My gripe against West Marine is their generally higher prices, say compared to
what
I can find online. It's almost unbelievable that they have no competition
around the
lower part of Lake Michigan. There is a Boater's World way West of Chicago, and

hard to get to. I live in a north suburban Chicago area, and can use one West
north of me, or the one in Racine Wisconsin where I keep my boat. These stores
are not
that bad, but as a consumer, I would like to see some competition come in to
this area. If for no other reason, it would give me a larger inventory to
select from. I have been able to get some great buys through the internet from
places like Cabelas,
which is a general sporting goods outfit with a large boating inventory.
However, things like sail hardware are harder to find. Years ago, we had more
stores in Chicago, like Land's End that had a nice selection of hardware. The
big conglomerates like West Marine seems to have forced out all the competition.

Sherwin D.

Thomas Wentworth wrote:

Yesterday afternoon I stopped at a West Marine Store .. have you been to one
of these stores lately? The help ( wait,, I just typed "help" ,, there want
no "help" ) walk around with ear plugs, talking into a mike as if they were
police at a crime scene. And what do they say to each other?

"John, do we carry anchors"? ... "John, what is a GPS"? ..... "John, there
is a guy here looking for a piece of hardware, what is hardware"?

I kid you not. It is laugh a minute nuts.

But the best part is the check-out lady. She carries on a conversation with
herself as she tries to figure out how to ring up sales.

"Come on computer, I know this is right, it didn't do this yesterday, what
am I doing wrong ,,, please swipe your card again and again and again ,,
where did you find that thing ,,, I hope they turn off the GPS that is
talking to me ,,, oh well, do you have cash".

I asked one clerk to show me a GPS handheld unit. He was busy talking into
the secret microphone. Then he looked up and said "I don't know anything
about these things, and John is busy trying to turn off the security alarm
so it might be awhile before you get any help".

HELP?

West Marine ,,, pass at your own risk