Gander Mountain Takes Overton Boat Supplies Head to Head with West Marine

Whether you’re new to boating or an old hand, Overton boat supplies is one of the first places to look for boat supplies. And that’s because Overton has one of the widest selections you’ll find online or off. Besides thousands of products, you’ll not only find the latest brand names, but one of the best boating supply pricing policies around. Overton guarantees the lowest price with a 10 percent bonus program.

Overton, which started out in 1976, not only has one of the of the largest boat followings on the net (ranked at 35,201 worldwide and 5,997 in the United States by Alexa), but also has a strong brick-and-mortar network. Besides major distribution centers in North Carolina, Overton’s product line can be found in over 100 Gander Mountain stores throughout the eastern and midwestern United States.

Gander Mountain, which is considered the largest national chain of outdoor recreational equipment stores in the United States, combined with Overton’s boating supplies, gives boaters a little more than what can be expected from a boating supply store. And that’s because boating supplies and recreational outdoor equipment are items that boaters and recreational enthusiasts have in common.

The business formula of Gander Mountain, which also combines brick and mortar with a strong Internet presence, has so far paid off well. While other recreational and boating supplies companies have floundered and gone out of business in the Great Recession, this duo has thrived. Gander Mountain, in its 2009 fiscal year, reported slightly over $1.06 billion in sales. As of late, increased sales are nothing new for Gander. Gander’s sales have continually increased year after year since 2005, when sales were just $641 million.

Whether or not the Gander and Overton team will be a threat to West Marine’s dominance in the boating supplies market is still an open question. In terms of brick and mortar, Gander’s presence is primarily focused in the Great Lakes region. However, Gander has been steadily opening more stores, which now total 119 in 23 states. This compares to West Marine’s 330 stores in 38 states.

However, on the Internet, West Marine does not hold such a lead. West Marine’s worldwide Alexa ranking is presently at 22,699 and its United States ranking is at 4,767. In comparison, Alexa gives Gander a worldwide rank of 23,048 and a United States ranking of 4,288. All of which means that Gander and Overton together are ahead of West Marine in the Internet game.

All things being equal though, it’s hard to compare Gander and West Marine directly. And that’s because Gander obtains only about 15 to 20 percent of its sales from the boating supply and fishing segments. West Marine however is almost a pure boating play, obtaining its $900 million a year in revenue almost entirely from boating supplies.

One thing almost certain, though, is that between the two companies you will find almost any boating supply you could dream up. However, because Overton has a guaranteed lowest price policy, something that can’t be found on West Marine’s web site, it also means that you are more likely to find the lowest prices at Overton.