Purple - RIP?
Printed From: Yachts and Yachting Online
Category: General
Forum Name: Banter
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URL: http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4700
Printed Date: 16 Aug 25 at 11:44pm
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Topic: Purple - RIP?
Posted By: Alistair426
Subject: Purple - RIP?
Date Posted: 30 Sep 08 at 12:02pm
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I've just tried to order something from Purple Marine only to be told that they "no longer exist as a company". My polite enquiry got no more info than that it was "the result of the current financial situation". Anybody shed any further light? It's really bad news if things are hitting the sailing industry already. My sympathies go out to Jim and Greg and the rest of the Purple folks.
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Replies:
Posted By: Barty
Date Posted: 30 Sep 08 at 12:23pm
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I would suggest that your first paragraph is right and that when Purple are ready to disclose what is happening they will issue a statement to the sailing media. Whilst Purple maybe the first to admit it, the whole marine retail industry (including the manufacturers) are feeling the crunch. They won't be the last ------------- http://www.highlandtopper.com - For Topper boats & spares in Scotland-highlandtopper.com |
Posted By: tgruitt
Date Posted: 30 Sep 08 at 12:23pm
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Yes, they have been liquidated but 'Team Purple' and 'Purple Sails' are
unaffected. This is info i have found on another website, so I don't know how accurate it is. ------------- Needs to sail more... |
Posted By: Barty
Date Posted: 30 Sep 08 at 12:38pm
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http://www.boatingbusiness.com/archive101/2008/october/news/purple_marine_in_voluntary_liquidation - http://www.boatingbusiness.com/archive101/2008/october/news/ purple_marine_in_voluntary_liquidation ------------- http://www.highlandtopper.com - For Topper boats & spares in Scotland-highlandtopper.com |
Posted By: timeintheboat
Date Posted: 30 Sep 08 at 1:15pm
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Sad - I've always had good dealings with the retail side. Does this mean the closure of the chandlers at Rutland? It is going to be tough for those businesses relying on discretionary spending. At the moment any boat spending - other than that required to keep the boats on the water - is well down the priorities for me. Support your local internet chandler! ------------- Like some other things - sailing is more enjoyable when you do it with someone else |
Posted By: ratface
Date Posted: 30 Sep 08 at 1:39pm
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the chandlers at Rutland has been closed, half the reason for this 'lack of trade' is due to hardware and clothing being "made to last" so people are not having to go out and buy new bits for their boat very often, resulting in this lack of trade, doesn't help having the credit crunch as well. ------------- http://www.blym.org.uk/ - BLYM http://www.blym.org.uk/hydrs/index.htm - Hertfordshire Sailing team Uk-Cherub 2644 Laser 4000 -4089 |
Posted By: laser4000
Date Posted: 30 Sep 08 at 2:18pm
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That's a shame. I'd met greg at a couple of events and though he was a really friendly guy.. and it was good to see rutland have a decent on-site chandelry. I wonder what RSC will do there next.. October 1st is traditionally when retailers need to pay the next quarters rent..so I wonder if that might have been the issue for purple. I guess the chandelry marketplace is quite tough especially with the on-line websites 'cuttting the lunch' of the local store - plus then you look at the production / distribution costs for the catalog - although with a decent website why bother as most people under 40 would prefer a website to a dead tree.. I can't imagine this will be the last.. |
Posted By: winging it
Date Posted: 30 Sep 08 at 4:58pm
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I'm 46 and I also prefer a website to a dead tree....and I do tend to only use two sites: P&B and Sailboats. I've used the latter ever since I first got my own dinghy and things had to be ordered from a catalogue, so I still go there out of loyalty and also because they have always offered an excellent service. Lately I've also used P&B when they are competitive on price or when they have an item Sailboats does n't stock. I never bought anything from Purple - I wasn't impressed by their shop when I was at Rutland and never found them that good on price. That being said, I think it would be a bad thing all round if the chandlery marketplace shrinks any further and I know that if I were a Rutland member I would miss having a chandlery on site. We had one at Chew (is it still there - used to be run by Dave Hall's Dad) and I know that when I join Grafham after our move one of the plus points will be a chandler on site. It's a shame. I hope nobody involved lost too much money. ------------- the same, but different... |
Posted By: winging it
Date Posted: 30 Sep 08 at 5:01pm
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But I should also add that I'm now about to start fitting out my i14 almost entirely from scratch - some major spending coming up - and am already trawling ebay regularly because I can also get lots of bits and bobs on there very cheaply indeed. I may well be middle aged, but I am pretty good at this www thing.....   ------------- the same, but different... |
Posted By: Iain C
Date Posted: 30 Sep 08 at 5:07pm
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Hmmm...I'd heard that all of Purple was gone, including Team Purple... ------------- RS700 GBR922 "Wirespeed" Fireball GBR14474 "Eleven Parsecs" Enterprise GBR21970 Bavaria 32 GBR4755L "Adastra" |
Posted By: MRJP BUZZ 585
Date Posted: 30 Sep 08 at 5:17pm
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I used to like their purple tuesday, there used to be some great bargains ------------- Josh Preater http://www.bu22.co.uk">  BUZZING IS FUN
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Posted By: Guest
Date Posted: 30 Sep 08 at 6:25pm
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It's a real shame; I hope everyone manages to get out without too much financial hardship. Hobbies etc. are often the first to suffer when cash is tight so if you can just keep spending to keep our excellent UK marine trade afloat... otherwise we may see more of this ------------- |
Posted By: Quagers
Date Posted: 30 Sep 08 at 8:52pm
Im definatly going to miss the onsite chandlery, the guys in there could be excellent for advice and repairs  I was in there only a couple of weeks ago thought there seemed very little stock, didnt think anything of it.
