LFS Ideas

[dartos]

I think that display tanks are a wonderful idea. My favorite LFS has multiple display tanks and my wife and I love to go in and look at them all the time.

I know for a fact that having display tanks has gotten them sales because my wife and I just bought a 65 gallon tank from them to set up a tank with the same inhabitants in one of their display tanks (we liked it that much).

Also, those display tanks almost seem to show a fishshop's experience and knowledge. The first time we walked into that LFS and saw the tanks along with the displayed water parameters, we knew that we could trust them.

 

[lizard]

Wow! Thanks for all the responses, guys! I'm going to be printing this out, highlighting it, adding notes, etc. I'm always open to hearing more ideas, too! Keep 'em coming!

I hate that we sell goldfish bowls and want to quit doing that (we'll see how that goes) and also want to quit displaying Bettas in those little Betta hexes and such.

I already have the okay to set up display tanks I like the idea of setting up a 10, 20, 55, etc. Not sure if we have the room, but I'll check in to it.

Lots of good ideas - thanks!

If anyone's near the capitol city of Minnesota and would like to visit these two fish stores, PM me and I'll give you names and addresses.

I should take some pictures... We have a big ol' tank in the bank that has a big Red-Tailed Catfish, an Oscar, a Pacu, and a Common Pleco. People love that catfish. It's surprising how many people think that the catfish's barbels will sting you

Pamela
aka Married Lizard

 

[RYO]

My lfs has a display tank of around 10ft, they keep a selection of fish just to show people the size they can get , ie a huge plec, shoal of full grown clown loach , balas and so on. Its quite an eye opner to some people.
Oh yea! be nice to find a shop that sold a decent lid for a planted tank that doesnt need to be moded to hell

 

[OohFeeshy]

It would be quite nice if you could make some basic leaflet things explaining cycling, stocking etc. for the newbies. Nothing too fancy. Also, as for working on getting rid of the goldfish bowls, if the boss isn't too keen you could suggest marking them as betta bowls. Not massive I know, but its better than having a goldfish in it and it saves people putting a betta in a vase or something similarly evil.

 

[rdd1952]

I'd like to see more of the less common fish that everyone seems to want (german blue rams come to mind since almost no ome stocks them here). I know that some of these are delicate and the LFS may not stock them for fear of losing too many before they are sold or having to give refunds to people who kill them after they take them home. If they educate people though and tell them the proper way to acclimate a fish and the water parameters it should go in, they wouldn't have that problem.

 

[SirMinion]

There was a similar thread to this back in november, here's what I wrote:

If I were to open my own fish store, and assuming I had plenty of financial backing, here's what I would do:

• With enough room & funds, I would actually build a public aquarium into the store and charge admission.
  
• The aquarium would house adult sized fish of all the commonly sold large species, such as Pacu, RTC, TSH, Balas, Mbu, large plecs etc so that people considering buying them could see what they are letting themselves in for.
  Many of the fish in these tanks would be donations from people who no longer have the room for them.
  
• I would have a small photography concession in there too, selling camera films and a small range of cameras & accesories.
  
• I would give admission vouchers as sales incentives such as buy £2000 of hardware, get free admission for a year or spend £100, get two free tickets.
  
• My staff would all be fishkeepers themselves, each having an interest in a different range of species.
  
• Each tank would be labled with the fish's water requirements, it's adult size and it's temperament. There would be tape measures on strings so people could see what 36 inches actually looks like.
  
• Each tank would be labled as to it's suitabilty to the local water.
  
• I would have a separate section for beginner's fish where all the easy to keep fish could be found.
  
• I would have a 'photo wall' where people could pin up photos of the fish they've bought and are thriving - I'm attempting to make the store into a community and build customer loyalty.
  
• I would have a cafe in the public aquarium, surrounded by large fish while you drink your tea. The main lighting in the cafe would be the dancing light reflected from the water in the tanks.
  The cafe would also be hired out as a function room and conference facility.

 

[Iron Man]

I think a display (or a few even better depending on the space available) definately will sell some fish, etc. I recently went to a fish store simply on the suggestion that I had to see a very beautiful reef display tank that they had....they did have one and it was worth the trip. While in there I found all kinds of fish he carries that no one else does. He's not the dumbest person I've met, obviously.

The store was packed and most of the people were packed around the reef tank with their kids, etc...maybe having come there on the same exact advice.

For me a larger variety of fish/critters needs to be available than what I have seen. I know its tough keeping fish in the glass boxes they have to stay in while for sale at the store, but if it were my store I would definately make a LOT of room for MANY types of fish. The equipment is so marked up in lfs's I rarely ever seen anyone buying them and when you do pick up something to look at it, its been sitting there so long its dusty. Its been like that in every single fish/pet store I've ever been to.....accept maybe the cheaper dept. stores. I would concentrate on the fish and maybe provide a little something to sell someone in case they want to do all their shopping there to get started. But I would not go overboard.

I think most pet stores make huge mistakes in doing this.

 

[OohFeeshy]

Wow Sir! Thats such a cool idea! LOL, although I'm sure several members have enough massive tanks to urn their house into one....

I'd like to see the 'Mixed Mbuna Cichlids' actually seperated into different species. Also, I'd like shops to NOT SELL common and comet goldfish unless they are in the pond fish section.

 

[SarahBravo]

All of the above..... particularly labelling.... the correct names of the fish, their requirements, potential size AND min tank size. And pics on the labels so you know which fish the label is talking about. And the lfs posting their water parameters including Ph, KH, GH, what they feed the fish on/how often, whether they use RO water etc so you know how much acclimatising your new fish is gonna need.

Every time someone asks to buy a fish the clerk asking 'What size is your tank, what else is in your tank, how long has your tank been up and running'. Salespeople refusing to sell fish unless people bring in a water sample if the setups are newish. Maybe a membership or loyalty card that a) says if you have demonstrated you know what you're on about, and so avoiding the questions as above, and B ) listing the fish and equipment you've bought so you cna check compatibility (like the cards you get from supermarket chains that you can put into computers in the shops, and they tell you what you've bought before and point you in the direction of relevant special offers).

Having a computer with fish profiles, or at least a copy of Baensch chained to a desk, that the customers can use. Would be cool if the 'puter could print stuff out so you could take stuff home to research some more.

Not selling ANY 'goldfish tanks'. I recently bought a plastic 19 litre for my shrimps - it was made by Hagen and titled 'My First goldfish setup'.........they got a somewhat irate email......

Not selling fish unless someone in the shop knows about them.... my lfs has tanks of 'mixed malawis'.... cos none of the staff knew what they were they're all priced at £6 and have no other labels. If you ask about eventual size and/or agression, they don't even know the name of the fish to look up in Baensch! They have baby blue dolphins (10" +) in with baby labidochromis (4")..... and no info!

Hmm, and a coffee bar/cafe so you can browse, drink coffee and ponder (maybe the PC's in the cafe so you can check out that lovely looking fish that grows to 3 feet and eats everything including your cat?) then go back and buy having made a considered decision.

.....not that i'm on my hobby horse at all....

HTH

Sarah