YET ANOTHER CHANDLERY CHAIN GOES BELLY UP

R

ROSSCO

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I have just been round to the London Yacht Centre -aka Marine Force - to find that, although they were due to close in 2 weeks time as their lease has run out, they have closed early as Marine Force has gone into liquidation.
I was about to order a load of stuff - saved by the bell!
 
Argh!

I presume that also includes Capt OM Watts, Pumpkin et al?

Now where am I going to go for my shackles and string?
 
Where is sale ????

So where is liquidation sale of inventory ??????
 
Re: Where is sale ????

There won't be one!

These shops have been going bankrupt on a regular basis for the last few years. Probably be bought as a "going concern" and re-opened under a new name in a few weeks time
 
Re: Where is sale ????

Two or three of the stores have already been bought by a previous owner of part of the group. These include Lymington. They were at SBS
I think that Pumpkin are independent and now at Emsworth.
 
Re: Where is sale ????

Its the old classic way of avoiding mounting debts - fold the company and sell as a going concern to the only interested buyer who happens to be the wife/brother/cousin of the last director to run it into the ground.
 
Re: Where is sale ????

This chain especially - it has gone bust and been resurrected many times over the past few years, each time with a different name.

The writing was on the wall if you visited their Donnington (Chichester) store recently - hardly any stock for the past 6 months. I just bought an anchor windlass from them and was able to beat them down by 15% just by making a jokey aside, which made me wonder if all was well.

No doubt they'll be back in business within days once again, what's the name going to be this time?
 
Never mind, according to another post on this forum the UK is booming, must be down to bad management or whatever. BUT it can't be down to a bad economy because we're in a BOOM
Yeah Right
 
Re: Cap\'n Watts too...

Cap'n Watts was anyway getting out of being an Admiralty Chart agent. This means that with Kelvin Hughes gone, there's nowhere in Central London you can get 'proper' charts (I mean the real ones, not these small-craft things). Last time I wanted some I had to order them from Kelvin Hughes over the net. (Takes longer +more dosh) A real pain.
 
Maybe their lack of attention to the business - On a similiar subject I just tried to order something from the Compass site and guess what - it has no place for your to put in your country in the delivery address. Don't people check these sites before going live with them?
 
Re: Cap\'n Watts too...

Try Marine Leisure next to the Embankment Underground at the end of Hungerford bridge

Jim
 
And that is despite our prices being the highest in Europe. How do the others seem to do so well.

My year's berthing, including lift out and dry storage in Scandinavia, is less than £500 for a 12m boat. And the sailing is better, warmer, more exciting and much more pleasant than in UK.
 
But one that hasn\'t!

In the defence of the UK chandlery industry;

Many retailers are working on profit margins that drop as low as single figures on some products. How many of you business men out there would even consider margins that small?

It is true that some products are much cheaper overseas, but our retail prices are based on the trade purchase prices. The manufacturers set them and we have to pay it.

Yes almost identical items can be bought for a third of the price in the US, but we can not supply that item to you because it doesn't have a CE mark! I suggest you refer to the manufacturers if you feel you are paying to much.

Our prices are on some products, a few pennies dearer than Marineforces were, and we can't always answer the phone because we sometimes have other "non-retail chandlery" projects on the go that consume lots of time. The only way we can justify our webshop and its pricing is by not having huge telesales teams and shops in prestigious locations.

Support the smaller proper business's run by people who also enjoy the sport. (when I get the time that is) You will end up with better service and a regular supplier for the future. BUT, it might cost you a few pence more!

Your choice

happy sailing.


www.yachtbits.co.uk
sales@yachtbits.co.uk
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