What are the 100 best saltwater/reef products to stock in an

[Anonymous]

Well, the boss handed down this request : compile a list of 100 products to carry in the 'new and improved' saltwater section that I'm running in the LFS I work at. I've got some things already down, like Salifert test kits, ESV additives, and Aqua-C skimmers.

What else would you add? Feel free to list anything that comes to mind. I want to offer only the 'best of the best' to my customers...within reason. By this statement I mean we won't be carrying chillers and such on a regular basis, but will special order such things.

Thanks very much!

Peace,

Chip

 

[Anonymous]

Perhaps you should concentrate on items that people realize they need a year after they start the hobby and want to try more than just fish.

Icecap Ballasts
Prizm skimmers (Since many people have smaller systems)
Powerheads other than Rio's.
Replacement skimmer pumps for broken Rio's.
Aragonite oolitic sand. (Robert Fenner actually recommends that people get this from fish stores since they can usually get it cheaper than being shipped online)
Books on how to keep fish alive.
VHO and NO lights of various sizes and temperatures. 24"-72" 5600K-12000K, etc.

 

[whusband]

SuperCow beat me to it - i was gonna suggest oolitic sand. At the stores i've shopped at it's hard to get reef appropriate substrate. One cool thing my LFS does actually have is a tank dedicated to live sand. They get a shipment in from the keys every so often. I'm gonna try some out.

 

[Emperator]

books, books and more books!

 

[Modo]

Here is a list of stuff I had to order or go to another location to get.

Titanium heaters
Return pumps of varius sizes and brands (Mag, Iwaki, Ampmaster, etc)
Flexible PVC and misc joints
various MH bulbs of color and sizes
Golden Pearls
IV dosers (might get some questions about this one)
Float switches/valves

Maybe mix up your own special "Reef Goody" and have it in the frozen food section for sale. Kinda like the DIY food that is in Eric's book. It would be cheap to make on a large scale basis and still sell it cheaper than name brand frozen foods. Plus the benefits would be better. I know I would buy it. Margaritas just haven't tasted the same since that first batch I made.

How about on opening day of the new SW section order a pallet of Southdown Sand to get everybody into the store.

Just some random thoughts.

[ April 02, 2002: Message edited by: Modo ]</p>

 

[kevchev515]

Hey Chip,

Stock up bud, cause you have alot of space to fill! When do you think the Salifert Test kits will be in? Also, do you think the store will be open by late April?

Kevin

 

[Anonymous]

Looks like you are getting some really good suggestions. I think it is great you want to carry the better quality equipment and products for your customers. I guess the one thing that came to my mind when reading this is price.

Just be aware you are most likely going to lose some sales to the on-line suppliers simply because it is going to be hard for you to beat their prices. I support the LFS in my area and always by my livestock, foods, additives, etc. from them, but I can't justify paying $125 for a MH replacement bulb I can get on-line for $65.

I think it is a great idea though and your customers will truly benefit.

 

[Ben1]

Dont forget DT's, Omega One flake foods, selcon, kent marine add. like turbo calcium, kalkwasser ect. brine shrimp eggs,

Maybe a dont carry list would help as well,

for that one I would say dont carry any coralife or Mark Weiss products.

 

[2poor2reef]

I disagree with the equipment recommendations. Don't waste space stocking things that are cheaper online. Local stores should specialize in live animals, live foods, and things that are too heavy to ship like sand and salt. My opinion.

I love Louey's comment about live food. That would get my business more than anything else and there should be good margins on it.

 

[ACROPHORIA1]

You can never have enough books

 

[AuroraDave]

Here's a good one...
emergency items, especially the more common ones.
Impellers, Bulk heads and other plumbing pieces not carried at HD, test kit refills, medication.

Think about items that you would not want to wait for delivery.
I also wish my LFS served coffee.

 

[Anonymous]

hi.
Ball's Pickling Lime?
SD playsand?

[ April 02, 2002: Message edited by: seven ephors ]</p>

 

[Anonymous]

Live food if you want my money on a regular basis. Ghost shrimp, freshwater crawfish, live brine. I buy ghost shrimp and crawfish once or twice a week to feed my FO tank. The guys that don't carry these items don't see me to often.

Clams!

Louey

 

[AnotherGoldenTeapot]

Something to consider is that you'll only ever sell at most one of some these items to any reefer.

Some of these items are big ticket items by most peoples' standards too. I imagine there's not much scope to sell many $400 skimmers. You'll probably sell very few if they can be bought online for $300.

