West Marine Buys BoatUS Retail and Catalogue
Dennis Compton
West Marine to Acquire BoatU.S. Retail, Catalog & Wholesale Operations
Tuesday January 14, 4:01 pm ET
WATSONVILLE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 14, 2003--West Marine, Inc. (Nasdaq:WMAR -
News) announced today that the Company will acquire BoatU.S. retail stores, catalog
sales and wholesale operations for $72 million in cash and the assumption of certain
liabilities. Boat Owners Association of the United States (BoatU.S.) will continue to
operate its Association which represents the interests of, and offers numerous services
to, boaters across the country. In making the announcement, John Edmondson, CEO of West
Marine, said, "This acquisition marks a major milestone in the evolution of the boating
products industry."
Edmondson characterized the deal as "a long-term strategic alliance that will enable
both West Marine and BoatU.S. to maximize their respective strengths in order to better
serve the boating public." According to Edmondson, "We intend to continue to operate
the BoatU.S. stores under the BoatU.S. name. BoatU.S. has an excellent reputation and a
loyal customer base. It is our intention to have no disruption in the level of service
that their customers have come to expect."
Richard Schwartz, founder and chairman of BoatU.S., said, "BoatU.S. will now
concentrate its resources on developing new programs of value for boat owners to
complement the Association's marine insurance, towing, boat financing, consumer
advocacy, and government representation programs." According to Schwartz, "The market
for marine equipment has changed markedly in the past two decades. Marine outlets have
become more readily available and West Marine, the largest boating equipment supplier
in the world, has proven its ability to deliver quality merchandise at competitive
prices while sustaining an impressive growth rate of stores around the country. The
time is right for us to partner with West Marine."
West Marine, headquartered in Watsonville, Calif., is the nation's largest boating
supply chain with 258 store locations in the U.S. and Canada. The acquisition of
BoatU.S. retail operations will add 62 store locations, as well as the BoatU.S. catalog
and wholesale sales channels, which is anticipated to add approximately $140 million in
additional sales annually. West Marine expects that the acquisition will be accretive
to its earnings in 2003 in the range of $0.01 to $0.02 per share. In 2004, the Company
expects the acquisition to be accretive to earnings by approximately $0.18 to $0.20 per
share.
Under the terms of the agreement, West Marine will promote membership in the BoatU.S.
Association at each of its 320 retail stores, while the Association will exclusively
promote West Marine as the preferred supplier of boating equipment to its members.
Gould 0738
One more step toward the eventual monopoly.
How many think West Marine will use the reduction in competition as a reason to
*reduce* prices?
By the same stroke, should WM eventually become the only major player in
sight, they will dictate very harsh terms to
manufacturers and suppliers, too.
"You want to sell to some little pint size mom and pop operation that could
grow up to be a serious threat to us someday? Sure thing, Marine Widgets Inc.
Go ahead. By the way, we'll be taking our $4mm a year wholesale order somewhere
else."
Harlan Lachman
I have more often than not saved money by buying from Boat US and
ignoring the local store (especially with discount coupons).
Good move by West Marine to eliminate an able competitor. Bad news for
boaters.
Harlan
In article <6A%U9.680173$WL3.716043@rwcrnsc54>, Dennis Compton
<dcom...@templatecom.com> wrote:
--
Tro respond, obviously drop the nospam!
Keith
seem to be able to beat West's prices...
--
__________________
Keith
Are you a Klingon, or is that a turtle on your head?
Steve
years ago. I got most of my gear from Boat America (wholesale) until I was
able to establish an account with Fisheries Supply. (I had problems
maintaining a wholesale account with Port Supply while I was in business in
Calif. Never tried it here in Pac.NW. Bunch of jerks.)
For me and others in the Seattle area, I sure hope Fisheries Supply
continues to be competative and doesn't go the way of Doc Freedmans.
Here's the deal, as I see it, if your building a major boat yourself. You
need to establish a wholesale account with your major suppliers. No sense
paying retail when you going to be spending $50,000 over a couple years.
Some outfits recognize your situation and are willing to give you a
wholesale cash account just to get you business, albeit at a smaller profit
margin. It helps if you have a business license, but here in WA it's $25 and
in Calif. it was about $50. No need for a sales tax permit. Just a lot of
extra paper work every quarter. Pay the tax at the time of purchase.
Well I'm getting off topic. Sorry..
--
My opinion and experience. FWIW
Steve
S/V Good Intentions
Jim Kelly
expected earnings. It appears that they plan to rectify this by eliminating competition.
Boater's World and Defender are always my first choices.
Lloyd Sumpter
Interesting competition up here. West Marine opened some stores up
here, but in a typical arrogant move, neglected to check if there was
already a good, well-stocked chandlery chain here. Steveston Marine, of
course, blew them away. (you might want to check them:
www.stevestonmarine.com - their online store is a bit lacking, but the
Cdn dollar would probably make their prices VERY attractive! Chuck, might
even pay the cost of coming up here...For instance, a Garmin GPS182 is $672.44
USD vs $699 at West Marine)
Not "affiliated" with Steveston Marine, just a generally Satisfied
Customer, and hater of monopolies...
Lloyd Sumpter
"Far Cove" Catalina 36
-rick-
Dennis Compton wrote...
>Press Release Source: West Marine
Well that sucks the mop...
no effect on BoatUS insurance I hope.
-rick-
JB
<6A%U9.680173$WL3.716043@rwcrnsc54>:
>Press Release Source: West Marine
>
>
>West Marine to Acquire BoatU.S. Retail, Catalog & Wholesale Operations
>Tuesday January 14, 4:01 pm ET
According to
>Edmondson, "We intend to continue to operate the BoatU.S. stores under
>the BoatU.S. name. BoatU.S. has an excellent reputation and a loyal
>customer base. It is our intention to have no disruption in the level of
>service that their customers have come to expect."
Does everyone remember West saying this same thing when they bought E&B
Marine about 6 years ago? I don't think there is an E&B Marine store
anywhere in the country is there? I know in a lot of cases, Boat/US stores
are right across the street, or within a block, of a competing West Marine
store. Somehow I doubt there is going to be "no disruption" :-(
JB
JB
<6A%U9.680173$WL3.716043@rwcrnsc54>:
>Press Release Source: West Marine
>
>
>West Marine to Acquire BoatU.S. Retail, Catalog & Wholesale Operations
>Tuesday January 14, 4:01 pm ET
According to
>Edmondson, "We intend to continue to operate the BoatU.S. stores under
>the BoatU.S. name. BoatU.S. has an excellent reputation and a loyal
>customer base. It is our intention to have no disruption in the level of
>service that their customers have come to expect."
