Pet Smart: Good? Bad? Indifferent?

[flstffxe]

I have no problems with shopping at petco/petsmart for some stuff.

Our petsmart seems to have the best price on frozen food in my area and rarely do I find any with freezer burn on it(it's fresh). The same can't be said for some of my LFS. Both of our local petco/petsmart have had the same aquatics crew for a rather long time.

Both can and will order in anything they can get their hands on, with out question or trouble.

Our petsmarts manager will haggle with you but the petco manager refuses to. I have purchased tanks at both and received a fair deal doing so(can't beat craigslist).

I do not think the manager needs to know much of any thing about each department. They are there to run the businesses day to day operations not teach customers. They have employees they pay to be knowledgeable in the departments that they work in.

I have private lfs I would rate lower then my local box stores. Our live stock comes from private parties or lfs that we feel keep the tanks in good condition. Food comes from petsmart and the grocery store(veggies and ocasional fresh shrimp(typically free)). Hard goods(tanks, lights, maintence items....) come from every where boxstores, web, lfs....

It's all about knowing where to shop for what. There is no one single place the offers the best of every thing. However I am all about keeping the money I spend local and in the hands of the little guy. Support your small shops when and where you can.

 

[balton777]

if the manager makes $70,000.00 plus bonuses, then he should fully understand his business.

Yellow Lab

Do you honestly think the Petsmart managers make $70k + bonuses?
Cut that figure in half and you're probably close.
I know engineers that don't make $70k + bonuses.

They're also not there to negotiate the pricing set by corporate. Individually owned lfs often will though. I don't buy much from them or my lfs but on the merchandise I do buy (catfood/dogfood/frozen fish treats-krill/brine etc), they're actually much cheaper than the lfs/petstores. I have a few really great lfs' here in town but they just built a Petsmart down the street from me. I happy as can be that it's there. Petsmart is what it is so either accept it or don't shop there.

 

[Yellowlab]

I have no problems with shopping at petco/petsmart for some stuff.


It's all about knowing where to shop for what. There is no one single place the offers the best of every thing. However I am all about keeping the money I spend local and in the hands of the little guy. Support your small shops when and where you can.

I agree 100 percent! I will, and do shop Pet Smart. I also shop Wal-mart. Rita's pet store (LFS) and Petland get the rest of my business. I really was not slamming PetSmart, it is just my feeling that the manager passed up a perfect opportunity to enhance his bottom line.

Everyone has their niche.

Yellow lab

 

[keiths]

Do you honestly think the Petsmart managers make $70k + bonuses?
Cut that figure in half and you're probably close.
I know engineers that don't make $70k + bonuses.

If it is a store manager then I wouldn't doubt it.

 

[balton777]

However I am all about keeping the money I spend local and in the hands of the little guy.

I'm the little guy. I believe in keeping the money in my own pocket.

 

[krzr3000]

I do not think the manager needs to know much of any thing about each department. They are there to run the businesses day to day operations not teach customers. They have employees they pay to be knowledgeable in the departments that they work in.

Day to day operations include working the store, these stores (at least petco) slice and dice hours to the bare minimum. Its not that cut and dry...
Knowledgeable employees are hard to come by when you are offering $8 an hour. Its no secret these places don't pay great...and the staff typically (i said typically) found in these places reflects that. The store manager MUST know his stuff...PETCO/PETSMART aren't stores where the manager sits at a desk all day. The manager is bagging fish, putting out stock, even using the register. Like i said before i worked at a PETCO...and all the managers there had to be a jack of all trades.

 

[lee1]

I agree 100 percent! I will, and do shop Pet Smart. I also shop Wal-mart. Rita's pet store (LFS) and Petland get the rest of my business. I really was not slamming PetSmart, it is just my feeling that the manager passed up a perfect opportunity to enhance his bottom line.

Everyone has their niche.

Yellow lab

Ritas is alright her selection is very limited and petland you need to bring lube before shopping there.I buy everything now from Sunpets and anyone that does not use only paypal.

 

[Tsunamiboy77]

well there's one thing about these chain companies though: its convenient. Petsmart is only a few blocks away from where i live, but my lfs is WAY far. If im just gona buy fish food, might as well just go to petsmart. but hey thats just my thoughts

 

[Danyal]

why not wait until the petco dollar a gallon sale and then have petsmart price match it?

 

[Pyramid_Party]

What alot of you fail to realize is, serious/educated aquarists such as ourselves arent their main customers. They depend on the stupid customers that overpay for items/fish and dont know what the hell they are doing. They want people who buy and oscar and put it in a 10 gallon, or tell the person they can keep a red devil in their community 10 gallon tank. And then a few days later come back with the red devil because it slaughtered and destroyed all the fish. So they buy more.


Theres alot more stupid fish keepers than smart ones. So those are the people they make most of their money from. So they will never make any deals for you, if you dont buy it, an idiot will walk in 5 mins later and buy it for the price they want.