In Support of Individually-Owned Fish Stores

PART I: Introduction

There isn’t one exactly like it in every city? Never heard of it before today? Well, somebody owns it.

The Holy Grail of Aquaria
I have to admit that there’s something enviable about a person who owns his/her own fish store. He has nearly immediate access to the new-fangled products and updated models that come out every year. She can special-order hundreds of consumer-ready fish every week, and have different plants delivered by the crate to fill the store tanks. He can spend all day around fish and not have to go to a day-job. But best of all, she has economic validation for her wall-to-wall fish tanks, and a steady stream of customers with which to share information and stories. To sum issues up, a fish storeowner has the potential to inspire expert and novice aquarists alike, by her sheer interest in bringing the industry to the consumer in a hands-on fashion.

PART II: Fish Store Wars

There are a lot of fish stores out there, the majority of which are large chain store outlets. These large franchise pet stores have a distinct advantage over the smaller stores—buying power. Larger stores have the budget to buy products and livestock in tremendous quantities in order to sell them for a more competitive price. The big advantage for the public is that fish-keeping relatively inexpensive for aquarists with a limited income—but at the expense of the little stores.

These retail giants may have the lowest prices in town, but I’d like you to know that the little stores often offer more bang for your buck.

PART III: Consider The “Little Guy” Fish Store

Privately-owned and -operated fish stores have some of the best quality livestock fish and plants. To help you understand how I can make that statement so strongly, I invite you to walk through some of the logic involved in running a successful fish store.

An Invested Commitment to Quality Aquaria
Opening any private business requires a significant investment, both financially and professionally. It’s a huge commitment and an admirable venture. Anyone determined to keep a fish-store in business needs to know something about how to keep a running aquarium; in the very least, he must know enough to keep the fish alive until somebody buys them and takes them home. Losing fish in the store is expensive in terms of the original investment (paying for both fish and shipping), as well as profit (the money gained from selling fish at retail).

A fish store can reinforce aquarist trust by standing behind its livestock. For this reason, most fish stores carry some sort of ‘fish guaranteed for the first 48 hours’ policy—redeemable, of course, with a passable water sample provided by the customer. A returned fish that must be replaced is a further loss of revenue for the storeowner. Multiple returned fish on several occasions will likely result in an aquarist finding a new store. It follows, then, that private store owner/operators have an invested interest in the health of the fish they sell to customers. The longer the fish live in the customer’s tank, the more pleased the customer will be, and the more likely s/he’ll be to return to the store and even recommend it to fellow aquarists.

Offering The Best Quality of Livestock
If the small store has been in business for a number of years, you can bet that the owner/operator knows quite a bit about keeping fish. Assuming that he knew what he was getting into when he got started, the owner/operator has only compounded on that knowledge through his commitment and ongoing interest.

The big store, on the other hand, doesn’t need to spend a lot of its corporate energy keeping fish healthy. Why’s that? Well, for one thing, the big bucks in the pet industry aren’t in fish or fish supplies—the real
money is in the dog food and kitty litter. These are ‘renewable’ sales in the pet trade, because they constantly need to be replaced (and usually in large quantities). Pet owners choose their Kaynine Krunchies based on personal history and loyalty, without questioning the quality of the batch every time they buy it. Many consumers who know what they want—and don’t need advice—can stop in, grab the Kitty Krisps at the lowest price and get home before the next reality TV show comes on.

Spending resources (in terms of both people and money) on keeping fish healthy in a large store is a poor investment in corporate terms. Since most of the pet market is in dogs and cats, it is much more beneficial to have the staff trained in these areas. Although there is a slice of the public that does shop in the fish department, the revenue is peanuts in comparison to pet toys, food, and supplies for four-legged pets. The large pet store can put very little focus on its live pet sales and still beat its sales records every year. Sadly, some big stores do only enough to prevent troubles from the agencies advocating the prevention of cruelty to animals—which, by the way, don’t have any guidelines for the humane treatment of fish yet.

An Invaluable Resource for Products and Information
The individually-owned and -operated fish stores not only offer you the healthiest livestock, but they’re also a lot less likely than the big stores to give you misinformation about fish-keeping. As discussed earlier, repeat business is extremely important to any small business owner. And again, if the owner/operator has been in business for a number of years, chances are s/he’s experienced with fish. Remember that big stores don’t focus on the fish department, and it’s unlikely to have experienced staff working in that area. The staff members that do work with fish are more likely to have had a crash course as part of the general store training, but little or no personal experience.

