H2Andy
Contributor
Phil, that makes a lot of sense
Purchasing own equipment online/lds?
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Phil,
Nice posting summarizing the current state of the scuba industry. I agree with everything that you said. The LDS has to evolve or it is going to die a slow painful death. Evolving means opening an online store in addition to your bricks-and-mortar location, offering top-notch service and support on what you sell, providing quality instruction and expanding your offerings into dive travel, etc.
In another thread, Mike at Dive Right In Scuba described how he has opened a kiosk in a local mall for the holiday season and is having a great deal of success. This is exactly what I am talking about. Mike has figured out a way to get his business in front of more people, which is the same thing that shops like you have been able to do by expanding your operations onto the internet.
Divers are no longer captive customers that have limited choice in what they can buy and where they can buy it. The internet has brought competition to the market and that has resulted in the ability for most divers to access more information and product selection than are often availably locally. This is a good thing and I think it is only going to continue to make the sport better.
Nice posting summarizing the current state of the scuba industry. I agree with everything that you said. The LDS has to evolve or it is going to die a slow painful death. Evolving means opening an online store in addition to your bricks-and-mortar location, offering top-notch service and support on what you sell, providing quality instruction and expanding your offerings into dive travel, etc.
In another thread, Mike at Dive Right In Scuba described how he has opened a kiosk in a local mall for the holiday season and is having a great deal of success. This is exactly what I am talking about. Mike has figured out a way to get his business in front of more people, which is the same thing that shops like you have been able to do by expanding your operations onto the internet.
Divers are no longer captive customers that have limited choice in what they can buy and where they can buy it. The internet has brought competition to the market and that has resulted in the ability for most divers to access more information and product selection than are often availably locally. This is a good thing and I think it is only going to continue to make the sport better.
Absolutely, the few dive shops that have these great buisness plans need to be looked at as pioneers rather than as unfair competition.
As usual, well put Phil; punctuated by Swan1172.
For those of you who want to help your LDS, I have a suggestion that hasn't come up in the 192 postings in this thread (if I missed it, please forgive me). To support your LDS, get people into SCUBA! Talk it up with the people you know, and those you meet. Carry photos around to show people your adventures (I always have photos in my briefcase, and my computer desktop is always a diving photo). Form clubs, and get visibility in your communities. Create SCUBA related fund raisers to connect SCUBA with community service. SCUBA is not for everyone, but if I get two people into the sport, and they get two people into the sport, etc; you get the idea. If the scuba diving community grows, your LDS might even need to expand! If the customer base grows, he'll also be able to become more competitive. In the meantime, be a smart consumer, and do whatever you feel is in YOUR best interest.
The internet allows a retailer to expand his market, which in turn allows him to be more competitive. I've yet to hear from the shop where I took my lessons, but I always get emails/bulletins from the internet retailers I've patronized. Most LDS have their heads in the sand.
As Stephen King wrote in his "Gunslinger" series: The world has moved on......
For those of you who want to help your LDS, I have a suggestion that hasn't come up in the 192 postings in this thread (if I missed it, please forgive me). To support your LDS, get people into SCUBA! Talk it up with the people you know, and those you meet. Carry photos around to show people your adventures (I always have photos in my briefcase, and my computer desktop is always a diving photo). Form clubs, and get visibility in your communities. Create SCUBA related fund raisers to connect SCUBA with community service. SCUBA is not for everyone, but if I get two people into the sport, and they get two people into the sport, etc; you get the idea. If the scuba diving community grows, your LDS might even need to expand! If the customer base grows, he'll also be able to become more competitive. In the meantime, be a smart consumer, and do whatever you feel is in YOUR best interest.
The internet allows a retailer to expand his market, which in turn allows him to be more competitive. I've yet to hear from the shop where I took my lessons, but I always get emails/bulletins from the internet retailers I've patronized. Most LDS have their heads in the sand.
As Stephen King wrote in his "Gunslinger" series: The world has moved on......
And for those of you about to flame me......
I realize that the cost of setting up and maintaining a professional internet site, and stocking everything on the site, is a huge investment. Which is precisely why my idea is a more universal solution.
