LFS on pricing...

[Diablos]

So I went to the LFS, a privately run one that far and above exceeds the chain stores in quality, variety, and knowledge. Back to the point, I asked for some ehiem filter media they handed me a 2L box. I said can I get two of these so they grab me another and I begin to keep looking about the store, to browse the selection. While doing so I glance at the price... $45 and I began to think yikes! I could of swore I saw it on the internet for waaaaaaaayyy cheaper. So I turn to my wife and say this looks to expensive, and put it down.

After I got home I found a 5L box for $53 after shipping on the web. So I began thinking man I know they are just of fish store so they must have to have a higher price to keep from going under. BUT DOUBLE? I mean I would of paid 90 for 4L of media... now I have 5L for almost half.

Makes me a little sad

 

[Zagz]

Unfortunately I see this all too often. LFS's can't seem to compete with online pricing. I usually buy my livestock locally but my supplies online.

 

[donk1667]

i only buy at lfs in an emergency even petsmart is almost double than there own online site

 

[Plecosterone]

This is the problem with private LFS. They cannot compete with online pricing. They have much higher rent for less stock than online companies that can fill a cheap rent warehouse with thousands of the same items bought at volume discounts. But if we do not spend our money there one day there might not be any left and the only place we will be able to buy anything is online. It is a sad catch 22 situation.

 

[coldmachineUK]

I'm even buying livestock online now from Trimar because the LFS in my area charge ridiculous prices, have low quality stock these days, and get the names/IDs wrong all the time anyway.

Seems like the hobby is growing but the LFS are not keeping up with it...

 

[fish 'n' fries]

I have to agree with Plecosterone, there are great, generally nonchain, LFS out there...but when people don't support them...there stop being great LFS. My understanding is that it's in supplies that most places make any money (some of which has to go to overhead before you're even talking profit)...so that's why independent stores whose customers don't support them get worse and worse and then all you're left with is the chains. I have two LFS that I think are exceptional...because of that, I'll pay the extra for many of my supplies. That doesn't mean I never shop on the internet--but I do think about it first.

But, back to the OP...I probably wouldn't have paid double either.

 

[Plecosterone]

Either would I pay double. I put my money where it is best used. Fish, beer, women etc. I was just making a point that it is too bad that they can't compete and in the long run we as fish keepers will probably lose out in the long run.

 

[Argblarg]

A group buy at a LFS here ended up being more expensive than if each member ordered stuff individually and paid individual shipping. Their response was "We just can't compete with online so please support us or there will be no good stores left." If the LFS wants to stay in business, they must adapt.

Order stuff online, drive to your favorite LFS and write them a check giving them half of what you saved versus going with them. Sounds silly, but I would say this is a better solution for those who still buy overpriced things just to support the local store.

 

[plecoperson]

Fish, beer, women etc.

Wow....interesting grouping there. Must be all the testosterone talking.

ANYWAYS, the LFS is going to have to figure out how not to charge double, triple, or more for dry goods if they want to stay in business long-term. I would pay 25% more happily, maybe even 30% more. But twice as much $$ for most stuff is more than I can do.

 

[Jman17H]

It's one thing to support your local fish store but to be robbed blind by them when purchasing equipment and merchandise is another thing. Very, very few knowledgeable fish keepers buy anything but fish from there LFS because there prices are often double, triple or more than that of online stores.

Most of us would be more than willing to pay a few extra $$'s to get an item immediately and keep it where we buy our fish but as a recently example, I am not about to pay $47 for a Penguin Powerhead that I can get for $19 online!

If these stores think that raising prices to such high levels will make them more money and keep them afloat, they need to go under! Such high prices keep unknowing people out of the hobby and force addicts to go online.

LFS need to realize they are better off selling 10 items for a small profit than selling that single item for an exorbanant profit. They would retain more customers in return and stop the mass exodus to the online retailers!

Lack of care for customers and a greedy pocket will doom all businesses who take part, eventually and LFS should not be immune!

 

[wickeded]

Like I posted a while ago, I have better ways to spend my $12 than on 4 suction cups sold at my LFS...

 

[Plecosterone]

I am not saying I pay their prices either, was just stating fact. Maybe if the independents got together and did bulk buying they could stay in business longer, but I guess that would be sleeping with the enemy. I also buy where I get things the cheapest.

