Question of the week. How LFS can compete with the popularity of online sales?

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#22
I feel an LFS can compete if they price match online stores. I am specifically talking Dry goods as I don't buy live goods online because of the shipping costs. Before I visit a LFS, I have an idea of what the price should be. If it's way out of range, then I don't buy.
 
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#24
LFS and online has their pros and cons. LFS needs to identify their pros and build on that. Rather than identifying their cons and trying to step up to meet or beat online stores. Prices? It's almost impossible for you to beat online. Inventory? You can't beat online, it will cost you too much to stock it all.

This is how I look at it. If you want to win a sport in the Olympics and you can enter high jump or 100 meter dash, why would you enter the 100 meter dash if you can't run fast. What's the point of training and trying to get to the level of your competition when the odds are stacked against you. But if you're a naturally a good jumper, then put forth your effort in excelling in that sport.

IMO LFS can excel in livestock. Everyone wants to see fish eat, swim, exact size, personality, etc. Same with corals, everyone wants to see coral under "white light" even though no one runs white light. I'll never get that reasoning. Anyways, LFS can take advantage of that market. Fish and coral are 100% impulsive purchases. Everyone in the hobby, buys that "last" fish. That one more coral. That fish they know will probably get beat up by their other fish. When's the last time you went and bought a skimmer or light on impulse.

Look at Tongs, huge selection of fish. And that register just keeps ringing.

Age of Aquariums, great store, nice overall selection, but their service maintenance keeps their doors open, not equipment sales or livestock sales to walk ins.

People won't buy a $20 fish online and pay $50 to ship. Nor do most people wants to spend enough money on fish to qualify for free shipping.

Identify your cliental and go after them. If you're a LFS your cliental isn't the customer who comes to your store, talk to you about skimmers for 30 mins, walks out the door saying he'll think about it, goes home and orders on amazon to save $6. If those are the customers you're trying to catch or appeal to you've already lost.
This. The only way for an LFS to compete with online is by focusing on livestock. If I opened a LFS tomorrow it would be purely livestock with no dry goods other than food and medicine. Follow that up with friendly, knowledgeable customer service and a great selection of both fish and corals that appeals to both beginners and experts and you might just make a profit. I would also sell freshwater and nice Betas.
 
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#25
I feel an LFS can compete if they price match online stores. I am specifically talking Dry goods as I don't buy live goods online because of the shipping costs. Before I visit a LFS, I have an idea of what the price should be. If it's way out of range, then I don't buy.
Dry goods is a hard sale... Like the jebo stuff... Some wholesale places have them for the same amazon price... Most lfs only make like 3 bucks on them... But they're there to bring in people... But most dry goods are hard to compete with the online prices... Not that simple...
 

lowbudget

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#27
Who is Ali and what store is his? #newguyhere #everyoneknowsalibutme
you mention amazing reefs and aquariums he is Ali.

I've not found any great places in the IE yet, but you mentioned LA too, so I'm assuming you're willing to drive a little. There are a number of good ones in the OC area like Cali Kid, Amazing Reefs and Aquariums, Ellis Aquatics, Coral Gazers, Reef Lounge, and Two Guys Corals (disclaimer: I've not been to TGC yet, but their reputation is solid for having excellent stuff). I know there are others I've not mentioned, but those can get you started if you're up for a drive.
 
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#28
Price match guaranty, with a smile, not I am loosing money on this sale. (most will not even ask for it, but feel better you offer)

Salt and water at cost prices as this gets people in the store and they will end up buying a fish and everything else. (people do not like to ship salt capitalize on this)

Employees with a smile and good attitude and the more knowledge the better. (If your employee lives on his phone and is not approachable find a new one!)

Keep the store clean and get rid of the inventory that has not sold since the 80's(Age your inventory and blow out aged stuff on Ebay)

Diverse clean tanks with fish and corals.(This is why I go to the stores)

Good selection of parts I need in an emergency, plumbing, air pumps, medicine.

Social Media is key to any brick and mortar, if you are not working Instagram, Facebook, and your email you will fail in today's business culture. (Give people a reason to follow and if you post up a crazy fish that comes in your customers will post a link to it on the message boards, free advertisment:)
 
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#29
#1 stay in business.
dont smoke your own supply, as in hording all the good stuff. everything is for sale. dont use your "store" (garage) to pay for your reefing addiction
dont cut deals to cheap old reefers (like me) and homies; dont scare/abuse noobs. dont be a creepy reefing guru (like the comic book guys).
have your personal finances squared away- no you will likley not get rich doing this

#2 I would have an up to the minute store website of livestock that (price matched) where people can order online then pickup same day. like th Home Depot model

#3 stay in business

#4 appeal to the 20-50 year old male crowd. would it kill you to have an attractive face at the counter ?!?!
 
