No local stores are going to be hurting. For every person that leaves this hobby there is 5 jumping into it.
Maximum Reef Aquatics is killing the competition but not everyone knows about them.
There will always be the poor soul that pays $329.00 for an Emper
ator Angel Fish when I paid $40.00.
The poor soul that will pay $49.99 for a purple fire fish when I paid $10.
etc
etc
etc
We know about Maximum Reef Aquatics but there is a much larger number of ppl that have no clue what Manhattan Reefs is nor MRA.
Frankly speaking, I hope MRA continous to grow, triples its location size within 5 years and continues to make this hobby affordable and maybe even become a wholesale distributor to all local pet stores that do not want to be importing $5k in fish every week.
Every time I go I spend over $200 and get my money's worth, paying the toll is well worth it for me.
I take my son on Pet Store tours frequently and I cannot bear to nor can afford to shop at most NJ/NY pet stores. I cannot afford to pay $80 for a copperband butterfly, I cannot afford to pay $35 for a cleaner shrimp, I cannot afford to pay $70 for a nickel sized yellow belly hippo.
Most established stores will be fine, they have their loyal customer base and plenty of potential newbies interested in the hobby.