Sometimes Things DO get better...

[ItDepends]

This is an unusual posting about West Marine.

For a while they were everybody's favorite punching bag, and a lot of the abuse was well deserved. They have been through several management teams, and some of the operational ideas were absolutely terrible.

BUT... The last couple times I was pricing more expensive gear, they either matched the biggest marine warehouse supplier, or even beat them. I thought it might have been a one-off. But again today, I was doing some comparision shopping for some capital gear, and their prices were fully competitive right across the board.

I really hope it works for them, I am old fashioned enough that I really do appreciate the brick and motor stores, and having real people to talk to face to face.

There are still things they inflate prices on, but they still offer price-matching on everything, so if it's cheaper on Amazon, you can have it both ways.

[clamshack]

They seem to call out local competitors specifically and Amazon (sold by Amazon). In your experience, do they match other stores like Defender? If they do this, stacked with the rewards program, may have me stopping by more.

Price Match Guarantee
If you find a lower price on an identical product at a local retail store, West Marine will match that price within 30 days of purchase.

We will price match:

Local Stores within 50 miles
Amazon, direct from Amazon only
Sale and regular prices before shipping, handling and/or sales tax charges
Retail prices for wholesale Customers