spend on the sport. When paying an extra $700 for your gear means you can no longer afford your trip to Cozumel, you really get ticked (Assuming diving at your local muddy lake doesn't sound appealing). If you spend an extra $700 on your backpacking/rockclimbing equipment, that probably won't prevent you from driving to the mountains and hiking.
 
I can see that now.

1.) Customer carries tank into Walmart.​

2.) Customer has to stop and get the walmart smile face sticker on your tank to prove it's your before you can carry it into the store. They are out of stickers. Employee pages asst mgr on phone for more stickers. Employee pages asst mgr 3 more times. Finally you get your smiley face sticker.​

3.) Customer carries tank back to sporting goods.​

4.) Sporting goods employee at counter is no where to be found.​

5.) Customer walks over to nearby Auto Service counter to have Sporting Goods employee paged. They page him 3 more times before he shows back up. But he can't fill the tank. He has to find another employee​

6.) Other employee is paged 3 times​

7.) Other employee finally shows up 15 minute later to fill the tank.​

8.) Employee goes to fill up tank, but doesn't have key-code that will allow the compressor to operate. He has to page asst mgr to come punch in the key code. Waits additional 10 minutes between each additional time he has to page asst manager again and again.​

9.) Finally, an hour later from arrival at the store, the code is punched in and the airfill begins.​

10.) 15 minutes later, fill complete, customer head to the front to check out.​

11.) 30 registers can be seen across the front of the store, but only two of them are open. Wait 25 minutes to check out a $3 Wal-Mart air fill.​

12.) There is no bar code on the tank for the air fill, so cashier doesn't know how to check out the air fill. Pages assistant mangaer. (repeats page as before)​

13.) Asst Mgr shows up, punches in some magic code for cashier to ring up $3 charge​

14.) Finally, 2 hours later, you leave Walmart digusted after getting your $3 airfill.​

Great post Mike, I hate Wal-Mart
 
why is it "gouging" when a scuba merchant makes $820 on a $2000 sale?

It is seen as gouging because that same shopping list purchased from one of the online, high volume, low markup dealers would probably cost the consumer about $1500. And if you have the nerve to ask for more competetive pricing, you are likely to receive a rude lecture accented with lies and deceptions. Back in the '80s, it was just quite expensive.
 
.....the so-called "keystone" markup (double cost) in scuba stores is smaller than the markup on almost all other consumer purchases you make......
Phil Ellis

Amazing how we will go to “Needless Markup” and spend $150 on a shirt that they purchased for $15.00 and not bargain one iota! Simply walk in, plop the money down and go out happy. If they marked down the shirt to $90.00 you think you got the deal of your life.

Interesting how there are some purchases where negation/price reduction is not requested and others where it is common place.

You never see sales in Home Depot or Lowes....They set the ground rules from day one!
 
It's not the mark up people are talking about. Like someone recently stated, it's that they mark it up more than others, and expect me to pay it. I will spend $150 on a tie at Nordstrom's that cost about $30 to make and be perfectly happy with the 500% markup. If I find I can buy the EXACT SAME TIE online for $50, that's when I stop buying it at the store.

10 years ago, this was the dive industry. They could charge what they wanted, and people bought it. With more competition, they can still charge what they want --- only they can't expect us to buy it anymore.
 
The endless debate goes on......I agree with Phil, most other products have alot more markup and nobody balks at them....Why shouldnt dive retailers make money on what they do....What do you do? Lawers? Bankers? Real Estate? Wall Street? Everyone makes money doing what they do, its part of life....Why cant a Dive Retailer make money too? Im not talking about ripping people off and taking all of their money, Im talking about working hard for that sale, working hard to have the product in stock to make the sale, working hard to be knowledgeable to know what your talking about to make the sale, there is alot that goes into just one sale and staying competitive with your competition


Yes, alot of dive shops rip people off on pricing and they will suffer, but to tell us that we shouldnt be able to mark up items so you can save money for your vacation isnt right...what about our vacation? Yes, you do pay for my vacations, and my gas, and my house, and my clothes, and my food and even my dogs food. Thats why Im in business, so I can afford to buy things and survive....

