LFS is WHACKED

[Patis46]

What is it that small towns have sutch high prices?
The LFS here wants $79.99 for a Rio2100 power head. A 50gal bag of IO salt is $26.99, Thay have LR for $10.99 a pound. I can drive 65 miles and the Rio costs $26.00 The salt is 16.99 and the LR fresh for $4.99 a pound or $3.99 if buying 50lbs or more. Just to name a few

I know that shipping can not increase the cost that much.. I wonder sense the LPS goes out of business every few years do they ever even realize whay people do not shop there?
Sorry for the rant. it's just i would really like to shop there but for the extra $25 in gas it costs to drive from Sandpoint to Spokane im still saving money over buying local.
Pat.

 

[Rustylugnuts]

It's kinda economic darwinism. The shops that figure out that high prices = low sales don't make enough money. I'm lucky enough to have a good LFS nearby (lots of large lps & softy colonies in the $40-$60 range). It's kinda what happens when there is not enough competition. The LFS near where I used to live charged $30 to $40 for common frags!

 

[acrodave]

yes but if it is in a small town that means not a lot of reefers.. that means a lot of stock sits around and they have to feed it house it and.. light, food,....not to sound rude but this is just the same old rant that keeps going around in here..the only way to fix it is to just not go back find a diff store or order offlline...but me i like to see my fish and coral in front of me.i dont even trust wuciwug..that pic may have been a week old now that fish has ick

 

[Sk8r]

Well, you could politely ask them if they'd like to know what the store in Bigtown is selling theirs for, and tell them at the price of gas you'd really like to shop with them if they could be a bit more competitive. SOmetimes you're dealing with Darwin in action and sometimes you're dealing with somebody who doesn't get the whole picture.

 

[Mikeeee]

I hear ya. 199.99 for a purple tang, 99.99 for a flame hawk, 9.99 for lb of LR, etc etc.. If i order it online i still save 50% lol with shipping and everything.. heck if i drive and pay for gas and then get it shipped its still cheaper.

 

[Patis46]

They only have 2 SW tanks One with the LR the other with 3 fish in it. A small clown,1 blenny and something else. There only SW fish tank is 30G.
I'll drive to Spokane once a month and save big. Maybe enough for some nice piece of equipment i want.
Pat

 

[jimbo78]

wow. it really is nice to have about 20 LFS within 20 miles of me

 

[lloydkeller]

they charge what they can get ,but it wont get them a loyal customer

 

[Gold Stripe]

They do gouge on the dry good quite a bit but you have to understand that, on the live stuff, if they order 2 and 1 dies then they have to make up the cost. Most suppliers dont have 100% guarantee for retailers, only us. Retailers generally only get partial credit on live stuff.

 

[jkdsr78]

Wow!!! Talk about expensive. Here in Alabama you can get live rock from the LFS for $4 bucks a pound!

 

[Playa-1]

I would say their just out of touch with their competition, or a poor business operator, and likely on the way out of business. I think we would all be willing to pay a little extra to support the local guy, and we know he's trying to make a living. But when the prices get outrageous then you start to question the lfs' integrity. At that point the loyalty goes out the window. It's a death spiral for their business.

They do the same thing to themselves when they sell a noob a sick fish or a coral with Aptasia on it. The noob doesn't know any better at first and the LFS employee pretends not to notice. The noob does some research and discovers that he had been taken advantage of and then goes online or down the road to the competition. The LFS in a desperate attempt to make money today has cost themselves a potential loyal customer and many future purchases. Not to mention any friends or relatives of that person they may end up entering the hobby.

I drive right past a lfs real close to my house because their prices are outrageous, the inventory is extremely limited, and their fish always look sick. I drive 20 minutes past several other stores to get to a descent one. It's not gr8 but it's ok.

I really don't understand how some of these places keep their doors open.