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#30
The necessity for a Local Fish Store to acquire visits from an Online Retail Customer is the same as online stores that are successful.

Cleanliness and organization is the key for a customer to find the products they want, along with the price listed clearly; when prices change from moment to moment, during the same visit, the customer does not return.

Choice of product, at a scale of "good," "better, " and "best" for every product sold is the next necessity of a Local Fish Store to properly compete against an Online Retailer; retailers with 3 choices of a very similar product will sell the middle priced product more frequently than when displaying that product with no other choice, a single choice, or more than two choices for the same product.
 

All Delight

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#31
Curious....if the LFS were to price match bulk reef supply on a skimmer you don't desperately need today. Would you still buy it from your LFS and pay your sales tax or would you order from bulk reef supply, wait 3-5 days and not pay sales tax? Because on a $300 skimmer, were talking about ~$27 in sales tax.
 
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#32
Curious....if the LFS were to price match bulk reef supply on a skimmer you don't desperately need today. Would you still buy it from your LFS and pay your sales tax or would you order from bulk reef supply, wait 3-5 days and not pay sales tax? Because on a $300 skimmer, were talking about ~$27 in sales tax.
Marine Depot + NOCALTAX + Free next day local shipping! =P

But no, I don't do sales tax at fish stores unless I have to. A lot of stores that you're acquainted with don't do sales tax in order to encourage sales too.
 

lowbudget

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#33
I like #4

#1 stay in business.
dont smoke your own supply, as in hording all the good stuff. everything is for sale. dont use your "store" (garage) to pay for your reefing addiction
dont cut deals to cheap old reefers (like me) and homies; dont scare/abuse noobs. dont be a creepy reefing guru (like the comic book guys).
have your personal finances squared away- no you will likley not get rich doing this

#2 I would have an up to the minute store website of livestock that (price matched) where people can order online then pickup same day. like th Home Depot model

#3 stay in business

#4 appeal to the 20-50 year old male crowd. would it kill you to have an attractive face at the counter ?!?!
 

MitchW

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#36
Good customer service, knowledgeable staff, a clean looking store, a good selection of dry good and live stock - all of those get me into your LFS.

I prefer to give my business to a LFS as opposed to online. I do still shop online but I try my best to support several different LFS as much as I can. There are many good stores in Southern California to do this at.
 
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#37
Curious....if the LFS were to price match bulk reef supply on a skimmer you don't desperately need today. Would you still buy it from your LFS and pay your sales tax or would you order from bulk reef supply, wait 3-5 days and not pay sales tax? Because on a $300 skimmer, were talking about ~$27 in sales tax.
Coming from a whole sale stand point there are many things to consider about a LFS and online stores. Your location, overhead and clients.
Here in long beach i don't keep a lot of high end product. Long beach is a lot of apartments with a lot of blue collar people, lets face it its not Palos Verdes. Now with LFS some have to many employees a large sqr footage and alot of equipment which means high mark up to cover high overhead those do well in places like tongs location where theres more money in the area. Now look at Jeff's exotic fish when it was around it was in the industrial area of Gardena in a warehouse with a couple of employees, and a chasier. Prices were low constant selection of corals very little equipment and dry goods mostly livestock. I remember paying $30 dollars there for a whole colony of zoas that were considered high end and frags were going for $100. If I were to open a store thats what it would be like high efficiency equipment to keep costs low, a streamline display systems. so that i wouldnt have 1000 power strips pluged in like i have seen, and in a commercial zone where rent is less expensive than a strip mall. "If you build it they will come" look at Ellis i have been buying all my stuff from him small selection but reasonable priced.
I totally understand making a buck but some places its like come on man thats just crazy, and thats where online has them beat. Low overhead, cheep rent mostly out of state, no customer walk ins so insurance is less, and then they also make a buck on shipping.
 
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#38
Marine Depot + NOCALTAX + Free next day local shipping! =P

But no, I don't do sales tax at fish stores unless I have to. A lot of stores that you're acquainted with don't do sales tax in order to encourage sales too.
Too bad MD now has super slow shipping to SoCal now. ;[
 
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#39
Someone should try a foodtruck setup, but instead be a mobile reef store. Cover all of so cal with nice stuff. I wonder if that would work?
 
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#40
Someone should try a foodtruck setup, but instead be a mobile reef store. Cover all of so cal with nice stuff. I wonder if that would work?
A long time ago I remember some guys doing that with freshwater fish. They used to go to fish stores and try and sell them by the bag.
 

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