Wal-Mart fishing for a niche in N.J - marketing saltwater fishing gear

Discount Store News, Sept 6, 1993

TOMS RIVER, N.J. -- A look at the extensive saltwater fishing gear at this new store close to the Jersey shore shows that Wal-Mart, despite operating more than 1,900 stores, can customize its offerings.

Wal-Mart "is trying to localize each store as much as possible," one store manager said. "It's treating each store individually."

To assist that customizing effort, Wal-Mart uses three sporting goods distributors, Maurice Sporting Goods in the Northeast and others in California and Florida.

Although Wal-Mart buys a great deal of its products direct, distributors' computer software can help with regional enhancements, right down to micro-marketing an individual store, if necessary.

"It's a very complex process," said a marketing official for one of the three.

Last spring, the Toms River store was splitting its offerings between fresh water and saltwater fishing gear. But with the end of the season upon them, "we're trying to get more into saltwater [gear]," the manager said.

Compare to fresh water, saltwater fishing knows few seasonal limits beyond what fishermen can endure in the way of weather. Moreover, the customer demographics of the Toms River store, which opened in March, and those of the nearby Manahawkin store, which opened in July, help explain the push for salt water fishing tackle and boating equipment.

Each summer, hordes of vacationers jam the area's ocean beaches and resort towns. And Ocean County, where the stores are located, is a mecca for retirees, with scores of retirement villages providing tens of thousands of year-round retirement condos and mobile homes.

Just before Labor Day--the official end of the summer season--saltwater and boating gear occupied most of the sporting goods departments of both stores.

Toms River, offered seven 20-foot gondola runs, having converted one to fall hunting apparel from body boards and water skis. Manahawkin offered eight runs, still trying to clear out water sports equipment on one of them.

And at its entrance, that store was featuring two models of EasyRider body boards alongside its shopping carts, one priced at $17, down from $19.96, and another at $27.97. In its power aisle bordering sporting goods, the Manahawkin store featured the Cypress Garden kneeboard a 64, down from $89.97.

Another power aisle pallet carried crabbing gear: two models of crab pots from South Bend and one from Foxy-Mate; two models of crab nets, Cummings and Brinken; crab tongs from South Bend; and Bayou Ed's live bait keeper. The display lacked only chicken necks for bait and crab boil.

The saltwater merchandising approach starts includes: boat and trailer accessories, including protectors to keep saltwater out of trailer wheel bearings and the grease in them; equipment to guide fishermen to their favorite spots; gear to help them find fish when they arrive--rods, reels and tackle heavy enough to catch a shark; radios and cellular phones to call home or the Coast Guard; scales and tape measures to prove they weren't lying; and $22.97 electric filleting knives from American Angler to prepare their catch.

In addition to open gondolas, Wal-Mart also uses a number of locked glass cases to protect more expensive product, such as reels costing as much as $120, loran navigation radios, sonar fish and depth finders, and marine radios.

One of the locked cases on a gondola is a reel information center displaying reels out of the box and mounted on rails.

Other glass cases behind the staffed sporting goods counter carry loran, sonar and communications gear that in a southern Wal-Mart would be displaying rifles, shotguns, 9mm automatics and .357 magnum revolvers.

Because of tough firearm laws, the New Jersey Wal-Marts so far aren't offering guns.

Toms River also stocked various Coast Guard pamphlets, such as on navigation aids, boat fire safety tips and free boat inspections. In the spring, it carried entry blanks for the 1993 Big Bass World Championship tournament.

Some examples of locked case goods included: Eagle II depth finder, $169.97, was $189.97; Micrologic Loran Navigator, $287.87; Hummingbird sonar fish finder, $277.17; Ranger RC1-600 marine radio. $129.97; Innova cellular phone, $47.97; and Penn Senator deep-sea reel, $119.97.

For propelling boats shallow Barnegat Bay waters, Manahawkin carries two models of Minn-Kota trolling motors at $294.96 and $199.96, while Toms River carries three skus of MotorGuide trolling motors at $388.96, $129.41, and $99.97.

To power those motors, both stores stocked marine starting and trolling batteries in the automotive battery rack in the power aisle. They included the Energizer starting battery, 625 MCA, $44.93, and the GNB deep cycle trolling battery, $58.87.

Two gondola runs of boating accessories included: five skus of boat covers from Stern, priced $69.96 to $114.96; 15-pound mushroom anchor from Greenfield Products, $18.96; Star-Brite teakwood cleaner, one quart, $4.96; Swivel-Eze pedestal to raise fishing seat, $46.97; Barbie Doll children's life vest, by Ero Industries, $12; and Altwood boat fender, $6.47.