West Marine, the largest boating and marine supply chain in the U.S., announced it is closing 59 stores across 23 states, including one of its Sarasota County locations.
Florida will have the most store closures, with eight locations shutting down, including the Venice location at 1860 S. Tamiami Trail.
The Sarasota location at 4708 S. Tamiami Trail will remain open, as will the sole Manatee County location at 3622 First Street W. in Bradenton.
“West Marine is closing select retail locations as part of its ongoing Chapter 11 restructuring. This decision reflects our effort to align our store footprint with our current business needs, while continuing to evaluate our portfolio in coordination with landlords,” a company spokesperson said in a statement.
“We are committed to supporting affected Crew Members through this transition and will continue serving our customers at remaining locations, as well as online and through our West Marine Pro App.”
The other Florida locations closing are Bonita Springs, Fernandina Beach, Jacksonville Beach, Orlando, Palm Coast, Port Charlotte and Winter Haven.
The company filed for voluntary Chapter 11 bankruptcy in May.
“Like many in the boating community, West Marine has faced headwinds in recent years, including supply chain disruptions, extreme weather events, and shifts in consumer behavior,” the company said in a May 17 release. “Today’s action addresses these challenges by strengthening the balance sheet, reducing debt levels, and improving financial flexibility.”
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The Fort Lauderdale-based West Marine closed its only Tallahassee location in December 2024
Is West Marine closing?
“West Marine is open for business,” the company said in the release. “Throughout this process, West Marine remains focused on delivering the top-quality marine products, service, and expertise that customers have come to expect.”
What other states will be losing locations?
More locations are closing in Alabama, California, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin, court records show.
What is West Marine?
West Marine started off with a guy selling rope from his garage in Sunnyvale, California, according to the company’s history. Founder Randy Repass was frustrated with the boating supply experience and started serving customers by mail order himself in 1968. The first store, West Coast Ropes, opened in Palo Alto in 1975.
It grew from there. In 1977, the company bought part of the mail-order company West Products, rebranded as West Marine Products, and spent the next few years opening stores. The first Florida locations came in 1991.
In 1996, West Marine merged with E&B Marine, and in 2003, it bought the retail and catalog divisions of BoatU.S. The stores gradually added wider varieties of boating and marine products, including apparel, until it went big in Florida.
“West Marine opened the biggest boating store in the U.S. in Fort Lauderdale, Florida in 2011,” the company said.
The Fort Lauderdale store, the company’s flagship, is more than 50,000 square feet of marine supplies. West Marine relocated its headquarters there in 2022.
How many West Marine locations are in Florida?
Including the eight closing, West Marine currently lists 54 locations in Florida, part of the chain’s approximately 200 retail locations across 34 states and Puerto Rico. You can see the list at westmarine.com/view-all-stores.html
C. A. Bridges is a journalist for the USA TODAY Network-Florida’s service journalism Connect team. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY.
(This story was updated to add new information.)
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This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: National boating chain closing Sarasota County location
Reporting by Michaela Galligan and C. A. Bridges, Sarasota Herald-Tribune / Sarasota Herald-Tribune
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Michaela Galligan and C. A. Bridges, Sarasota Herald-Tribune | USA TODAY Network
