Canreef Aquatics Bulletin Board  

Go Back   Canreef Aquatics Bulletin Board > Regional Forums > Alberta > Calgary

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #11  
Old 12-21-2004, 10:48 AM
AndyL's Avatar
AndyL AndyL is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Beiseker
Posts: 900
AndyL is on a distinguished road
Send a message via MSN to AndyL
Default

Um yeah... week before xmas... Nemo... Need I say more?

Noticed even the tank prices tripled after the 18/19th. Getting ready for boxing day sale apparently!

Andy
Reply With Quote
  #12  
Old 12-27-2004, 02:59 PM
Nate Nate is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Calgary
Posts: 323
Nate is on a distinguished road
Default Boxing week

Andy,

No dry goods prices were raised for the upcoming christams/boxing day event, please drop by the store if you have time, so you can partake in some of the fantastic deals going on around the store.

As far as live stock goes, I have been working at Big Als for approx 7 years now, and what emerica means by landing high is that we work off a direct markup system. Certain percentages are to be attained as a standard for the franchise, and we follow it pretty well. Unfortunately, this means that when we get in a relativly expensive order for reasons beyond our control (had to fly on Aircanada, the US exchange(good right now though), heavy shipping, or unexpected box charges, we have to charge a bit more for the fish. However, when we get an order in dirt cheap, we pass that along to the consumer instead of charging the regular imdustry average. We have covered this topic a couple of times, and I hope that you understand, and would hope that you do have time to stop by the store.



Nate
Big Als
Calgary
Reply With Quote
  #13  
Old 12-27-2004, 03:17 PM
StirCrazy's Avatar
StirCrazy StirCrazy is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Kamloops, BC
Posts: 7,872
StirCrazy is on a distinguished road
Default Re: Boxing week

Quote:
Originally Posted by BigALs_nate
, and what emerica means by landing high is that we work off a direct markup system. Certain percentages are to be attained as a standard for the franchise, and we follow it pretty well.

Nate
Big Als
Calgary
I understand this as I have seen it applied many times, the fish cost 2.00 but the box charge (freight and such) was 400.00. so you get 30 fish in a box you have to charge 15.00 to break even and say 20.00 to 25.00 average to make money. But a cost of 80.00 for a fish that you normally sell for 20.00 is implying that the shipping was 4X the regular cost, which seem to high to be realistic, so I can see how this is looking like a pre Christmas scam.

Steve
__________________
*everything said above is just my opinion, and may or may not reflect the views of this BBS, its Operators, and its Members. If cornered on any “opinion” I post I will totally deny having ever said this in a Court of Law…Unless I am the right one*

Some strive to be perfect.... I just strive.
Reply With Quote
  #14  
Old 12-27-2004, 04:10 PM
Bob I's Avatar
Bob I Bob I is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Posts: 3,591
Bob I is on a distinguished road
Default

This is rapidly turning into more LFS bashing. Let's face it, $80.00 for a True Perc is ridiculous. I am sure none of the members of this board would be dumb enough to pay it. Therefore it would be best to let it go. If the dealer found anyone willing to pay such a ridiculous price I say "good for him" and move on.
__________________
Bob
-----------------------------------------------------
To be loved you have to be nice to people every day - To be hated you don't have to do squat.

---------Homer Simpson--------
Reply With Quote
  #15  
Old 12-27-2004, 04:52 PM
Delphinus's Avatar
Delphinus Delphinus is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Calgary
Posts: 12,896
Delphinus has a spectacular aura aboutDelphinus has a spectacular aura aboutDelphinus has a spectacular aura about
Send a message via MSN to Delphinus
Default

To be fair I have seen VERY good deals at Big Al's. It all depends on what their landed costs are. I got an astounding deal on my S. gigantea when I was prepared to pay as much as 5x what I ended up paying for it. Since then they have imported several more and they have all come in for sale at that same (ridiculously) cheap price, and I'm sure they could have charged whatever price they wanted for them. They do pass on the good prices onto the customers when they get them themselves.

In the case of these percula's, well I have a couple parting thoughts. One, they're very nice true percs, nicer than I have seen at other times. Two, they're larger, so the risk of juveniles that don't make it into adulthood is hopefully past. And three, they're wild-caught, and I think it is correct that WC fish cost more than tank-raised. There has to be an incentive to try tank-raised, or at least a disincentive to try wild-caught.

