I got a call from West Marine...

[MikeP]

Since it concerns parts/prices, I figured it would go here in technical but if I'm wrong about that, don't hesitate to move it.

One of their reps called me in response to a rather unfavorable response to a survey of theirs several months ago. My objection was that their prices were uncompetitive.

In this call they wanted me to know that they valued my business and wanted to emphasize that they would price match any other company. I knew that already and repeated the same thing I said in the survey - that if I was out shopping and found a cheaper price at another store, I wasn't going to go to the trouble of going BACK to WM and tell them about it. I would just buy the item wherever I had found it cheaper. The rep also pointed out that they had price matching for X days (he told me how many but I forgot) in which if I bought an item at WM and then discovered it cheaper at another store, if I went back to WM they would refund the difference.

I appreciated that they cared enough to respond to the survey but I didn't hear anything that makes me change my opinion. I shouldn't have to run all over (either physically or via the internet) to find the best price and then buy it at WM after providing them that info. IMO, THEY should be doing that price checking and ensuring their prices are competitive in the first place.

BUT the fact that they at least are "reaching out" to customers indicates that maybe they are trying to implement some useful changes. I'll readily admit that they are super convenient to the marina and it would be great to have that resource less than a mile away. BUT, as of two months ago I could drive an additional 1/2 mile and pay 1/3 less for the same zincs.

 

[Trojan]

Maybe it will help to wake them up. I don't think they care. There are too many people out there that have no idea what the marine things cost.
I have a step sister in Florida that works in the woman's make-up department at Walmart. She is the department head and one day a week she must visit other retail drug stores and check that her prices are the same or lower. Then adjust hers accordingly.

BILL

 

[MikeP]

"one day a week she must visit other retail drug stores and check that her prices are the same or lower. Then adjust hers accordingly.
"
Hmm...you should talk her into proposing that Walmart take over WM or start their own marine stores.

 

[Jim saco]

I agree with you about not going back to the store after a purchase. One good thing about there price match is that you can get west advantage points every time you make a purchase there. I'm not sticking up for west at all there thieves. If you have the time research the item first then go there. You can get the best price and the west points. Another good point is it's in your hand and that says alot on a Sunday. I'll admit I stay away when possible I'd rather not shop somewhere that I always feel like I'm getting the shaft. Just a thought.

 

[GJH]

Back in my chain store retail days in a variety of product categories, shopping the competition was a weekly requirement. To a certain degree, I would liken WM to the office products retailers. There is a list of core high volume commodities that set the price perception, and store prices were reset immediately. Then there was a rotation list of "next tier" goods that were shopped on a cyclical basis. Once you lose price perception, you lose a big part of the game. A common policy in the electronics business was to match prices, plus 10% of the difference, to compensate the customer for the work they had to do. Including over charging them, the worst thing you can do to a customer is waste their time.

 

[(Nobody You Know)]

"one day a week she must visit other retail drug stores and check that her prices are the same or lower. Then adjust hers accordingly.
"
Hmm...you should talk her into proposing that Walmart take over WM or start their own marine stores.

Every night when I go to bed I pray that Harbor Freight will go into the marine supply business!

 

[Avenger]

Be careful what you wish for......

If either of them does you'll be unable to buy anything but cheap Chinese junk.

 

[SKYCHENEY]

Be careful what you wish for......

If either of them does you'll be unable to buy anything but cheap Chinese junk.

Isn't that about all you can buy now anyway?

Even 25 years ago, you could only get high quality marine parts from Freeport Marine. Everybody else had the plastic SeaRay quality stuff. Now its even more difficult to find "Hatteras worthy" parts. You have to call Sams or search for days to find what you need.

 

[GJH]

Harbor Freight quality on a Hatteras?!?!

Sky, not all Chinese stuff is anywhere near the same quality, and harbor Freight is down there in the 25th percentile. For non-mission critical, once-in awhile use, they are a good buy.

