The changing Scuba Industry

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Do you feel that burn?

I didn't mean any disrespect to Pete. It was the last day and people were clearing out. I was more making an observation that SB had a presence at DEMA.

 

[The Chairman]

We stopped manning the booth years ago. People drop us notes there and that's about it. We don't make deals with the participants, but with the boothers.

 

[mdb]

We are the best kept secret in the industry. Yet, we have the divers you're looking for. This had been a hard year. It shouldn't be.

You are not so much "a secret" anymore.

You have a created a world wide forum that answers questions,
and links folks together.

 

[Wookie]

We are the best kept secret in the industry. Yet, we have the divers you're looking for. This had been a hard year. It shouldn't be.

I'm ready to take it to the next step, and have ScubaBoard collect that cash from all of those members. Yes, you have the divers I am looking for. Unfortunately there aren't enough of them.

 

[BRT]

That's a silly assumption. It's called adapting to compete against the online warehouses that have little overhead.

Most small retailers in any industry have had to adapt and change to stay competitive. The ones that don't usually go out of business.

But it's the new culture. People go into the shop to see and touch that reg or dc and then go buy it online to save 10%.

So doesn't it make sense to just match that price for those who ask and capture the sale right there.

Anybody that price matches is just telling you that they are going to sell it to you for the highest price they can get away with. I don't sell on that basis and I refuse to buy that way.

 

[cool_hardware52]

Anybody that price matches is just telling you that they are going to sell it to you for the highest price they can get away with. I don't sell on that basis and I refuse to buy that way.

Your choice, but you really don't understand the motives.

Tobin

 

[AdivingBel]

I'm ready to take it to the next step, and have ScubaBoard collect that cash from all of those members. Yes, you have the divers I am looking for. Unfortunately there aren't enough of them.

We're here Wookie, but you've made it clear we're not the guys you want. From earlier in the thread you talked about wanting to service the old school, rough tough divers, that "know how to dive." My wife and I are warm water, dive travelers that make several trips a year. We're not "hard scrabble," but don't require anything fancy. We do prefer doors on our cabin and a head, but we'll make exceptions. I don't know if we "know how to dive" by your standards. We have a few hundred dives, are self-sufficient, and prefer to do our own thing when possible. I've met lots of folks like us on Invasions (entire resorts full) and they're just the ones that travel with SB. We also dive with other groups that we met through SB that plan LOBs a year or two in advance so we can buy out the boat for our trips. Like I said, we are here, but we may not be the droids you're looking for. BTW, how many do you need?

 

[Wookie]

We've done invasions, and supported them. But you also saw that I said that there aren't enough SB members to make it a living. SB members were one of my best sources for customers, but where were you? I stayed in business for 17 years waiting for you to show up. When I closed up shop, the number of folks who said "Oh, if you'd just been around another year. I always wanted to go on the Spree....."

 

[CuzzA]

Anybody that price matches is just telling you that they are going to sell it to you for the highest price they can get away with. I don't sell on that basis and I refuse to buy that way.

Not at all true in this case. They set their prices which are tagged and equivalent to almost everyone else, but if you find a better deal online, whether it's a sale or promotion they will match the price. How is that a bad thing? If you're in their shoes and someone is sitting in the store looking at a product and at the same time checking their phone online (where items and current prices are perfectly cataloged by Google revealing who has the lowest price in a matter of seconds) I would much rather capture that sale, even at a diminished profit knowing I can restock.

For a small LDS who's owner is a business manager, instructor, trip organizer and the staff are also service and support divers, when would they find the time to check to make sure the price tags on all of their items in the store are meeting or beating everyone else in the entire country who sells online and then go and relabel everything? I think it's a smart policy.

Couple that with a discount on certs if you buy the gear through them which is being price matched, why would you give your money to anyone else?

And for what's it's worth, I've found Leisure Pro isn't always the cheapest. In fact, once you learn it's mostly the same gear being re-branded at a higher price for the "name" you're actually the one who got the bad deal.

 

[AdivingBel]

We've done invasions, and supported them. But you also saw that I said that there aren't enough SB members to make it a living. SB members were one of my best sources for customers, but where were you? I stayed in business for 17 years waiting for you to show up. When I closed up shop, the number of folks who said "Oh, if you'd just been around another year. I always wanted to go on the Spree....."

I actually was booked on the Spree once when we had our place on Big Pine. Got blown out...wasted a bunch of effort convincing my wife we didn't need a door (or a private head). Stupid weather...