West Marine now matching online pricing

[Fish Tales]

Many of you will disagree, but I have always liked shopping at West Marine. The ability to walk into any store in the nation for parts to get me back on the water quickly, is worth the added expense. I am too impatient to wait for a mail order package. I have a Port Supply account which gives me a second path to discounts. I do patronize local electronics shops, marina ship stores, Napa, and any person with their name on their truck, but for hands on prior to a purchase, a large selection store works for me.

So today I went in to pick up some LED bulbs and a Fusion stereo, I was told that all West Marines will now match online pricing. Amazon Prime, Lewis Marine, Depco pumps, anybody. Just have a pic on your phone, or a print out, and they will match or beat.

Thought this would be of interest to some.

Have a great week,
Tim

 

[Boatsb]

West is in trouble. The new owners are clueless. Port supply is the worst. Id love to see them both go away and have local stores that cary boating supplies that arent cheap chineese goods.


as to their giving port supply wholesale cards to the general public, Dont get me started on that.

 

[racclarkson@gmail.com]

Ever notice how long it takes to check out at West?

 

[Walter P]

Ever notice how long it takes to check out at West?

For the rare times that I go there, I did actually notice that it was a very slow process....why?

The best thing that WM did for me was that it caused the competition up the street to beat their prices.

Free enterprize is alive and well...........

Walt

 

[Boatsb]

It's not just price.

The competition needs to make a profit to support you. They can't do it at 2%.

 

[racclarkson@gmail.com]

For the rare times that I go there, I did actually notice that it was a very slow process....why?

The best thing that WM did for me was that it caused the competition up the street to beat their prices.

Free enterprize is alive and well...........

Walt

I went to West Saturday, first time in many months. They didn't have the inventory in the bin. So I ordered some pencil zincs online for 1/3 the price. Wasted trip. I was irritated to the point of not picking up anything else I could use from West. There's a reason people call them worst marine.

As far as the local guys (Scott's post), free enterprise will take care of itself. Not every local business deserves to stay in business. The ones that do prove it by finding a way to compete, survive and even prosper. Many local shops have distinct advantages over West; they don't live in the high rent districts, for example. Local businesses will carry what their local customers want meaning less investment in what some MBA dictates from the home office. Locals don't play games with point's programs--West ain't fool'n anybody on that one. And, local businesses build those relationships based on trust and reasonable pricing. It my be they can't make the margins they may have enjoyed in the past. The smart ones will accept that and make it up on lower overhead, service, repeat business and word of mouth referrals.

Personally, I deal with small mom & pop auto parts store down the street. There's an AutoZone and an O'Reilly's on either side, yet they've been there since 1958. They're beating the chains and the online parts sellers by offering service and selling the stuff the big guys don't carry. No fancy trappings, no fancy displays and no one is talking on their phone on the job. The manager (34 years) and I are on a first name basis, and he's brought parts to me when I've broken down after hours. Free enterprise is, as Walt said, alive and well.

 

[PeterK]

I went to West Saturday, first time in many months. They didn't have the inventory in the bin. So I ordered some pencil zincs online for 1/3 the price. Wasted trip. I was irritated to the point of not picking up anything else I could use from West. There's a reason people call them worst marine.

As far as the local guys (Scott's post), free enterprise will take care of itself. Not every local business deserves to stay in business. The ones that do prove it by finding a way to compete, survive and even prosper. Many local shops have distinct advantages over West; they don't live in the high rent districts, for example. Local businesses will carry what their local customers want meaning less investment in what some MBA dictates from the home office. Locals don't play games with point's programs--West ain't fool'n anybody on that one. And, local businesses build those relationships based on trust and reasonable pricing. It my be they can't make the margins they may have enjoyed in the past. The smart ones will accept that and make it up on lower overhead, service, repeat business and word of mouth referrals.

Personally, I deal with small mom & pop auto parts store down the street. There's an AutoZone and an O'Reilly's on either side, yet they've been there since 1958. They're beating the chains and the online parts sellers by offering service and selling the stuff the big guys don't carry. No fancy trappings, no fancy displays and no one is talking on their phone on the job. The manager (34 years) and I are on a first name basis, and he's brought parts to me when I've broken down after hours. Free enterprise is, as Walt said, alive and well.

What Robert said! We have a family biz in Stuart, Chapman's, who go out of their way to provide great service.

 

[SEVEN]

West Marine has been willing to work with me on pricing on larger items. However this is the first time I’ve heard that they would be willing to match online pricing. I have complained complained and complained about the 3 and 4 foot receipts that they give you for single items you buy. They could save tens of thousands of dollars just by cutting the receipts down to normal size. When talking to their employees they all seem to be very unhappy working there and state management is only out for the almighty dollar. I’m OK if a company is out for the almighty dollar foot customer service and customer loyalty should be their biggest concern.

