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MSD FORUMS - BASIC SCUBA DISCUSSIONS |
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TOPIC:
Dive retailers assciation Northern Illinois
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diveshopowner |
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Recently I spoke with a dive shop owner from the Chicago area. He informed me that a group of owners wanted to reinstate a retailers asociation in Northern Illinois. He informed me that a previous attempt at an association failed because of jealousy, infighting and negativity. We also have alot of this alpha dog territorial attitude in my neck of the woods. I was also informed that the most recent attempt was dominated by jealous and negative owners. It seems to me that as shop owners we should be cooperatively working together to promote diving to affluent people who have the resources to buy equipment, travel and continue their dive education. Do 100 more dive shops in the region have to close before we get the point that what we are doing as a group is wrong? Lets think outside the box, cooperate and use available resources. Why do you think that most divers are no longer involved in the sport one year after receiving certification. Are the shop owners, manufacturers and PADI doing it right?
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markv |
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Yeah, I live and dive in Northern Illinois. I have been to many dive shops around the Chicagoland area. If you talk about another shop or independent instructor while in their establishment they always have a negative comment or derogatory name. I went to one shop where an owner actually called an excellent instructor that I knew a "trunk slammer". What does that mean? When I go to dive shops I often get advised to buy second rate equipment which the shop probably had on the shelf for years. It actually had dust on it! I don't even like going into dive shops anymore.
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PDSLTD |
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If it were not for the air fills most shops would be closed. It did not help in the past when the dealers met at DACOR once to work together and promote local diving, you had some dealers who felt getting on a plane at O'Hare and going to the Carib. was what they considered local diving. Also the resort classes were the beginning to the end of local shops in this area. When you can go to a resort and take a 2 hour class and be diving, why commit to weeks of training and Gung Ho Macho instructors who thought everybody including women were in BUD's.. (YMCA) I was a dealer for 22 years and retired. Unlike most shop I did work with and help to fill not only my classes but sent my over flow to clubs and independent instuctors. Worked pretty good for awhile, then some started with demands and then the IRS changed the rules for contracted labor. I wish you all the luck in getting the shops to work together, but I don't see it happening until it's to late. Once somebody figures out how to fill your tank over the web, (LOL) that iwould be the final nail to kill any need for local shops or local instructors.
To Error on the side of Safety,
is to Live and Dive Again.
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captdarrick |
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Midwestern retailers seldom participate in our forums. The forums were set up to provide a format for shops to advertise classes, trips, and equipment. It was suprising to see very few shop owners or former shop owners reply to this thread. Shop owners should be using these forums to make the public aware of what is going on at their stores. Post photos, notify students in your area of upcoming classes and talk about travel. If any shop owner wants to learn about using our website just call! Nobody just walks into a dive shop, they have to be drawn there. When we do market surveys in suburban areas to see how many certified divers even knows there is a dive shop in their community we find that only 1/3 of all divers in a particular geographical area are aware that a shop exists in their neighborhood.
Captain Darrick Lorenzen
captdarrick@midwestscubadiving.com
www.divemaxscuba.com
773-732-8972
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hammerhead |
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I think that in any industry, the cream rises to the top.
It's okay, just show us on the doll where the P.A.D.I. instructor touched you.
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captdarrick |
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I agree that the cream does rise to the top but according to our survey of industry insiders and our distribution records over 50% of all dive shops in an 11 state region are no longer in business. We think this information is very accurate. The business model is flawed. It seems dive shops do not work together they work against each other. I just recently tried to give a shop owner a referral and he didn't even show up. Cooperation is the key to success not complacency. The status quo is not working we have to shake things up by thinking outside the box.
Captain Darrick Lorenzen
captdarrick@midwestscubadiving.com
www.divemaxscuba.com
773-732-8972
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hammerhead |
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It's okay, just show us on the doll where the P.A.D.I. instructor touched you.
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diveshopowner |
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I think what alot of shop owners don't know is that the equipment manufacturers have MAP pricing (minimum advertised pricing) written into all dealership contracts. In other words it is in violation of your contract to advertise equipment at a cost lower than the manufacturer dictates. Then the equipment manufacturers sell millions of dollars in equipment to China, Europe, and even in the USA to internet retailers whom they allow to discount the price. The selling point is that the manufacturers have complete control over their infrastructure of authorized dealers. The dealers can't beat the internet pricing and the manufacturers can control the prices charged within the dealerships. This makes it easier for the internet retailers to move large amounts of equipment at discounted prices. An then people wonder why so many shops go out of business.
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Captain Dale |
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Strictly speaking a minimum sale price cannot be written into a contract As a former dive shop owner, I remember that most of the distribution contracts that I signed had language to the effect that I could sell the manufacturers' products for any price I liked. As I understand the law, putting into the contract an agreement to fix prices is conspiracy to set prices and is specifically against the anti-trust laws. What the manufacturers do to get around this is to dictate the pricing policies unilaterally. This is not an agreement or a contract (That takes the assent of both parties.) Without an agreement to set prices there is no conspiracy under the law.
Dive safe, Captain Dale Bennett Charter Captain & Instructor Trainer Open Water through Advanced Trimix
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diveshopowner |
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Capt. Dale you are correct. MAP pricing is not written into my contract but it is enforced by the manufacturer. If you do not comply you will be dropped by the manufacturer. Kind of how George Bush rules.
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