Why do I shop at FMS?

1063 Views 31 Replies 19 Participants Last post by [email protected], Sep 9, 2003

Freakwater

Discussion Starter · Sep 8, 2003

Went to FMS Friday to buy a marine search light I needed later that evening. FMS completely out of stock of all search lights.......Classic.....

West Marine too expensive, Joe's got the sale with their cheapy Joe's Outdoors brand.

Seems like any savings I ever get at FMS, I blow on gas the next time. Plus, you have to be very selective when shopping FMS. For example, crawdad trap for $16.99....exact same at Joe's $7.99 and $5.99 at BiMart.

Freak

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Abalone

· #2 · Sep 8, 2003

Do us all a favor ! Next time you go in there tell them. I went in there Friday to buy anchor rope.
The were sold out. I had to restock the Fifty dollars worth of other stuff I had already picked. I told them I may as well put everything back if I am going to go To G.I. Joes. They are still on the start up phase. Give them a little time to dial in and I think they are going to save us a lot of money.
Make sure you ask for the manager and then tell them why you are not happy.

They do listen.

Freakwater

Discussion Starter · #3 · Sep 8, 2003

Abalone,

Fisherman's Marine or Sportman's Warehouse? Or are you joking about Fisherman's in "start up phase"?

Freak

skein

· #4 · Sep 8, 2003

I remember when I was about 19 years old and I had just landed a job at THE sporting goods store in Fairbanks, Alaska. I was pretty hot stuff and I knew it!

The VERY FIRST question I got asked I couldn't answer. Geez!

But instead of getting upset or putting me and the store down because of ignorant help, the guy chuckled and said something to the effect of "there's a lot of stuff in here, isn't there? And there's a lot of stuff out there, too. I'm sure glad I don't have to know it all." Then he explained what it was he was looking for and taught me a little bit about being a clerk - and a customer.

I think of that episode more often than I'd like to admit when I'm searching around a sporting goods store that's trying to stock everything a gazillion fishermen/hunters/hikers/campers want to buy.

True story.

Skein

Fishfeet

· #5 · Sep 8, 2003

You won`t catch me bellyaching! I`m just glad to have the money to spend on all that cool stuff. Ar Ar . Fishft.

pearl

· #6 · Sep 8, 2003

Why I fish FMS ?

Because someone I do business with just bought me a $500.00 gift card as a thank you for some additional sales that I generated for them this year.

Going to be a fun Friday trip to the store for me.

[email protected]

· #7 · Sep 8, 2003

Complaint threads are fine, and yes, store management learns from them.
It's just that sometimes these threads just spiral into the depths of doom.
I was trying to head that off, this time. :smile:
Did it work?
Dare I ASK!

J

Fishfeet

· #8 · Sep 8, 2003

You done good!

Phil Layer

· #9 · Sep 8, 2003

http://www.ifish.net/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=24;t=002042

SKP

· #10 · Sep 8, 2003

Freakwater,

You have to post your full name if you are going to complain about a business, Jennie's rules.

SKP

Flatfish

· #11 · Sep 9, 2003

I went to Joes at delta park today. The Brad's I wanted was out of stock. I ask tackle dude, he says they had a sale this weekend, and should get some more soon.

I walk 150 yards to FMS. They were out of the 10 spots they had on sale. I talked to the salesman, he said they had a sale on them this weekend and should have more in stock soon.

Moral of the story? If you are gonna fish on the weekends( when the sales start) you might miss out on the hot color patterns on the sale items.

I will head back tomorrow and Wednsday too. I really do not care too much about sale prices. I just want what I want.

I should have bought them in June when they were everywhere.

Mark and the patient dog.

biederboat

· #12 · Sep 9, 2003

My personal philosophy is that if you go to a restaurant long enough, you'll get a bad meal. Joes, FMS, WMP, Sportsmans, etc. they all have their good and bad points. I will say a good point about FMS is that once I bought a 500' spool of anchor rope only to find a "break" in it (the mfgr doesn't assume you're going to use all 500' in one piece). Well, they gave me a "mileage" credit for how far I had to drive to return it. Not bad!

Biederboat

[email protected]

· #13 · Sep 9, 2003

I owe an apology to Freakwater.
I certainly did not intend my post to be directed at him, personally.

It seems as if lately, people have been in the mood to complain about things a little more than usual, and it wears on me, personally.

Many things occur in the background that members are usually not aware of. I'll try to keep that in mind, next time I write a general post.

It was my mistake to think that my salution, "Guys" meant everyone on ifish that has been complaining. I should have started a new post, if I needed to speak my peace.

I do get tired of monitoring complaint posts. It's an ugly business to be in, and it does stress me out. I don't like to drive the vehicle that delivers unpleasant news.

But... that's life, and I'm getting less and less affected by it. Still, it makes for long days. :smile:

Thanks, and Freakwater, I am sorry.

