West Marine Amazon Price Match

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My opinion only and worth absolutely nothing but if you look hard enough you can always find a cheaper price. Sometimes you might want to consider other things like convience and not having to wait to get a product and now you know how to get West Narine to meet the Amazon price.

Thanks Larry.
 
Not boating related, but this evening I ordered some parts for my 35 year old trash compacter that broke today. Tomorrow I’m going to Lowes to pick up some stuff to install a new electrical outlet for my wife as long as I have the cabinets opened up.

I used Amazon to get an obscure part quickly (it will be here on Monday). I’m using Lowes so I can pick up the material I need and install it tomorrow. It also gives me the opportunity to walk the isles.

Both formats are useful. One of the reasons why I want West Marine to succeed. I want to be able to buy stuff from them when I need it, What I will never do, is use West Marine to shop and play with stuff, and then buy the same product online for less.
 
"What I will never do, is use West Marine to shop and play with stuff, and then buy the same product online for less."

The basis of Capitalism is Competition , with out buyers that prefer low prices WM might be charging 250% of list instead of only a +25% markup for instant gratification.

A selective consumer helps all businesses.
 
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I'm ordering a spare fresh water pump. Jabsco PAR Max 4 price at WM same price as others online. No counterfeit and in store delivery. I like that pickup aspect because if somehow wrong pump I can reject it at counter.

Last year I bought some new Marinco stuff at WM, same price as Fisheries. But, there are other more generic things that I've just ordered on line that WM can't compete on.

I do find it amusing that owners of multi million dollar yachts fuss about the price of a shoe you can try on at WM without buying. I've given up with online shoes, non generic feet.
 
I think West Marine pays their taxes
https://itep.org/amazon-inc-paid-ze...7-gets-789-million-windfall-from-new-tax-law/
Matching prices with a tax evader is a good way to go out of business. Even though Amazon has only 15,000 of it's employees in Luxemberg sp, they are headquartered there not in the US.
I never buy from Amazon b/c I do not knowingly do business with cheats.

https://splinternews.com/amazon-made-5-6-billion-in-profits-last-year-and-repor-1823329221

Not paying taxes and cheating is as American as apple pie, exemplified by our leader. Jeff Bezos (sp) is now the richest man in the world. Amazon can go suck it.
 
I do find it amusing that owners of multi million dollar yachts fuss about the price of a shoe you can try on at WM without buying. I've given up with online shoes, non generic feet.

Wifey B: Happily, due to our business interests, we find most people are not comfy buying shoes and clothing online and those who do when they don't have time to come try on prefer a brick and mortar store they can return or exchange to. I would never ever ever ever buy shoes online and I buy lots of shoes. :D
 
I've been around long enough to see lots of big retailers come and go. There seems to be a natural cycle. Bring in customers with lower prices, better selection, better service and/or better quality. Put the "old" retailer out of business. Over time, the newcomer's prices drift up, quality, service and selection drift down, until another newcomer puts them out of business. Lather, rinse, repeat.

I see WM well down the path. I see higher prices in most cases, but more significantly, drastically reduced inventory. Quality and service are still pretty good in most WM stores, if not always as good as we'd like. The pivot to "lifestyle" (read: "high profit") items is probably the most telling sign of a very uncertain future.

I've seen the same thing in home improvement stores. Anybody remember HQ? Lowes and HD put them out of business with better prices, better inventory and equal quality. Just as HQ had put our own local chain, Grossman's, out of business before that.

Now I'm seeing Lowe's and HD pivoting toward high-profit "lifestyle" lines, expanding their design studios and lines of high-end plumbing fixtures, at the expense of ordinary must-have inventory on the lower end of the profit spectrum. My expectation is that in a few years, some smaller home-supply outfit will target the ordinary folks just looking to build and fix ordinary stuff, and give the big guys some real competition.

Amazon, likewise, has taken most of my business from other on-line retailers through fast, honest shipping policies, great selection, good prices and great customer service. Honest customer reviews and Q&As are a huge value to me. eBay has gone the other way, to the point that I avoid them for anything but a last resort. No doubt, in five years this too will change.
 
Careful when talking about West Marine in that there's a West Marine prior to the sale, the one just after while figuring a plan out, and now the West Marine under new ownership is just starting to develop. Don't know where that will lead but a couple of positive signs so far.
 
Time will tell, hopefully it will be favorable to the consumer and owners.
 