Does everyone remember West saying this same thing when they bought E&B
CaptMP
no notice in any of the waterfront rags I subscribe to, nor any mension at the
marna or at the San Diego boat show that just ended. I'd be sad if that were
the case as West has turned into a snobby/know nothing "K-MART (tm)" lately.
Seen no mension in any financial publication either....
Mike
previous post went like this "...>>West Marine to Acquire BoatU.S. Retail,
Harry Krause
> little terrority carved out remained* and the ones that were simply too
> close to a West Store folded. That's the way life is these days, eh?
> Corporate America rules. It controls the White House these days; why
> wouldn't it control your local marine supply store?
>
> As far as the staffs of retail stores go...with few exceptions, when you
> don't pay much, you aren't going to get much and you aren't going to
> keep people of quality. "Clerking" at a marine goods store typically
> isn't going to pay differently than clerking at any other store that
> does the same volume of business with the same margins.
>
> Many of the posters in this newgroup moan and groan about the prices of
> products used in boating, and then they also complain about the
> "quality" of people working for the businesses with which they deal to
> keep their boats running or looking good.
>
>
* They became West Stores.
jchaplain
the street from me. There is also a local mom and pop store. Often the
small store can outprice West Marine, but not always, and it is nice
having a store that has such a large stock as WM. I just bought a
handheld vhf and I couldn't get a better price on the internet for it.
They're not all bad.
John C.
Larry Weiss
still remain - the places where you locate hard to find screws and solid advice. Why don't
we share some about our favorite local marine supply shops, and give our friends who
struggle to compete with West Marine a little rec.boats boost.
I want to start right here by standing up and raving about four of the many very local very
excellent shops around here on Long Island:
Freeport Marine Supply - one of the very best chandlers anywhere ever
(http://freeportmarine.com). Locally owned, Freeport will blow the lid off of West Marine
any day of the week, not just on product but on expert help and advice. They have stuff in
stock West Marine never even heard of - even replacement batteries for that old Apelco
handheld I've had laying around (the one I bought from E&B, but that West Marine never
heard of). They ship anywhere out of their own almost 300 page catalogue. And when you
walk in their store, you'll be assisted by folks who've been boating for years and really
know their stuff.
Oyster Bay Marine Supply - this small shop in Oyster Bay has a full line of Quicksilver
inflatables and small Mercury outboards, plus most supplies one might need for boating and
fishing. Whatever they don't have in stock they can get in a day or two - at the right
price and the friendliest service ever. Plus, they're right up the road from my dock.
Seatronics - Ed Foy's Hampton's marine electronics shop extraordinaire!! Nothing else need
be said. http://www.seatronics.com/
S.T. Preston & Son - Greenport, Long Island. They may not have everything in stock like
Freeport Marine, but it is a very cool place, in a couple of great old buildings by the
dock, with a tremendous amount nautical giftware and collectibles mixed in with marine
hardware and paint. They bill themselves as the "Most Famous Ship's Chandlery in America",
and they're probably right. http://www.prestons.com/
Okay folks - lets hear some raves about your favorite local shops!!
Larry Weiss
"...Ever After!"
"a little after..."
WayneB
the best prices but a great selection of obscure stuff, and friendly
knowledgable staff.
Hathaway, Reiser and Raymond, Stamford, CT on Seleck Street near
exit 6 on I95. Great little ships store with an emphasis on sailboat
rigging and supplies - www.hathaways.com
=====================================================
On Wed, 15 Jan 2003 05:28:28 GMT, Larry Weiss <lil...@ix.netcom.com>
wrote:
Charles
Harry Krause wrote:
> Isn't most of the known universe "the evil empire" around you, Karl?
Hmmmmm. I thought it was around you, krause, in the form of the
right-wing conservatives you are always shrieking about.
-- Charlie
-----------== Posted via Newsfeed.Com - Uncensored Usenet News ==----------
http://www.newsfeed.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World!
-----= Over 100,000 Newsgroups - Unlimited Fast Downloads - 19 Servers =-----
Dennis Compton
"Gould 0738" <goul...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20030114172824...@mb-ca.aol.com...
We need to boycott West Marine stores and throw out business to Boaters World,
www.boatfix.com or our local boating supply retailers.
Keith
http://www.boatus.com/news/releases/2003/january/west.asp
--
__________________
Keith
Sail like a Kiwi
Anchor like a Canadian
Live like a Texan
Charlie J
A great idea...
My selection criteria is: fair price; a supply of, or knowledge of how to
acquire, hard to find parts; knowledgeable personnel; substance over fluff
(if there is a "Captain" or "Mate" tee shirt displayed, they don't get my
vote!); good stock or ability to get an item from off-site quickly; and a
comfortable "feel" when I visit the store. I live in Florida but my
candidates would be:
Downwind Marine in San Diego, CA http://downwindmarine.com/
Washington Marina in Washington, D.C. http://www.washingtonmarina.com/
Regards-
Charlie
Lloyd Sumpter
> West Marine's action gives us all the more reason to support the local
> ma and pa shops that still remain - the places where you locate hard to
> find screws and solid advice. Why don't we share some about our
> favorite local marine supply shops, and give our friends who struggle to
> compete with West Marine a little rec.boats boost.
>
>
> Okay folks - lets hear some raves about your favorite local shops!!
>
My vote goes to "Martin Marine" in North Van. Truly a "mom and pop"
operation (father and son, actually). The Old Man is a hoot - he told me
on Sunday that Pmr Campbell's DUI was a setup (after complaining about
the "f*cking sales taxes!").
They have good stuff at good prices, but also gobs of stuff you
wouldn't find anywhere else. God knows how they keep inventory. I needed
a steering pulley for Stinky (the kind the cable wraps many times
around), and the Old Man went immediately to a top shelf, pulled one out,
blew off the dust and sold it to me for $20.
At the "other end of the scale" they beat Steveston Marine for the
price on a Mustang survival suit (about $500).
Not QUITE a replacement for Paine Hardware, but close!
Larry Weiss
> Downwind Marine in San Diego, CA http://downwindmarine.com/
From the looks of their website, Downwind seems to have a system in place
where you can order parts from sea via SSB radio. If this doesn't show a real
dedication to mariners, I don't know what does. I wonder how many boaters
order parts this way.
Steve
they will arrange to send it down to you on another Baja bound boat . (Kind
of a Good-Ole-Boy network). At least that's the way it worked about 10
years ago...
