Maybe in the end Defender will buy WM and turn it around
Let's hope not!
Defender, Hamilton Marine, Fisheries Supply, SBO, APS, Landfall Navigation, Compass Marine and others have found a solid niche providing good customer service, quick shipping, and decent prices. To the best of my knowledge these are all family owned or closely held companies, to be successful they have to be in touch with their customer base, something that WM has failed to do.
Back in the day, when Randy Repass ran the company it worked, they had good prices good services. Then WM started buying other companies, first Goldberg's Marine and E&B Marine, then the bought the BOAT/US stores. And then they were too large and could not be responsive to local demands and implemented marketing plans that were not sustainable and out of touch for local needs. To give a small example, the local WM store (now closed) could only stock zinc anodes, the corporation would not let the store stock aluminum or magnesium anodes. No informed boater would buy a zinc anode, the store was 200+ miles from the nearest salt water harbor.
At least in my area (Central NY) the store started with knowledgeable boaters staffing the store. Over time the number of employees declined and more young people, i.e., high school and college age folks, were hired and were basically store clerks who could ring up a sale but not answer a question or simply parrot the WM Advisor talking points. Talking to the managers and staff, it appeared the WM began to see itself as a generic retailer and not a marine store.
The local managers got hamstrung when it came time to support local boating events. A few thousand dollars spent supporting local regattas and boating events would have built some loyalty, but the local managers didn't have the authority or budget to support local events.
A few years back, WM decided to become a "Lifestyle Store" not a marine store. Essential marine supplies took a back seat to stylish fashions and water toys, but not the hardware and software we need to keep our boats sailing.
I'm sure there are some WM stores across the country that are throwbacks to the old days, but most of the ones I've been too are pretty light on essential items and heavy on the lifestyle items. WM also spends a lot of money on marketing themselves and designing their stores. It is refreshing to visit Defender, Hamilton Marine, or Landfall Navigation to see stores that are more concerned with stocking quality products at a decent price without the fancy displays.
Last summer I stopped at Hamilton Marine's main store in Searsport, ME. What a great store, especially the back room clearance tents, the sales help actually own boats and can talk knowledgeably about them. Nothing fancy at this store. When I went to avail myself of the facilities, there was a big sign on the door advising customers to be quiet while waiting for the room to become available as the "call center" was 10 feet away. The call center was 3 or 4 people sitting at their computers on the telephone. No glass walls, just empty space between the facilities and the call center operators. It was certainly a low budget operation, but that reduced the overhead allowing Wayne Hamilton to reduce his prices.
Finally, while I have an Amazon Prime Membership, I don't use it for most boating supplies. Amazon certainly makes shopping convenient and economical, however, they do use predatory pricing and are a monopoly. Both are destructive to free and open markets. I want to have a selection of vendors for my shopping, especially when I know what I am looking for. /end of rant/
