How do you tell a store owner the issue?

[braaap]

I’m not whining. I have a B.S. in economics. lol oh and my minor was in business administration.

I already stated that I won’t buy as my posts have shown.

No you don’t. Because you very clearly don’t understand economics. If you did you wouldn’t be throwing a tantrum about 5-10% like you have been for 10 posts.

 

[MarineandReef Jaron]

A lot going on here. I may be an online vendor but I love the LFS and I worked at an LFS for many years before working in online sales. I also still need to get my livestock somewhere and I try to shop local as much as I can.

IMO I think a lot of the trouble with the LFS and our expectations of the LFS comes down to the store's business model. There are 3 business models I have found to be successful.

1. A beginner focused store leaning towards teaching new hobbyists. Normally these stores are not exclusively saltwater and often not exclusively aquarium stores. The key target audience is someone who wants nemo or likes the tank they saw at the doctor's office.
2. A maintenance referral business. The store functions as a gallery and location to sign customers up for service. The service is the business and the store is there to sign people up for maintenance and serve as a home base for service techs.
3. A high-end livestock-focused store with an online presence. These stores really make most of their money selling online but they will take walk-ins as well. The reason these stores work is regardless of what city you live in there really are not that many high-end reef customers. There are a lot in the country but not that many in your local area. High end stores struggle to survive without an online presence.

I think the trouble stores have is they don't know who they are. They try to do all of these things without finding their lane and doing it well. When the store that should be focusing on beginners gets in high end livestock they can't move it. When the store that specializes in high end livestock doesn't open an online front they don't get enough foot traffic. When the store that is trying to sign people up for service looks like a science experiment inside no one wants them doing their service.

What we need to understand is that most LFSs don't cater to people like us. We take care of our own tanks and we are not beginners. There may be some LFSs that cater to us but they normally are more interested in selling online than in person. This doesn't mean that the store isn't happy to earn our business just that they are better off focusing on the rich surgeon who will pay 6 figures to have a tank installed in his office or the family who wants nemo.

I support the LFS because the LFS got me into this hobby and keeps me going. I also love talking to fellow customers about fish. I don't know about you, but my family and close friends care nothing about this hobby but this hobby occupies at least half of my thoughts so it is great to find people to share it with. When you need a bulkhead or replacement return pump the LFS will be there, and there is no online experience that compares to taking my son the LFS and letting him pick out a fish.

 

[Kzang]

No you don’t. Because you very clearly don’t understand economics. If you did you wouldn’t be throwing a tantrum about 5-10% like you have been for 10 posts.

Oh boy. Once I get home after finishing this beer after work, I’ll post a pic of my diploma for fun. Why not? It was an expensive piece of paper, so why not show it off.

You can enjoy your statements as I enjoy my post wings and beer meal.

I’ll cover my real name so I don’t DOX myself

 

[TehBrainz]

Oh boy. Once I get home after finishing this beer after work, I’ll post a pic of my diploma for fun. Why not? It was an expensive piece of paper, so why not show it off.

You can enjoy your statements as I enjoy my post wings and beer meal.

I’ll cover my real name so I don’t DOX myself

Came in for the conversation. Stayed for the beer. Looks tasty!

 

[Johnd651]

Came in for the conversation. Stayed for the beer. Looks tasty!

Lol.... yeah I'm letting this one ride.

 

[ptrusk]

I is edumacated too.

 

[Spare time]

ignore this post

 

[littlefoxx]

You can lead a horse to water but cant make it drink. A store that neglected isnt worth the effort. Its their business, they want to ruin it thats on them. No sense in trying to help someone who clearly doesnt want to help themselves. My two cents

 

[littlefoxx]

Me and my eels sittin back and watching where this thread goes lol now that Ive read all the posts!

 

[BeanAnimal]

BRS doesn’t have magical pricing powers. Sure, they can get better deals on some stuff from bulk. I purchase a lot from premium aquatics that charges zero tax. They have the identical prices as BRS.

If brs/premium aquatics/other lfs about an hour from me sell the same price, why would I pay hiked up LFS price. I’m not.

Because keeping money local benefits the community and benefits you with a local relationship. You get a brick and mortar that is open and more responsive than an online retailer.

Price paid is often only part of the value proposition.

 

[BeanAnimal]

Oh boy. Once I get home after finishing this beer after work, I’ll post a pic of my diploma for fun. Why not

And that proves what exactly?

