Another web retailer..??

uswakesupply.com

Saw their ad in the new WB Mag. That makes it now 100 sites that sell Hyperlite!
I remember when I was working at a shop a few years ago there were none. It's got to be hard to make it these days with all these internet sites. Support the shops guys!

I probably just gave them press though...damn, can't win!

Actually, the majority of sponsors that support this website and bring it to you for free are web retailers, so I would have to say support web retailers that support you and encourage your local shop to sell online!

Yes I agree with David. Also alot of web stores are also small stores also. There is such a markup on boards that your local store should work with you to make you happy. I support my local store but if they can't beat the price I will then go to the web.

just my .02 i agree with david about supporting those who help bring us this site (we all take it for granted you know) but here is my take....

i buy at a local shop, for one reason only. Warranty. Sure i might be a board for 30 bucks cheaper online but when it comes time to warranty it it will take three months to get the board back, when my local shop switches it out on the spot. FYI, there is a website coming soon that is working to help get the shops in position to compete online.....David ill email ya. Should have already.

I also think that if your local shop doesn't sell online, they need to get their butts in gear or their competition is going to fly right by them. Every shop should at least have a minimal online presence.

If I was a rep and had to choose between selling my product to shop A that also has a website and shop B that doesn't have a website and has no plans for a website, I'm going to lean towards shop A. I think that's just good business for a manufacturer.

Sure some manufacturers will sell to both, but others have territories and only one shop gets to sell their goods within a certain area. So, in essence, each shop is competing with the shop down the street to get the best lines. I think an online presence gives a shop a huge advantage over those that have none.

Anyone heard of granitebayboardco.com They sell Liberation stuff. Liberation make a great, virtually indestructable board and some sweet wakeskates. Anyways they are a local dealer that sells through a web site...just my 2 cents.

Here in St. Louis, there is no board shop of any quality that I know of (sorry if there is). There are three boat dealerships that have a VERY limited supply of year old product, the sad truth is that Dicks Sporting Goods has the best selection in town.

It should be easier. A local presence is always the best solution, and I would pay a great deal more money for a board if I could demo first.

Here is what I don't understand....why wouldn't a larger retailer that has a full line go national, and basically set up smaller shops on a consignment type basis. In other words, an Overtons or somebody like that puts a full product line at the local dealerships proshop (if it meets the requirements), and the dealership makes a minimal profit with no downside. They arent fronting any money, and they are bringing in all the local riders into their boat shop...to me that would be a no brainer if I was a boat dealership that already has a proshop.

Thats a pipedream I guess...and as long as you have quality shops like Grizzly and others we all have a great option.

robert maybe you should just open a cool boardshop in stl? my local shops take great care of me, and i take great care of them....its business economics 101....service.

That would cut into my fun time...I am busy enough

I disagree.
I think online shops are important. How would a rider in northern Maine get into our sport without the internet or mail order.. Sorry if there is a shop in northern Maine.
However, the board companies need to support the shops that have stuck with them over the years. When they begin to sell to every guy with a domain name...I think it's like crapping on those who got you where you are today.

My opinion of course...

I feel David is right on the money.
Going the OTHER direction I feel that is is quite unfair to allow a web ONLY shop to carry product.

When I used to work for a couple of wakeboard brands a number of years ago when the web was becoming the new big thing, we required our dealers to have a "brick and mortar" store front in order to carry the lines.

There is no overhead with a "virtual shop" and it makes it tough to compete on pricing (which is usually the #1 determining factor in where people buy things)
How would you like it if you were a shop that had demo's available, put all this effort into nurturing quality relationships with your clientel by providing outstanding customer service, worked with Customer A for weeks helping him/her pick out just the right board & bindings and then they turned around and bought online from a web only retailer who was able to crush your price by $40 because of not having to pay rent/wages etc...
Not too cool.
Of course there are strategies to competing as a brick and morter vs. internet only stores.
However one of the biggest is to have a web presence with ecommerce just as David says.

And Socal rider,
There IS a quality shop in Northern Maine (Naples to be exact) that has a good selection of quality wakeboard products however they are not on the web so no one would know that. ;)

Chuck Allen could write you a dissertation on this subject, I had some long phone converations with him about this back in the day.

SoCalrider, that's an excellent point. I didn't mean to imply that they should automatically go with the shop that has a domain name. Obviously, there are a lot of other factors involved. I'm just saying that when it comes down to two shops that are pretty close on all the other factors, an active website might be the key to grabbing a particular line for your territory.

EastCoastJedi, also some excellent points. Most of the board companies do require that you have a brick and mortar store before you carry their product. Most manufacturers also try to enforce minimum advertised prices (MAP). This is where they prohibit shops from advertising prices lower than a certain amount for each product. MAP is set at a point where any reasonably efficient shop should be able to sell at and still make some money. That way, the local shop and the web are not competing on price. In fact, the local shop should be cheaper since you don't have to pay for shipping.

While all this sounds great in theory, it's extremely tough for the manufacturers to enforce MAP. There will always be some website or somebody on Ebay violating MAP. There are actually people that work for the manufacturers that spend a good part of their days searching for this kind of thing on Ebay and trying to find out where the product comes from. If they can trace it to a particular shop, then that shop will probably get a phone call and could possibly lose the line if they continue to violate MAP. But, like I said, there is just no way a manufacturer can cover the entire Internet.

Shops can also get around MAP by offering a lower price to the customer either in person, on the phone or via email. Since this isn't "advertising," it's within the "rules" for them to offer a lower price.

In this case, a brick and mortar shop may have an advantage because they always have the opportunity to talk to the customer face-to-face and offer them a lower price. With an Internet shop, there is seldom dialogue between buyer and seller, so this opportunity is rare.