Whatsup with prices these days anyway?

[unsane]

LFS are getting crazy on thier prices. $57 for bucket of IO salt $49 for maxi- jet 1200, $220 for mag 12?????? And they wonder why they dont make any cash. I mean I can go down the street to petsmart and buy that same bucket of salt for $32. A difference of $25, I could almost buy 2 for one!!!! I would love to shop at the LFS and not the mega chain, but they almost force you to go to the chains. Even when you spend a gazzillion dollars at their store they show you no thanks what so ever. I guess I am just fed up.

 

[SerLunchbox]

Hell, i can get salt for 200 gallons for $55 canadian online! and that comes with an extra $8 weight charge!!

 

[Andrew]

Order from some from of the RC sponcers. Its cheaper even including shipping in most cases. I buy 90% of my drygoods online.

 

[reverendmaynard]

I hear ya.

After doing a lot of shopping on line, I figured I had a pretty good idea of what prices were like. One day, I needed an emergency heater replacement. So I went to a couple of LFS, even Petsmart and Petco. Every heater I saw, especially the higher wattage ones, were like twice what Drs Foster&Smith charge. I was shocked and appalled!

I now avoid buying anything at a lfs, unless it's on sale enough to bring it down near internet prices, or livestock. Even for the livestock, I'm starting to reconsider the notion of internet. Going to the LFS usually leaves you in the position of buying a fish you don't know that much about because they don't have what you've researched and gone there for. Either that or leaving empty handed so you can research what they do have, which most people find hard to do once they're there. If you want to wait for them to order what you want, you might as well buy online, no?

 

[sbgreen]

the kent pro scraper that i just ordered from marine depot for 14.95, long 24 inch, acryllic is selling for 45 dollars at all the local shops. unreal

 

[Seadogs]

Granted, online shopping and sometimes shopping at the big chain stores can get you better deals, but they also have buying power that many small stores don't. That is part of why they can sell things cheaper than your LFS. On the other hand, how much personal attention do you get from an online store? Also, the people that work in the large chain stores (not ALL of the people, but a large %) don't really know what they're talking about, nor do they care about you or your pets. Now, that's not to say that all LSF's know what they're talking about or that they care, but you have a better chance of finding someone that does in a small store.
I'm a bargain shopper as much as the next and I am more than happy to cut costs where I can, but I am new to salt water and I am VERY glad that I found a great LFS with knowlegable and caring people. Therefore, on some items, I'm willing to pay a little more (sometimes more than a little) to support their business.

 

[BlackOnyx]

The LFS gets similiar pricing as online its just if you come in for something they know you have to have it.

 

[Paintbug]

one of my LFS is about 3-4 times higher one drygoods. they do pretty good with livestock. the internet and large chain stores have killed the small retail business. not just in this hobby but every hobby! i can speak on that first hand from the paintball shop i ran. i would get atleast 2-3 customers a day come in and complain about our high prices, most the time we were $20 max higher on most paintball guns. they could careless that if they bought something from us and it broke(as they always do) we would fix it. most the time for free, or charge for the parts at the worst. we charged $20 per hr labor. so if someone buys something from somewhere else. they would wine about us charging labor. thats when i would say take it back to wal-mart or where ever you got it and tell them to fix it. i try to support my LFS as much as i can but paying 2-3 times what i can get it online makes it HARD. its just the way the world is changing.

 

[unsane]

Seriously though Im all for "supporting" my LFS but, in reality I could go to Premium Aquatics on a Friday wal-in day and buy stuff directly from them, then mark it up 75-100% in my own store. I seriously dont believe these guys cant get a deal from suppliers. I think they get the deals they just dont pass it on to the local consumer. I used to work for for LFS in the late 80' s and early 90's we used to standard markup everything 100% so if we got it for $20 it goes on the shelf for $40. I have to beleieve some of these places are going to a 200% mark-up on items. Its funny how you can go into a LFS on a Saturday and one side of the store is just Vacant from shoppers and the Livestock section is elbow to elbow. All I can say is you'de better have a darn good selection of livestock and good prices on it or your not gonna be in business long.

 

[chasekwe]

I have a rule, I'll pay 15% more to support a local store (of any sort) over a chain business... 10% for very expensive items. If they want more than that margin then they're out of luck.

I like to support local businesses if possible, but I simply cannot afford to literally support them.

 

[sbgreen]

I'm all for supporting the LFS, and I always go to them first. But when a piece of plastic is $45 buck compared $15, i know my answer.