My $.02 anyhow.
__________________
-- Tony
My next hobby will be flooding my basement while repeatedly banging my head against a brick wall and tearing up $100 bills. Whee!
Reply With Quote
  #16  
Old 12-27-2004, 07:15 PM
takphan's Avatar
takphan takphan is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: cowtown
Posts: 63
takphan is on a distinguished road
Default

i have gotten good deals from big al time to time -- a fuzzy dwaft lion for $20 and i think nobody can beat that price.

although i work in the retail industry but i don't agree with fluctuating retail prices (ie keep markup and net profit constant)
it makes the consumers confused. and my job as a bookkeeper harder
for example, back in nov, the price for a long nose butterfly: 4 in one tank at $30/each and 2 in another at $40/each (similiar in size and health). the reason for the price difference was landed cost. why can't big al mgmt average the price? ($30X4+$40X2)/6=$33.33
that way gross profit stay constant.

a better business practice / customer relation is to absorb the short term unexpected cost (ie must use AirCanada cargo instead of Westjet due to delay and animal health) and keep the retail price constant (for popular items such as clowns) for the time being.
the increase in shipping cost can be factor in the cost of goods sold of the next fiscal year. better yet, find another carrier.

fluctuating retail price=constant markup and constant gross profit
this make budgeting a lot easier but it make selling a lot harder
for example:
1 box of 50 clown fish at $4.00/each = $200
shipping/box/handling/custom/cites = $400 <-- can increase 50%-100%
landed cost for 1 box of 50 clowns = $600 to $1000
let's say we want a markup of 40% = $400
selling price for the box of 50 clowns =$1000 to $1400

if all 50 survived then each clown is $20 <--very unlikely
if only 25 survived then each clown is $40
if only 12 survived then each clown is $83

thus the price of clowns fluctuates, it puts the sale staff in a very tough situation to explain to the customers.

fluctuating retail price is a double edged sword:
- i am passing the saving to the consumers
and
- i make the consumer pay for unexpected cost.

just my 2 cents

Tak
Reply With Quote
  #17  
Old 12-27-2004, 07:58 PM
AJ_77's Avatar
AJ_77 AJ_77 is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Calgary NW
Posts: 2,772
AJ_77 is on a distinguished road
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Delphinus
To be fair I have seen VERY good deals at Big Al's.
Same - my blonde Naso Tang was $25 for a "medium" that was fat and healthy, and still is today. Can't beat that - saw similar specimens around town at the time for 90-110 dollars.

So while the accountants may or may not like it , it gives me an opportunity to take advantage of some very attractive prices, if the timing is right.
__________________
----------------------
Alan
Reply With Quote
  #18  
Old 12-27-2004, 08:59 PM
AndyL's Avatar
AndyL AndyL is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Beiseker
Posts: 900
AndyL is on a distinguished road
Send a message via MSN to AndyL
Default

Ok so maybe I was a bit harsh... Here's what I know... I've noticed over the past year, that the Calgary big als - some prices are well above those of the Edmonton Big als. (Eco Complete african cichlid this summer was 39.99 in edmonton - Calgary it was 69.99 for the same bag).

I think it was the 15th I was in, pricing my new tanks - perfecto 30xt's and perfecto 65 customs - went back the next week and the prices had pretty much doubled. Call it a period between sales - or whatever you prefer... But those were the facts - I am skeptical about price changes right around xmas - call me crazy.

Sorry to big als if I was a bit harsh - but lets face it - somehow those sales seemed to end in the crazy week before xmas and started again on boxing day... How else is one to interpret that?

Andy
Reply With Quote
  #19  
Old 12-27-2004, 09:59 PM
takphan's Avatar
takphan takphan is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: cowtown
Posts: 63
takphan is on a distinguished road
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by AJ_77
So while the accountants may or may not like it , it gives me an opportunity to take advantage of some very attractive prices, if the timing is right.
yesssirru
i was prepared to pay upto $50 for the Kleinii butterfly and walked away with one big and healthy @ $22.50


one of the reason i don't like fluctuating prices is because it is a pain at month-end to do various financial reports
but i guess that why my boss needs me

Tak
Reply With Quote
  #20  
Old 12-28-2004, 12:39 AM
Bigals_brodie Bigals_brodie is offline
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Calgary
Posts: 4
Bigals_brodie is on a distinguished road
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by AndyL
Um yeah... week before xmas... Nemo... Need I say more?

Noticed even the tank prices tripled after the 18/19th. Getting ready for boxing day sale apparently!

Andy
Andy, Exactly what did you see in the store triple in price?

Our 65 gallon tanks have been $139.99, 90 gallon tanks $255.99, and 75 gallon tanks $169.99 for the past 8 months. For boxing week the tank prices are as follows. 65 gallon for $79.99, 75 gallon for $99.99, 90 for $169.99. Thats just the tip of the iceberg.
Reply With Quote
Reply


Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump


All times are GMT. The time now is 11:53 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.7.3
Copyright ©2000 - 2025, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.