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Re: online vs LFS



I hardly think that I seriously compete with any LFS. In fact I have a very
good relationship with my local fish store.When people local to me ask me if
they can come by and pick out their plants from me personally, I refer them
to my favorite LFS, who buys their plants from the same distributor that I
do. I live in a very heavily populated area, and have over a dozen mom and
pop stores within a 20 mile radius. None of these stores ever heard of
laterite, or Flourite, or have much of a selection of plants at all, except
the one store I refer people to. There is also at least two pet super stores
within a ten mile raduis of where I live, and they dont have these products
either.

Smart store owners find ways to differentiate themselves from the super
store, or online bargain centers. Superstores are interested in low priced
commodity items that move fast in bulk, not specilaty items. My favorite LFS
is less than a mile from Petsmart, and is getting ready to move into a
larger building. Aquarium societies have long supported LFSs, and encouraged
their members to do the same, but many are now taking contributions from
online businesses as well. I donate to 3 or 4 different societies every
month. The internet is not going to put stores, wall street, or other
businesses out of business but it WILL change how companies do business. My
two cents!

Robert Paul H
http://www.aquabotanic.com
plants, real driftwood, equipment, fertilizers, and SAEs!