They and Pacific Marine Supply use to keep a file on you boat with all of
you equipment, model, etc. So all you had to do was tell them the basics and
they would fill in the rest of the info from you file.
Pacific Marine Supply went out of business and Downwind moved across the
street to take over the larger store and clientle.
Steve
mislead you. They are heavy into the pleasure and sail boat line of gear.
Good competative prices, excellent/knowledgable staff and fairly easy to get
a wholesale account with.
http://www.fisheriessupply.com/online/
It now looks like you can order online.
Thundercleese
> Very bad news for boaters indeed.
> One more step toward the eventual monopoly.
Not only that, but they tend to replace experienced professionals with
minimum wage highschool students. When I was in NY, I shopped at Shane's
Marine Supply in Babylon. Used to be a guy there named Jack, had been
installing marine electronics since the '60s. Knew all kinds of
manufacturer's products inside and out, could handle repairs in-house,
etc. When West bought out Shanes (They were a local chain of 3 stores or
so) he was gone within a few months, replaced with some airhead who could
operate a cash register and that's about it.
Out here in WA, I do a lot of business with Harbor Marine in Everett, and
a bit at Boater's World, as they are closer to me. They do have 2 guys
there that are fairly capable, and prices on lots of items are 25% less
than West.
Dan.
--
I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by.
-- Douglas Adams
Thundercleese
> I want to start right here by standing up and raving about four of the many very local very
> excellent shops around here on Long Island:
> Freeport Marine Supply - one of the very best chandlers anywhere ever
> (http://freeportmarine.com).
Freeport Marine has always been excellent.
> Seatronics
> S.T. Preston & Son
Never been to these, so can't comment.
Is Karl Tank Marine in Lindenhurst still around? It's not exactly a
marine superstore, but was my first choice when looking for marine
plumbing fittings, thru-hulls, deck harware, and the like.
Dan
--
The Boy Scouts are supposed to be compassionate role models, not
bloodthirsty fish killers!
-- PETA
Lloyd Sumpter
Sounds about the same as what Bill Gates said when he bought Xenix...
Lloyd
Raymond T. Lowe
Steveston Marine in Langley, casually noting prices on every-
thing from stainless screws, electrical, chemicals (just about the
entire store) while I waited for an anchor rode coming in from
their main store. The mark-up on most everything shelved was
astronimical. I saw Cole-Hersey electrical stuff over double
what we sell it for. I would say Steveston Marine is one of the
most expensive places to buy anything. Go ahead and price
out some of the stainless boat accessories; cleats and such.
The monthly rent in a Canadian strip-mall is huge. Stores need
to mark up goods a lot to make payroll and expenses. Most of
the crap on their shelves was well over 100% GP. I will still go
to Boaters World and Marine West in Bellingham for most of
my hardware. Bigger items, its worth checking into. The
anchor rode was a good buy at Steveston.
RT
--
Remove "bogus." to reply by email
"Lloyd Sumpter" <lsum...@shaw.ca> wrote in message
news:pan.2003.01.15.02....@shaw.ca...
Gould 0738
Anacortes Marine Hardware, in (guess where) Anacortes.
They're about six or 8 blocks north of Cap Sante Marina on the main downtown
street. They've got everything, including a good mix of used gear.
The place has been in business 80 years or so, and still occupies the original
store.
In Seattle, Dunato's Second Wave over in Fremont has a fantastic inventory of
previously owned gear on consignment, as does Admiralty Marine just South of
Shilshole Marina.
Our old time independent mainstay, Doc Freeman's, is hurtin' for certain. I
keep rooting for them, remembering the good old days-
Fisheries is OK, too. They do seem to employ help that is a step up from that
encountered at a lot of WM stores- but I have to say that the staff at the
Shilshole WM is a cut above the typical, "do you want fries with those flares?"
sort of WM crew.
Let's see what happens to BoatUS insurance. WM has its own insurance arm, so I
can't imagine they will allow the BoatUS premiums to remain as competitive as
they have been.
We're seeing the WALMARTization of the marine supply business- and just like
WALMART, once the monopoly is established the low-low prices will slowly
disappear.
dougme@rcn.net Doug Meredith
<Its Me> wrote in message
news:oheb2vsiormtkm1f3...@4ax.com...
>
> The obvious reason for this purchase is to buy Boat US's services and
> eliminate a hardware competitor.
They did NOT buy Boats US services, just their retail stores and catalog
business. BoatsUS will still do all the other services.
HarryKrause
I don't know why some of the so-called Konservatives here are so
upset...what's happened with BOAT/US, which, by the way is a private
company, with a majority stockholder, is the way of the corporation
these days. Isn't this the way you guys like it?
Dennis Compton
"HarryKrause" <hkr...@mindspring.com> wrote in message
news:4e361dbd.0301...@posting.google.com...
Harry, you just *love* to troll and stir the pot. Perhaps it is time for a different
MO.....this one is really getting old.
Tom Knight
have Hamilton Marine
www.hamiltonmarine.com/
"Dennis Compton" <dcom...@templatecom.com> wrote in message
news:NfdV9.60529$Dn.10737@sccrnsc03...
Charles
Dennis Compton wrote:
> Harry, you just *love* to troll and stir the pot. Perhaps it is time for a different
> MO.....this one is really getting old.
krause is a "one note charlie." :-) Pun intended.
Expect nothing more and you will *never* be disappointed.
JB
>On Wed, 15 Jan 2003 15:04:54 -0500, Its Me <> wrote:
>
>>The obvious reason for this purchase is to buy Boat US's services and
>>eliminate a hardware competitor. If you think the combined total of
>>West Marine and Boat US brick and mortar locations will be the same or
>>more in a year, you live in la-la land.
>
>In Port Clinton, Ohio there is a BoatUS and a West marine within a block
>of each other. The BoatUS store is much, much better in every way.
>Hmmm, I wonder which one will survive.
>
>Progress.
According to West Marine, 26 of the 62 Boat/US stores are within a 3 mile
radius of West stores. Of those 26, they are only considering closing 2 or
3 of them due to poor performance (didn't say which ones they were). West
claims the markets of the 2 stores are different (West caters to
sailboaters and Boat/US caters to powerboaters...according to W.M.) which
is why they are going to operate both stores. The Boat/US distribution
center in MD will remain open, but all employees from the HQ office will be
put out to pasture. wam bam thank you...
dougme@rcn.net Doug Meredith
"Gene Kearns" <ewke...@triad.rr.com> wrote in message
news:op1c2v0ggrn34c4bt...@4ax.com...
