Recent interviews
I have made contact with several Dive Shops over the last few weeks. Shops in Kansas and NJ.
The interviews offered a window into a cross section of the sport diving industry from the Midwest to New England. Not all the dive shop owners were willing to go on camera but each had a view on the industry and sport divers. Each of the dive shop owners I interviewed on camera were operating what appears to be successful retail operations. ( I only came across one shop that was closed - so no interview there - obviously they were not among the successful ones.) Watching the video interviews you will hear about numbers of store who have recently closed due to the tough times.
A couple of the shops declined to appear on camera but I talked with them about their stores and their divers.
All the shop owners expressed similar sentiments. That the sport diving industry is suffering from arguably the "perfect storm". Several things have lined up to creat really tough times for the shops and some of it can be traced directly to some of the manufacturers and the schools. Their decisions to authorize shops in close proximity to each other in an effort to increase dues income has resulted in a very poor balance of retail operations. As is evidenced by one manufacturer that still has strong retail outlets, SCUBAPRO who protect their retailer's territories.
Another attack has come from the advent of big box stores and on-line equipment sales. Both have negatively impacted the brick and mortar retail dive shops.
And of course, the current financial slump. We all operate on a disposable income paradigm - many people just don't have the disposable income to buy dive equipment or dive trips these days.
The answer for most of the shops I visited is adaptation. Being able to adapt to the new business atmosphere and challenges has allowed them to maintain - and in some cases prosper.
More as it develops.
For more details, and more insights into their success check out the video interviews. Most recently with AAI Neptune Divers Las Vegas NV. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqB4wB_4NSw.
in the next month or so stay tuned for interviews with Divers Equipment and The Scuba Connection.
SCOTT.
The interviews offered a window into a cross section of the sport diving industry from the Midwest to New England. Not all the dive shop owners were willing to go on camera but each had a view on the industry and sport divers. Each of the dive shop owners I interviewed on camera were operating what appears to be successful retail operations. ( I only came across one shop that was closed - so no interview there - obviously they were not among the successful ones.) Watching the video interviews you will hear about numbers of store who have recently closed due to the tough times.
A couple of the shops declined to appear on camera but I talked with them about their stores and their divers.
All the shop owners expressed similar sentiments. That the sport diving industry is suffering from arguably the "perfect storm". Several things have lined up to creat really tough times for the shops and some of it can be traced directly to some of the manufacturers and the schools. Their decisions to authorize shops in close proximity to each other in an effort to increase dues income has resulted in a very poor balance of retail operations. As is evidenced by one manufacturer that still has strong retail outlets, SCUBAPRO who protect their retailer's territories.
Another attack has come from the advent of big box stores and on-line equipment sales. Both have negatively impacted the brick and mortar retail dive shops.
And of course, the current financial slump. We all operate on a disposable income paradigm - many people just don't have the disposable income to buy dive equipment or dive trips these days.
The answer for most of the shops I visited is adaptation. Being able to adapt to the new business atmosphere and challenges has allowed them to maintain - and in some cases prosper.
More as it develops.
For more details, and more insights into their success check out the video interviews. Most recently with AAI Neptune Divers Las Vegas NV. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqB4wB_4NSw.
in the next month or so stay tuned for interviews with Divers Equipment and The Scuba Connection.
SCOTT.
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