Sadly, this is the difference in perception between the consumers and those who are in the business.
First off, regarding the bettas in bags, as previously stated, they are actually better off shipped in the bags than before ( as I explained) and the acceptable DOA (Dead On Arrival) rate on livestock is usually 10% of a shipment. What people need to realize is that fish die from natural causes as well during shipping. This is a living organism and as such, react differently to the experience. In the case of bettas, I've had boxes and boxes of Bettas packed 200 per box and not had any dead ones arrived even with bags having almost no water left in them from a leak in the bag. Conversely, I've also had boxes where the death rate was 20% - 25%, from the same shipper. Neither is the "norm". The "norm" is somewhere in between. But the problem wasn't the bag or else the DOA rate would consistently be higher. Whether you like it or not, the only way to get fish from point A to point B in an affordable manor is to pack as many as you can in the box respecting that overpacking will kill the fish which makes the shipper lose money as well as the shop or wholesaler getting the fish lose money. We are not in this business to lose money so there is careful planning involved in how fish are shipped. Amounts per bag changes depending on distance to be traveled. Costs change because of that.
Have you ever thought about, back in the day, how many cows made the journey from their pastures to the marketplace? Some would die along the way. Some would get lost, get attacked by other animals, etc. Who lost in those situations? The cattle owner did. He put all that time and effort into raising that cow to sell at a good price and wound up with nothing to show for it. You can't sell a dead cow at market. Fish are no different. The object isn't to just sell them by any means but to transport them where they will have the highest chance of live arrival at the cheapest price possible.
Regarding this comment: "
But if big box doesnt have a postal deal in place with any company then thats their fault and maybe a quiet employee could have helped them figure that out. I breed and ship many different types of fish and i have a flat deal with my usps. , the USPS is great for small shipments but most of these fish originate outside the US and are shipped via airplanes as cargo and that has become extremely expensive. Most of these box stores I assume, have a central warehouse where they receive the fish from the country of origin then reship them to the individual stores. So its a Point A to point B to point C situation where there are multiple costs in shipping. Airlines do give discounts ( or used to at least
) for frequent shippers but even with that, it's not cheap. Case in point, back in the 1980s, I had a competitor selling the same fish as I was. No matter what rate I could get for shipping, their prices per fish to the stores were less than the shipping cost alone of the fish to me. Meaning, even if the fish were free, I still couldn't land them in the U.S. cheap enough to be competitive. They got a better freight rate because they shipped in more fish as I'm sure the box stores do too.
One of the things PB Smith and I have in common is an insider's knowledge of how the pet industry works. What John & Jane Q public will never see if they don't work in the areas we've worked in. We are offering behind the scenes wisdom to show you that it's not all that it appears and what happens in a store is not necessarily wrong in a store situation whereas it is wrong in a long term one. This is truly an "Apples and Oranges" comparison which should not be made.
Having said all that, to the OP, yes, it sucks when change doesn't happen quickly but positive change takes time and perseverance. Today's customer base has had years of bad advice and influences guiding them so it's going to take time to change all that. You can just as easily tell a customer that the picture on that 5 gal tank is the same one on a 10 or 15 or 20+ gal tank so what is on the pictures does not apply to all the tanks. It's just there to show fish in a tank. That's where your guidance is most needed. Be the educator and make returning customers. THAT will get you where you want to go a lot sooner.
Hope this helps
[/QUOTE I only used usps shipping deal as an example. I do have insider knowledge. Not near as much as you andy (respect). But were not all outsiders. Fedex has amazing rates as well. I agree shipping is/can be expensive. I also agree with your cattle analogy. But as times and methods change, business models should be as well. I dont concider myself a smart person, but changes can be made. Even if small.
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The customers changed so the atmosphere was ripe for box stores to take hold. Buying power comes when you can buy a lot and smaller mom & pops just couldn't match the prices.. 