> I have had experiences, similar to
> the poster, buying chain rode..... West Marine? Clueless. Whatever
> the computer said was gospel. Boat US contacted the manufacturer and
> straightened out a convoluted mess without being asked.
I think this is based on a location, not the chain itself. I've dealt
with both here in NJ, and they are about the same. The Boat US was a
nicer store, with more selection that the West was, but price was about
the same, and product knowledge in both was good to very good.
> I think what has been created is a vacuum for a new, sharp, and
> progressive company to move in and eat WMs lunch, unless they get
> their act together. ....
and who is going to spend the money to do this?
dougme@rcn.net Doug Meredith
"Harry Krause" <harry...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:b057u1$m0jru$1...@ID-21096.news.dfncis.de...
> Me, I would have preferred to halt the sale of
> Boat/US stores via anti-trust action, so as to prevent the
consolidation
> of retailing power in one corporation.
no one has stopped Wal-Mart, or Home Depot/Lowes. West Marine is far
from the dominant player in the field that those 3 are.
dougme@rcn.net Doug Meredith
> Oh, I'm not saying that anti-trust actions are used much any more.
> They're not, and they certainly won't be used much during the Bush
> Administration, which is totally supportive of anything large
> corporations do.
Like Wal-Mart didn't double in size during the clinton years. When do
you think all the chains that are history really started to lose it.
during those 8 years. KM didn't just lose it during the bush years.
they got their ass kicked by WM for the Clinton years, and even before
that.
> Wal-Mart treats its people terribly. The corporation is now on the
> losing end of numerous suits brought to end its exploitation of
workers
> and the federal wage-hour laws.
Every major retail chain treats its people like crap. Its a fact of
life. Look up any of them, and you will see lots of lawsuits. You can
also finds a bunch of WM people that started as stockboys, and are now
worth millions, and love them. They have 900,000 employees. It stands
to reason that they would have a bunch of unhappy one in a group that
large.
WayneB
dou...@rcn.net> wrote:
>You can
>also finds a bunch of WM people that started as stockboys, and are now
>worth millions, and love them. They have 900,000 employees.
======================================================
Bzzzzt.
I don't think so, not likely at all, maybe 9,000?
Center of the Spectrum
of numerous suits, if they are on the losing end of numerouis suits,
eventually they will deciede it is better to treat their employees fairly.
As far as West Marine, as much as I dislike less competition, if West Marine
fails to provide value in the marketplace, it will open the door for a mom
and pop or a KMart or Walmart to fill the void. I used to always support my
local marina because I liked the convience. They would always meet the
catalog price from Boat/US and West Marine, so we all won.
If you think Walmart screws the workers or wait till the goverment gets
involved, then we will know what it is like to be royally screwed.
--
Center of The Spectrum
The one and only truth. The rest of you don't know Jack!
Visit Lee's World Famous Web Site:
WWW.TheBayGuide.com/rec.boats
and also visit :
WWW.TheBayGuide.com
- - -
"Harry Krause" <harry...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:b05a67$lu6tn$2...@ID-21096.news.dfncis.de...
> Oh, I'm not saying that anti-trust actions are used much any more.
> They're not, and they certainly won't be used much during the Bush
> Administration, which is totally supportive of anything large
> corporations do.
>
Center of the Spectrum
You are saying in one breath that no one carries the breath or depth of
offering that West Marine carries, that it does not matter if it is an
independendent or a large corportation, no one else can do it. Then in the
next breath you are saying they are screwing the consumer. Either there is
a profit to be made in selling a complete line of boating supplies or there
is not. It does not matter if the goverment is there to protect us poor old
dumb consumers or not. If there is no money to be made, even West Marine
will get out of the business. On the other hand, if there is windfall
profits to be made than either a catalog store, an internet store or a
conventional brick and morter store, started by a large corportation or a
independent will open it's door.
Harry you are living proof that you can't teach an old dog a new trick. I
can't believe how someone who probably has a higher than average IQ, can be
so dumb.
--
Center of The Spectrum
The one and only truth. The rest of you don't know Jack!
Visit Lee's World Famous Web Site:
WWW.TheBayGuide.com/rec.boats
and also visit :
WWW.TheBayGuide.com
- - -
"Harry Krause" <harry...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:b0640c$lm3rg$1...@ID-21096.news.dfncis.de...
> Center of the Spectrum wrote:
> > If WalMart treats it's employees terrible, they should be on the losing
end
> > of numerous suits, if they are on the losing end of numerouis suits,
> > eventually they will deciede it is better to treat their employees
fairly.
>
> It's not a matter of "if," it's a matter of fact. Wal-Mart is a major
> violator of labor laws, and the company indeed is losing lawsuits. Of
> course, under the current political atmosphere, in which the corporation
> is king and the worker is a serf, that may change.
>
>
> >
> > As far as West Marine, as much as I dislike less competition, if West
Marine
> > fails to provide value in the marketplace, it will open the door for a
mom
> > and pop or a KMart or Walmart to fill the void.
>
> A "mom & pop" or "KMart or Walmart" isn't going to be selling the wide
> range or quality of boating merchandise carried by West Marine, no
> matter what West Marine does...or doesn't do. Wal Mart does carry a wide
> variety of relatively cheapo fishing gear, but much of it is not suited
> for regular use on salt water.
>
> >
> > If you think Walmart screws the workers or wait till the goverment gets
> > involved, then we will know what it is like to be royally screwed.
>
> If it weren't for the government and labor unions, most American workers
> would be toiling under 17th and 18th Century working conditions.
> Virtually every gain in the workplace has come about because of
> collective bargaining and federal enforcement.
>
Steven Shelikoff
<harry...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>Center of the Spectrum wrote:
>> If WalMart treats it's employees terrible, they should be on the losing end
>> of numerous suits, if they are on the losing end of numerouis suits,
>> eventually they will deciede it is better to treat their employees fairly.
>
>It's not a matter of "if," it's a matter of fact. Wal-Mart is a major
>violator of labor laws, and the company indeed is losing lawsuits. Of
>course, under the current political atmosphere, in which the corporation
>is king and the worker is a serf, that may change.
So let's see... From 1992 to 2000, WalMart grows into a corporate
monster on the backs of it's workers, violating tons of labor laws on
the way. In the past 2-3 years, they are losing lawsuits over it.
Seems you have your political atmospheres in which the corporation is
king ... reversed. Add to that all the mergers and acquisitions between
1992-2000 and throw in some of those trade agreements negotiated between
1992-2000 and not only is your view reversed, but hugely lopsided.
