A Sad Day

[Telco Guy]

Today I decided to stop by the LFS near me. It's a small store that has been there as long as I have had fish (a long time ;) ). As I pulled in to the parking lot I saw a sign that made me very sad. "Going Out of Business Sale"

They've been having more and more trouble recently trying to compete with places like Petco and Petsmart. In fact 8 or 10 years ago they were a full pet store taking up two shops in the building, but a Petco opened up across the street from them and they decided to close one half of the store and just focus on fish.

This store (called Pet Town) is in an area of El Toro, CA, that is undergoing a complete face lift. All the buildings are being knocked down and rebuilt. It seems that the building owners are raising the prices so much that it is not worth it for them to remain there.

I talked with the owners and they said they had considered the idea of moving the store to a new location, but that they determined that it would cost them about $400k to re-open the store in a new location and that it just didn't make good business sense.

They will be missed!

[saltwaterrocks]

maybe its a good chance to get some cheap fish.. lol i guesse its sad to see something like that go. good luck at petco

[MikeS]

that's sad to see the smaller local ones get squeezed out by large chains....

Mike

[icereefer]

yeah we have a petco here and I think I've been in there about a hand full of times when I had my Amazon Parrots, I use to go in there once in awhile. last week I stopped in to get a foam block for my sump because our LFS where all out and they asked me if I had a petco card so I could get my discount, I dug and dug in my wallet and finally found it.
the guy looked at the card then me and said where did you get your card. I told him here why. he said we stopped using this type of card years ago.
and laughed and asked if I wanted a new one, so I looked at him and said why so the next time I come in here the next person that asks if I have a petco card can laugh at me because we haven't use that card in years.
No I don't know about other Petco's but the Petco here in my town there stock is aways sick looking.
and High priced.
myself I try and help the little guys because there more out to help you. our petco can only get what they stock and that's it, where I have found the Ma and Pa shops will try and get you what your looking for.
myself I think it stinks how the big guys want it all screw the guy that has been doing it all his life and knows every one under the sun in there area.
just like nick wrote of the petco building across the street from. (Pet Town). petco new they'd take his business. I know that's marketing, but I would call it more like, what a bunch of worms.
ok sorry I'm done venting. :(
Jim

[Telco Guy]

That's ok. Venting is good.

As for this LFS, yeah, they were good. If they knew you and you were asking about a fish that they knew was not good for your tank they would tell you not to get it.

As for Petco, I refuse to go there. I will occationally go to Petsmart, but I got all my live stock from Pet Town. Now I'll have to find another LFS.

And, now I'll have to find another buyer for all my Xenia! And my baby clowns (if they ever let a batch live long enough to hatch!)

[Doctor_Reef]

How sad Nick!!! I hate to hear things like that...Hope you can find another good LFS in your area...After you get were you can trust the people in an LFS it is so hard to see them go!!!!

Thats sad to hear Telco Guy. Its getting harder and harder for a LFS to compete with on-line retailers that have a fraction of the over head to maintain and against major chian stores that can buy in huge bulk and buy from the cheapest bidder which is usually a "mill" of one type or another. The customer service is pathetic at best and the live stock is usually in horrible shape as well. Just about everything I have seen there fish and reptile wise is a rescue project at best......

[cich1]

i had a lfs 3 blocks from my house, this store was family owned for 40 years and they closed down last year because as the owner put it he was tired of putting in 12 hour days just to get by. its a shame to because he had just started to offer sw 3 months before he closed in an effort to bring in more business.
now i have to drive 30 miles to the next closest lfs

[Sugar Magnolia]

Nick, we have the same situation going on in our town. The LFS that's been around as long as I can remember, was bought by some new folks about 2 years ago and they have made some really nice changes. A brand new Petco opened up about 2 months ago, about a block away from the LFS. I know they are feeling the pressure.

[Telco Guy]

Well, as I mentioned, this LFS delt with the the Petco issue by focusing on the fish market because they knew Petco could not do that well. And they closed the rest of the store.

This worked for 10 years or so, but now the problem is the rebuilding of the shopping centers and raising of the rent. That is what ultimately cause their demise.

[Doctor_Reef]

So sad....I hate to have business people leave that you have trusted and built a relationship with...It is so sad that these kinds of things happen all to frequently!!!

[fishgills]

It is a sad day, down here in south florida a Big Al's opened up and the little stores are being hurt

[Doctor_Reef]

I hate that when that happens... :(

[2639]

We have a fish store that's been around for at least 15 years or more and they USED to be good...They've hired some idiot and he's convinced me to shop online. I usually support my local businesses but when I'm asking about certain technologies and lectured as to why I don't need this and that, and how dumb I am for it...well, you can understand why I chose online shopping.

That was the only good lfs too.