 

[TehBrainz]

A lot going on here. I may be an online vendor but I love the LFS and I worked at an LFS for many years before working in online sales. I also still need to get my livestock somewhere and I try to shop local as much as I can.

IMO I think a lot of the trouble with the LFS and our expectations of the LFS comes down to the store's business model. There are 3 business models I have found to be successful.

1. A beginner focused store leaning towards teaching new hobbyists. Normally these stores are not exclusively saltwater and often not exclusively aquarium stores. The key target audience is someone who wants nemo or likes the tank they saw at the doctor's office.
2. A maintenance referral business. The store functions as a gallery and location to sign customers up for service. The service is the business and the store is there to sign people up for maintenance and serve as a home base for service techs.
3. A high-end livestock-focused store with an online presence. These stores really make most of their money selling online but they will take walk-ins as well. The reason these stores work is regardless of what city you live in there really are not that many high-end reef customers. There are a lot in the country but not that many in your local area. High end stores struggle to survive without an online presence.

I think the trouble stores have is they don't know who they are. They try to do all of these things without finding their lane and doing it well. When the store that should be focusing on beginners gets in high end livestock they can't move it. When the store that specializes in high end livestock doesn't open an online front they don't get enough foot traffic. When the store that is trying to sign people up for service looks like a science experiment inside no one wants them doing their service.

What we need to understand is that most LFSs don't cater to people like us. We take care of our own tanks and we are not beginners. There may be some LFSs that cater to us but they normally are more interested in selling online than in person. This doesn't mean that the store isn't happy to earn our business just that they are better off focusing on the rich surgeon who will pay 6 figures to have a tank installed in his office or the family who wants nemo.

I support the LFS because the LFS got me into this hobby and keeps me going. I also love talking to fellow customers about fish. I don't know about you, but my family and close friends care nothing about this hobby but this hobby occupies at least half of my thoughts so it is great to find people to share it with. When you need a bulkhead or replacement return pump the LFS will be there, and there is no online experience that compares to taking my son the LFS and letting him pick out a fish.

I think this describes the LFS' in my area pretty spot on.

My fav one is an LFS that focuses primarily on services but has a small stock room of fish and corals with their own qt system dependent on the animal (fish and coral). They're completely open and transparent about how they qt and if I order new fish from.them, they give me the option to skip their full qt for a small observation period and I run a qt at home or let them run their protocol and then I run an observation afterwards. Great team.

Others are the more typical type that sell a wide variety of fish (fresh and salt) as well as all the typical dry goods (some with rather large markups). I shop sales there and occasionally do a splurge purchase, but not often. Mostly part timers that repeat basic info, but they have at least a few always there more knowledgeable.

Then there's the last couple....*shudders*...we don't talk about them

 

[RocketEngineer]

I’m one of those lucky few whose LFS is an online coral retailer. Dr. Mac has been in this hobby for decades and Pacific East Aquaculture is an amazing experience. The staff are knowledgeable and friendly, the tanks are nearly all look down with viewers available, and you can walk into the greenhouse to see parent colonies. Their selection of dry goods, while small, focuses on what they use so they can answer questions from experience. I’ve never had a bad experience there. And despite a fire a few years back, they are still around which should tell you a lot.

 

[Kzang]

And that proves what exactly?

Well, I was a bit inebriated at the time of that post. Lol

My point is that reefers come from diverse backgrounds, and to merely say I don’t have any idea about economics and etc is such a bad counter argument.

It’d be cringe if I did post it, and I won’t.

My thoughts and opinions are still valid, even if someone does not agree with it.

 

[Jaydubb77]

I would gladly pay more for a good selection of healthy fish I could see in person! Houston sucks for places..Just like the OP said, they are dirty and run down. There is no excuse use for it, none. It takes minutes a day to clean your tanks. Organize your store front. I don't think it has anything to do with anything except laziness.

 

[ScottD]

Used to be a nice store out in Syracuse, kind of the same story.

Store had 2 partners, one was the money(and the one who thought they knew it all), the other was the brains, and the know how of SW.

The know it all forced the actual know it all out the door, store closed, and he went to work for petco.

It's honestly a nice SW setup in that petco. I've bought a few fish from there.

You wouldn’t happen to be talking about fairmount would you?