Steve
Center of the Spectrum
margins are small, and you need large volume and lots of inventory turns
then you must be supporting the concept of West Marine buying out Boat/US.
Or do you just like the idea of goverment screwing up the free market
system? or is it more likely you just wanted to use this an an opportunity
to discuss your favorite brand of socialism?
I for one, would use anyone besides West Marine and then use West Marine if
the other guy did not have the product. I am a big supported of
competitition, but the goverment is not going to force competition on
anyone. If Boat / US believes they can make more money investing their
money in something besides boating hardware, the goverment is not going to
keep Boat/US in the business. If Boat/US can make money by selling it's
boat supplies division who are you to tell them they can't do it. There is
no monopoly in the boat supply business.
--
Center of The Spectrum
The one and only truth. The rest of you don't know Jack!
Visit Lee's World Famous Web Site:
WWW.TheBayGuide.com/rec.boats
and also visit :
WWW.TheBayGuide.com
- - -
"Harry Krause" <harry...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:b0681c$m2o6u$1...@ID-21096.news.dfncis.de...
> Center of the Spectrum wrote:
> > Harry, Harry, Harry, there you go again.
> >
> > You are saying in one breath that no one carries the breath or depth of
> > offering that West Marine carries,
>
> Nope, never said that. Said mom and pop stores and Wall-Mart don't carry
> the assortment and quality West carries.
>
> that it does not matter if it is an
> > independendent or a large corportation, no one else can do it.
>
> Takes a huge capital investment in boatstuff to compete on a large scale
> with West. WallyWorld is not a major competitor of West Marine.
>
>
> Then in the
> > next breath you are saying they are screwing the consumer. Either there
is
> > a profit to be made in selling a complete line of boating supplies or
there
> > is not.
>
> The margins are small. You need large volume and lots of inventory turns
> to make bucks selling boat hardware.
>
>
Thundercleese
> Bzzzzt.
I think he meant WM "Wal-Mart," not WM "West Marine". Regardless,
Wal-Mart does not currently employ even close to 900,000
employees... however I wouldnt doubt that they could have a base of
900,000 current and former employees.
Dab
--
Barbie says, Take quaaludes in gin and go to a disco right away!
But Ken says, WOO-WOO!! No credit at "Mr. Liquor"!!
-- Zippy the Pinhead
Marc
Could you please give me the name of the corporate felon who held the
gun to Boat/Us's head and made them sell? I want him arrested. The
business environment was not supporting two such entities and the
stronger made the weaker an offer (wait for it...) they accepted. Is
it bad for business? Probably not. Is it bad for the boating public?
Probably yes. Want a solution? Get on the internet and ride. Do your
homework. There are deals all over, just not conviently located in one
place and certainly more time consuming. Between ebay, boating chat
groups, CWBB and google, I've cut my Spring comissioning material
costs and my wish list costs by a minimum of 30%. Sailnet alone with
no tax and no shipping saves a New Yorker at least 15% right off the
bat. Its out there folks, you just got to go get it.
On Thu, 16 Jan 2003 10:10:52 -0500, Its Me <> wrote:
> On Wed, 15 Jan 2003 20:04:09 -0500, BinaryBillTheSailor@Sea++.com
>wrote:
>
>>On Wed, 15 Jan 2003 16:12:51 -0500, Its Me <> wrote:
>>>
>>>So, since you seem to have a handle on BUS101, how does fewer stores,
>>>less competition, no compelling reason to do better, and no reason to
>>>change from status quo help anybody, but possibly the bottom line of
>>>West Marine?
>>>
>
>No answer noted.
>
>>So, you agree that WestMarine has bought Boat US to change it , and thereby
>>improve their bottom line, which means they make more money by changing Boat US.
>>I rest my case.
>>
>
>If this is your only point, then your posts are off topic. This is
>rec.boats where we talk about boats and the needs of boaters, not the
>perceived benefits of corporate raiding. This buyout will NOT be in
>the best interest of boaters. Why don't you go and bang your drum in
>bus.west.marine's.bottom.line.screw.the.customer.
>
>>Business 101 is about how to make more money, not how to please less profitable
>>customers or parts of their business. West Marine has done that very well in
>>this case by buying a struggling competitor for a good price. They will improve
>>the value of their purchase by closing or consolidating stores that are too
>>close to each other, or use Boat US location to enter markets where West did not
>>previously have a presense. That is exactly what I have said in this thread from
>>the git-go. Look at what their stock is doing as a result of this wise purchase.
>>It is soaring. THAT is bizness 101, bucko.
>>
>
>Struggling competitor? Says who?
>
>I don't know where you are talking about, "use Boat US location to
>enter markets where West did not previously have a presense.(sic)" Do
>you? This is almost a situation of collocation, where stores will
>need to be closed. By any sane definition, this isn't expansion of
>presence, it is elimination of a worthy competitor and grounds for the
>establishment of monopolistic practices.
>
>Using your bizarre strategy, it would be a good thing if all boats and
>boating equipment went up in price because the companies would have a
>better bottom line. That would be great for business, right?
>Business 101 may be about making more money, but this newsgroup is
>about what is best for boaters and that doesn't include fewer options,
>poorer service, and the likelihood of higher prices, bucko.
>
Marc
>Marc, you are jumping in here with both feet on a tangent not related
>to the original problem I had with BB's post.
By the time there are 38 posts, there are nothing but tangents.
Angels dancing on the heads of pins and such.
>
>newsgroup, however, is not about or for corporations, it is about
>things that are pro boaters and boating
I got that. r-e-c.b-o-a-t-s
>
>
> My point was merely that losing BoatUS to WM was not an
>"improvement" to affordable boating and that we now have one less
>choice in our shopping experience.
OK,
dougme@rcn.net Doug Meredith
<BinaryBill@Sea++.com> wrote in message
news:49td2vogg6mk59i6c...@4ax.com...
> On Thu, 16 Jan 2003 12:21:17 -0500, Its Me <> wrote:
> WalMart has the highest retail prices in town. You don't think so?
> Walmart comes to a town, and drives all the little mom & pops out of
> business. Now you have empty commercial property all over town and the
> tax base is erroded. Where will that be made up? Higher property taxes
> for homeowners.
did you forget the minor detail that WM in their huge high assessed
building is probably paying more taxes than the few Mom and pops that
they put out of business.
dougme@rcn.net Doug Meredith
"WayneB" <WayneBatR...@hotmail.com > wrote in message
news:3a0d2vsj78sev64cm...@4ax.com...
