Re: Loyalty vs. Being Robbed

[JoAnn VanDersarl <jmarella at attbi_com>]

>I
>guess what I'm trying to say is do all of ya'll support a particular fish
>store no matter what, or do you shop wherever you see fit?

I'm not in the pet business, but I have noticed a few things that may 
be relevant here.

I tend to be loyal to my LFS, even though at times PetsMart has 
plants that are lower in price. I'm not always loyal, but when I am 
it's because of the great advice and excellent service I've found at 
the smaller store.

I think in the case of the local fish store, sometimes they're damned 
if they do and damned if they don't. Some weeks they order a very 
nice selection of plants and within a few days all of them are gone. 
Then, I'll notice that other weeks they'll order an equally nice 
variety of plants and they just sit there and don't sell. The plants 
are almost always on sale - buy 2 get one free. Despite that, the 
prices aren't quite as low as I'd like to see them, but not too bad.

What I can't understand is that although this store sells Flourite, 
nutrients and power compact lighting, they never have set up a plant 
tank to display their aquatic plants in. As a result, their unsold 
plants rot away and die within a week or two due to poor lighting, 
etc. That loss goes somewhere and I'd guess it's reflected in the 
overall price of the plants they sell.

The other thing that I wonder about is where this store is getting 
their plants from. Maybe suggesting another source might help the 
store save money and bring the retail price down. In the case of my 
lfs, they aren't too in tune with alternate sources for plants and 
seem satisfied with the way things are. The owner left the price 
sheet from her distributer on the counter and I glanced at it and was 
blown away by what she pays for some of the plants on the list. I 
know that I suggested another wholesale source that I know of, but no 
enchilada. Oh well, my two cents worth.

I guess I don't feel like I'm being robbed, but after trying to look 
at the issue constructively, I'm thinking there are things the store 
could do to bring prices down and reduce losses in the store.

JoAnn


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