Equipment Purchase LFS or Internet?

Also keep in mind that most LFS use only a few suppliers, often only one for dry goods. This can limit what is in their distribution channels. We have one LFS that stocks a dozen different skimmers, brands, sizes, etc. Another a few miles away will help you order the one you should get from the internet. Different business models work for different retailers.

Though it's nice to have a local source on a weekend when something breaks.

Jeff

 

I tried to support the LFS but found it difficult to do so, the one LFS tries to get the price right for us however it's a small store and doesn't keep equipment in stock other than test kits and some pumps, the other store is large and stocks most anything incl. plumbing parts but jacks the price up on most items incl. livestock. I orderd online and purchased enough to get free shipping when setting up my build, however now for the maintanace stage I will probably go mostly local.

 

As an Idaho reefer I have none of these problems. I don't have a LFS (Petco) doesn't count. I have to order everything online. No spontaneous purchases for me. I always have to wait a week.

 

Join the crowd. That or take the family on a long drive. All i get from the lfs is salt.

 

Wow! Y'all make me feel lucky.

My nearest LFS which is only 5 miles away is just a little "Mom & Pop" pet store, but they can order anything I want, have it in the store in 2 - 3 days, and only charge 10% above cost for orders.

 

My closest if 5 miles, but it its a LFS, its a pet store that has a display FOWLR, but they can order livestoc for you (no arive alive guarentee), next closest is 70-80 miles one way, or 110-120 miles one way the other way. So needless to say I do alot of online shopping too.

 

Amen,

I've gone a bit the other way. We've picked out specific equipment that we love to use with your maintenance clients and we stock those products to the gills. If I cant recommend it with a straight face to a potential client whose system we will be maintaining, I dont stock it. So if we get a customer walking in looking for a 1hp chiller, we got it, we dont have to special order from the manufacturer. On the downside to that approach, we dont carry every single model a manufacturer makes and I've completely stopped carrying a lot of the small lil things, ie; the thousands of different chemical companies and their billions of different additives.

 

hhmmmmm, someone should move to idaho and lock down the market out there ;p

 

On my way! J/k

I buy equipment online, salt and live stock mostly locally. There are 3 LFS around my area and 2 of them know exactly what they're doing, but one of the two has the better price and is more specialized.

Sent from my phone using my two opposable digits

 

I've gotten all my equipment from Marinedepot.com They support you 100%, sent an un needed item back and without question refunded me right away. Every order has it's own tracking which can be tracked right on the web site. Usually ships next day if ordered mon-tues. Everything is as says, works as said and is packed nice and neat!