If a fish store sells a new aquarist twenty-five tiger barbs for a new ten-gallon tank, the store has made the initial money from selling the fish. When all twenty-five tiger barbs die and she learns that many fish in a small new tank is unhealthy and risky, she’s probably not going to return to the same store for more fish. On the other hand, if a store takes the time to educate her about the nitrogen cycle, her aquarium experience will be much more educational and longer lasting. In this respect, a small store benefits from teaching you how to take care of your fish. It is in the store’s interest to give the customers the best information, rather than trying to make a quick sale. It builds the foundations for a long relationship with individual customers and potential for growth through word of mouth.

Consider that a happy customer who keeps a healthy aquarium will inevitably have friends that will see it and want one of their own. When asked where he purchased his equipment and fish, he’s very likely to recommend his own fish store, especially if he’s had a really good experience. Similarly, if he’s had a very unhappy experience with another store he’s also very likely to say, “Whatever you do, do not go to Uber-Pets.” Word travels quickly—especially in a city with fish clubs.

But Uber-Pets Is So Much Cheaper…
The big stores may have the lower prices, but remember that when shopping for livestock you get what you pay for. For plants especially, it’s good to know from where they came. An excellent fish store deals with established and dedicated aquatic plant nurseries, and receives new orders every couple of weeks. When I buy a plant from my store, I know the plant has been very well cared-for, properly cleaned, and in peak health for my aquarium. With fish, I know that my store has already quarantined them for a week before they’re put on display in the store. It took me awhile to find a store that I really respected, but now it’s an issue of trust—I don’t feel confident buying livestock anywhere else.

In my experience, shopping for fish and aquarium supplies in my favourite store is a fantastic experience. The tanks are beautiful, the fish healthy and interesting, and the company pleasant. I spend my money where I get the best service; if I have to pay a little more money to enjoy that service I feel it’s well invested. The equipment may be cheaper at a large store, but the quality of individual service is much reduced. My fish store is owned and operated exclusively by one person, so I know that he’s always there within store hours. With frequent visits he’s become familiar with my tank conditions and inhabitants, and my interests and long-term goals for my aquariums. I’ve even had an occasion where he’s called me to tell me that he got some surprise new plants in his weekly order.

The bottom line is that I’d rather give my fish money to someone who has an honest interest in fish, as opposed to a faceless corporation. Why shouldn’t we buy fish from the people who know how to keep them? When I take a step back, the people who own and operate fish stores aren’t much different than we are—they’ve just taken things to the next level. It’s important to support them in their efforts so that we can all continue to enjoy the hobby down the road.

I Paid You $19.99 For A Pair Of Breeding Kribs—Why Won’t You Buy My Krib Fry?
Inevitably, most aquarists end up with extra fish that can’t be accommodated. Whether it’s a huge spawn of fry or a fish that hasn’t worked out in our aquariums (due to behaviour or size), there will be times we need to find alternate homes for them. Some small stores will agree to take your unwanted fish, while others won’t. It depends on the store, how well you know the operator, and how long you’ve been doing business with him/her.

If a store agrees to accept your fish, it is unlikely that the operator will offer you a competitive rate for them—and it’s more likely to be a store credit rather than straight cash. Remember that the store operator purchases all livestock at a cost price, then sets his own retail to reflect the store’s cost of operation. The reality is that he can’t purchase fish at a loss. Similarly, if you bring in very large fish which have outgrown your tank, chances are the owner won’t be able to sell them as adults; it becomes an added expense for the store to keep the new ‘display’ fish healthy and fed. Some stores won’t take fish under an inch and a half—it’s time-consuming to feed them and raise them when they could be bought at a saleable size from established breeders.

Some stores simply won’t accept fish from anyone except established suppliers, and that is the right of the establishment. In all fairness to the store owner, there’s no guarantee for the store when it purchases fish from a hobbyist. Would you offer a refund or replacement if the fish died in the first 48 hours? Of course you wouldn’t be expected to—but hobbyists expect the same guarantee from the store. Finally, a fish store has a reputation to keep and must be able to stand behind its products and livestock. If patrons end up unsatisfied with the fish, the operator will be responsible for replacing them.

PART IV: Fish-Store Loyalty & Summary

As with any business, customer loyalty is of the utmost importance. It takes much less energy to keep the customers you have than to try to recruit new ones. My advice is to find one or two small fish stores that you trust and stick with them. Your interest in the little stores will help to keep them open. Consumer mentality seems to be leaning towards the superstore shopping experience, but at the expense of sound advice. This makes for an uphill battle for the little stores. So, please, consider spending your money where you get the best livestock and advice. Believe me, building relationships with the smaller stores carries great benefits that extend beyond the cash register. The bottom line is that if you don’t do your part to support your favourite little fish store today, it may not be there for you tomorrow.

Sylphid

This article was inspired by Jim Middleton’s Aqua Paradise, which closed its doors for the last time on January 31, 2003. This valued resource for quality livestock and helpful advice will be very sadly missed.

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