What your slowly starting to find is that most of the big online retailers, arent just online retailers. WE are made up of Brick and Mortar stores, we are customer service oriented, we want and appreciate every sale you make with us. We dont just want to rip you off for $100 today and never see you again, we want $5 today, and the next month and the next and the next and we work hard to ensure you come back to support us. Those that dont work hard or stay competive are the ones that will be weeded out and not survive.

WE, LDS's and Online Stores, all survive because of people like you on this board. Some just work harder to earn your money and keep you happy. Support Local if they are good to you, buy online if they are good to you, buy local if they have what you want, buy online if they have what you want......Those that keep you coming back for more, will be the ones still around, those that didnt........*POOF* Gone.......Survival of Business....and thats ANY business
 
Yes, alot of dive shops rip people off on pricing and they will suffer, but to tell us that we shouldnt be able to mark up items so you can save money for your vacation isnt right...what about our vacation?

You can absolutely mark up your prices. Mark them up as high as you want, but why should you expect me to pay it when I don't have to?

As the retailer, you have a right to charge what you want. As the consumer, I have the right to purhcase my gear at the lowest price. That's why places like scubatoys and lp are winning the game.
 
They cant do any better on pricing than we can...we arent losing anything. Your battling the wrong person.....I agree with you that most shops charge too much...Your saying exactly what I meant....Thats why we opened our store....THings werent being done right in our area

LP and Scubatoys go on vacations too...they shouldnt because their prices are too high then right?
 
The real problem is......local scuba stores have done so much to p*ss off the customer that ANY profit they make is begrudged. Let's face it.....that is the real truth. It has been said over and over on this board.....when scuba consumers spend money at a dive shop, they feel like they are "paying for the owner's" recreation and travel. They don't view him as a citizen, deserving of the same salary that a computer programmer or engineer deserves. I am not complaining. Remember, I think the shop owners did this to themselves.

Phil Ellis

From customer prespective I fully agree.

Decided to buy my own gear, I wanted to get a relationship going with one shop. There are a couple of things the online shops can't do for me.

Checked out my most local dive shop and checked out three other not so local LDS (These three have also online shops). The local one was by far the worst, two others were not right for me and one guy made a "click" with me.

Half a year latter, I have now spent some major money with him. (Xmas gift was a tailormade drysuit.)
He knows that I will probably buy some of tobin's products in the near future and doesn't give me a hard time about it. (He is actually interested himself)

Bottomline is: I have no problems paying a little bit more with him and have no problem with him going on a holiday.

Because he hasn't p*ssed me off!
 
I believe that supporting your LDS is important and I rarely shop online now that I found a good one. The shop that I originally used was awful. They barely carried anything, high-pressure, prices WAY jacked up, and had the whole "buy from us or leave" mentality. As a result I did my first scuba purchases online. Then a new shop (NOVA Dive Center) opened and they are great. Prices are lower than I find online, low pressure, and more than helpful.

If LDSs want to compete with online stores, they need to adjust their prices and attitudes accordingly.
Well put -

Its all about the value - not the price; you don't buy a Mercedes just for transaportation, nor a Rolex just to tell time - I think there are times it makes sense to purchase on line - just as it makes sense if you have a good LDS to buy from them.

The a__holes who go into an LDS and take up a bunch of time looking at product(s) knowing that for a few % less they are going to purchase on line, well, I think that's sad - but if you are in retail - retail being the operative word - you are going to deal with jerks from time to time - don't get into the business if you can't take it, or get out of the business if it bothers you that much.

I have a couple of great LDS's (but then I live in S FL, not Montana) and will buy from them whenever possible, because of the service over the past 20+ years and a couple of years ago one of them they let me return a BCD, regulator, and computer after a month's use - I did replace the items at the shop, but even Divers Direct with their liberal return policy on gear that has been used charges a restocking fee (and I've purchased from DD locally as well as on line and think they are terrific)

I've purchased other dive gear on line - and whoever posted "online is her to stay" is correct - the internet is not going away.

The LDS needs to offer value, service, and make the customer want to do business with them - some folks will do anything to save a nickle - but the majority want to patronize a local shop and will if given a reason to do so.

(I'm so glad this subject has come up because it's never been discussed on this board before! Seriously, Craig, you make some valid points but next time use the
"Enter" key to space out your post - make it a little easier for us old guys to read )
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/swift/

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