West Marine Opens Superstore on Emerald Coast

West Marine, one of the largest retail suppliers of marine electronics and boating supplies has opened another marine superstore. The new store located on the Emerald Coast of Florida, is the biggest West Marine store on the Emerald Coast.

Measuring 14,000 square feet, the merchandise there has been custom selected for the specific boating needs of boaters and anglers of the Pensacola region. According to Store Manager Joe Emsing, an 18-year West Marine veteran, “This new store was designed specifically for Fort Walton Beach boaters. It has a beefed up selection of fishing gear, electronics, engine parts and technical apparel selected especially to meet our local boating conditions.”

The store adds one more to the list of West Marine’s 334 retail boating supplies stores in the United States. Those stores as well as West Marine’s online stores, carry some of the largest selections of boating supplies that can be found. In the marine electronics area alone, West Marine’s product line includes hundreds if not thousands of products for every category imaginable: antennas, audio, autopilots, boat instruments, fishfinders, marine communications and weather and shortwave radio equipment. And not only that; at West Marine you will find all the leading marine electronics brands such as Garmin, Kenwood, Lowrance Raymarine and Simrad.

Besides a comprehensive line of marine electronics, the company is known as a boater’s company, run by boaters from the ground up. Emphasizing that point in regard to the Fort Walton Beach superstore was Geoff Eisenberg, West Marine’s CEO. “Our Associates are committed to providing Fort Walton Beach boaters a truly exceptional shopping experience. Our Company is made up of boaters who truly enjoy working with and for boaters to offer customers the right products and friendly, knowledgeable service. We’re looking forward to serving Emerald Coast boaters from this great looking new location.”

And so far this year, West Marine has been right about its ability to pick products for customers. Its sales are running almost 10 percent over a year ago and its operating results have improved for six consecutive quarters in a row. Specifically, sales have been improved in the areas of boats, motors and electronics and have been particularly strong in the areas of maintenance related products.