Try and read the entire post before you post a remark. The discussion
in that post was about WalMart, NOT West Marine.
dougme@rcn.net Doug Meredith
"Thundercleese" <d...@angband.org> wrote in message
news:b06mah$8tm$1...@news-int.gatech.edu...
> I think he meant WM "Wal-Mart," not WM "West Marine". Regardless,
> Wal-Mart does not currently employ even close to 900,000
> employees... however I wouldnt doubt that they could have a base of
> 900,000 current and former employees.
>
Correct, WalMart, not West Marine. And yes, I was wrong about the total
number of employees. Its not 900,000, its 1.3 MILLION.
http://www.walmartstores.com/wmstore/wmstores/Mainnews.jsp?BV_SessionID=
@@@@1506176772.1042744106@@@@&BV_EngineID=cccdadchfiljfhfcfkfcfkjdgoodgl
g.0&pagetype=news&categoryOID=-10019&catID=-8248&subCatOID=-8723&templat
e=DisplayAllContents.jsp
This link will not wrap correctly for sure, so here is the pasted info
from the page.
"With more than 1.3 million associates, Wal-Mart is the largest private
employer in the world. To attract and keep the very best people, we
offer competitive pay and benefits for both full-time and part-time
associates, provide an exciting work environment, and operate every day
according to three principles laid out by Wal-Mart Founder Sam Walton:
Respect for the individual, service to our customers, and striving for
excellence"
dougme@rcn.net Doug Meredith
<BinaryBill@Sea++.com> wrote in message
news:j91e2vspsg91cjhsr...@4ax.com...
> >did you forget the minor detail that WM in their huge high assessed
> >building is probably paying more taxes than the few Mom and pops that
> >they put out of business.
> >
>
> addition to that, all their profits go back to the mother ship, rather
> than recirculating in your home town.
Good grief, do some research. A 200,000 sq foot WalMart pays a hell of
a lot more property taxes than 20 5000 sq foot mom and pop stores. I
don't like WM any better than you do, but at least try and keep the
facts straight. Of course the profits for the store go to Ak, but all
the salary dollars stay in the town. and you can be sure that they have
a lot more salary dollars than the Mom and Pop that had his family
working there. Maybe 5 people worked in the M&P how many work at WM?
several hundred full and part time. and the other part is that a GOOD
mom and pop CAN compete with WM. They just have to fill the niche that
WM doesn't. Look around and you will see it all over, just as the
individual boating stores have stayed in business against West Marine.
Gould 0738
>building is probably paying more taxes than the few Mom and pops that
>they put out of business.
>
Think so? It's not unusual for big players like WalMart to approach the city or
county government with a line similar to
"Gee. We notice you've got a lot of unemployed folks here. We'd sure like to
fill in that swamp on the outskirts of town and hire a few dozen construction
workers for six months. When we've got the building up, we'll provide 'good
jobs' for another 35 people on a steady basis. We'll attract people from
neighboring towns to come and spend money here. One small thing, however, to
make this deal work we need to be excused from property taxes for
ten or fifteen years. We're sure you won't mind, why the city council in that
little town five miles away is just begging us to locate there, and they might
even waive property taxes for twenty!"
Dennis Compton
Just curious....have you ever have a positive thought?
Dennis Compton
Originally asked "do you ever have a positive thought?" Changed it to "have you ever",
but did not correct the rest of the sentence. Sorry, the questions should have been:
Just curious....have you ever had a positive thought?
Gould 0738
>
All the time. Most of the time.
But it's tough to be enthusiastic about people and institutions putting the
screws to the majority of the population for their own personal gain.
And yeah, I "positively" lament government collusion with mega corporations to
undermine small independent businesses, depress wages, and assume privileges
not afforded the rest of us.
Dennis Compton
> >Just curious....have you ever had a positive thought?
> >
>
> All the time. Most of the time.
> But it's tough to be enthusiastic about people and institutions putting the
> screws to the majority of the population for their own personal gain.
>
> And yeah, I "positively" lament government collusion ....<snip>
End of story. Question answered, and quite clearly at that.
He-he-he..."positively lament". That's a good one!
Smile Chuck. It is not that bad...really it isn't.
dougme@rcn.net Doug Meredith
doubtful. Most small towns don't want Walmart, so the odds they are
going to give them a tax break are slim to none. This may have happened
10 years ago, but not today, unless you are in some backwater town with
no employement.
dougme@rcn.net Doug Meredith
> All the time. Most of the time.
> But it's tough to be enthusiastic about people and institutions
putting the
> screws to the majority of the population for their own personal gain.
how has WalMart put the screws to the "majority" of the American people?
BUT wait till Kmart is gone, and they are the only show in town. then
check their prices.
Center of the Spectrum
Walmart. Kmart is going out of business because Walmart has found a much
more efficient means of distributing the product to the stores, and Kmart
has not able to adapt. I for one hope Kmart adaptes quickly, because
competition is good for everyone, but Kmart has put many large corporations
out of business becuase they were able to run more efficiently than the
competitiion, it is called the free market system.
While it can be very upseting in the short term, it is a wonderful system in
the long run.
--
Center of The Spectrum
The one and only truth. The rest of you don't know Jack!
Visit Lee's World Famous Web Site:
WWW.TheBayGuide.com/rec.boats
and also visit :
WWW.TheBayGuide.com
- - -
"Doug Meredith" <changenettocom dou...@rcn.net> wrote in message
news:b07555$snp$1...@bob.news.rcn.net...
Center of the Spectrum
your response would have been.
--
Center of The Spectrum
The one and only truth. The rest of you don't know Jack!
Visit Lee's World Famous Web Site:
WWW.TheBayGuide.com/rec.boats
and also visit :
WWW.TheBayGuide.com
- - -
"Gould 0738" <goul...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20030116152422...@mb-cf.aol.com...
Gould 0738
>
>http://www.ctnow.com/news/local/statewire/hc-16084224.apds.m0241.bc-ct--w
al-jan16,0,5714017.story?coll=hc%2Dheadlines%2Dlocal%2Dwir
Well there you go.
Now, what happened to the guy who was absolutely sure that nobody would ever
offer WalMart any incentives or tax relief?
Lloyd Sumpter
(First, Steveston Marine has two stores: Steveston and Vancouver. None
that I know of in Langley...)
I HAVE checked many things before buying at Steveston: Dickinson
diesel stove, Walker Bay dinghy, Humminbird SX100 sounder... and every
time they beat West Marine. Maybe you caught them on a bad day?
