Ow much?!!!

[seangee]

Are we approaching the end of the road for the independent LFS? Yesterday I decided to get another 6 dwarf chain loach to go with the 6 I already had. I drove around to my local Maidenhead Aquatics (large specialist chain in the UK) but they are still in the middle of a refurb and had hardly any stock.

Then I remembered there is an indy LFS in the town where I recently started working, its actually the store where I bought my community tank. They proudly proclaim their independent status and the fact that they have been trading for over 60 years. So I rode over at lunch time to see what shape their livestock was in. Everything was impressively clean and the fish all looked healthy, although some of combinations in tanks were a bit suspect. I whizzed past all the tanks and decided they never had any sids by the time the assistant asked what I was after. I told him and he said he did indeed have one! Of course I never spotted it because it never occured to me to look for a single loach in a tank full of gouramis.

Would I like to buy it? I was about to explain to him that loaches were social and required a group when I spotted the price tag of £28! All I could manage was to shake my head and tell him I was after a group of 6. When I got back to the office I ordered 4 on-line for £28, I also ordered the other 2 I wanted .

Now I'm not in a position to knock their pricing strategy as I have no idea about how much it costs to run a fish store, let alone as an independent. But as a punter I could accept a 30-50% uplift, especially if I thought I was dealing with knowlegeable staff who actually cared about their fish. And I'm afraid to say they never got a new customer today

 

[AquaBarb]

Thats pretty dam steep for one chain loach . you would think they would have a tank full at that price (surely an error)

Are Maidenhead Aquatics any good near you? When they are stocked up and running normally that is. I have three stores not to far away from where i live and havent had chance to go yet.

 

[seangee]

I have been going into the Sunningdale one for years. Their revamp should be done in 6-8 weeks. They are going to have a dedicated softwater section which I am looking forward to. Used to go in there every week when I was buying RO so got to know most of them. Most of the core permanent staff are pretty knowlegeable and passionate about fish. They are just as upset as us about things like tiny tanks and replaceable filter cartriges but its a job and they have to toe the corporate line. All the fish I have got there have been good and healthy.

The Bracknell (Moss End) branch is mostly marine but they do have a tropical section. Its a newish store (recently relocated) and really nice in there. If you go in ask about fish by their binomial names. That way if you have a temp staff member they will run off and find Josh who is incredibly knowlegeable and passionate and will talk the hind legs off a donkey if its not busy. He breeds a lot of species as a hobby.

 

[Essjay]

Maidenhead Aquatics do vary. There is one 3 miles from me which I don't like. There was another 10 miles away in the opposite direction which I did use - until the garden centre it was in burned down and took the MA section with it. I'll have to see what it is like when the newly built replacement gets fully stocked.

But my preferred shop is 20 miles away, an independent. It is in the middle of nowhere but is the only shop serving several towns and is thriving.

 

[AquaBarb]

Im in the middle of 3 Maidenhead Aquatics around 40 mins each way. Mere park, Shirley and Atherstone. Will have to see the reviews and go take a look

 

[Sylvan]

Ouch that is expensive, was it good plated or something?! It makes me grateful that the independent LFS round me are cheaper than the chains like Maidenhead although I did manage to get my hands on some Kubotai for less than their normal price from maidenhead last week because they hadn't realised they still had any so just charged the same price as the neon tetras they were in with since they weren't labelled with a price .

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Ouch! Some species of fish are very expensive. At my LFS the other day I was looking at the saltwater section (that’s what I dream about at night, lol) and I saw this little clown fish that was 1 inches long. I look at the price tag and low and behold! The numbers, “$80” jumped out at me! (Yeesh)

 

[Back in the fold]

The end of the independently owned stores is very near. They can't compete with the buying power of the chains and franchises. They don't make their payroll and overhead on fish. They have to sell hard products and lots of them. Online buying is killing them. The very small operators have to sell online. They can't make it in one market. One of my local LFS sells angelfish for 10 dollars each. Across town at the PetsMart you can get the same fish for $4.99. The other LFS that just opened is trying to match PetsMart prices. He won't be able to do it forever. I buy almost exclusively locally. I only buy online if I absolutely can't get it here in town. The local dollar that I earned locally and spend locally stays right here in my little town. The online and Box Store dollar leaves town and does not help my neighbors. I will keep it up as long as I can but the end is near. Excuse me now while I go cry. I love pet shops and they are going the way of the blacksmith and cobblers and tailors. Soon they will be a quaint memory of a bygone day.