What makes a good tackle store

[DKW83]

Sitting around this morning and got me thinking, What do people look for when shopping at a tackle store, or what makes a good tackle store?

This could be a good thread i think.

[Surfingant]

You've gotta have staff that are passionate about fishing, if they are just there because it is a job then it really doesn't work and the customers will notice.

[plugger]

genuine service by real people that fish (if that makes sense). good range of quality gear.

[Damien2Rad]

People who fish and are keen to share.

Barra Jacks in Rocky is awesome. They all fish, they're all keen and they know the gear well because they use what they sell.

Tackle Warehouse is my other favourite, though one or two of the guys there are a bit quiet for some one like me who likes to have a chat.

I go to BCF when I know what I want and / or theres a sale on.

But for major rod and reel purchases, I'll always go to those two stores.

[madmullet]

1. service

2. knolage

3. quality

4. range

5. passion

6. good prices

7. relyability

8. versatility

9. cheerful staff

and finally

10. wow factor

[Eug]

Listening to customer feedback, chatting in the store, the internet is a fantastic medium to communicate as a lot of people who walk in are making informed decisions about what they are going to buy and how much they should be paying for it even before they walk in the store.

However if you can make the pricing competitive to a more local specific application then that would interest me. As anything other than that most other people would buy online, however I'll go in to a tackle store that I know looks after me and support them as well as having a chat.

For example if customers are breaking trebles on particular fish (i.e. if a small bass hardbody is doing the goods on bigger jewfish) then an upgrade deal on lure/treble/ring purchase to make a floating lure suspend a little more would be something people would go in to check out and purchase.

This ties back in with customer feedback, it means that the tackle store is keeping their ears to the ground and knows what's working where and making it affordable for others to also try out.

[51MPL]

Main things i look for are:

*Good customer service - example at tackle warehouse anyone that goes past you (well in all the times i've been there) will always ask if you need any help with anything, and they don't mind having a chin-wag because they are passionate about fishing.

*Good range of quality gear with decent prices

[plugger]

also if you could pull up with boat in tow would be awesome

[Do$tylz]

If you can have hot chicks that know their fishing and can talk about it all day long I think you'd be onto a winner.

Well presented gear is something that draws my eyes and makes me go wow. Decent pricing and friendly knowledgable people.

[Jords]

I definitely think that a well segmented and merchandised store is a must. When I was in singapore checked out a few of the stores there (they are mad about their high-end tackle!) and the first store had rods reels and line one one floor, then upstairs had walls and walls of lures, segment by brand, category (surface vs. crank vs. plastic etc.), and it was just clean and easy to shop!

Also had another store which had it segmented by fishing type - inshore/estuary stuff one floor, game/popping gear upstairs, much like a casino with a high-rollers lounge upstairs :side:

Obviously good staff are also a must

[hulk]

Service and knowledge go hand in hand. Knowing what equipment will best suit your needs and actually having that equipment available. The rapport between customer and staff is built from there.

We had tackle shop at Carseldine come to our fishing club to do a demo on fishing with lures. They supplied giveaways did an hour demo and now many from our club have built a rapport with their shop and purchase from there when they wouldn't have before.I suppose to go that little bit extra for customers without having to highlight the point that they have gone further

[Tryme]

all of the above and being able to convince the customer to walk out with something.

[robin]

Someone that you can have a good old yarn to, someone that will sell there knowledge rather then the product, that type of sales person will make me buy from them , and you will find that i will want to get the best that i can that i can get with what funds i have.

What I hate is having sales people bug me when i don't want to chat to them, when i say bug me i meen like come up to me every 5 mins asking if i need help.

I also hate sales people that will try to sell you the most $$$ product they have and its not what you have asked for.

[Whiskers]

Well up until recentley I was a BCF guy but after a few dealings with The Tackle Shop Carseldine and Jones tackle I'm sold on suporting your local!

Both these shops have fantastic customer service with all the know how to help us fishos out.

and it's a total myth to think these guys are more expensive, well sure you might pay a little more for your lures but when it comes down to the serious stuff they will move a hell of a lot more than the big guys.

Took a snaped rod back today and with out question was warranted.