Jen

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wootersen

· #14 · Sep 9, 2003

I'm certainly guilty of complaining about the big 3 (fishermans, sw, and joes) here in Portland. I too have seen my fair share of moaning and I'm done with it. I just don't understand how there stock can run so low on the things we need specifically for that time of the year. I can't find alvins anywhere. :shrug: I agree with flatfish 100%. I don't mind paying full price for something, just stock it when we need it. It's not rocket science. :whazzup:

You won't hear another complaint from me. My opinion will be stated with the dollars that I spend. :wink:

[email protected]

· #15 · Sep 9, 2003

Guys, I'm so tired of these complaint threads.
These stores, all of them, put in time and effort to help our fisheries.
They want to help, both you, the fisherman/woman, and the fisher-ies!
Sometimes they are out of things.
Sometimes they will upset you.
But... sometimes they have had things that have gotten you into fish, and will make you very happy, too!

It's just like anything else, from the way I see it. You are going to have a few unhappy customers, no matter how hard you try... and unfortunately, it is usually the most unsatisifed, who are the most vocal.

They wouldn't still be around, not one of the stores with the complaint threads, if everyone felt this way.

I for one, am going to support my local fishing stores, because they take part of our hard earned dollars and put them right where we want them. --Into the fisheries.

Not only that, I don't get off on ruining someone's day. The businesses we critique so harshly are owned by ordinary people.. and guess what? They have feelings, just like me.

I just feel badly, every time I open one of these, no matter whom it is about.

Jen

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Mark Vickers

· #16 · Sep 9, 2003

I shop there. It's the first place I go. Yeah, I know that they are more expensive than GI Joe's right next door on some items. But they are a locally owned shop and they have a far bigger selection (on the items that I usually look for) than anybody else in the Portland metropolitan area.

I like supporting the local businesses, even if it means that I have to spend a little more money or go to another shop sometimes to get exactly what I want if I'm looking for something specific.

Freakwater

Discussion Starter · #17 · Sep 9, 2003

Jennie,

I'm sorry my post upset you. I posted this in responce to the Joe's thread of a similar name. I'm new to this board and, yes I do get very frustrated with out of stock issues at local stores. I find it interesting to see if other's have similar problem's. I have spoken with management at Fisherman's at Delta Park on a couple of occasions about there stocking. I have read that there are employees at Fisherman's that read ifish and along with my venting, I hope that it could lead to changes that would prevent an out of town store to take some of the local market.

Feel free to delete this post.

Freak

Abalone

· #18 · Sep 9, 2003

Well you are right I was talking about Sportmans but it doesnt' matter, any of the stores are glad
to listen to what you have to say. All respect to Jen, the stores can't help if you don't tell them your problems. Each store has something to offer. Sportsmans warehouse is starting up but they will be an outstanding place to shop.. I like all the stores but sometimes I am dissapointed when
they don't have what I want and I have to run acrossed town to shop somewhere else.

All of them are glad to listen to any suggestions.

On the other hand it can be nerve racking when you are on your way out of town and you need to make a fast stop to replace something in your tackle box that you just realized you ran out of on the last trip. Oops were all out of 12 lbs test. Dang ! I got five minutes to make it to G.I. Joes :shrug: :shrug:

[ 09-08-2003, 12:28 PM: Message edited by: Abalone ]

hookem

· #19 · Sep 9, 2003

Why? because its 2 miles from my house to the oc store and I can jog or ride my bike. the guys working there will take a few minetes to bs about fishing with you (the info on Ifish is much more up to date). The girls working are cute and smile at you and say hi. 90% of what I buy is from the ads, I fill up on stuff as the ads come out. Good place to walk around and talk to other fisherman also. I like joes also and it 1 1/2 miles the other way so I go to both.

Straydog

· #20 · Sep 9, 2003

wootersen,

Without getting into another long drawn out arguement, let me say it is a much more difficult science than it appears on the surface as I have tried to get across in other threads.

Rocket science? No.

But a very difficult balancing act of keeping track of inventories, cash flow, availability of raw materials, the need to sell clean at the end of a season and the varying success of the varying seasons depending on numbers of fish, length of season,regulations that accompany said seasons, weather and the ever changing fancy of thousands of fisherpeople.

As an example, I have watched fishing trends for more than a couple of decades. I watched the Flatfish for Salmon start on the Sacramento river back in the '80's and then over several years move north, grow and evolve into a whole new line of lures, Kwikfish.

I am currently watching the trend of large wobblers move from the northern rivers such as the Columbia and the Willamete south to my neck of the woods. Three years ago I could not have given a Manastee or a Brad's Wobbler away for the Rogue fishery, today we, like evidently the stores up north, can not keep them stock. Puff balls are another example. We have used these for years down here and my associates in the northern market used to laugh at us. Last year they started getting calls for them in the lower Willamette Valley and low and behold, we could not get them when we needed them most. I am confident this trend will grow north and will grow in numbers needed to satisfy the demand in the coming years. How does a factory or wholesaler or retailer plan for such growth in a product and hit the numbers right all the time?
(before I get slammed by someone that used puffballs on the Wilson for years or Flatfish for Salmon on the Columbia since the '70's, I realize there are exceptions but exceptions don't make marketing trends and dictate the market place)

It is a very difficult and challenging science. If anyone believes we as an industry don't want to sell the most goods possible while remaining profitable and not ending up with huge quantities of product (money) sitting in inventory when the season ends or the trend changes, you are simply mistaken. :shrug: :smile:

[ 09-09-2003, 06:23 AM: Message edited by: Straydog ]

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