Cruisermart is go?

[jleaworthy]

The advert for TCS Discount Chandlery in current PBO claims it to be the former Cruisermart. As someone who first used Cruisermart twenty odd years ago when fitting out a wooden yacht in Johnson and Jago's yard down the road at Leigh I found them very helpful and usually sensibly priced. Certainly over the years their catalogue was an essential reference source. Hopefully TCS can re-establish the business on something like its successful early footing and avoid the mistakes of recent years. I wish them well.

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[scottnewcombe]

Their shop in Grays (Essex) was quite small but I always found it well stocked and the staff couldn't be more helpfull.

Have they moved to Southend or have they expanded into it . Is the shop at Grays still there ?

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[milltech]

I heard a rumour at the Boat Show that they were going to open in Southend, I assume they bought the name from receivers.

<hr width=100% size=1>John
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.allgadgets.co.uk>http://www.allgadgets.co.uk</A>

 

[colvic]

Shop in Grays was open a couple of weeks ago and as already said, well stocked. Worth the drive from Cambridge.

Phil

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[uforea]

Twenty plus years ago I first started using Cruisermart when fitting out my first Yacht and they were simply the best. The catalogue they produced was like a reference work and was free if you placed an order over £10. I would send an order with a cheque on a Monday morning and the goods would be delivered Wednesday or Thursday at the latest. Ah the good old days.!!!!!

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[iris]

I beleive that TCS is now at two sites, one in grays and one in the location of the "old" cruisermart location. I am not aware that they have purchased the name. I heard some gossip that Gael Force Marine may have a link with the previous cruisermart??????

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[warrior40]

Re:Chandlers rant

I agree, fitting out a boat is not the same as as when we had the reference of the bible-like cruisermart catalogue. It frustrates and amazes me that out of 3 chandlers where my boat is , non stock anything that you need, all they are concerned with is selling trinkets and clothes, OK if you want a tin of antifouling or a deck brush (for £20- who buys these things at that price?}
When I order things, they take weeks, and most things still haven't materialised, when they do come they are more expensive than quoted for some reason or another, or they snd the wrong model etc etc.
There is always some young kid working in these places with little knowledge of what you want. I am not against young people working there, hey, I am young too, but the chandlers should be prepared to employ people who know what they are talking about through experience, and who are passionate about their products like their customers..

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[milltech]

Re:Chandlers rant

In this respect at least Chandlers are no different from all other modern businesses. Everything must be de-skilled, the packaging has to sell the goods or the dealer won't take it.

Having said that I was always amazed as a supplier to the marine trade just exactly how much knowledge the sales staff had. Working on dealer support at boat shows the depth they had was very evident. Now I am at the dealer end myself I appreciate it even more, and although I'm learning every day the truth of the matter is that all my knowledge comes off the box or the website..

<hr width=100% size=1>John
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.allgadgets.co.uk>http://www.allgadgets.co.uk</A>

 

[david_e]

Re:Chandlers rant

The chandler, from whom I bought my boat, had the cheek to jokingley call me a skinflint yesterday!!

All because I was ensuring that I wasn't ripped of by him and the firms 'yachties have bottomless pockets' attitude. Have agreed that they will price match on all orders from them (much better than 10% discount card). They know all the market prices the mail order boys are selling at so it comes as no surprise to them when I fire them at 'em. Of couse there are exceptions when mail order is clearly better, eg allgadgets.

The other major problem this firm has is 'Invoiceitis': A mental condition descibed as: the ability to invoice for -
everybloodythingthtawecanthinkofgetawaywithdreamupaboutthendoubletheamountoftimespentdoingthejob - most often in advance.

Would ordinarily be upset at being called names by chandler, but having lived in exile in Yorkshire for 17 years I'm sure some of it must have rubbed off)

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[milltech]

Re:Chandlers rant

Far be it from me to offer critisism after your kind thoughts about my business, but in fairness to the rest of the trade they couldn't follow me on price, and it doesn't necessarily follow that they are ripping anyone off if they don't.

I am the ultimate low overhead operation, I'm miles from the sea, have no shop, keep no formal opening hours, don't open weekends, and concentrate on about 250 fast moving product lines that may change as items become more or less popular.

Except for spares support on Nite Trackers, (which I import), and Nasa (which I strongly support), I do not sell shackles, screws, anodes and the like because I'm limited by time to a maximum 20 transactions a day; so each one must make a minimum profit. Although my stock value may be as high in value as a seaside chandler it's limited to very few lines so I can get the best prices on them. If I had to carry all the things a yachtsmen might ask for on an everyday basis I could not hold my prices, and if I had to pay the kind of rent it costs to operate on a South Coast Marina I could not hold my prices.

I think they operate a service and it has to be paid for, and there you can pass the time of day and mostly get good advice and free help. In some place, like Alderney, (as I know), you can also get excellent local navigation advice. As we all know the marine trade is tiny, and so manufacturing and retail all suffer the same problem of small volumes and this leads to higher prices. If I need something when on the coast I do what everyone else does, I go into the local shop and buy it.

I have found a niche which suits me, and I'm very happy that it suits a lot of other people too, but I don't think I'm an example of anything "typical". I know lots of chandlers and I think they are a fine bunch making a difficult living. There will always be the odd maverick but I don't think they are the norm.

<hr width=100% size=1>John
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.allgadgets.co.uk>http://www.allgadgets.co.uk</A>

 

[david_e]

Re:Chandlers rant

Thing is John, and you have to put your consumer hat on here, no one really wants to pay any more for something than they have to.

Consumer competition has moved us years on from retail price maintenance, but it still exists in many diguised forms and there are prosecutions going on for it. Hence the indifference to retailers, and, in comparison in our own business, which is b2b services, prices have tumbled and service, response times and delivery has gone up in quality over the last three years.

Bear in mind that whilst your o/heads are low, some chandlers will be even lower per sale as they own the property and all the other differentials that go with them.

Most of my stuff is bought from local chandlers because I like to touch/feel/negotiate, not sure about advice because most of the best advice I get is on here, having had a fair bit of indifferent advice from chandlers, nearly always pointed at the products on the shelves. This is part of the reason why I have changed my views on mail order, two years ago would never have bought that way.





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[milltech]

Re:Chandlers rant

Well I'm very happy you feel that way, but I suppose the main point I was making is that I'm not really a chandler. I mean you can't buy all those little itty bitty things we all need, a few feet of hose pipe, a little can of grease, an "o" ring sealing kit for a pump etc. from me.

In a way I suppose that I and others like me actually put the prices of those things up because we extract the meat from the gravy.

<hr width=100% size=1>John
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.allgadgets.co.uk>http://www.allgadgets.co.uk</A>

 

[ditchcrawler]

I have shopped at T.C.S.in Grays for many years & always found them knowledgeable & helpfull whether buying small or large items.I wish them well in their new venture.

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[warrior40]

Re and another thing

Our chandlers shuts on Sunday!!! How queer is that!! What a bizzare way to run a buisness, Its the one of only two days in the week when people are on their boats and need to buy stuff!! Is it me or is this plain silly? The chandler in question by the way, takes its name from the beaufort scale, if you get my drift..

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