 

[TopHattandTails]

My local Cleveland WM "used" to price match. While i was at the FLIBS show 2 years ago I called them from the electronics tent for a price match. They honored. 2 weeks later i ran into the store and asked for a price match and they said "they don't do that anymore" i walked out. That was the last time i went in there. I second MikeP- im not runnig around for "my" business anymore... let them compete for it.

 

[SKYCHENEY]

Harbor Freight quality on a Hatteras?!?!

Sky, not all Chinese stuff is anywhere near the same quality, and harbor Freight is down there in the 25th percentile. For non-mission critical, once-in awhile use, they are a good buy.

I was not suggesting Harbor Freight. My comment was that most of the junk you buy now at any marine store is not high quality. Most items we need for our boats comes from Sams or directly from the manufacturer, ie Galleymaid, Marquipt, etc.

 

[GJH]

Whew, Sky, you had me going there for a minute. I find that "Buy American" still holds as a good guide to quality in the marine world. Getting stuff from China with that follows the right bill of materials, consistently if at all, is still a nightmare unless you have someone physically on site watching their every move.

 

[SeaEric]

A very few retailers, lately, seem to be getting a clue as to customer service and pricing. A local chain grocery store here in Easton, Maryland has recently begun a campaign of being "friendly and helpful". Enough so that I actually noticed it. I made a joke about it with the store manager who admitted that business was off over the last 3 years. Way off. They finally figured out that they needed to do something different. The "entitlement" atmosphere in this particular store has been replaced with cheerful customer service. You can tell that for some of the most miserable staff members, their new friendly behavior is almost painful. Amazing.

 

[labrador]

Eric, we see that here at a store called Harris Teeter. Prices are higher than food lion however they train employees VERY well and it shows. HT parking always has more customers!

 

[REBrueckner]

Freeport marine is one source for 1970's Hatteras circuit breakers....at least it was two years ago.

 

[jim rosenthal]

Isn't that interesting... good to know.

West Marine screws everyone, IMHO. Allegedly they had an informal agreement with Boat US to stay out of the eastern half of the USA many years back, which they unilaterally broke without warning to BoatUS. Then they drove BoatUS out of the market and took them over. Then they raised prices on everything. They also copy products from small marketers and essentially dare them to sue, knowing they can't afford it. Their business model is morally bankrupt.

I find it enjoyable figuring out ways to avoid shopping at WM. Once in a while I buy things there, but I'd much rather spend money at Fawcett's, which is a LOCAL outfit, and down the street from WM in Annapolis. If a serious and experienced retailer ever decides to get into the marine market and take on WM, watch out. At the very least, it will be an enjoyable spectacle.

 

[GJH]

The sector is very unattractive to any high performance retailer: too many SKUs required with very low inventory turns, small market. West barely survives being the only national chain, Boaters World bit the dust being #2. It fits the Internet model quite well, since inventory can be concentrated at a fulfilling distributor or maybe one owned location if you are big enough. I love boating, and love being a retailer, but I would never contemplate mixing the two.

 

[krush]

When back in the states, I noticed most walfarts have greatly reduced boat stuff inventory.

 

[Walter P]

There is something wrong here. While I certainly respect George's expertise as a professional in his field, it seems that in order to succeed in the marine store sector, you must have a greater profit margin than in other areas of retail. What am I missing here? I believe that some stores including Boaters World failed because of a lack of efficiency from top to bottom. We had a BW store near a WM store in the Long Branch, NJ area for a number of years. They had for the most part much better prices than WM yet they failed to take care of their customers properly. It seemed that every time I went in there, getting proper and timely help from employees was near impossible. As bad as WM was/is their customer service attempts were significantly better. As a result (IMO) the company failed. I suspect that the work ethic or rather the lack of it was relavent from the top down. Remember $..t rolls down hill. This rant in no way is to be construed as a testimonial to WM.. far from it. When I see small independents like Lockwoods in S. Amboy constantly out perform WM which is right next door, it makes me wonder.

Walt

 

[Canuck Dennis]

Bought a few WM St STl gear clamps....8mm nut...asked them why importing chinese or other clamps....oh no...these are US clamps....metric nuts, ????