 

[BillD]

We have a catch 22 here. the small LFS usually has to deal with a distributor or wholesaler, who takes a profit before passing the product on to the LFS. The small volume doesn't allow them to buy at volume pricing, as mentioned above. Live stock only operations are not viable. This is not a problem of just the LFS but of all small retailers, that must try and compete with large companies that have the mass to control prices. When Walmart rolls back prices, who do you think pays for that? Walmart doesn't lower prices through the goodness of their heart by cutting their profit, they force the supplier to lower the price so they can maintain their profit margin. Bottom line is that those who can afford it least, subsidize cheap products, for those of us who can afford to buy them. So, when all the small independant LFS have gone, where are you going to buy your fish? Even Walmart, the nation's (USA) largest fish store chain (total volume) is getting out of it, in many of their stores. If the only stores left are Pet Smarts and such, we will have all lost; our options will be seriosly diminished. For sure, the small LFS owner is not going to get rich, but, we will be poorer when they are all gone.

 

[plecoperson]

If my LFSs go under, I'll buy fish from AquaBid, local breeders privately, and fish club swaps. I'd rather pay more for the fishies and have them do well. My LFS, as an example, sells cherry shrimp for $11.99 apiece. That is insane. Sidthimunki loaches are $28 apiece. They could buy 'em at retail from the guy that sold me mine, double the price and still sell them for less.

I think independent shops need to come up with a new plan, something other than selling sickly, farm-raised fish (or sickly, wild-caught fish), and not marking up their non-livestock merchandise 500%. Really, 500%. The old way of increasing profit was just to keep marking up the prices; that doesn't work anymore.

They should work harder to buy locally-bred, hobbyist-bred fish. They could still mark them up 3 times while offering the seller a reasonable amount of store credit and sell healthier fish that are accustomed to the local water.

They could do more with cooperative buying in conjunction with other LFSs to get better prices on dry goods, and sell "store-made" starter kits for new aquarists, holding better equipment at a lower cost.

Again, I would be happy to spend a percentage more to shop locally. Just the savings in shipping would make up for part of it, and I'd value a store that made some sense and sold quality fish and merchandise.

I agree that having a locally-owned fish shop within driving distance is a great thing, when they offer solid advice, reasonably-priced and healthy fish, and quality hard goods. With the wildly-higher cost of shopping at an independent, they need to offer something to the hobbyist, both in value and in service.

 

[JTAM963]

If you had a never been used...but open fluval 405 could you return it to local fish store or chain pet store for credit?

 

[tropicfishman]

mines the same way, luckily I have 3 stores all with in miles of each other, same road actually lol I just bounce around from store to store depending on who has the best prices for what I'm looking for. the biggest store is the worse for jacking up the prices, they sell there AP liquid reagent test kits for 18.99 for the ammonia one!!!! I ordered it for 4.99. if I bought every kit there I would spend over 100 bucks easy. I ordered 6 test kits, 160z stress coat, 16 oz of stress zyme, 16 oz ammonia detox, 2 packs or airline control kits, 3 suction cup packs, flex brushs and a pull through brush for 55 including shipping!!!

 

[evercl92]

One of the main problems that I've noticed is that (at least at the petstore I work at) they aren't able to order the more expensive dry goods (uv sterilizers, diatom filters, tanks) at prices that are reasonable. They have contracts with certain vendors and are 'stuck' using those vendors. I was looking to get a uv sterilizer for myself, at cost to the store it was $130. I end up paying cost + 10%. Online prices had it for under $100 shipped. It's sad when it's not worth shopping at the store you work at.

As far as fish pricing goes, the 4-5x markup is almost mandatory. Shipping costs, fish loss, and general store costs (all those lights for the fish tanks, employee costs) pretty much force the markup. What also hurts is huge weekly sales. Every friday our store has buy 1 get 1 free. Our prices are more than reasonable on fridays, but to offset that, and still make a decent profit, prices have to be higher during the week. If we didn't have such a sale one day a week, we could certainly offer most fish at a reduced price.

It also kills profit when a customer brings me half of a dragon goby, and wants me to replace it since his oscar decided to tear it in half. I told him it was store policy that we didn't and couldn't guarantee fish compatibility and that I wasn't going to replace the fish. He proceeds to talk to the store manager (who's a push-over anyway) and promptly gets a full store credit.