In my opinion, the trend is actually toward online sales from stores with Brick and Mortar. It may be too late, but in my opinion if Sear or JC Penney wanted to save themselves it would be to have all stores online and delivery from your local store on online orders at no cost and either same day or next day. We have all store inventories online and deliver from all.

Agree, but that model has not worked out well for most (key word - most) Brick stores as evidenced by their stock prices over the past 5 years. Amazon is taking everyones lunch money and inventors continue to buy their stock and we buy their products. Love him or hate him, Bezos and his management team are laser focused when it comes to operational management skills. Longer term, it will be interesting to see how the government reacts to this growing empire. An interesting piece on CNBC last week covered this topic.
 
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Agree, but that model has not worked out well for most (key word - most) Brick stores as evidenced by their stock prices over the past 5 years. .

Brick stores haven't done it. They've had online but separate from the stores completely. Integrating and using store personnel for service is new to them. Groceries are doing it and some stores now.
 
I’ve found that some items sold on Amazon with the free shipping (i.e. Amazon Prime), end up being less at other sites even after the shipping, so it pays to shop around.

I get what I can at “Western Marine” (no affiliation with West Marine) and it’s generally competitive locally. Other stuff (like Sac anodes, etc.) I get mail order from the US and sent to Point Roberts.

not fair to compare the prices you get at the biggest wholesaler in Vancouver with retailers at home or in the US.

I used to get stuff at Western Marine too, then I couldn't any more, as their Wholesale only policy was enforced.
 
I like to support the local stores so I’ve been a customer at Hopkins Carter for over 30 years, fair prices, great service and no problem with returns. Further I have to supply Parks with profits for his new boat (he sold the store).
 
Brick stores haven't done it. They've had online but separate from the stores completely. Integrating and using store personnel for service is new to them. Groceries are doing it and some stores now.

I believe you have stated before you own cell phone retail stores, and I am not in the retail biz, so you know a lot more about this topic than I do. But what about Apple, BB, REI, etc. IE, I walk in, hold the item in my hand and then will often purchase the item later on line, and in the future because my last order history is available to me. This model going forward could allow store front foot prints to shrink to maintain display items, but the bulk product is kept at a warehouse in a lower rent, lower cost environment until needed for shipping. Seems to me that is happening now, and will continue to gain more traction.
 
I believe you have stated before you own cell phone retail stores, and I am not in the retail biz, so you know a lot more about this topic than I do. But what about Apple, BB, REI, etc. IE, I walk in, hold the item in my hand and then will often purchase the item later on line, and in the future because my last order history is available to me. This model going forward could allow store front foot prints to shrink to maintain display items, but the bulk product is kept at a warehouse in a lower rent, lower cost environment until needed for shipping. Seems to me that is happening now, and will continue to gain more traction.

Phones are a minor part of our businesses. I had nothing to do with purchasing any of the phone stores and I thought they would die by now. I figured everyone would just buy online. I was so very wrong.

What you suggest is possible for some items, but there are still a lot of consumers who want to walk in and then walk out with their purchase. The problem is once you walk out, you can purchase it from anyone or purchase something else. The old car salesman rules not to let someone leave the lot. Of course, auto sales have shifted dramatically with far more online.

So much depends on the type product. Clothing and shoes are very personal items so still very heavily toward brick and mortar. Furniture and decorations and art are much the same. Now, I think of boat products and accessories the same way but they're all available in identical form online so pricing is critical.

Each type business has it's own challenges and depending on product must continue to evolve and adapt. That's where so many brick and mortar stores made their mistakes. Then some, like WM, not only didn't adapt well, but implemented a strategy that has proven to be negative by reducing their primary product. Competitive pricing is important but the only way to beat Amazon and others is through providing better service. I don't have access to study their business from the inside like I'm sure they are doing.
 
I like to shop local and don't mind paying more for good customer service. But the problem with WM is that many of their employees don't know the products and the intended uses (Not all of them. I've met some knowledgeable cats at WM)

I'd rather pay high prices with a small marine shop or my marina parts dept. than WM.

BUT, having said all that; Do I still shop at WM?? Yes! Thanks for the the Amazon match hack. Lmao
 
I enjoy going to WM. I can reach out and touch things and ask questions.
It is one of those, if I need a part, I need it now to complete a project, not next week.
The employees are friendly and have a reasonable level of knowledge on their products.
Per BOW, pretty much the same opinion.
I would hate to have either company fail.
 
