West Marine

[Ric Sheridan]

There are reward cards you can get. If you you really go there often you should apply for a Pro Card or another discount membership. The prices on the shelves are for landlubbers. Supply and demand. WM is the only show in town and that is that.

[Skye51]

West Marine is definitely a standout business for price gouging. But it really is a very easy fix. Its an easy place to shop because it is usually quicker to walk in and get it off the shelf, rather than wait a week for it to arrive in the post. So here's the solution to your problem.
1) Download a barcode scanner app to your phone.
2) As you shop, just scan the barcode of what you would like to buy. Bring up the online shopping details. This will show you the best prices all over the country at multiple retailers and online stores.

3) Pick the best price and show it at the counter when you checkout.
WM have a price match guarantee, so use it. When I shopped at WM in Mobile, Alabama 2 years ago they were even accepting Amazon prices, may have changes their minds now however. My last purchase at WM was a bag of 50 stainless bolts. On the shelf it was $51. I paid $13 at checkout as they had to price match the Fisheries Supply advertised price.
Its a pain if you are buying 20 items, but perfect for those incidentals you need to get the weekend project finished today.

[svfinlandia]

Originally Posted by DLincoln3

I think West bought BoatUS's retail locations years ago, and that was the extent of the relationship. I don't think they're subsidiaries or anything. As to the recent buy-out, this is the link to the press release on West's website: https://www.westmarine.com/PressRoom/PR20170629

DLincoln
Reading your message again, I now understand that west marine bought boatUS retail store locations and they now have no connection to each other and therefore West Marine has no connection to Geico.
Sorry for the confusion.

Al, S/V Finlandia

[chriscraft]

My WM experience of picking the staff’s brain has proven futile. Younger or older is irrelevant there. Every time they walk by they offer their help and every time I’ve taken them up on their offer, the help has not been worth a pound of sand. The last time I accepted the young man took the can from me and began reading it. Seriously, do they deal with a preponderance of non-reading adults at WM. He had no idea how wrong he was when he told me “it doesn’t say you can’t use it over epoxy so you must be able to.” I only walk in there now as a last resort.

[Bertinc]

My understanding for WM price match was that it had to be another brick and mortar store and not an online or mail order store. A while back they denied a Defender price match.

[chalupo]

As a former manufacturers rep for a large supplier to West Marine I can assure everyone reading this post West Marine does and will price at the maximum amount they can sell for. I know this from experience. But that doesn't mean you have to shop there. No one is holding a gun to your head to buy from WM.

If you are looking for competitive pricing check out "Fisheries," but they might not have the product you're after.

One can find good deals from "Land and See Too." Bottom line? You'll be well served by shopping around.

[Kismet36]

I think of West Marine pricing as I would 7-11. You pay for the convenience, as they have locations everywhere. WM has the advantage of being online aslo and I've had good experiences buying shoes on sale and having them shipped to the store, where I can try them on and pay there. When the fit isn't right they will pull them from other stores. They also price match, but I believe it now has to be with a brick and mortar within 50 miles. I've taken pictures of SKUs at Walmart for things like oil and propane and later bought the products at WM, which is closer and a store I like to support when it doesn't involve too muuch financial sacrifice.

Finally, this is a sailing forum and we are generally more fugal than the power boaters which make up the majority of their customers. Hopefully WM will survive, as they are very good to have when needed.

[nonav]

The number of WMs I have been to where staff are a base of broad knowledge is nearly nil.

I’ll gladly pay extra at my local chandlery for hands on learnt knowledge, any day.

[westwon]

All the WMs in Canada closed a number of years ago. Can’t say I’ve missed them at all.
Steve

[dfelsent]

Looks like Monomoy Capital has sold WM to L. Catterton

https://www.businesswire.com/news/ho...est-Marine-Inc.

Monomoy lists WM as a previous holding and L Catterton lists WM as a current portfolio business.

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by keepondancin

How does West Marine stay in business, price gouging?

They had what you wanted, when you wanted it, when others did not. Yes, you paid a couple of bucks extra. And you have the stones to come here and b*tch about that? If you didn't like what they charged you, shop somewhere else. Jeezus.

[Martinini]

The West Marine stores around here won't match on online price
unless it's from another brick and mortar store in the area!

[hukilaumike]

I'm not going to bash WM; I too get frustrated sometimes with their prices, but they are the only retail chandlery around here, and if I want it now, that's my choice. And to be fair, the staff in the store I go to has gotten better; four or five years ago, it seemed to be a bunch of minimum wage slaves, and only the manager knew anything about boats. Now, I'd say most of the staff are boaters. They don't know everything, but it's still an improvement. Coincidentally, I went there yesterday to buy a plumbing fitting for the head. A staffer took one look at the sample piece of hose that I had with me, knew the size (but measured it to be sure), and went right to the fitting I needed. Boom.

[sailinmikeinaz]

Like everyone else, I like being able to peruse all things boating in my local WM. Yes, they are high priced on most things. So...ask for price match, wait for it to go on sale or shop elsewhere. But, I do try to support my local store and keep them in business. I even joke I work there part time as several times I've assisted other customers with issues the clerk had no clue about, such as a freeze plug for a Mercruiser engine..um...it's a chevy engine and it's available across the street at Autozone.

[Creedence]

Someone should ask them to Price match THEIR OWN Port Supply pricing.