The changing Scuba Industry

[Wookie]

Remember Larry from ScubaToys? He's no longer a part of that business, but I remember a discussion from him I had a long time ago. Rather than fight his customers, he fought his suppliers. He would have the argument once than a hundred times. He had to make money, so he did it by beating up the manufacturers and using some awesome motivations here on SB. They're still an awesome shop and you can bet they'll be reading this thread and this post. They pay attention.

The Wal*Mart model....

 

[KevinNM]

How is that anything but a different way of saying "a shop that penalizes customers who aren't as knowledgeable"? I.e. A shop that penalizes the very people the industry needs to be putting the most effort into drawing further in?

A small shop isn't Costco. They don't order stock by pallets. They don't have 10,000 people a day buying hot dogs and sodas.

Their cost of goods and cost of operating expenses compared to sales is much higher than Costco, so they need to sell the exact same stuff at a higher price to stay in business.

If they try to run their business pricing stuff at the Costco discount off list price they will be go bankrupt.

 

[Sevenrider860]

That sounded too good to be true. Looks like $159 at DRIS: XT Fin - Dive Right in Scuba

On sale for $115.96 at MY local dive shop, Divers Supply: Dive Rite XT Fins with Spring Strap

I believe DRIS price matches...but that makes them a crappy and rip-off business to some...

Low Price Guarantee - Dive Right in Scuba

 

[admikar]

This all went sideways from my comment on Cuzza's post.
I never said that small shop sell their stuff at Costco prices, or they are ripping you off.
Cuzza's post was about shop that would match price if you came in and tell them that some other shop is offering better price on same item they sell. If you don't tell, then you pay higher price. That I consider to be a ripoff.
Tobin says his price is his cost+fair profit, and I totally agree with that. But, that means that some other buyer should not get better price than I did, because all his cost + fair profit remains the same. BTW, I never say Tobin is doing this.

 

[admikar]

I believe DRIS price matches...but that makes them a crappy and rip-off business to some...

Low Price Guarantee - Dive Right in Scuba

So, if you buy a car for 50K and I buy exactly the same car, at exactly the same shop for 48K, you are not being ripped off? Interesting.

 

[diver0008]

I do not know how business in US is done, but here we have customer protection laws which say that if I bought item X at price Y, they can not sell you item X at price Y+Z, unless there has being changes in their operating expenses. All customers must be treated the same, whether they've done price matching search or not.

For all intents and purposes, you have communism, and the USA has capitalism.

Now you know.

 

[Wookie]

So, if you buy a car for 50K and I buy exactly the same car, at exactly the same shop for 48K, you are not being ripped off? Interesting.

I don't feel so. I just spent $2k not to dick with dickering. A price I will gladly pay.

 

[admikar]

For all intents and purposes, you have communism, and the USA has capitalism.

Now you know.

I think you're a little behind on events.
Now you know.

 

[KevinNM]

I have a name for dealers who want me to dicker over prices and stick junk fees and crap in the quote to give them room to do this. Weasels. I'll go to another dealers commercial sales office instead.

 

[diver0008]

I think you're a little behind on events.
Now you know.

What you described is communism, the state with its fingers in microeconomics, whether in full or remnant form, it is surely NOT a free market.