FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

How long has the Marine Stores Guide been around?

The Marine Stores Guide in its original format was first published in 1978 and since then nearly 55,500 copies have been sold.

Who are IMPA and what is there role with the Marine Stores Guide?

IMPA is the International Marine Purchasing Association and is a marine trade association that promotes co-operation and understanding between purchaser and supplier (www.impa.net) Since 1993 IMPA has been the joint publisher of the Guide.

What items are included in the Guide?

The guide contains over 3,700 items with over 32,500 unique six digit codes, products are divided into 34 different categories ranging from clothing to paint and electric tools to machinery equipment, a full list can be found on this website under the section Book 4th edition.

How much is the Guide and How do I get a copy?

The Guide is priced at GBP130 and available from a number of worldwide distributors. There is a full list and an order form on this site listed under the distributors section.

How do I include my products in the Guide?

This website now acts as a vehicle for companies to present new products for inclusion in future editions of the Guide, it also allows companies to advise the publishing team of errors and omissions and out of date products see the section called suggestions for more details.

How often is the Guide produced?

The Guide in its printed format is produced every five years, the next (5th) edition will be published in 2008 but calls for entry inclusion and advertising is starting now – see the section entitled advertising for more details.

How can I get the unique six digit code on my IT system?

There are a variety of different ways to utilise the data for your IT needs, CD-Rom versions are available (see CD-Rom Version) in addition the new data service has been launched which is provided by ShipServ and which includes six monthly updates of the data with all new inclusions.

I’ve heard about the data service how does this work?

ShipServ can provide the updated data to ship owners and operators in a variety of different ways for more information visit the data service section of this website.