New Boat bits n tackle North Gold Coast

[Burley_Boy]

Took a bike ride home today from work and spotted a new very large tackle and boat accessories retailer being fitted out just near Harbour Town on the Gold Coast.
Located behind the Big Chief Burger joint at the corner of Olsen and Brisbane Rd I could make out no branding but heaps or rods boat seats and all manner of bits n pieces.

I've been in this area for a few years and have always thought that an opportunity existed for a "whitworths" style retailer in this region as we had all the chandlery places tied to boat sellers then a single small expensive Chandlery. Keeping an eye open for an opportunity is not the same as placing your nuts on the line and going for it so interestingly enough a month or so ago Satisfaction Marine opened a new chandlery only shop with big signs saying "largest chandlery on the Gold Coast" Located 100M from the smaller chandlery and just behind harbourtown. Now I've heard what they pay in rent so it will be very very interesting to see who goes belly up and who does well! Even more curious to know who the new retailer is. Could be some great specials coming up for us punters.

[Fishinmishin]

I know the next location Bias open up is around Southport......may be them already ???. I'm usually all in for the small bloke if they keep it fair but some old b*strd at that smaller one you talk about was pretty damn rude and in my face last time I was there. Think cause of the look of me, he thought I was sure to steal something before considering buying it. I wasn't too impressed .
Cheers, Jay

[1337]

Hey Burley_Boy,

Re: this new chandlery opened by satisfaction marine. Is it walking distance from their main show room .. and on the same side of that road ?

Regards
CT

[Burley_Boy]

1337, the 2floor Satisfaction Marine store is Opposite Boatorama on the Harbourtown (northern side) of Brisbane Rd.
Walking distance if you have 10minutes or so and you will have to cross the Rd.

lol at Jay, i know the ol codger at that chandlery and yes he can come accross as hmmm how shall I say it... hmm give up! lol Drop in for a coffee at my place next time instead. You might be right it may be BIAS as I didn't recognize the range as any I'd seen down here before. Black plastic over all the windows.
I'll give the old bastard a bit of stick in the morning if I ride the bike to work. lol. He's been trying to sell that place for over a year now, could be dropping in value.

[gogecko]

Hmmm, is this the same new chandlery on the Brisbane rd entrance to harbourtown thats advertising on the radio as the largest on the coast? I went in last week looking for a portable light and was very disappointed with the range of everything. Although this is not behind big chief burgers, its about 300m West along bris rd.Sounds like youve spotted another one.

As for Satisfaction marine, I wont go there on principle. I took my tinnie and Tohatsu 40 in for service and they said they couldnt fix it, (no compression) and I might as well take the old girl to the tip. These guys are the Tohatsu authorised dealers, too. Then I found some old guy backyarder, who took 10 mins to tell, 'broken head gasket' and fixed it, with a head grind, $340 all up.

Next time its Whitworths for me because of the large range.

[Burley_Boy]

Gecko, that new chandlery you just mentioned on the Brisbane Rd side of harbourtown with the BIG advertising, IS satisfaction marine!! They have just bought up a stock of BLA gear and set up their chandlery section at another location to the boat shop.
THe one I refer to is behind big chief burgers, has no sign up yet and is not open and I'm curious if it could be a BCF (boating camping fishin) which is a new arm of Supa Cheap Autos who is planning 11 shops in QLD over 05-06. THe fallout will be interesting to watch.

[gogecko]

Correction, I shouldnt slag out satisfaction marine, I meant to say the problems were all with the other guys on the cnr of Bris rd and Pineridge rd.
Anyway, Rus Weber at Pimpama is a top mechanic if you need one.

[Brejen]

gogecko mate they ARE the same mob. The one on pine ridge rd is the older shop where they sell the boats and have just opened up the chandlery up the Rd opposite boatarama. Have had a few dealings with these bloke as well and have to admitte not in to great a hurry to head back
Brett

[Burley_Boy]

Having said that they would have changed ownership in the last 6months but whether they will get a good reputation under new management is for them to earn. There are pleny of boatshops in the area with pretty average reputation, fair or unfair but its my local observation.

[reScuE_RanGEr]

Hey

I think as boaties we should be happy that we have so many options now for buying chandlery and gear at the Northern end of the coast. We shouldnt be worried about how much rent someone's paying or who's gonna go bust. We should be trying to support them all.

Satisfaction's new store - Boating & Leisure World is definitely cheaper than whitworths and modcraft but we have to expect it will take them a few months to get everything sorted out.

They have an excellent loyalty club which is free to join and also give away your first year's membership to VMR Southport. Being an active member of VMR Southport I have experienced a lot of marine businesses who arent interested in supporting the local VMR groups. Fortunately Satisfaction Marine and Boating & Leisure World arent like that and are willing to give something back to the community groups.

So, let's give them all a fair go.


PS the new store behind big chiefs is going to be a BCF store

[Burley_Boy]

No one here's worried ranger, it will be interesting to see what type of quality we get out of BCF. I'm certainly curious and I'll try to buy one reef anchor from each to keep them all in business.

Mate on the other hand I do have an interest in what is and what is not viable enterprises and what factors drive successful businesses to further success and what drives others to the wall so I won't worry but I will watch with interest. The question is when you hit the balance of when the supply is higher than the demand and there will be fallout if that happens.
We have long been lacking a large supplier up here and suddenly we have two within 300M vying for the crown of largest on the coast.

The ones that hit the right balance of service and value will keep the support so I'm sorry but "support them all" is fairytale speak and will not happen! A supa cheap auto style is miles away from a modcraft style so people will shop where it suits them. In my opinion a serious chandlery needs to be separate from a boat yard so we're moving in the right direction.