You probably can't compete on price with an online retailer. It's not worth trying - you'll fail. You need to look at where you can add value as a shop - what sorts of things do people really need to go to a shop to get?

Stocking good test-kits isn't a bad idea. It's the sort of thing where you don't worry about the price of and they're consumable items so you'll get repeat business. However, test kits last a long time so it will be a long time before you get a repeat customer for a test kit.

Frozen foods and top-notch livestock are where you can really add value. People like to go out to get these.

Selling a GFI outlet and a grounding probe with every tank would be a good idea.

Good quality advice is something you can offer too - look at some of the sponsors of this board. They have built a reputation around giving advice. People remember this and happily pay a premium (up to a sane limit) to shop with these sorts of people.

You could offer cost + 10% on items you don't carry stock off - this is like mail order but you're getting some profit for your effort compared to nothing if they shop elsewhere. THis is especially true of things that a LFS fundimentally does not stock but that they can buy wholesale if they desire. The shop I go to does this. It's a dedicated fish shop and so I can get my pigs' ears and dog food very cheaply. I phone up before Wednesday and pick-up on Saturday. Invaraibly I also pick-up something else that catches my eye while I'm in the shop...

Sevice is of utmost importance. Be helpful, honest and accomodating. If you want to keep high value customers then you have to be flexible - sometimes you have to take a fish back etc. People who are going to spend $10,000 a year in your shop expect to be looked after like you've nothing better to do (which you don't if they have their wallet out). It will take you a long time to get these sorts of clients on board - their existing retailers already have the red-carpet out for them. You'll get one chance to impress them - the first time they have a nosey through your store.

Keep lists of what people are interested in. When something unusual comes up make sure you phone the people who you know might be interested.

Don't waste your time being something you can't ever succeed at. Think how you can add value that other retailers can't.

 

[Kalkbreath]

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by AuroraDave:

I also wish my LFS served coffee.[/QB]<hr></blockquote>We,ll maybe you should move here to Atlanta, At Cappuccino Bay Aquarium you will be able to get DT's in your Latte?
_________________
Ferrari TR

 

[Mouse]

Chip,

See if you can get any Deltec equipment. The skimmers are top class venturi/needle wheels. And they also have a new "Fluidized" calcium reactor, it utilizes every last drop of medea you put in the reactor. Also they have a new line of Eco-chillers, there very cheap and run by dripping water over an expanded mesh medea, and then whacking it with a couple of fans.


Heres the fluidized calcium reactor just to wet your appetite.

Also IKS computers rock, get some of them.

And erm..... loads of er... fish and stuff

 

[smokie]

1-Knowledgeable salemen who know something about what they are doing,not just people there to sell stuff to turn a dollar.
2-Lighting systems variety-Power compact-Metal halide-VHO- and of course replacement bulbs on hand for when customers bulbs go out they dont have to wait 2 weeks for you to order them.
3-Calcium products,Iodine,Kalkwasser ect..
4-Live rock
5-Live sand
6-Pumps various sizes and brands
7-filter pads (for sump applications)
8-High Quality Heaters
9-Water test kits
10-Salt
11-I dont care for Aqua-c skimmers but you should stock a couple of different reputable brands of skimmers,various sizes.
12-Bulkheads
13-overflow boxes (for those who dont have reef ready tanks)
14-Carbon
15-possibly good Quality RO/DI units along with replacement elements
16-UV sterilizers - Ozone generators
17-assortment of frozen foods as well as live food.
18-phytoplankton
19-PH-meters ect...
20-Phosphate reducers
21-Nitrate reducers (for the newbies)
22-Reef supplements of assorted varieties( i truely beleave there are hundreds of nutrients our aquatic friends need to be totaly happy and healthy that they simply can not get from just doing water changes once a month like a lot of individuals think on this BBS.
23-Anything else that they cant pickup at home depot or anything that they would dependent on a pet supply store to get.

 

[smokie]

P.S..Books Blow,I have purchased One book in all my time everything else i learned from friends and online as well as on my own.

 

[Mouse]

reference books/library, for ID's and stuff!!!!!

and a topless cashier, man would you get the dollaz in

 

[Rick O]

I would avoid carrying junk. Nothing turns a customer off faster than buying something that was recommended by a LFS employee then finding out that it doesn't work as advertised. Example: Powersweep powerheads, magic potions (Algone).