I need help inderstanding something about LFS???

[Anonymous]

Example - Mag12 pump is $149 at the LFS. I can get it online for $69. I can overnight it for $30 more and still be allot cheaper than the LFS. Now if the LFS sold it for $100 I would probably buy it from them in an emergency but I cant see throwing away $60-70 for the same $70 pump.

Ok, another perfect example. That mag 12 pump from the regional pet supply wholesaler is $129.33. If your local place is buying from them, which I bet they are since we're in the same region they are marking up only 15% and making less than $20 GROSS on that pump. Hardly a rip off by any stretch of the word.

I think people would find the savy LFS owners who are very aware of what's going on are the ones with the prices comparible to online places because they are buying from the same place.

To be fair apples must be compared with apples.

 

[Anonymous]

As the end user a Mag12 pump by Danner Mfg. is a Mag12 pump by Danner Mfg.

$149 plus tax or $69 plus shipping.

Why cant the LFS buy from the same wholesale/online place I could get it from? I dont understand this. They cant buy the pump for $69 and add their 20% markup to that?

 

[dnorton1978]

I cant believe this post got 2 pages so far, and still going... Nice Shavo.. :lol:

 

[Anonymous]

That's what I am saying Rob! Many don't know they have other choices. They buy from the place where they can get everything under the sun. Including small animal, dog, cat, bird, if they need to. They get weekly truck deliveries from these places. They place one order a week. Write one check. Make one payment. Get one invoice.

Those that shop around have the better prices! Those that don't, don't know any better but at the same time they are not ripping anyone off. They are marking up accordingly and not stealing from the people as some are making it out to be.

 

[Anonymous]

Gotcha.

 

[shavo]

well i initially posted for that, but I can't defend the store I have been using like the rest of you, I did have a store that I did go to and liked, it burned down and they are rebuilding now, but I didn't feel a connection or an all purpose reason to spend extra money to give to them either. I don't know, I felt great about myself knowing that I saved close to a thousand dollars for lights.

 

[Anonymous]

Well, since the two of you are comparing Mag12 pumps. Mine cost $79 plus my share of the shipping to the lfs. He did NOT charge me any more for the pump than it cost him wholesale + shipping. He does this on ALL large items ordered for his customers. That's NO MARKUP people. He does however ask for a 50% deposit so that when people don't show up for the requested item, he isn't out a huge chunk o change.

As has been already mentioned, etailers don't usually house items they sale and if they do, they buy in lots not ones or two. Hence the huge difference in cost.


Apples to apples people. :lol:

 

[Anonymous]

I agree to why there is a markup on the stufff they sell. If they didn't they would be out of business all together.

I am comparing apples to apples.

Mag12(apple 1) to Mag12 (apple 2) - the LFS does not install it, paint it, turbo charge it to make it worth twice as much as I can get it online. If it were 20-30% more than "I" as a consumer can get it for I would probably buy from the local guy. It does not matter to me the consumer where the LFS purchses the pump from to resell. $149 or $69 - hmmm. I think I should spend $249 instead to help the small guy out.

 

[Anonymous]

:::sigh::: Ah well. Some people just can't grasp the concept of overhead. Probably the same who don't know the difference between gross and net profit.

The LFS isn't asking you to pay more because he installs it, paints it or turbo charges it. Do you really not understand why it costs more at the LFS or are you just trying to be that way on purpose?

We aren't comparing equipment to equipment here. We're comparing online storefronts vs brick and mortar storefronts. Apples and oranges.

 

[Anonymous]

If I can get the pump for $69 why cant the LFS?

Danner sells the pump to some reseller for X dollars. That company resells it to someone who may sell directly to the LFS or to a end user. Along the way there is overhead by each compnay and they tack on their little piece so they can make some money (understandable).

I see where a store paying $2000/mo rent plus untilities/insurance and etc has to make some money to stay in business. I am not saying they are charging 100% makup directly but as the "END CONSUMER" in the end its either $69 or $149.

If they can find a way to lower the cost of where they buy it from then maybe they can compete a little better for business.

Online stores do have warehouses or ship directly or whatever so they have less overhead and can charge lower prices.

You said the regional pet supplier sells the pump for ~$129 to the LFS - its not my fault the LFS shops there instead of somewhere else.

Again, If I can get the pump for $69 why cant the LFS? Is there a law that says the LFS has to buy from a certain regional supplier? Maybe there is something I am missing here.

