NormanS
Well-Known Member
Some of us don't have the luxury of a local Chandlery, and are therefore obliged to make use of on-line or mail order. I have had excellent service from several, including Force4 and Gaelforce.
On-line chandleries: how hard can it be? (rant)
- Thread starter Koeketiene
- Start date
Plevier
Well-Known Member
10% extra? I wish!
Antifoul in Marine Superstore £85.
Same brand in my friendly local chandler £124.95. Maybe it's extra for the rusty last year's cans.
Antifoul in Marine Superstore £85.
Same brand in my friendly local chandler £124.95. Maybe it's extra for the rusty last year's cans.
mjcoon
Well-Known Member
It would not take manpower if there is a computerised stock control system (surely everywhere, these days!) and it is linked to the on-line ordering system. I assumed that was how it was always done, these days.
Mike.
zensilence
New Member
+1 for Boatlamps for your LEDs (www.boatlamps.co.uk)
Brilliant service, very good range of excellent reliable bulbs and lamps. Highly recommended.
Just a very satisfied customer.
Agree with you about the frequent frustrations when trying to get specific items from huge online dealers. I have often found that a smaller or more specialised supplier is not necessarily that much more expensive than a large online company, and I value the more personal interaction and helpful advice.
Brilliant service, very good range of excellent reliable bulbs and lamps. Highly recommended.
Just a very satisfied customer.
Agree with you about the frequent frustrations when trying to get specific items from huge online dealers. I have often found that a smaller or more specialised supplier is not necessarily that much more expensive than a large online company, and I value the more personal interaction and helpful advice.
Seajet
...
I had this discussion when working at a chandlery - the Spring paint sales were the busiest time of the year - and a small but very useful local chandlery run by great people.
When I commented that a larger local chandlery - who had given me and chums terrible service to the point we boycot the place - were offering antifoul at a low price, the very nice lady at the good outfit replied that she simply could not compete with their bulk buying, they sold it at a loss as a loss leader to get people in.
I was unhappy I couldn't put my money her way, but armed with the knowledge that it was costing them money I got the paint from the cowboys and made sure I didn't buy anything else !
chewi
Well-Known Member
Chandlers that dont't stock will inevitably collapse, they have nothinbg to offer and no bulk to discount it with.
To the chandler that wants £125/tin tell them what you want, and see what they can do it for. If they can't do a deal go elsewhere. They will have had the opportunity to make something and cement a goodwill relationship. If they pass up on that they won't last either.
My local man was no techy but once had a website only chandlery, but he spent so long answering emails for sales that didn't materialise he went back to what he knew- face to face customers and stock on the shelf. What he hasn't got he will get , and if not he will tell you where to get it instead.
The analogy with Tesco and the suggestions about delivery to your corner shop look odd in combination.
Tesco will put the corner shop out of business, and I dont think Tesco will receive chandlery deliveries for anyone.
When there are no more corner stores or other supermarkets to compete with, Tesco will not be cheap.
To the chandler that wants £125/tin tell them what you want, and see what they can do it for. If they can't do a deal go elsewhere. They will have had the opportunity to make something and cement a goodwill relationship. If they pass up on that they won't last either.
My local man was no techy but once had a website only chandlery, but he spent so long answering emails for sales that didn't materialise he went back to what he knew- face to face customers and stock on the shelf. What he hasn't got he will get , and if not he will tell you where to get it instead.
The analogy with Tesco and the suggestions about delivery to your corner shop look odd in combination.
Tesco will put the corner shop out of business, and I dont think Tesco will receive chandlery deliveries for anyone.
When there are no more corner stores or other supermarkets to compete with, Tesco will not be cheap.
Plevier
Well-Known Member
Are you calling Marine Superstore (NB not Megastore) "cowboys"? I don't think many people would agree with that. OK half of it looks like a fashion shop and you can spend a fortune on the latest if you want, but there's also an excellent range of chandlery and decent service.
