Reef nutrition

Something Fish Sea selling....

The owner got a "real" job so he is selling the store. Anyone interested?? I'm thinking about it but I don't know enough and don't have time. :cry:
 
Owning and running a fish store is MUCH more difficult than most would think. It's not about just having a bunch of tanks and getting livestock at wholesale prices :)
 
I know .... That's why I just think about it and not buying it :D ..

Owning any store requires a lot of works and knowledges to make it profitable. I don't mind hard work... I just don't know enough but then again if you don't try how do you know that you can't do it ... :)
 
most LFS I've known do not make their business off of the livestock too. So it goes beyond having knowledge, being able to sell all the dry goods is what makes a business work.
 
....which is why so many go out of business. I hate to say it, but I'm har pressed to pay $30 for a water pump I can get online for $13. Sure I should "support my LFS" but it's not like there's a money tree in the backyard either...

I don't mind paying $15 for a local bought $13 pump, but not $30.

V
 
So, you want the LFS to sell it to you for cost? The online guys buy big, and get very large bulk discounts typically. Take Poly Bio pads, the 12x12 can be bought for around $25-30 wholesale. Dr. Foster Smith sells it for $30. All About Fish IIRC sells it for $50.
 
Yeah, but there's a difference in making a markup, and then having one generic markup.. I've heard numbers of 100-150% standard market up on ALL items. Now I buy the $6 thermometer big deal, but a $200 skimmer? marked up to $400? Or metal halide systems marked up to $500? Yeah I don't think so.

It's a new world out there with the internet, and just like those stores who compete with target/walmart they NEED to adjust their ways if they want to keep customers.
 
I remember B-Ionic one gallon size (both bottles) sold for $44.50 at a store which no longer is in business.

Online it was sold for a third less.

Lucky Ocean will try to match Drs. Foster & Smith - bear in mind that Drs. Foster & Smith is still not the cheapest - but at least Steve is willing to bring the price down a little bit is appreciated.
 
Of course I expect to pay some profit (and operating costs) for items, but I don't expect to be paying excessive profit.

If I see that an online store sells a pump for $15, but a local store sells it for $30, then I am assuming that the wholesale cost is LESS than $15 (because why would even the wholesale guys sell it for less than it costs them? OK, even factoring in that they can get it for cheaper than the LFS can, due to huge volume ordering) So without the massive volume discount, I'm guessing the pump does not cost the LFS more than $15 (or else the LFS would have bought it from the online source for $15 and sold it to me instead of getting it wholesale, right?).

Basically, if I see something at a store, if it's seems reasonably priced, I'll buy it. (Like if it's $5 in store, but $4 online, I'll buy it at the store) If it's something like buying something more expensive like a skimmer, then I'll shop online to get the $300 skimmer instead of paying $400 locally.

I have actually purchased a skimmer locally, even though it was cheaper online because the LFS employee told me all about it, and I've wondered that LFS a few times and chatted with them. BUT the skimmer was a Prizm, and it didn't really work that well, and the employee also sold me on some Marc Weiss crap making all sorts of fake claims. So I've never gone back to that store.
I was trying to be loyal, but it was hard in that case. In another case, there is a LFS that I go to for freshwater fish and snails and stuff, even though they are a bit more expensive, just because I like the store and the employees...however for some things (like pumps) they are WAY expensive. I'm not paying $40 for a maxijet 600.

If a store wants happy customers...they have to make the customers happy. Even just being polite is important, as I've boycotted stores and restaurants (not just LFS) due to rude customer service. However if a store has friendly good customer service, I'll come back.

V
 
Back
Top