Pumpkin Marine

andyball

andyball

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Sad to say that it looks as if pumpkin have gone out of business : they didn't open as advertised after the boat show, & now have a notice on the door saying that due to a leak... they're closed.

However, to judge from the state of the shop ( much cleared out & not very wet) & recent lack of advertising - they may not open again.
 
I got a phone call on Friday from one of the sales reps who covers our patch to say they have gone bust, the leak may well be just a coincidence. If anyone has any problems with their gear they have bought through them and need help, give me a shout as I may be able to help as I hold acounts with most of the main marine suppliers.
 
Reminds me of a computer company I went to see after they had a leak, when I got there a couple of staff were busy spraying racks of goods down with a hosepipe!
 
I had a lucky break then.....

...because after being told that my phone order, with C.card details for an Icom M1Euro V hald held could only be serviced after the SIBS, we paid an unscheduled visit on the closing day to the show. After a little "discussion" with staff on their stand I persuaded them to cancel my mail order and sell me one there and then. I tried to follow uo the cancellation with a fax on the monday but their machine was switched off. It accepted the fax tuesday morning though.

Sad to hear of their demise. I bought a lot of gear from them in their first incarnation when they had shops in St Mary's St Southampton and up a back street in Parkstone, Poole.

I wonder if perhaps they actually shaved TOO much off their prices. My HH was almost £15 cheaper than anyone else's at the show.

Steve Cronin
 
Re: I had a lucky break then.....

I work in retail, publishing trade information aimed at retailers and I can assure you that things are very very bad out there at the moment.

Good for the public, because prices are going to be cheap in the run up to Christmas, but that will just mean more small retailers going out of business and the usual crop of furniture outlets.

Steve you speculate that Pumkin may have shaved too much off their prices, but as many forumites refer to marine equipment retailers as 'swindleries' why didn't the boat equipment buying public flock to them and their cheap prices instead of moaning about expensive chandleries?

I know retail is far more complex than my simple analysis but, it makes you think.
 
Re: I had a lucky break then.....

'Discount' chandlery business come and go all to often.... A very fickle business.

Very few in this business actually make any money to speak of.
 
I always took the term \"Swindleries\"

as being unjust when it came to marine electronics etc but when you can pay up to double for the same Porta-Potti. set of plates or a kettle in a chandlery that you pay in a caravan shop supplied by the same "Burden Group" (Mark Dowland Marine) then my sympathy wains a bit.

Steve Cronin
 
Re: I always took the term \"Swindleries\"

One difference is that Caravan shops dont have expensive waterfront property to pay for, well not as much I doubt.
 
Prime property ...

A small Chandlery on Hayling Island at Mengham Shops has also gone out of biz ..... so that only leaves Sparkes Marina with a Chandlery on the island ....

I did not see prime waterfront property at Mengham Shops .....
 
Re: I always took the term \"Swindleries\"

Have to admit I buy quite a lot of my stuff from caravan centres, because they are very common in Cheshire and chandlers aren't.

I think that the huge spreads that caravan sales centres have offset the price of near water properties.
 
Caravan vs Chandlers ...

many items are actually same but relabeled ....

Hatch stays ... the extending ones ..... same as some window stays .... EXACTLY same .... Caravan shop 9.99 a pair, chandlers often more expensive for 1 .....

Marine environment is more harsh - agreed ..... but internal cabin items are not so subject to the environment and many items are same in both worlds ... just different prices and labels ....
 
Re: Caravan vs Chandlers ...

When we moved to Northney, this year, I was pleased to see that Pumkin were on site. However after a few visits it was clear that anything you wanted they didnt have, the shop was a tip, and nothing appeared to be that cheap. In the end we found that to jump in the car and drive around to Seateach in Emsworth was the only way we could be sure to get what we wanted.

But as Crisser says it IS tough out there, I think there is an 'orrible shock on its way!
 
Re: Caravan vs Chandlers ...

>> it was clear that anything you wanted they didnt have...>>>

That's exactly what I found - Often the bearded one would say " No - people keep asking for that, but..."

Mind you, seateach do a good line in similar responses.



I managed to buy some antifouling once, & a h/h gps ages ago : but as a chandlery?

Think it was the cheap rent that brought them to Northney.
 
Re: Prime property ...

[ QUOTE ]
A small Chandlery on Hayling Island at Mengham Shops has also gone out of biz ..... so that only leaves Sparkes Marina with a Chandlery on the island ....

I did not see prime waterfront property at Mengham Shops .....

[/ QUOTE ]

The 'chandlery' at Sparkes is only a small store with not a lot in it. Its actually run and stocked by Sparkes Marina themselves as when the original independent chandlery shop closed down at the marina no other existing Chandlery chains could be enticed in.

So Sparkes had no choice other than to fill the vacancy themselves. No money in this Chandlery business you know!!!!!
 
Re: Prime property ...

And the reason that it's hard to make money, is that it's a business that only trades at sensible levels for half the year, unless you're big enough, like the Marine Super stores.

dv.
 
Sparkes ...

Great location ... pity about the rest of it !!

Not surprised no-one wanted to take over the shop - olny advantage with Sparkes Marina is afloat 24 / 7 .... apart from that ..... YUK !
 
Re: Sparkes ...

Nigel said that from the safety of his Baltic bolt hole.

I am heading over there now as he has said in the Lounge that if you visit his boat you can drink all you can at his expense.
 
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