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LFS vs Online pricing

NYPDFrogman

NYPDFrogman

Advanced Reefer
Manhattan Reefs
Location
Vernon, NJ
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Sorry I have to vent.....:screama:
I went to a prominant LFS today. I called ahead to see if they stocked a Tunze magnetic mount, yes they did. I ventured out to pick it up so I can set up another stream pump. Now I did not expect to pay the same as I would if I ordered it online, fully aware that this particular store was not known for competitve pricing. when I got there it was waiting for me... cool...
when he rang it up it was 106.00 :eek: online pricing avg's 52.00 plus shipping
at that point I decided it was way, way overpriced and declined buying it.
at which point the owner shugged his shoulders and said "guys sell it online for what I pay for it" which I find very hard to believe.

he made no attempt to make the sale and seemed perfectly content with me walking out of the store. As much as I try to support LFS' with situtations like that I just cant. I'll never step foot in that store again.
I drove 90 miles round trip:banghead:
 
Deanos

Deanos

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Bronx, NY 10475
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I always try to get the price, especially if I'm driving out of my way to purchase goods. If they can't give the price on the phone, then I assume it's overpriced and don't make the trip.

Dean
 
griMReefer

griMReefer

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hillside @ 188 st, qnz-nas border
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sorry NYPD the lost time, gas and pollution have a :beer: cold one.

retail markup is somewhere in between 50% - 100%

gotta luv these onliners selling at near wholesaler/distributor prices. aside from inferior products that might be hazardous or adulterated, that's the beauty of some of these online stores. in the retailers eyes, they are spoiling us.
 
D

DEEPWATER

Guest
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NYPDFrogman said:
Sorry I have to vent.....:screama:
I went to a prominant LFS today. I called ahead to see if they stocked a Tunze magnetic mount, yes they did. I ventured out to pick it up so I can set up another stream pump. Now I did not expect to pay the same as I would if I ordered it online, fully aware that this particular store was not known for competitve pricing. when I got there it was waiting for me... cool...
when he rang it up it was 106.00 :eek: online pricing avg's 52.00 plus shipping
at that point I decided it was way, way overpriced and declined buying it.
at which point the owner shugged his shoulders and said "guys sell it online for what I pay for it" which I find very hard to believe.

he made no attempt to make the sale and seemed perfectly content with me walking out of the store. As much as I try to support LFS' with situtations like that I just cant. I'll never step foot in that store again.
I drove 90 miles round trip:banghead:
Click to expand...
Srry to hear that frank.
pm me or call me ,If you didnt get it .
ROnen
 
M

masterswimmer

Old School Reefer
Vendor
Manhattan Reefs
Location
NY
Rating - 99.6%
450   2   0
Frank, in defense of your post, I don't even shop LFS for hardware anymore. What you experienced is the norm for hardware markup not the exception. Shame too. We as consumers shrug our shoulders just like the retailer did.

Russ
 
loismustdie

loismustdie

chicks dig beckett men
Location
Brooklyn
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I was at a lfs today in brooklyn. He told me the same thing NYPDFrogman was told. They pay the same prices for their products that you would pay on line buying it on your own. He told me that they deal with a middleman who pays slightly below what we would pay online, so the middleman only makes $10 to $15 per piece of equipment (give or take a few bucks, this includes livestock) then the lfs has to consider overhead and profit. That's where the big prices come from. These places we order from online are warehouses. That's why we do group buys, buying more stuff knocks down prices. Warehouses can load up on a lot more stuff than a lfs in the NYC area. LFS around here are paying tremendous rent for minimal space. They cannot buy in bulk at cheaper prices and expect to fit it. Look at the places we order from. They are in PA and other locations where overhead is signifigantly cheaper. I'm not defending our lfs, I happen to dislike most lfs that I go to and all of my major end items have been purchased off of the internet. Making those prices what they are is the only way they can make a small profit off of what they sell. Overhead includes salaries for employees. Honestly, I think anyone who goes into the pet business is nuts, especially now with the internet and shopping at warehouses. Business is business and they need to make a profit. Imagine going to work every day and not getting paid... that's how it would be for the owners.
 
G

glipper69

Senior Member
Location
Bergen County, NJ
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probably absolutely fish. they have got to be the most over priced store that I have ever seen. even during there so called midnight madness. they are still 20% higher than fishtown(Live) or an online store.

Frank
 
J

jnfallon

Senior Member
Location
Montauk, NY
Rating - 100%
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Does MR have a LFS discount program set up?

I belong to another local club and we get discounts from some of the stores that have been mentioned. (sorry to be obtuse, but I dont know whats cool to share)

If the distribution system in the pet retail trade is that inefficient, there will be a big shakeup at some point. I don't buy the "it costs me that much" argument though. I dont see why some local lfs/retail people can meet online prices and some can't. To me it seems more like they "won't", which means they may become irrelevent. Simple fact is today's consumer has options, and retailers either get it, or get marginalized.
 
griMReefer

griMReefer

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Location
hillside @ 188 st, qnz-nas border
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chris288 said:
Honestly, I think anyone who goes into the pet business is nuts, especially now with the internet and shopping at warehouses. Business is business and they need to make a profit. Imagine going to work every day and not getting paid... that's how it would be for the owners.
Click to expand...

i agree, and people don't even NEED pets like they need other things...

but lets hope the vendors, jobbers of pet business on here don't feel offended that you think they are nuts! :shhh:


first mortgages, first computers, first fish a niche % of people who at least begin doing business locally face to face.
the two pet shop owners that i do know (one is retired already) are filthy rich. its dirty slave work cleaning up poop and dealing with all kinds of crazy pet drama but they bank on the fact that most households have at least 1 pet and that person isn't going to be mail ordering for just 1 or 2 pets. especially when they love them stuff they want to pick out stuff personally and so on and don't care about the 50-100% or 200% markup. when i had toucans i paid $2500 for each after 33rd and bird quoted me $7500. there's people out there especially manhattan and big cities all over the world where the owners don't really care about the internet so much, there'll always be plenty of disposable pocket cash money walking the city streets even while rents and other overheads go up. even if we pay close to wholesale (especially on livestock) we're still paying a markup compared to importer's books. the pet industry is really interesting there's all sorts from the corporate guys like neil padron (petland) to the family guys like dr mac. def not nuts...
 
NYPDFrogman

NYPDFrogman

Advanced Reefer
Manhattan Reefs
Location
Vernon, NJ
Rating - 100%
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all valid points I totally understand the whole overhead situtaion, I was involved with a pet shop in brooklyn many years ago I actually set them up with Saltwater and did most of thier ordering for dry goods.

had I been someone who never patronizes this particular store I might not have been so peeved, but thier was no emotion no desire to make the sale, keep me as a customer etc....
end result I will never step foot in the door again.

for the record Tony did not have the mount, after my post I asked him to order a pair for me.

House it wasnt
HOF
 
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