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Comparing the stores here and the stores in Vancouver, is IMO comparing apples verses apples. They both incur the same type of expenses. The only difference being the extra costs for shipping here. To me, that doesn't justify a double in price.
If one of the stores here reads these threads and maybe wants to justify that difference, i would honestly like to hear it.
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Please note I am offering my opinion here, not that of my employer, etc.
Well 2 reasons really.
Yes the extra ammount of shipping involved accounts for a lot of the difference. Obviously Howdy has a good idea on what it takes to do this but you can not assume that the costs incurred when shipping inverts is the same as fish or corals. If you order a box full of snails from J&L they send it fedex overnight and it's all good, inverts ship well. Try that with fish and you are screwed.
Last time I ordered inverts from J&L (fedex) I figured my total landed cost at 160% of the price. Basically, after taxes, shipping, box charges and stuff a $1 snail cost me $1.60. With fish, air shipped and picked up at the airport that would have been higher, say 250% maybe. You get a lot less fish per box compared to inverts and all that extra water is heavy.
You can mitigate this by making a huge order and splitting the shipping cost over many items. This is what makes group buys attractive to us. If take this idea and apply it to a local store situation things start to make sense. How many stores here order the volume that J&L does? Remeber that they are a large retial store in a major center as well. Maybe if you put 3 or 4 of our local places together you'll get close to that volume.
Does this all come together to justify higher prices here? I think it does most of the time. If you think about it, it also helps explain the difference in Calgary and Edmonton's markets. Prices are much higher in Edmonton partially becuase of the smaller market.