I realize that the cost of setting up and maintaining a professional internet site, and stocking everything on the site, is a huge investment. Which is precisely why my idea is a more universal solution.
tracy_from_oz
Contributor
If you want to buy on line, buy on line. If you want to buy @ your local store, buy @ you're local store. Do what makes you happy, and will make you happy at the end of the day.
A good business foundation and structure as well as back up business plans for when times boom or are tough, are essential in all businesses including the scuba diving industry. If one does not possess these plans one will never succeed no matter how many people buy things off them.
I buy online for the simply reason it is cheaper, much cheaper. Eg Mares extreme reg in Australia $1495 AUD, on Scuba Toys/Leisure Pro $650-700 USD, even when converted is still less and it is not a special order which I assume means you order it and we will ship it into the country. This happened years ago when I bought a Mares isotherm semi dry wet suit which actually took 8 weeks to arrive as it had to be made/come from Italy.
If you are lucky to have a wonderful LDS go for it. I have many around here but they do not have the gear I want, Mares, and it is all special order and buying gear down here is very expensive.
I live in an area where lots of dive stores come and go. 18 months is the average and the Sydney region itself has an extremely high amount of dive stores for not alot of divers.
I also do not have the luxury larger countries eg USA, Uk etc have when it comes to choosing gear. We have a very small market which is not as larger as others therefore instead of 10 BCD's to choose from there are only 2-3 offered. This to me does make a difference.
As Matt from Fort Myers said, you have a great LDS like he is at go for it and support them, I am actually interested in diving the one he mentions next time I am in Florida because he says it is so good.
Why support a dive store or any store for that matter that doesn't support you but at the same time one must consider more than just price alone. Service, people, deals. People make the difference I believe.
People say only buy @ your local store, but if your LDS is coming into the computer age they should be expanding their business model to include the Internet in some way.
I travel alot for work and take my gear with me all the time, and the way I choose a dive store I wish to dive with from renting tanks/weights/dm or instructor guide/boat or shore dives is off their Internet site. This tells the picture & story for the person 5000 miles away who wants to use their services.
To who suggested bring more people into the sport, this is a great idea and one that will keep the sport growing.
A good business foundation and structure as well as back up business plans for when times boom or are tough, are essential in all businesses including the scuba diving industry. If one does not possess these plans one will never succeed no matter how many people buy things off them.
I buy online for the simply reason it is cheaper, much cheaper. Eg Mares extreme reg in Australia $1495 AUD, on Scuba Toys/Leisure Pro $650-700 USD, even when converted is still less and it is not a special order which I assume means you order it and we will ship it into the country. This happened years ago when I bought a Mares isotherm semi dry wet suit which actually took 8 weeks to arrive as it had to be made/come from Italy.
If you are lucky to have a wonderful LDS go for it. I have many around here but they do not have the gear I want, Mares, and it is all special order and buying gear down here is very expensive.
I live in an area where lots of dive stores come and go. 18 months is the average and the Sydney region itself has an extremely high amount of dive stores for not alot of divers.
I also do not have the luxury larger countries eg USA, Uk etc have when it comes to choosing gear. We have a very small market which is not as larger as others therefore instead of 10 BCD's to choose from there are only 2-3 offered. This to me does make a difference.
As Matt from Fort Myers said, you have a great LDS like he is at go for it and support them, I am actually interested in diving the one he mentions next time I am in Florida because he says it is so good.
Why support a dive store or any store for that matter that doesn't support you but at the same time one must consider more than just price alone. Service, people, deals. People make the difference I believe.
People say only buy @ your local store, but if your LDS is coming into the computer age they should be expanding their business model to include the Internet in some way.
I travel alot for work and take my gear with me all the time, and the way I choose a dive store I wish to dive with from renting tanks/weights/dm or instructor guide/boat or shore dives is off their Internet site. This tells the picture & story for the person 5000 miles away who wants to use their services.
To who suggested bring more people into the sport, this is a great idea and one that will keep the sport growing.
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