In general, of course, ANY "marine" store is more expensive than a
hardware store for general items like screws, electrical fittings, etc.
(although the term strip I used in Valkyrie was pretty much the same
price at River Marine as I bought it for from an electrical shop).
Lloyd Sumpter
"Far Cove" Catalina 36 - getting new engine controls connected this wkend.
On Wed, 15 Jan 2003 10:48:27 -0800, Raymond T. Lowe wrote:
> Whoa! Hold up there Lloyd. I have spent an hour going through
> Steveston Marine in Langley, casually noting prices on every- thing from
> stainless screws, electrical, chemicals (just about the entire store)
> while I waited for an anchor rode coming in from their main store. The
> mark-up on most everything shelved was astronimical. I saw Cole-Hersey
> electrical stuff over double what we sell it for. I would say Steveston
> Marine is one of the most expensive places to buy anything. Go ahead
> and price out some of the stainless boat accessories; cleats and such.
>
> The monthly rent in a Canadian strip-mall is huge. Stores need to mark
> up goods a lot to make payroll and expenses. Most of the crap on their
> shelves was well over 100% GP. I will still go to Boaters World and
> Marine West in Bellingham for most of my hardware. Bigger items, its
> worth checking into. The anchor rode was a good buy at Steveston.
>
>
> RT
> --
> Remove "bogus." to reply by email
>
> "Lloyd Sumpter" <lsum...@shaw.ca> wrote in message
> news:pan.2003.01.15.02....@shaw.ca...
>> On Tue, 14 Jan 2003 14:28:24 -0800, Gould 0738 wrote:
>>
>> > Very bad news for boaters indeed.
>> >
>> > One more step toward the eventual monopoly.
>> >
>> > How many think West Marine will use the reduction in competition as a
>> > reason to *reduce* prices?
>> >
>> > By the same stroke, should WM eventually become the only major player
>> > in sight, they will dictate very harsh terms to manufacturers and
>> > suppliers, too.
>> > "You want to sell to some little pint size mom and pop operation that
>> > could grow up to be a serious threat to us someday? Sure thing,
>> > Marine Widgets Inc. Go ahead. By the way, we'll be taking our $4mm a
>> > year wholesale order somewhere else."
>>
>> Interesting competition up here. West Marine opened some stores up
>> here, but in a typical arrogant move, neglected to check if there was
>> already a good, well-stocked chandlery chain here. Steveston Marine, of
>> course, blew them away. (you might want to check them:
>> www.stevestonmarine.com - their online store is a bit lacking, but the
>> Cdn dollar would probably make their prices VERY attractive! Chuck,
>> might even pay the cost of coming up here...For instance, a Garmin
>> GPS182 is
> $672.44
>> USD vs $699 at West Marine)
>>
>> Not "affiliated" with Steveston Marine, just a generally Satisfied
>> Customer, and hater of monopolies...
>>
>> Lloyd Sumpter
>> "Far Cove" Catalina 36
>
>
RD
dou...@rcn.net> wrote:
>did you forget the minor detail that WM in their huge high assessed
>building is probably paying more taxes than the few Mom and pops that
>they put out of business.
Why would WM's retail space be assesed any diferently than the mom and
pops in the strip center down the road?
Rick
RD
<Co...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>If WalMart treats it's employees terrible, they should be on the losing end
>of numerous suits, if they are on the losing end of numerouis suits,
>eventually they will deciede it is better to treat their employees fairly.
Not at all. I can assure you federal labor law is fairly narrow in
it's scope. There's plenty of opportunity to treat employees unfairly
and unethically if you so choose.
Rick
dougme@rcn.net Doug Meredith
<BinaryBillTheSailor@Sea++.com> wrote in message
news:0vbe2vkhtde63ngl9...@4ax.com...
> Just today:
>
http://www.ctnow.com/news/local/statewire/hc-16084224.apds.m0241.bc-ct--
wal-jan16,0,5714017.story?coll=hc%2Dheadlines%2Dlocal%2Dwire
and that is for a DC, not a store. It surly isn't taking any jobs away
from anyone, in fact
"Wal-Mart has promised between 600 and 1,000 jobs at between $12 and $18
an hour, with significant yearly taxes paid to the town."
dougme@rcn.net Doug Meredith
"RD" <rda...@airmail.net> wrote in message
news:12D446702F36A9A0.E5D434C4...@lp.airnews.net..
.
I didn't say they would. I said that their huge space was taxed more.
How many Mom and Pop's have 150,000 + sq foot stores?
dougme@rcn.net Doug Meredith
> > Why would WM's retail space be assesed any diferently than the mom
and
> > pops in the strip center down the road?
>
> driving local businesses out of business and maintaining substandard
> wages and benefits...
Substandard wages? What do you think, all the little guys are paying
$20 per hour, and WM comes in and pays 1/2 that? Not likely. They may
get a tax break in some little town which has no jobs, but they aren't
getting them anywhere in NJ. Vermount fought them for years. They only
let them in when they threatened to surround the state with stores. If
the people didn't shop at them, they wouldn't build. So blame the
customers for going there, don't blame WM for filling what its customers
want.
dougme@rcn.net Doug Meredith
> Enter "wal-mart labor law violations" in any good browser. I just did
> and got 5,100 hits.
Harry, check out the US labor laws. The do now, and always have been
about 95% on the side of the company, NOT the employee. You can sue,
but winning in court is an other story. Put any company name in the
search engine, and you get a big number. KMart is 1000+.
Center of the Spectrum
soul for the price of a Wally Mart. I just wish one politician anywhere
would have done what he thought was in the best interest of his
constitutiants, but no they all sold out and hurt the locals, the consumers
and the small businessman. Ooooooooooooooooooo lord, the sky is falling.
--
Center of The Spectrum
The one and only truth. The rest of you don't know Jack!
Visit Lee's World Famous Web Site:
WWW.TheBayGuide.com/rec.boats
and also visit :
WWW.TheBayGuide.com
- - -
<BinaryBillTheSailor@Sea++.com> wrote in message
news:dfrf2vk92h335lchi...@4ax.com...
> Please produce proof of ONE Walmart that was built without tax abatements.
There
> are NONE. And the "significant yaerly taxes" is actually still a fraction
of
> what they would really owe. You need to do some research. 8^)>
>
> BB
RD
dou...@rcn.net> wrote:
>
>"RD" <rda...@airmail.net> wrote in message
>news:12D446702F36A9A0.E5D434C4...@lp.airnews.net..
