west price matching getting limited

seadaddler · Jan 21, 2013

Matching

Over month ago my WM store told me they were limiting price matching to only certain interent sellers.
I guess it's their loss and I will be checking prices and when they are really over priced they will not get my $$$$$.
Nick

Tim R. · Jan 21, 2013

They did this before a couple of years ago and they lost business. I expect we will see a reversal in a few months.

FourPoints · Jan 21, 2013

I wonder how strict that 50mi will be... defender is 85 miles away from my local WM, and 61 miles from the one near where I keep the boat for the winter.

Bad Obsession · Jan 21, 2013

Yep....if that happens my business will go elsewhere. WM is usually a bit overpriced. Okay, really overpriced. It is a shame since WM is only .5 miles from my house. maybe I should get a part time job with them so that I can get an employee discount! LOL

Captn TJ · Jan 21, 2013

Starbrite deck cleaner at Walmart 6.96 at WM 11.98. I don't appreciate being gouged by WM so don't even ask them to match - they're less than 1 mile from each other.

noanker · Jan 21, 2013

have to go past west marine and defender to get to my boat so i just compare their prices on the internet and go where the value is

Rick486 · Jan 22, 2013

Screw 'em. A lot of their stuff is junk knockoffs and their prices are sky high anyway. Go elsewhere.

drumbeater · Jan 22, 2013

I would bet you'll see them file in the next two years. They are getting killed by online retailers and Walmart like most of the other specialty retail chains. Best Buy is having the same problems right now.

Herrick18911 · Jan 22, 2013

It would be a shame to lose WM. while I agree that they are overpriced when compared to on line retailers and Walmart, there is a big benefit to being able to look at a product in a store and be able to pick it up immediately rather than wait for it to arrive by mail. I guess there is a price for convenience.

Tod

jibes138 · Jan 22, 2013

I find the value in when you don't really know what you need and are trying to jury rig or change a system and you want to see what they have and what you could use instead of what is already there. If you know exactly what you want and have the time to wait for shipping then buying on the net is very attractive. Don't forget to factor in shipping costs though. Often prices look great on the net then the shipping jacks it back up to what you'd pay at the West store.
It is very nice to have them around when you need something fast, but most of their floor space is now filled with clothes, shoes, and fishing equipment, all high margin stuff they can sell in volumes.

Tim R. · Jan 22, 2013

Can anyone honestly say that they have never needed that local WM? They do have high pricing but my local manager works with me to get me free shipping from other stores and also good deals on pricing because I do shop there. I also shop at Hamiltons but they have limited hours.

I am always after the best deal but I do encourage supporting the local business even if they are an evil chain. Local people work at these stores.

Captn TJ · Jan 22, 2013

Too bad they hire a lot of part timers that don't know anything about boating let alone sailing. Fewer and more skilled employees and eliminate the catalog would be my recommendations to them.

woodster · Jan 22, 2013

just bought a Garmin GPS/chart plotter from last month on sale for $499.00 and i have been looking for a long time and found no one else with that good of a price...sp i hope they stay in business...but i also wish they would be more competitive in there pricing on ancillary items.....

regards

woody

alexco38 · Jan 22, 2013

People go to Wal-mart .
And then manufacturing job disappear.

People use the cheapest service provider.
And then Call center and software job disappear.

People go online.
And then the brick and mortar shop disappear.

People go big box.
Local small shop disappear.

Do I buy from them, absolutely. Do I buy everything from them, no.

But still sad to see them GO. A lot of people will be affected.

centerline · Jan 22, 2013

when you compare the listed price of an item at west marine against a the price listed by an online discount retailer, the prices are not close at all..... but in most cases, when you include the cost of shipping into the price of the online retailers price, its within a couple bucks of the west marine price.... not always, but usually this is the case.
the online retailers arent stupid. they can afford to sell it for even less, but they dont because they dont have to... they usually know who their competition is and they price items accordingly and then mark up the shipping to within a few dollars.... west marine (and other retailers) has the ability to price match them, and still turn a profit (but maybe not enough to pay the overhead costs)..... but no retailer will sell something for less than cost just to get your business...

but there are extreme situations that really standout, and this is what most people remember.... from WM I was quoted $118. for a johnson lever, and from an online rigging store who sells rigging only, I was quoted $67.00+10.00 shipping.... WM matched their price, I went to the store and picked it up to save the shipping cost.... I paid $67 and WM still made money. so, yea... it is a bit ridiculous sometimes, but not always.

FourPoints · Jan 22, 2013

jibes138 said:
I find the value in when you don't really know what you need and are trying to jury rig or change a system and you want to see what they have and what you could use instead of what is already there. If you know exactly what you want and have the time to wait for shipping then buying on the net is very attractive. Don't forget to factor in shipping costs though. Often prices look great on the net then the shipping jacks it back up to what you'd pay at the West store.
It is very nice to have them around when you need something fast, but most of their floor space is now filled with clothes, shoes, and fishing equipment, all high margin stuff they can sell in volumes.

I do this alot. Sometimes I go to the local WM without any purchase plans in mind to just roam the isles and see what they have, and how I could put it to use. Sometimes I walk out of there with something, sometimes I don't. I usually buy either small or large items (which I will ask them to price match) from them that would be either too large of a percentage in cost to ship, or a really large cost to ship. The mid-sized, mid-priced stuff I normally price shop online before deciding where to buy.

Patrick S/V Shangra-La · Jan 22, 2013

With on line stores you pay shipping but you don't pay sales tax. Usually a better deal. I only use West Marine for emergencies.

Ray Bowles · Jan 22, 2013

Two of my personal experences with West Marine have been:
1. they carry alot of inventory that represents a very large investment so that we can come in and purchase a $30 block now and then. Anything else, including our spring fix-up, we purchase somewhere else to save a few bucks while bitching about the $30 block.
The block we needed that same day.
2. They are robbed blind by many of the store employees. I've found that some fellow sailor/salesman want to give me a special, special deal, or the "want-a-be" cruiser salesman that is impressed by your boat model or adventures and wants to add 30 more feet of a special line than you requested. Who knows what they have taken for their own boats.
WM has been very good helping out sailors whether they be fueled or wind powered. If they could keep all that inventory in a single location and simply ship our purchases the prices would be lower.
If you want a big book of boat parts to look at every year and want parts today for the race then you need WM.
Look at the service they provide and then make a choice to either put up or shut up.
And yes, I told each employee that he had less that 60 seconds to rethink his generosity with the company's money. There have been times I regreted that offer. I think I measured up short by not going higher up the store ladder about that problem.
Ray

Cool Beans · Jan 23, 2013

I like WM. . .they have a lot of what I'm looking for in stock for same day purchase which I like (I'm impatient). I also don't pay crazy shipping prices for a single item if I had to go online somewhere else. And I buy a lot of stuff online from them. They always send me "save $15 on your next $100 purchase" coupons and I just wait till I have $100 of small stuff to buy and also take advantage of free shipping

Doing this, I've never found any place cheaper (as far as small stuff goes).

I do shop around for big purchases, and I do tend to go to the local chandler first

I wonder though, if the online retailers are finally able to eliminate brick and mortar stores. . .will you start to see online prices start to rise?