Wow Over Priced

I got a gift certificate for a lfs so i went last night. I had in mind of purchasing a new test kit 2 more snails maybe 2 fish and a mj ph 1200. I like to check out web sites and researches things when am bored at work: lol So i go to the lfs the api test kit was $ 35 the mj ph 1200 was $43 and so on i understnad people are in business to make money but come one. I can get 2 ph for the price on 1 on line. I just never knew how over priced my lfs is until now. well i left with a test kit i needed a new one and 2 snails. I guess on line shoping is the way to go. lol

 

Many Many Times the prices of LFS supplies are overpriced, but do take to consideration that Online stores usually lower their prices do to the increased Shipping cost.

Heavy items like Ph's and such you would have to include the price of shipping to be able to really see if you are getting a deal.

If is then Online is the way to go.
Chubbs

 

I went to my LFS yesterday and picked up 2 MaxiJet 1200 powerheads and they were priced on special at CAD24.99 each. Regularly they are CAD34.99 ea.

I guess it's a question of profitability for the individual LFS. Some stores have to crank up their prices to accomodate for their overhead. If they are a big buyer of supplies and they buy in bulk for resale they should pass on the savings to you. If I feel I'm being ripped off I won't shop there. The downside for me as far as online shopping goes is that allot of USA companies will not ship to Canada due to customs (blah blah blah). If I lived in the States I would probably buy allot on line from reputable companies with good return policies.

 

yes very true like i said i understand you in business to make money and certain things you cant wait for it in the mail so you have to purchase it at a lfs. like i said a $20 mark up on a ph it's not a huge fish store but it does business. Some on line places even waive the shipping cost if you spend more than x amount $. I guess i never really looked into price difference from lfs to on line till now. Well Have A safe and happy new years everybody.

 

shopping online is the way to go!!! I do price comparisons and I'm always blown away! I have a high end LFS around the corner from me so I'm able to look at what I'm buying to get a better feel for it. Before I make the purchase online

 

The LFS serves it's purpose. You can get some really good info from them -- it's also where I buy my food, supplements, salt and etc but I tend to buy my more expensive things like lights, skimmers, etc online. You can't blame them for making a living but I agree some items are outrageously high.

 

I like online and all but lets support the locals. If you get to know your LFS owners or workers they usually give you a good price cut, at least one that makes it worth it. I think a lot of "one time buys" are overpriced probably to make a good profit of those spontaneous buys.

 

live food, fish, inverts, corals = LFS (WYSIWYG)
live rock, equipment, test kits, etc. = online (even though you'll pay shipping costs, the total price will always be cheaper...unless the LFS is having a "going out of business" sale )

 

I've had two different sellers offer me their stores. In the end, I didn't buy either of them but during the process, I became privy to the financial details of the businesses.

I'll tell you what.....don't ever buy a LFS thinking you're going to get rich....because you're not. Not only that, they've told me numerous times how it's hard to deal with certain customers and financial issues determine how they have to behave sometimes. For instance, everyone wants mandarins. They said that they would ask basic questions....how much live rock, how long has the tank been set up, etc. One LFS owner told me that he often refused to sell the fish based on the answers the customer gave. However, he admitted that if it was a Saturday and the rent was due on Monday, he might sell the fish then due to financial necessity.

I agree that we should support our LFS's but be wise about it. I'll often pay more for something knowing that it is keeping the store alive. However, I won't pay double.

Additionally, like Jonathon, I like the WYSIWYG feature of LFS's.

 

You also have to look at the pricing the LFS gets the product at.
I have had the oppertunity to do some work for a buddy who owns a LFS that also sells supplies for other animals. I am aware of their margins and what I found out after viewing what they pay, (i get all my stuff at cost) you will still find that MarineDepot and other places that push a ton more product through have a cost that is 5-10% less than the LFS. So MarineDepot has only one rent to pay and the LFS has tons of overhead to work with thus you will often see products marked up close to 2x the cost of online sellers yet the lfs's margin is still not as large as you would think based on their low purchasing power. I however get amost all my fish from the LFS because then you can check out your fish first and are therefore worth paying almost double for it. I try to get my fish from the lfs and then have them hold it for 2 weeks before I pay for them just to make sure everyone is healthy. Can you tell i'm in sales.

Think of the expensive prices as a result from all the consulting they do for people people all day that often do not know what they are doing.