 

[Anonymous]

OK first, no one said anything was your fault.

If I can get the pump for $69 why cant the LFS?

That's what I am saying Rob! Many don't know they have other choices. They buy from the place where they can get everything under the sun. Including small animal, dog, cat, bird, if they need to. They get weekly truck deliveries from these places. They place one order a week. Write one check. Make one payment. Get one invoice.

Those that shop around have the better prices! Those that don't, don't know any better but at the same time they are not ripping anyone off. They are marking up accordingly and not stealing from the people as some are making it out to be.

Sorry, when you said gotcha, thought you meant you understood.

The original poster asked why the difference between online prices and LFS prices. I think the question has been answered pretty clearly. Many factors, but overhead being one of the biggest.

 

[bleedingthought]

Seems like some of you should live in Atlanta, where we have a lot of great LFSs! We also have bad ones, though...

The shelf price at LFSs can be a little high sometimes/on some things but in the end it evens out because of all the other things that they provide for me. Quarantining of fish, holding of fish/corals, ready availability, real time live advice, cherry picking, great conversations, hands-on product availability, enjoying of displays, along many others. For example, try finding an online retailer that will take fish and corals for store credit. :wink:

With that said, I shop online also and I'm not ashamed of it.

 

[Anonymous]

For example, try finding an online retailer that will take fish and corals for store credit. :wink:

Cant find a LFS to do that either.

I do hear of wonderful stories of a GOOD LFS and how they help/stand behind what they offer but up here that is non existent.

 

[bleedingthought]

For example, try finding an online retailer that will take fish and corals for store credit. :wink:

Cant find a LFS to do that either.

I do hear of wonderful stories of a GOOD LFS and how they help/stand behind what they offer but up here that is non existent.

Come to Atlanta, then!

 

[shavo]

Years ago I worked at a LFS, a bad one, they sold puppies and reptiles , birds and all of that. I quit the job becasue one of the puppies had that disease that kills puppies, (i forget the name of the disease right now) anyhow the owner paid the manager of the reptile house to kill the puppy and dispose of it after business hours intead of paying what it pays to have the puppy destroyed and all of the legalities involved. I found out about it and quit and wrote a letter to the better business bureau about it and suddenly they closed but re-opened months later at a different location.

however, I was incharge of taking in the fresh water fish deliveries from the packing lists and checking that the livestock was correct. these packing lists had the prices of all the fish on them. some of the prices are still in my head.

the smallest cheapest fish zebra danio was bought by the lfs for .03 cents. sold for 3 fish for .99 cents plus tax at the lfs. that's .33 cents apiece.
.06 cents is 100% mark up

small 3" snake heads sell for anywhere like $3.99 to $6.99 at the lfs right? they bought them for .89 cents.

my point..... it is more than a 20% mark up it is more like 300 or even 400 %mark up. I never forgot this and started to think I was being ripped off.

just thought I would stir the pot a little bit more. I have to do some homework now, I'll check in later

one last comment, I don't hate the LFS really, I just want to be an informed consumer, if gas wasn't 3 bucks a gallon maybe I wouldn't care as much.

 

[Anonymous]

Hmm either I am not remembering my log in or since I haven't purchased in so long they removed me from the system. I can't remember what danios go for, but somehow $.03 doesn't sound right. But either way....

That fish didn't cost $.03 by the time it arrived. And don't confuse gross profits from net profits. How nice the world would be for me if the difference in the amount the fish actually was listed at vs the amount I got paid for it could go right into my pocket as pure profit. I might be shopping for cars with your LFS owner if that were the case. :wink:

Also, tripling the landed cost of fish is pretty standard practice industry wide in many LFS. This is why most will give you one third credit or something for items you trade in. Here anyway.

 

[shavo]

no the fish store purchased them for .03 and were selling them for 3 fish for .99

 

[shavo]

one last thing, my lfs now gives me a whole song and dance when something is returned first words 3 seperate times now by the manager is "we can't give you nothing to you" "this is a big fish and takes time to sell and the cost of feeding it we can't give you credit"

I hate pets plus
is anybody in the philly area here know them or have gone to them and can back me up here?

 

[gregb1]

In England they have huge aquatic outlets as big as Bunnings. Stock prices are close to online prices most times.

 

[shavo]

well the cost of a round trip plane ticket and a big enough order might warrant coming to england for some fish!!!!