69 replies to this topic

[fishgalsoup]

Surely you can count, can't you? An online Eastern State Fish Shop Vs a LFS, there is not the same level playing field, is there?

LFS sponsors, we should support first because not only they have to compete with big chain pet stores but as well as cheap online shops!

You can roll your eyes as many times you like but if and when Big Chain Store catching up on their games (which they will one day), what would you do then? Till reality strikes, what plans have you got?

[werdna]

The big chain stores can become a sponsor too if they want. They only have to offer a 10% discount to club members and donate products if they want to be premium sponsors.

AoA is a sponsor because they wanted to be. I use them not because of pricing but for convenience of delivery to your door. There is nothing stopping our lfs from opening an online store.

[Cawdor]

An online Eastern State Fish Shop Vs a LFS, there is not the same level playing field, is there?

You are misinformed. AoA is a fully fledged brick and mortar shop. They also happen to have an online ordering presence to serve customers around the country. So they have the same overheads as any other LFS, thus the playing field is indeed level.

[Salpon]

I believe they call it 'Clicks and Mortar'.

[Betta-Billy]

As a general customer and being recently new to the hobby i have been very interested to explore every LFS and even the Big chain Stores, what i look for as a beginner is - Useful Advice & Tips from knowledgeable staff - great customer service and a good bargain, and The weekend just gone for instance i vistited :

BPG - Wangara
Malaga Aquariums
City Farmers - Malaga
City Barn - Malaga
Aquarium City
Gosnells Aquariums
Avid Aquaria
AAA
Aquotix
Vebas

It was quite a big trip this weekend most weekends in the past few months generally i see about 4 shops or so I believe that LFS are definately great for advice and great product and I thoroughly enjoy visiting all the stores and i think most LFS provide a great service to all so why do i even bother visiting my local big Chainstores that i know i wont get the same advice, service from? because i am 19 years old i have a huge home loan to pay off and i want the best deal possible as the money im spending is all i have left at the end of the week and when i go into a LFS and then i go into my Chain store and there is a $30.00 price difference on the product i want and the chain store gives me points aswell which then turns into money to spend instore it makes every amount of difference to me i would love to support my LFS more but when on such a tight budget i feel i have no option sometimes.

But that is not always the case sometimes its the complete opposite this is why i visit all shops around me and even drive south of the river, you have to shop around , I believe that all LFS and Chain stores are just as competitive as each other, at the end of the day if you offer a good service, good product at a competitve price you will do well even if you have 5 shops in the same suburb. I would love to be loyal to my LFS, loyalty is a great thing to have with anything local, but i feel like i would be missing out if i restricted myself to it.

Sorry for the rant

And a big Thanks to all the LFS staff i chatted to over the weekend and helped me out with great advice and service I had a great weekend

[Cawdor]

Betta-Billy, I read your post as essentially saying that you value the LFS for their service and advice but will go wherever the product is the cheapest (please correct me if I misunderstood the post).

What I would like to point out is: do you think the service and advice you get from the LFS is worth nothing? Just because it's free to you, doesn't mean it's not worth anything. These shops employ people with knowledge and pay for their time. If you go to a shop, spend 30 minutes getting advice and then go and buy from a chain store, the LFS has lost 30 minutes of their staff's time. In these 30 minutes, they could have made a sale, helped another customer that may have lead to a sale etc.

I'm not attacking you or saying what you do is wrong. What I am trying to point out is that even though you are not being charged for advice, doesn't mean it's worthless in terms of dollars for the LFS. Do you give the LFS the chance to pricematch or even get close to the price?

Nobody can tell you where to shop or how to spend your money. But keep in mind that by using the LFS time by getting service and advice, the equation is one sided. If everyone would do it, the LFS would be out of business and everyone loses. Again, please do not misunderstand me, I don't want to tell you what to do. Just point out that your actions are costing the LFS money because you are using the time of their employee without giving them business.

[extend]

I usually try support all the sponsors in every way possible. But the thing i find with the big chain stores is variety or lack thereof. lots of the more common and easy to keep fish that don't really prick my personal interest. There might be a big store that is an exception like CF in Currambine. For me all the Lfs have people that have real experience in the industry and are better to talk to. Im sure if the LFS' like vebas and aquotix had more money, staff and the like they would love to open more stores.

[tranced]

Surely you can count, can't you? An online Eastern State Fish Shop Vs a LFS, there is not the same level playing field, is there?

LFS sponsors, we should support first because not only they have to compete with big chain pet stores but as well as cheap online shops!

You can roll your eyes as many times you like but if and when Big Chain Store catching up on their games (which they will one day), what would you do then? Till reality strikes, what plans have you got?

wat

[Betta-Billy]

Cawdor - Sorry I think i came across the wrong way i generally most of the time wont ask for advice from a LFS if i dont intend to purchase things from them not for like a full on half an hour or so like you say maybe a quick 30 sec question but rarely and not very time wasting i think it would be wrong of someone to go into a LFS chat for a full on 30 minutes and walk away with nothing i try to do as much research as i can before i go out to make my purchases I understand they are trying to make a business and the last thing I want to do is waste there time. It's not like i go around asking every single shop the price on one particluar item I am after.

I think its more the shelf items and dry goods with prices listed im talking about that catch my eye that have significantly different price values i know Chainstores have bigger buying power and this is why the are so competitve i have asked a couple of stores if they could price match some could not budge, some could match and others could come close if its close enough by far i would much prefer to purchase from my LFS and if they could price match most definately. If i can i always try to buy from LFS as i am a large supporter and value there service

More my point is that for general people like myself that are strung to their last dollar every week, every bit counts and i would love to further myself so much in the hobby and i know alot of people out there would like to aswell but are restrcited due to finances. I know these things dont happen over night and it takes time and years but Im just saying if on some weekends you can afford to buy 2 of the products you need to futher yourself instead of one you feel much better off that you got value for money and you dont have to wait until you come across more spare cash.

Im not trying to being gready or anything everyone is out for the best value i just think that we need both chainstores and LFS to be competitve. If there were no chainstores and only LFS ,and say they chose to raise prices because no one else stocks these specialty products that they did then the consumers will loose out and it can work the other way aswell if there were no LFS and only chainstores. Im not saying that would happen im not saying either of them is better than teh other but having both makes it a great market for consumers and gives us a fair chance at getting a good deal.

again Im sorry for coming across wrongly as a user that was not what i set out to do and do not wish to waste anybodys valuble time

Billy

[Cawdor]

No worries Billy, thanks for clearing it up
I do understand that some people are in a situation where they have to watch every dollar and shop around, especially for dry goods which are the same at every shop (not like fish where quality and size varies). I do it myself on items that are of significant value - it's just part of being a financially savvy shopper.

And to clear my own post up as well - I am not advocating that your LFS should be your sole destination no matter the price. I just think that it should be common courtesy to give the LFS your business when you have received valuable service and advice in that particular matter (like for example when you're after a new canister and you ask questions about filtration etc).

If you're just going in, checking prices and go out and buy somewhere else, that's just shopping around which is perfectly fine, most people do it