In any case quite a number of other chandlers are close to Marine Superstore's price that I quoted for this a/f, plenty below £100.
At 47% higher it's not surprising these local tins are rusting!
Seajet
...
Troubadour,
talk about adding 2 + 2 and getting 44 !
I did not mention Marine SuperStore in any way in that last post, I have mentioned them previously in this thread as being excellent...
The larger chandlery I was thinking of is a lot closer to my boat than that, and is NOT one of the chains.
talk about adding 2 + 2 and getting 44 !
I did not mention Marine SuperStore in any way in that last post, I have mentioned them previously in this thread as being excellent...
The larger chandlery I was thinking of is a lot closer to my boat than that, and is NOT one of the chains.
Plevier
Well-Known Member
Troubadour,
talk about adding 2 + 2 and getting 44 !
I did not mention Marine SuperStore in any way in that last post, I have mentioned them previously in this thread as being excellent...
The larger chandlery I was thinking of is a lot closer to my boat than that, and is NOT one of the chains.
You were commenting on my post that specifically referred to them.
Glad to have your clarification.
lustyd
Well-Known Member
Why should I put the effort in to keep their business afloat? As I said earlier, Tesco trounced local shops and the high street because they gave people what they wanted. 24 hour service, free parking, fully stocked, reasonable prices. These big stores would win even if they had the same prices because they offer convenience. As Pete said, there's only so many times you make the short trip to the local chandlers to be met by disappointment before you just accept that a longer trip is ultimately more economical on fuel and time.
JumbleDuck
Well-Known Member
Because when you unexpectedly need a shackle, a block, a toilet seal or a new mooring rope during the season, you might not want to wait a day or a week for an online supplier to deliver?
prv
Well-Known Member
You're arguing the wrong argument. Dave isn't advocating online suppliers over bricks-and-mortar shops, he's advocating large, competent bricks-and-mortar shops over small, incompetent ones. Force 4 or Marine Superstore will cheerfully sell him that shackle, block or seal in person. Shamrock Chandlery, before it went bust, would probably have had an empty shelf and a surly assistant saying "no".
Pete
BlueChip
Well-Known Member
Tesco finished off all our local petrol stations by offering discounted fuel at prices that the other garages could not match, now that most of the other petrol stations have closed Tesco have raised their prices and we now have most expensive fuel prices for miles.
Drive just about 10 miles to Watford where this is still supplier competition and fuel is about 10p a litre less.
lustyd
Well-Known Member
Tesco didn't do that, you did that by purchasing on price alone. All Tesco did was put a more attractive option in place for you so that you could fuel up on the same journey as your shopping. Tesco have every right to charge what they like, and if that opens the market for someone to undercut them then great - if that happens and you feel strongly about it then make sure you use the other fuel station to make your point.
lustyd
Well-Known Member
Quite right, I don't think I've ever purchased boat stuff online but I regularly use the MSS website to check stock before going there. I often ask their advise too and either get detailed explanations or admission that they don't know the answer. I've never been told "I don't know" in a small chandler despite knowing for a fact that their answer was being made up on several occasions. I've also tried supporting small chandler on several occasions by letting them order stuff in for me. When checking a few weeks later they had no record of the request and so again I drove to the competent folks down the road.
JumbleDuck
Well-Known Member
Whoops. Yes, that's fair enough.
Heckler
Well-Known Member
Plus one
Stu
sailorman
Well-Known Member
Our local chandlery will price match Seamark-Nunn online prices & i always check for items of over £20, i saved a fiver on a whale filter & £100 on an anchor
[70521]
Well-Known Member
I have to declare an interest here, I spent many years in Stock Control and had the wonderful job of managing the computerisation of the stock control system for a major food manufacturer, so have more knowledge that I really want about the topic
Koeketiene
Well-Known Member
1. They don't price match electronics
2. Not a fan of this price match bollox - I'd rather spend my money with the outfit selling an item at the best price off the bat.