 

[Scarlett]

I don't know how your West stores are but ours here in San Diego is the biggest in the chain, but its stock consists of about 60 per cent clothes, 20 percent paddle boards and kayaks that doesn't leave much for actuall boat supplies. Our joke here is we call it the West Marine boutique. John

 

[Briankinley2004]

I have been shopping there out of neccessity. When you live 4 hours from your boat and need something the higher prices are still cheaper than driving back. I needed a VHF antennae last weekend. The 23' one I needed was $400 on line and shipping was going to be additional. I went in to WM to see if I could at least look at one to make sure its what I needed. They wanted over 600 for it. I told the girl I could get cheaper online. She offered to price match so I wound up cheaper by not having to pay shipping. I will go in there in future with prices from online in hand. I still try to buy online and bring with me but when you are in the middle of a project and none of the local stores carry what you need its the only option at hand

 

[SKYCHENEY]

Our West is a small store. It has terrible hours and most of the time I try to go there, they are closed. That leaves me with one other option---buy it online.

 

[Stripes]

Ever notice how long it takes to check out at West?

Why do you think that it takes long?

 

[34Hatt]

I don't know how your West stores are but ours here in San Diego is the biggest in the chain, but its stock consists of about 60 per cent clothes, 20 percent paddle boards and kayaks that doesn't leave much for actuall boat supplies. Our joke here is we call it the West Marine boutique. John

Yeah pretty much same here since it the same people telling them what to stock and where to put it.

Yes cooperate head quarters set up the stores the Brains there tell the managers in Long Island what to carry and exactly where it goes in the store. Did you notice the clothes are up front that is because you need to look the part before you can buy the part I have bought 1-2 small things there a year lately out of Immediate need because they just Suck.

 

[racclarkson@gmail.com]

Why do you think that it takes long?

It seems that their computer system is about 286 E. German coal fired speed. Just the time it takes to establish who you are via your phone number ID is crazy given grocery stores seem to be able to handle it without breaking a sweat. I just get tired of the hassle, and I get tired of unsubscribing only to have to unsubscribe again after a few months. And no, I don't think people wearing headsets get it done any faster than just going and doing it.

Having said all that, my wife likes West because...hold your breath...the clothes.

 

[Scarlett]

I don't know if he is still there but one of there major marketing directors was formally the marketing director for Target. I will say no more. John

 

[krush]

I don't know if he is still there but one of there major marketing directors was formally the marketing director for Target. I will say no more. John

Target is terrible. People bash WalFart, but at least walfart has stuff I need, and lots of stuff is MADE IN USA. Target seems to carry more china crap....but it's "fancier" for the classy ladies.

What surprised me about worst marine is that is was privately owned (by one man, i think????) for all these years!

 

[racclarkson@gmail.com]

West Marine stock traded on the Nasdaq before they took it back private for the sale last year.

 

[Boatsb]

Yes and the purchase was nuts. I believe a 30% premium on the stock for about a $350 mil price tag.

They're re structuring stores for more sales to younger non boaters now.

I wonder what will happen when they get in trouble? Will they go back to their roots or get creative and try to sell it to someone like amazon.

 

[Scarlett]

I had the pleasure to meet Randy Repass when we were birth cruising on our boats in Bali. He is the guy who started West Marine. He original was the owner of New England Ropes. When West started they had Chuck Hawley testing most items they sold and most items they sold were of good quality. But once Randy got out things evolved to where they are today. John

 

[racclarkson@gmail.com]

Yes and the purchase was nuts. I believe a 30% premium on the stock for about a $350 mil price tag.

They're re structuring stores for more sales to younger non boaters now.

I wonder what will happen when they get in trouble? Will they go back to their roots or get creative and try to sell it to someone like amazon.

Oh it's for sale, alright.

That's what Monomoy Capital does. The good news is they appear not to be the corporate raiders of the eighties and nineties who'd buy a company and gut it--sum of the parts can be greater than the whole. Monomoy seems to specialize in streamlining business practices and raising the value of the particular asset, then selling for a profit on the whole.

The bad news is that we (older folks and owners of older boats) won't get anything out of this. We are a niche market and, therefore, not worth the effort for anyone on West's scale. Nothing really changes for us with regard to West's future.

If you find people saying 'sir'and holding doors for you more often, you're in a market segment becoming more and more underserved by the mainstream non-pharmaceutical world. That's OK with me--I'm yachting.


The view from the top!