>.
>> On Thu, 16 Jan 2003 13:58:39 -0500, "Doug Meredith" <changenettocom
>> dou...@rcn.net> wrote:
>>
>> >did you forget the minor detail that WM in their huge high assessed
>> >building is probably paying more taxes than the few Mom and pops that
>> >they put out of business.
>>
>> Why would WM's retail space be assesed any diferently than the mom and
>> pops in the strip center down the road?
>
>
>I didn't say they would. I said that their huge space was taxed more.
>How many Mom and Pop's have 150,000 + sq foot stores?
>
Not many, but that's not the point. Pre-WM the typical arrangement was
one or two medium sized anchor tenants with a diverse cluster of
smaller businesses in the strip. There was redundancy and inefficiency
in this arrangement as you might have several of these competing in
the same town or across several small towns.
The super center kills this model. And you'll get people driving
longer distances to get there. The town that gets the super center is
probably a winner, but I believe it's very possible that the net
effect to a region would be a reduction tin the brick and mortar tax
base.
Rick
Tom Knight
real defenders of mom and pop stores... in downtowns. Times changed? Maybe.
People changed? Maybe. Sky falling? Probably not. Would be interesting,
though.news:3DFD6DEE09A3EF4B.00783504...@lp.airnews.net...
Tom Knight
"Center of the Spectrum" <Co...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:HiSV9.714049$%m4.34...@rwcrnsc52.ops.asp.att.net...
Center of the Spectrum
what can be worse, you mean customers are shopping at Wally Mart because
they want to.................
Damn it all.....
--
Center of The Spectrum
The one and only truth. The rest of you don't know Jack!
Visit Lee's World Famous Web Site:
WWW.TheBayGuide.com/rec.boats
and also visit :
WWW.TheBayGuide.com
- - -
"Tom Knight" <rus...@prexar.com> wrote in message
news:v2g8d8q...@corp.supernews.com...
dougme@rcn.net Doug Meredith
<BinaryBillTheSailor@Sea++.com> wrote in message
news:m1sf2vksnl5bh1rpk...@4ax.com...
> >"Wal-Mart has promised between 600 and 1,000 jobs at between $12 and
$18
> >an hour, with significant yearly taxes paid to the town."
> >
>
read the whole post about minimum wage before you reply
dougme@rcn.net Doug Meredith
<BinaryBillTheSailor@Sea++.com> wrote in message
news:dfrf2vk92h335lchi...@4ax.com...
> Please produce proof of ONE Walmart that was built without tax
abatements. There
> are NONE. And the "significant yaerly taxes" is actually still a
fraction of
> what they would really owe. You need to do some research. 8^)>
and of course you can show us proof that they were all built WITH tax
abatements? Got some URL's? I doubt it.
dougme@rcn.net Doug Meredith
.
> The super center kills this model. And you'll get people driving
> longer distances to get there. The town that gets the super center is
> probably a winner, but I believe it's very possible that the net
> effect to a region would be a reduction tin the brick and mortar tax
> base.
This would apply to WM, Home Depot, Lowes, Staples, K-Mart, Office Max,
Pet Smart, Costco, etc etc. How many small office store, pet store,
home centers, or discount stores are left? not a whole bunch.
Calif Bill
phenomenon in regards to taxes and area affects. The city with the 'Big
Box' wins, but the area loses. They give a property tax break to the store
and the sales tax revenue flows into the local city. But the regional area
suffers as the smaller stores go under. Their towns suffer as there is both
lose of sales tax and property tax. The proposal is to make a regional area
decision on the business of tax breaks. The local city has to share the
sales tax with the regional area. You also see the same in auto malls. A
city will give a propery tax break and financial grants to build a block of
auto dealers in their tax area. Now their city revenues go up
astronomically, but the regions revenue and employment go down. California
legislature actually had a bill proposed to address this problem /
condition. Stops the "I got mine Jack, screw you and yours!"
Bill
"Doug Meredith" <changenettocom dou...@rcn.net> wrote in message
news:b09jhc$fgi$1...@bob.news.rcn.net...
Calif Bill
wording, but close. Even a song to go with it.
Bill
"Harry Krause" <harry...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:b09ra5$ne6pm$3...@ID-21096.news.dfncis.de...
> Calif Bill wrote:
> > California
> > legislature actually had a bill proposed to address this problem /
> > condition. Stops the "I got mine Jack, screw you and yours!"
> > Bill
>
>
>
> Wait a minute...isn't that the registered trademark of the GOP?
>
rnh17
<BinaryBillTheSailor@Sea++.com> wrote in message
news:np0c2vknecd81t01i...@4ax.com...
> On Wed, 15 Jan 2003 16:12:51 -0500, Its Me <> wrote:
> >
> >So, since you seem to have a handle on BUS101, how does fewer stores,
> >less competition, no compelling reason to do better, and no reason to
> >change from status quo help anybody, but possibly the bottom line of
> >West Marine?
> >
>
> So, you agree that WestMarine has bought Boat US to change it , and
thereby
> improve their bottom line, which means they make more money by changing
Boat US.
> I rest my case.
>
"changing" it is not exactly the same as "improving" it. You began by
saying they wouldn't buy Boat US except to improve it.
rnh17
"jchaplain" <chap...@mediaone.net> wrote in message
news:jsp92v08eg4803v5c...@4ax.com...
> I do most of my shoppping at West Marine since there is one right up
> the street from me. There is also a local mom and pop store. Often the
> small store can outprice West Marine, but not always, and it is nice
> having a store that has such a large stock as WM. I just bought a
> handheld vhf and I couldn't get a better price on the internet for it.
> They're not all bad.
> John C.
>
Like LL Bean, West Marine has an unconditional guarantee, which is worth a
premium. Unlike LL Bean, most of West Marine's products are available
elsewhere. (Boat US has had an unconditional guarantee and a 30-day price
match.)
John(nospin)H
<harry...@hotmail.com> wrote:
A lot snipped...
>I plan to drop a lot of money out at the West store in Deale. One of the
>store managers there has been very helpful and, in fact, advised me to
>hold off on a certain purchase because he expected a drastic price drop
>on the item sometime in February. The store's prices are competitive,
>the store is convenient, and, as mentioned by others, it has a good
>return policy. Plus, there's a decent restaurant within spitting
>distance and it has some of the best crab bisque in the area.
>
Come on Harry, what is he putting on sale? More than just you shop in
Deale, you know.
John
On the 'Poco Loco' out of Deale, MD