Bargain Bilge Gone

Also a lot of fakes or counterfit online.

Yep, I remember when they were the evil empire taking over the mom and pop stores.

Not sure I follow that... I knew the owner of the Ace in my town before he sold. He and his family owned and staffed the store. It was there only one. They sold a couple of years ago to an owner that has an Ace in the next town over. Still not a corporate owner. Perhaps they are the exception but, at least in my case, our local Ace is very much a local business. Now, there inventory comes from bigger places. They have a lot of Craftsman stuff as well as Ace branded items. Not sure if format is franchise or something else but certainly local ownership.

You're the one who took it off topic. Small versions of the big box stores? Do you even know what you mean by that. They sell virtually no products with their brand on them so that takes care of your fist hint but then neither do Lowes and Home Depot. The one and only hint that is valid is ownership and none of the three I mentioned are owned by huge companies or are franchised. They simply share a buying cooperative. Perhaps the small chandleries would be wise to do so, combine their buying power. They are also known for their helpfulness and advice although varies store to store.

There are still small chandleries like Hopkins Carter in Miami and there are many more in both Miami and Fort Lauderdale. They are up and down the coast. Do you dismiss places like Zimmerman's because they have multiple locations as they are employee owned?

Boating is a different world but the reality is the "big boy" of the group isn't exactly setting the world on fire as West Marine. Any small business should be able to compete with them. Problem is that outside of certain areas of the country, boating supplies is not a huge market. In Fort Lauderdale alone there are DS Hull, Lewis and BOW, National, Ward's, Sailorman, Yacht Chandlers and more.

I hate to see any business close and that includes Bargain Bilge, but to consider them the victim isn't something I'm willing to do. Perhaps they just took the money and ran. I don't know the specifics.