Retailers future

[scott0615]

As we approach the 1 year mark..........I'll ask the same question of this club before we opened our doors - What do you want out of your LFS. Tulsa has some great stores and some great people operating them - what could be done to make them better? You guys are in a different category as far as knowledge and needs. Do the retailers in this city need to do anything different?

I hope this thread doesn't prompt the PM's of promotion - I'm just asking for thoughts about ALL of the stores. Tuesdays are fish days and I can never make the meetings due to the incomptence of airlines and livestock wholesalers.

[keckles]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7962187#post7962187 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by scott0615
I hope this thread doesn't prompt the PM's of promotion.

By PM do you mean a private message on ReefCentral? In that case, I will keep all of my shameless, personal advertising right here.

<img src="/images/welcome.gif" width="500" height="62"><br><b><i><big><big>To Fish-O-Rama</b></i></big></big>
"Where only the mortality rate is higher than our prices!"

;)

[siren]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7962187#post7962187 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by scott0615
As we approach the 1 year mark..........I'll ask the same question of this club before we opened our doors - What do you want out of your LFS. Tulsa has some great stores and some great people operating them - what could be done to make them better? You guys are in a different category as far as knowledge and needs. Do the retailers in this city need to do anything different?

I hope this thread doesn't prompt the PM's of promotion - I'm just asking for thoughts about ALL of the stores. Tuesdays are fish days and I can never make the meetings due to the incomptence of airlines and livestock wholesalers.

Lower prices would be nice. A larger coral selection maybe. Signs in the window saying "now hiring"

[Travis L. Stevens]

From what I've seen around the state, I have to say that Tulsa is blessed with great stores. We are truly spoiled. Most other people in Oklahoma don't know the pleasures of having a good store.

Each has its own unique quality. Each seems to cater more towards specific areas in a reefer's ability, social class, and livestock availability. Don't get me wrong, I think this is WONDERFUL! Prices are priced reasonably well according to the area of town they are in. Though we OMAS members have no problem driving across the city to shop, other people don't. And usually, if they are from a wealthier area, they tend to be fine with the prices. Also, if you can't find it at one shop, you're bound to find it at another. While this may or may not be a direct marketing ploy for retailers, it's a benefit to all aquarists. Also, once again this may or may not be a direct marketing ploy, but some shops tend to have more of a selection of specific things. For example, Shop A might have lots of soft corals and easy fish with eager people to talk and help. This is an ideal store for the new aquarist and people that would like something without much maintenance. And then there is Store B that has SPS, Clams, all sorts of gadgets like skimmers and CO2 Reactors, and powerful lighting. This is an ideal store for some of the veteran hobbyists. Luckily we have both of those examples and more in Tulsa. While no one store is exactly like either example, they all tend to carry one genera of things a little more in abundance than others.

CLIFFNOTES: In short, I would say that I would hope that all of the stores never change their business around to attempt to be more advantageous over another store. Now upgrading is something that I hope all stores will do. It's only to be expected as a business grows. After all, that's the nature of the hobbyists inside of us :D

For the stores outside of Tulsa, don't feel left out. There are still quite a few good stores out there. Especially in the OKC areas.

[jokeloma]

I agree Tulsa has some great stores and great store owners. For me being in this hobby can be a struggle with buying new equipment. I would like to see a store with a used equipment area (WYSIWYG) no guarantees. This is one area where I feel like a store could compete with the internet and Ebay. I enjoy tinkering and cleaning and old piece of equipment that I can use in my existing setup.

[Travis L. Stevens]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7964302#post7964302 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jokeloma
I agree Tulsa has some great stores and great store owners. For me being in this hobby can be a struggle with buying new equipment. I would like to see a store with a used equipment area (WYSIWYG) no guarantees. This is one area where I feel like a store could compete with the internet and Ebay. I enjoy tinkering and cleaning and old piece of equipment that I can use in my existing setup.

As great as that would be, there are only a few people that enjoy tinkering the way you and me do. Back a couple years ago, there were quite a few stores that would sell used equipment and such, but it was very difficult for them to resell it. They usually had to drop the price many times before it would leave the store.

[TheMcs]

Hey John, I want to see a section of your restaurant devoted to leftovers! :D

[Snprhed]

LOL that was good Greg

[Travis L. Stevens]

mmMMmmm...Leftovers...

http://www.theologicallycorrect.com/images/homer_drooling1.gif

(You got a good point/comparisson there Greg)

[jokeloma]

Whatever, I'll take the high road

[TheMcs]

No offense meant John.

It's a good idea, but has been tried.
1. It takes up valuable retail space for a very low margin item
2. Even with the as-is caveat, customer service is still expected with it, as well as a solution if the "no warranty" used product fails

[keckles]

While it is a great idea in theory, I can also say that if we opened ourselves up to used items we wouldn't have room for anything else. I can't even tell you how many people come in each week trying to sell that old aquarium, skimmer, lighting system, etc. It would be overwhelming trying to clean the item, stock the item, price the item, and negotiate the profit split with the owner every time.

Before you know it, people would switch to only buying used in attempt to save money. Retailers begin making less money on a used item, selling fewer new items, and placing less orders. They begin to lose deals with wholesalers because of the lack of purchasing, prices go up, and people resort to buying everything online. The online merchants sales sky-rocket and they begin to monopolize due to the extinction of the LFS. The airlines become flooded with aquarium items, flights are delayed, canceled, and destroyed. Before you know it, no one can get anything shipped to them for their aquarium, and there is no r/o or saltwater to be purchased from the nonexistent LFS. Entire aquariums begin to crash due to a lack of food, supplements, and top-off water. People's homes become flooded with stench, mildew, bacteria, and disease from their stagnant aquariums and dying livestock. The diseases spread through human interaction from aquarists to all other living mammals. The most superior cities on Earth dwindle down to ghost towns, full of nothing but stagnant saltwater and decaying flesh. And, no matter how hard people try to get away, there is no escape because all flights are delayed and grounded while trying to stock the super-mass of aquarium items to be shipped. No one remains who is uninfected. Within 12 months, the entire human population on Earth is reduced to nothing.

No, this is not the description of an upcoming movie. It is not another sci-fi thriller staring Tommy Lee Jones or Helen Hunt. You are the star in this story.

http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/forestry/ffp/images/bd834.jpg
Can prevent the destruction of the planet.

;):D

[jokeloma]

What did Lesley Neilson say in that movie Airplane "I picked a hell of a day to quit drinking" I'll rachet it down a notch I freaked earlier this week over a ham sandwich.

No I don't drink that was a joke just so everyone knows
:)
I'm glad I wear glasses or I might have to punch myself in the face

[scott0615]

Not only a walking dictionary of invert identification............he is a close relative to Sly Stallone's mother.....for $9.95 Jared will read YOUR future!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[quaz]

Hey that would bring in more business. If Jareds giving psychic readings maybe I can get Shane to belly-dance.