peoples thoughts and opinions on calgary lfs???

[Coralgurl]

Originally Posted by fishoholic

100% agree. I know of one store in Calgary that in particular is really bad for that. It really ****es me off! Especially when he tells one person he doesn't know that it's an $80 coral and 10min's later tells someone he knows it's $40 for the same coral. I know people who are frequent buyers and are close to the owners get discounts and ok fine, but usually the owner will give 10-20% off, not come up with a totally different price all together! To consistently quote totally different prices to different people (that sometimes are almost half the price or less of what he quoted one person to the next) is frustrating and annoying and IMO no way to run a business. Prices should be shown (and yes sometimes depending on how much shipment prices cost the prices will change) but regardless they should be written on the tanks for everyone to see and not be some sort of secret.

This is what irritates me the most. If you work at a buddy relationship with the stores, they will offer you better pricing. This is not fair as I don't always have time. I'd like to walk in and see pricing. Store owners and staff can be busy with others and I would like to be able to price out my interests on my own.

I do think we have a great selection of stores here run by great people and appreciate their time when I do stop in. I wish more offered more frags, it's hard to buy an $80 coral only to have it not work out in your tank, a smaller piece at lower cost is easier to cope with.

[Reef_Geek]

I'm not sure that it's the 'buddies' that get the better prices, I have tested several different stores for consistencies on their price quotes. What I like to do often, just like everyone else, is ask, 'how much is that?' and I often don't buy because either the price point isn't a great deal, or I don't really want it that bad, or I'm not on my way home. Anyway, I ask several different staff, sometimes a week or two go by in between I re-test the price of something... if it's still around maybe the shopkeeper wants it out his door. The finding has been pretty consistent.

Having said that, there is room to negotiate. What you can negotiate and get for how much depends. There are 3 variables to negotiating according to Herb Cohen: time, information, power.

Time--who ever has more time wins. For example, you know a fish has been in the store for quite some time, you like it, but only want it if it's a good deal. Week after week, it's still there and each time you ask about it but are prepared to walk away from the deal if the price isn't right. In time, shopkeeper will think about his price vs ongoing maintenance & risk of fish getting sick. Conversely, a fish at a good price that you don't buy but someone else will buy in a heartbeat... you don't have time, buy it if it's a fair price.

Info--know the fair market value of goods... otherwise you'll be taken advantage of. Know what you're buying and its frequency of availability or likelihood of coming up again for sale, know where to get stuff used/fragged online...

Power--shopkeeper is in position to offer things, get you things, give you advice, provide you with a friendly ongoing place of getting cool stuff, keep him happy and don't blow this relationship. Conversely, you are in position to choose another offer, to bring your money, to drop $X today if the deal is right vs $Y if not, to tell your friends, to choose to come back, to walk away and wait for a better deal etc.

[reefwars]

i can say without a doubt they do their prices better for people they know then new comers to their store...they all do but the big box ones.

imo price should be a solid thing decided when the item was put up for sale)

[Reef_Geek]

having worked in a LFS for a decade...

"people they know" should be replaced with "customers with strong prospects of continued spending power"

so it's not really unfair, but it's volume-adjusted pricing.

If the people they know became reluctant to make further purchases and have reached their point of diminishing returns (tank full, not up sizing or getting another tank, have everything they need, just comes in and tries to beat down prices on the few things they need)... then I suspect the degree of discounts offered will likely change.

[Proteus]

Personally I shop at two stores. I have given these stores 95% of my bussinuss and never asked for a discount but have bartered with them. I ussually get a fair price and even discount for multiple purchases. This is what kept me coming back along with great staff. Even though I don't buy fish anymore I check in regularly to see what frags or hardware is avalible.

[Enigma]

Originally Posted by reefwars

i can say without a doubt they do their prices better for people they know then new comers to their store...they all do but the big box ones.

imo price should be a solid thing decided when the item was put up for sale)

Asked the gent in one local shop how much a single head of ricordia cost. $80! I said "Oh," turned around, and walked out. I won't be back. I don't need a "buddy discount." I just want to be treated fairly and not exploited.

If he had stretched the cost a little bit I may still have shopped in his store, as it was very pretty. Not $80 pretty, though.

[Proteus]

Originally Posted by Enigma

Asked the gent in one local shop how much a single head of ricordia cost. $80! I said "Oh," turned around, and walked out. I won't be back. I don't need a "buddy discount." I just want to be treated fairly and not exploited.

If he had stretched the cost a little bit I may still have shopped in his store, as it was very pretty. Not $80 pretty, though.

I've seen ultra rica at 90$. It could have been a fair price but u could always barter

[mrhasan]

Originally Posted by Enigma

Asked the gent in one local shop how much a single head of ricordia cost. $80! I said "Oh," turned around, and walked out. I won't be back. I don't need a "buddy discount." I just want to be treated fairly and not exploited.

If he had stretched the cost a little bit I may still have shopped in his store, as it was very pretty. Not $80 pretty, though.

Yah saw that $80 ric too. And when I was like HUUUH, he was kind enough to explain that its some kind of rare or something and hence he is charging high. It was on hold too :P

[Reef_Geek]

Originally Posted by Enigma

Asked the gent in one local shop how much a single head of ricordia cost. $80! I said "Oh," turned around, and walked out. I won't be back. I don't need a "buddy discount." I just want to be treated fairly and not exploited.

If he had stretched the cost a little bit I may still have shopped in his store, as it was very pretty. Not $80 pretty, though.

I think I know the one you're talking about. Regardless, one shop tries to have ultra high end stuff where prices are super high. I believe the guy is a bit mislead... because he needs to think of his customers as groups (marketing calls segments). He's got stuff that sells to maybe 10% of the reef hobbyists out there... If Calgary is 1.2M people... there may be 10K people with aquariums... and maybe 10% (=1K) people with marine set ups. Maybe a few hundred people are actively buying stuff for their tanks... and the fraction that seeks and affords ultra high end stuff is dozens... it's a tough business model to have a client base of dozens of people in the discretionary spending category.

Then the rest of us, feel insulted at the pricing. He once tried to sell me a 3" diameter hollywood stunner chalice for $300, with the logic that 1/2" frags of it sell for $25 on eBay... that logic works if it weren't so readily available locally and you fetch $25 a frag on a good day. He's got to let go of his margin.

Many LFS get stuck with 'the formula' in their head. To account for losses, labor, shipping etc... I'll simply take my cost and multiply it by X factor. Well, you can't do that on an item that cost you $100... you have to be happier with a slimmer margin to move it consistently out the door and cultivate return customers on the high end stuff.

[reefwars]

keep the feedback coming guys , tell me what you like and dont like , what a lfs should do or not do and what makes you shop at a store and ultimately buy something in the end??

do you guys feel lfs caters to anyone in particular??

what kinds of products do you think every lfs should carry?

what are some of the things that make you not want to come back or visit regeuarily???

on the opposite side what makes you keep coming back??

any and all information is welcome!!





cheers!!