"Not paying taxes and cheating is as American as apple pie, exemplified by our leader. Jeff Bezos (sp) is now the richest man in the world. Amazon can go suck it."

The IRS probably still has their SNICH program that pays a percentage of what they extract from folks," Not paying taxes and cheating"

If you can prove your rant , you will easily get a multi million dollar payout, tho not tax free.
 
I just got an email this morning about the West Marine price matching policy. That's great news.
 
"Not paying taxes and cheating is as American as apple pie, exemplified by our leader. Jeff Bezos (sp) is now the richest man in the world. Amazon can go suck it."

The IRS probably still has their SNICH program that pays a percentage of what they extract from folks," Not paying taxes and cheating"

If you can prove your rant , you will easily get a multi million dollar payout, tho not tax free.

I stand corrected.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/16/us/politics/trump-amazon-taxes.html
 
We made a list of things we need to buy for the new boat to make the trip home. We left most items on our other boat plus there are things we weren’t going to be able to fly with.
The seller said we could have things shipped to him and he would put on the boat for us but with the timing being what it is I didn’t want to take that risk.
So we went to WM online and made a list with part numbers of the items we need and used their check store availability feature. There are 2 stores in close proximity and we may have to make a trip to both to get everything but between the two there is decent inventory of all we need.
About the only item that I think would be worth price matching is the lifesling. I’ve seen it for about $25 less on amazon. I haven’t checked prices of flares.
We don’t mind paying a few more $$ to support local communities. And some items you definitely just need to touch or try on.
 
Just got an email today from WM referencing their price match policy...
 
Well, kudos to you for having the integrity to correct the record.

We had a saying around the newsroom that “too much checking ruins a good story.” :D

Back in 2013/2014 the NY Times ran a series of articles on something that took place in the mid sized community where I live. It just so happened that I had personal knowledge of events that they reported on, though those events had no bearing on my life whatsover. Because I knew a lot about it, I followed their reporting very closely. It was wildly inaccurate, one sided, filled with half truths, lies of omission and a few outright fabrications which helped to push their agenda.

I know they have a rich history but ever since then I've had a difficult time believing anything they report and find them to be no more credible than a supermarket tabloid.

Sorry to go off track here, I just couldn't let it pass.
 
Here’s the email . . . Now they are the place.
IMG_0543.jpg
 
Back in 2013/2014 the NY Times ran a series of articles on something that took place in the mid sized community where I live. It just so happened that I had personal knowledge of events that they reported on, though those events had no bearing on my life whatsover. Because I knew a lot about it, I followed their reporting very closely. It was wildly inaccurate, one sided, filled with half truths, lies of omission and a few outright fabrications which helped to push their agenda.

I know they have a rich history but ever since then I've had a difficult time believing anything they report and find them to be no more credible than a supermarket tabloid.

Sorry to go off track here, I just couldn't let it pass.



Did you attempt to correct the record? No news organization gets it right all the time and some don’t care . . . as long as it supports their agenda. The best develop solid sources, stick to facts and tell both sides of a story. From my personal experience—working for a NYT-owned paper and on the “other side of the desk” from NYT reporters for 40 years—I can tell you nobody works harder at getting the news right . . . or is harder on themselves when they screw up. No news org is perfect, but the best—despite their editorial philosophies—like the NYT, WSJ, Post and many others, weed out people who don’t meet their high standards and have a sixth sense for people trying to manipulate coverage. They deserve their reputations for getting it right.
 
Did you attempt to correct the record? No news organization gets it right all the time and some don’t care . . . as long as it supports their agenda. The best develop solid sources, stick to facts and tell both sides of a story. From my personal experience—working for a NYT-owned paper and on the “other side of the desk” from NYT reporters for 40 years—I can tell you nobody works harder at getting the news right . . . or is harder on themselves when they screw up. No news org is perfect, but the best—despite their editorial philosophies—like the NYT, WSJ, Post and many others, weed out people who don’t meet their high standards and have a sixth sense for people trying to manipulate coverage. They deserve their reputations for getting it right.

The series was written by a pulitzer prize winner, though not for this work. Mike McIntire. He also parlayed it into a book, which contains just as many "discrepancies." I seriously doubt he cared what I had to say. It should have never gone to print, but that is "journalism" today.
 
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