T&T: West Marine marketing

[Faure, Marin]

>They are more than happy to order things that I was used to finding in
the coastal Florida stores.

Given the comprehensive contents of online catalogs from people like
West Marine, Fisheries Supply, Defender, etc., and the efficiency of
folks like FedEx, UPS, DHL, etc, if your local store doesn't have an
item in stock I don't see much point in getting them to order it for you
because the chances are that you'll get it faster if you order it
yourself online.  I don't believe online ordering is a replacement for
going into a store in person because you can get the advantage of
talking to people in the store who know the pros and cons of various
products or can advise you what product will work best in your
particular application (if there are such people in the store).  But if
you want a specific windshield wiper blade and the store is out of it,
or doesn't carry it but has it in their catalog, I think it's faster
(and maybe even cheaper since you can shop around at your desk) to order
it online.

______________________________
C. Marin Faure
GB36-403 "La Perouse"
Bellingham, Washington