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Posted By: Merlinboy
Date Posted: 30 Sep 08 at 9:46pm
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No purple sails and team purple are still going Check the GP website out for the facts. Good luck to all involved, i suspect you wont be the last in this tough time! ------------- |
Posted By: radixon
Date Posted: 01 Oct 08 at 8:38am
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No doubt it was when the Southampton Boat Show was on. I seem to go into Mailspeed Marine in Burnham when the boat shows are on and all their stock goes to the show. ------------- |
Posted By: laser4000
Date Posted: 01 Oct 08 at 3:31pm
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Good points TT... I would add that as a loyal northampton sailboats customer from the catalog days i tended to order from them as they had everything in stock and would always deliver next working day. Funnily enough when they went to website then yet again they got my business. Purple got some business from me on the back of their purple tuesday deals. I ordered a PT product and then some other bits and bobs, but I was quite disappointed with the lead times and the handling of the part-shipment - especially cf. sailboats, and as a result they haven't had any more business from me. I originally thought these Purple Tues deals were great, but of late felt the deals where really really dull - either boring products (trolley wheels) or what felt like 20% off, not enough to get my disposable income. I think the other issue is size of the market and number of players. So there were 6 major players - Northampton Sailboats, Purple, Speed, PinBax, Mailspeed, RS all chasing the same 'piece of the pie'. And then you have people like Andark taking some of the clothing business and other cross over stores / local chandelry on-site. I guess I would order no more than 2x a year spending say £100 each order - not exactly a massive amount of revenue. I'm sure lots of keen sailors spend/spent much more and I'm also sure that a large number of 'club' sailors would spend anything much at all on thier boat. Perhaps a new buoyancy aid /wetty/ drysuit every 3 or 4 years or so. Stirkes me as quite a competivie business serving a niche number of customers..always a tough ask - but interested in others thoughts/comments on spend levels / order frequencies. |
Posted By: Merlinboy
Date Posted: 02 Oct 08 at 2:03pm
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I bought my Jeep sails from purple sails and they look the shizz!!! ------------- |
Posted By: winging it
Date Posted: 02 Oct 08 at 2:14pm
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I dare not post my sailboats order history - if she saw it, it would end in divorce....
------------- the same, but different... |
Posted By: Chris Bridges
Date Posted: 05 Oct 08 at 10:18am
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There is a new chandlary opening there soon, and Andy will continue to run it ------------- 49er GBR735 (for sale) - Rutland SC |
Posted By: welshwizard
Date Posted: 20 Oct 08 at 4:19pm
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http://www.purplemarine.com/NewsItem.aspx?NewsItem=32 - http://www.purplemarine.com/NewsItem.aspx?NewsItem=32 looks like they are up and running again |
Posted By: flyingmachine
Date Posted: 20 Oct 08 at 9:54pm
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Yes I don't know how (but who cares) good luck to both
Greg Jim and Staff Purple are trading again with much better and faster service than before I ordered some bits last Friday morning and they turned next day. looks like Purple Tuesday is back again as well http://www.purplemarine.com/Category.aspx? CategoryName=Purple+Tuesday and some good deals to hope this means I can get some new Team Purple stickers |