Cam

[Manni79]

Some of these is what i look for or would like to see:

Early open and late close times to make it more accessible

On line shop for those too lazy to walk in

Excellent customer service & knowledge

Staff that actually fish and are passionate and can share local knowledge etc.

Large range of brands and products to cover most applications

Perhaps a loyalty card that offered discounts regularly as oppose to just being used for marketing/shop data

Competitive pricing

At the end of the day if you have a good range of products, good pricing people will walk through the door.

However to have them coming back week after week will hinge on customer service you provide.

[bootyinblue]

Good range, good knowledge, good pricing, good hours, and good hooters at the register ;-)

[Jords]

Some of these is what i look for or would like to see:

Early open and late close times to make it more accessible

On line shop for those too lazy to walk in

Excellent customer service & knowledge

Staff that actually fish and are passionate and can share local knowledge etc.

Large range of brands and products to cover most applications

Perhaps a loyalty card that offered discounts regularly as oppose to just being used for marketing/shop data

Competitive pricing

At the end of the day if you have a good range of products, good pricing people will walk through the door.

However to have them coming back week after week will hinge on customer service you provide.

I think a good online shop is a must. Gives me a good idea of what I will see in the shop, as well as makes it easy to buy gear as a time rich, petrol poor student. Seems to be a must to survive in the modern retail world

[tomca]

Gotta have good staff.

And a good spread of gear, from cheap lures right through the reels that need to be behind glass so they don't get drool on them

[ellicat]

Extended trading hours.

The good gear should be close to the exit

No security cameras.

[DKW83]

There are a lot of good points being raised.

It seems there are 3 common themes

1. Good, knowledgable staff

2. Competitive pricing

3. Array of different products

So if i can achieve the above then i might have a successful tackle store lol

[Eug]

There are a lot of good points being raised.

It seems there are 3 common themes

1. Good, knowledgable staff

2. Competitive pricing

3. Array of different products

So if i can achieve the above then i might have a successful tackle store lol

You forgot the most important point Dan.

and good hooters at the register ;-)

[DKW83]

Yes very true, but that happens every Saturday when we hold the boat wash lol

[tiotony]

I think a lot was lost when shops had to become Australia wide just to be competetive with their prices. For example Bunnings and BCF. I think this has killed the local store. I can remember back in the 80's when Mossops was THE tackle store in Brisbane and I also used to frequent a little tackle shop next to a servo just past Beenleigh that was open 24 hours on the weekends, just for late teen fishaholics like me making the weekend pilgrimage to the Gold coast at stupid o'clock.

[Baptism]

bcf and rays are basically the same company.

big stores do well in terms of pricing and lower end gear,

but the smaller ones are more specialised and usually have better gear stocked.

I still find myself struggling to find a good range of lures at bcf

anyway I guess what im saying is that a good tackle stores should have:

1. knowledgeable staff

2. good range of gear

3. competitive prices(where possible; Ive seen stuff double the price of what I can get elsewhere)

If I wasnt such a wuss I'd start my own tackle store just to show up the big companies

[Bi_polar]

If tackle shops could have 1 or 2 people dedicated to online sales and do 1 or 2 deliveries a day in Brisbane that would be great. I am sure that alot of us here know what we are after and with the cost of door to door freight with the likes of Couriers Please and other freight companies that charge under 10 bux to get something delivered the same day. But this is a market in itself and would have to be promoted properly to be successful. Lets face it, not all of us but alot of us are going to spend an hour in the car there and back or more and fuel costs.... i think 8 bux is nothing for that sort of convenience.

[distrojunkie]

online sales are fine,living on Russell Island makes it more of a need for pensioners and trans costs to stores can out way cost of frieght. However you can not go past being in a store and seeing and feeling the product(s) you wish to purchase, or the personal assist of a sales person.

[Bi_polar]

Agreed, Going into a good tackle store can be compared to a religious experience and for all my larger purchases i still like to go into the store and feel the product.

I have one of the best tackle stores 5 minutes from my front door (Fish Head) and still love walking in there and being greeted by their staff that are up to date on all the gear and what is biting.

But for alot of people that work long hours and need something in a hurry, you cant beat picking up the phone or getting online and ordering the stuff you want and getting them to post it of freight it.