The probelm with all the LFS around here is that no one working there knows anything, for the most part. The worst thing is the upselling. I can't stand it. I came into buy a turbo snail and your trying to sell me a new skimmer, lighting, frozen food and who knows what else. I am a LFS junkie though, i go all the time hoping to find someone who knows anything that can share experience.

 

[Seadogs]

I guess we got really lucky with our LFS. I couldn't find our Remoras any cheaper online than from them. Their LR is only slightly more than alot of places online (including shipping) and we can hand pick the rocks we want.
But, then again, there are some other stores that just ain't so great. Just because they are LFS doesn't mean they're worthy. So, I'm going to continue to support stores worthy of support. For the rest, I'll shop for bargains.

 

[BarkingCrab]

Here's a great one. I needed a replacement Mag7 return pump. The LFS had it for $139. I found it online for half that price.

I really want to support the LFS, but that's hard to do when they aren't even trying to be competitive with their pricing. When you add that to the sometimes clueless behavior and poor advice...there are times I just walk out shaking my head.

 

[staticx1134]

ya, i agree i went to atleast 5 diff lfs for a mag 5 and they all wanted $89.00 or more, when marine depot was like $49.00. I strongly believe that we will all be ordering from online, and that lfs stores wont exist..it sucks..

 

[chasekwe]

Well, you have to keep in mind that everybody who posts here is accustomed to using the internet for their aquarium related needs. My local LFS is always packed, you have to take a number to wait on service in the middle of the week during regular work hours. It's barely worth going on the weekend IMO.

I think you'd be surprised how many people aren't even aware that you can get aquarium stuff (especially livestock) over the internet.

 

[staticx1134]

this is true....

 

[usmcsgt]

Ive seen my LFS with up to 300% mark up on some things.

 

[ReefNeck]

IMHO it is the wholesalers that are trying to steer everything to internet commerce.

I have a good friend who owns a LFS and most times when I am there and ask him how much something is He will tell me to come around the counter and look at what he paid for it. He pulls up his suppliers site and shows me his cost. He then makes me a great deal based on his cost. It's usually more than I would pay online but not even close to a 50% markup....Heck, not even 25% most of the time. But buying from him does several things for me.....#1 if on a Sunday, My tank gets cloudy I can call him at the store and say "Hey, Why is my tank cloudy" and he will spend time on the phone helping me for free to figure it out. #2 if I need something, It's worth the little extra for me to get it now rather than wait 2-3 days for it to come standard delivery.

I managed a LFS about 13 yrs ago.....As stated before, It was a standard 100% markup on everything then. Now, The LFS's (Decent ones) don't get anywhere near 100% markup and still struggle.

The ability to buy in bulk as the big online guys do is appealing to the wholesalers and killing the little guy that is busting his rump just to stay in business.

 

[Saltywater]

I do not like buying online because I like to see what I am getting before spending my money. I normally shop at 1 LFS. There markup is only about 10%. They also will do special orders and custom work. I will continue to Support my LFS.

 

[rayjay]

Just remember all this when down the road, all the LFS's are out of business because they pay more to purchase the product, they have overhead in terms of staffing, building costs, insurance, utilities etc.
The online stores can send you product stored in low rent warehousing with low utilities, no cost to have display set ups, no extra staff to help you when you have a problem in your tank, and sometimes they don't even have to stock an item as they can have it drop shipped to you.
Now, what are you going to do when you buy a coral online and when you get that electric green whatever, it isn't stunning, but you've bought it? Or, you've received that powder blue you've always wanted but when you get it, it isn't one of the better ones, but, you've already bought it?
To me, the lower cost of online doesn't make up for being able to see before I buy.
I don't want to end up with a lot of corals or fish that I'm not reeeally happy about, but OHHHH, they were cheaper.
That LFS won't survive just selling live stock if everyone buys hardgoods online.
I hear some hobbyists around here saying they are only a few customers compared to the total customer base of that LFS and they can't hurt the operation significantly, but they don't realize that those few can be the difference between just covering costs, and making a living for that LFS.
I buy online for things that my preferred LFS doesn't carry, like my Tahitian Blend, and my 95% spirulina flake food, but that isn't taking money from the LFS when they don't carry it anyway. I have had them order in things for me that they do have access to.
If there is a big difference in the price of something you want, then show the LFS what price you can get it for, and see if he can better his price somewhat. Even if he can't match, but can improve on the price for you, you will help to keep him in business there for the things you DO make use of at their store.
Well, that's my rant for this morning!