And I'm perfectly willing to do so, if it's within reason. $17 dollars is almost twice as much. I can buy 2 bags for almost the price of one. That $17 can buy me lunch for 2 days, or I can use it towards buying a fish or gas for my car. There is a pet warehouse by me that sells the bags for $29.99. I buy from them more than I buy from online just because it's convenient and it gives me a reason to look at fish. But $40 and you don't even have any fish other than some crappy cichlids and .5" clown loaches, no thank you lol.
Why I don't frequent local (or chain) fish stores
- Thread starter rodger
- Start date
And I'm perfectly willing to do so, if it's within reason. $17 dollars is almost twice as much. I can buy 2 bags for almost the price of one. That $17 can buy me lunch for 2 days, or I can use it towards buying a fish or gas for my car. There is a pet warehouse by me that sells the bags for $29.99. I buy from them more than I buy from online just because it's convenient and it gives me a reason to look at fish. But $40 and you don't even have any fish other than some crappy cichlids and .5" clown loaches, no thank you lol.
sorry but I don't believe in local support. they want business, they gotta earn it. sadly, this is real life.
I agree with Jay to an extent. Basically he's saying that if you need to buy a filter pad that's $2 cheaper online, just buy the pad at the LFS. It's better than nothing.
strollo ......... quite often those types of sales are done to generate traffic, and hopefully larger overall sales. Sometimes, even if that equates to the item being sold as a loss leader.
I'm not arguing against your position as a consumer, I'm simply pointing out that in reality you have no idea which source is actually pocketing more $ per sale, per that item, at the end of the day. Walk in a retailers shoes in your area for a year or two, and you'll come back singing a different tune. I have seen both sides of the equation, so I have a fairly firm grasp as to why many brick & mortar stores cannot compete with many of the online vendors.
I'm not arguing against your position as a consumer, I'm simply pointing out that in reality you have no idea which source is actually pocketing more $ per sale, per that item, at the end of the day. Walk in a retailers shoes in your area for a year or two, and you'll come back singing a different tune. I have seen both sides of the equation, so I have a fairly firm grasp as to why many brick & mortar stores cannot compete with many of the online vendors.
I agree. It sucks either way you look at it. You'd like to help, but you'd also like to not waste your hard earned money knowing you can get it for cheaper.
Dude.. earn your business??? Your delusional, where did you buy your first tank? Was it glass cages? 10 years from now, if there are no LFS there will be no one entering the hobby and with no new customers it will make fish farming and importing less profitable at which point either prices will rise or they will find other business to make money.... You know who loses then? me and you who can not get what we want....
one of the pluses with local is they aint very good at IDs sometimes. I can get glass cats for the price of glass fish.and my oldest fish( 4 yr old cory) was accidently sneaked into a bunch of common plecs
In the DC-Baltimore area, we've seen all but a handful of LFS go out of business or move / downsize, including some of the best and most hobbyist-focused.
The cost of stocking and (properly) maintaining livestock, especially the kind of livestock that excites hobbyists makes competing with big box stores and/or online retailers (especially dry goods retailers) nearly impossible.
No one's getting rich running an LFS these days. Or an online fish business for that matter!
Part of the cost of running a brick-and-mortar store is staff. Experienced, knowledgeable staff cost more than minimum wage. Most LFS simply can't pay for the quality of staff that they need.
So the downward spiral of LFS continues.
Matt
The cost of stocking and (properly) maintaining livestock, especially the kind of livestock that excites hobbyists makes competing with big box stores and/or online retailers (especially dry goods retailers) nearly impossible.
No one's getting rich running an LFS these days. Or an online fish business for that matter!
Part of the cost of running a brick-and-mortar store is staff. Experienced, knowledgeable staff cost more than minimum wage. Most LFS simply can't pay for the quality of staff that they need.
So the downward spiral of LFS continues.
Matt
im in England, never heard of them. wat im saying is that I do wats most convenient for me.
