Anyone else seeing inventory issues at your LFS?

[bionicarm]

Went to do a food run, and pick up some more Turbo's and hermits at the LFS I go to that also carries the rats for my daughter's Ball Python. Walk in, and half the tanks are empty. This guy used to have at least five tanks full of coral, and all he has in them are a couple of sickly looking bubble's and a couple of small plates. He had one tank with about five small turbo's, and he wanted $5.00 a piece for them! So I figured, "no problem, I'll just go down the road a ways to the other two stores in the neighborhood, and see what they have". Pull into the parking lot of one, and the place is locked up with all the tanks gone. Go to the next one, walk in, and one entire wall that he had about ten 150 gallon tanks full of coral were shut down and gone. He told me he's pretty much gotten out of the coral business, and sells only fish and invertebrates now. He didn't have any turbo's, but I did get a nice Fighting Conch for $3.00, and 15 Astria's for $5.00.
So anyone else seeing their LFS have inventory reductions, or just plain shutting down? I can somewhat relate to their problem. This one guy used to fly out to California once a month and buy a butt load of coral at a great price. He said the last time he went, he could hardly get a decent price reduction, even buying at the quantities he normally does. He then said that when he did have $20 - $40 corals in his tanks, they'd just sit there for months on end. No one has the expendable cash to drop on quality coral these days. So he buys bulk fish and invertabrates, and they fly out the door faster than he can acclimate them in his tanks. I just hope it doesn't get any worse.

 

[demartini]

ALL 3 of my favorite LFS are out of business. 2 of them just recently closed shop while I was on my reef keeping hiatus =( They all sold rare corals for great prices. The other places around here either have nothing nice, or they charge an arm and a leg for what I used to get at a decent price. I really only buy from local reefers now.

 

[meowzer]

I wish I was seeing that.....cause that would mean I had a LFS
Last week we went to Texas, and stopped by my NOTSOLFS...he had to move to another building cause his rent was increased so that he couldn't afford it...so he only had one tank set up....and all it had was 10 hermits and 3 snails

went all that way and saw nothing

....but got to talk about fish

 

[crypt keeper]

bad economy and tons of lying LFS that take adavantage of people. They are almost putting themselves out of business. My normal store said he is backing off 10 tanks for saltwater and going with 5. I got out of the hobby. To many risks and expensive. One power outage and boom $1500 down the drain. Not worth it to me. Love the hobby but not teh expense. Not made of money

 

[beth]

I find the inventory in most stores, except grocery stores, noticeably sparing. I see that inventory in department and clothing stores stay on shelves and racks until the dust collects. Sign of the economic times.

 

[speg]

They're packed over here. A few smaller businesses couldn't make it and shut down, but there are three stores right here in Tampa that are stocked to the brim.
Two of the stores have a pretty smart idea when it comes to inventory. They'll get in a large piece and frag a few pieces from it and keep the "mother colony" in the back of the shelf and the babies lined up in front on a frag-rack. The mother isn't for sale, but the frags are. It keeps them from having to buy a lot of coral because they're producing it right there in store.
The other store does the same thing, but they also have huge show tanks where they'll clip off of every now and then and they also buy from local hobbyists since a bunch of people are doing frag tanks these days.

 

[renogaw]

it's also summer, when the industry slows down considerably.

 

[btldreef]

I've noticed a small reduction, but nothing major. I also have soooo many stores around me, so they have to stay in stock to keep in competition with one another.

 

[stdreb27]

I went into the only LFS in corpus the other day, and although it wasn't houston nice, is was a good solid offering for a LFS.

 

[gemmy]

I've been seeing a better selection of coral and a reduction of fish. I'm also not looking for any new fish, so that could just be me.

 

[fishtaco]

The very best LFS withing 75 miles closed, I'm left with another that has decent stock but the prices are so high I can't afford to buy from them, a excellent freshwater store that has minimal saltwater critters and a couple others that are really bad and I would not buy anything from them. The store that closed had an awesome frag selection in the 5-10-15 dollar range and I really miss them. Good thing my tanks are doing fine and all I really need is salt, otherwise I would have a lot less coral.
Fishtaco

 

[mrdc]

All my stores have very little if any coral right now. Two of the stores are trying to get people to order coral for the sure sell.

 

[darthtang aw]

I have seen a couple close...those that were opened in the last 2 years mainly. The one I go to, the only one is doing well. In fact he expanded and opened a freshwater only store as well. He only carried saltwater at his first location. If you are regular customer he always cut you a huge price break. Talked with him a couple weeks ago (we were discussing business and the irony we both expanded at the same time). He stated his salt store has slowed down some but he is still having his 20,000 dollar weekends. which have sustained the store and his expansion. He even has bought out all his initial business partners.
No matter how bad the economy is, if you have great service, quality products, and can back up your prices with valid reasons, your business will not close....
My business is still one of the more expensive service grooming shops in the city, and we have been so busy I had to hire someone so I could run our new expansion retail supply store.

 

[smartorl]

My local store has actually added an entire bank of tanks. They have reduced the dry goods though considerably.

 

[jtt]

I know this thread is a month old, but thought Id contribute. I have 4 LFS and 3 of them all have a pretty nice selection of fish, inverts, and corals, but the problem is that Im not paying $95 for a small sickly looking bubble coral. Then there is this one hole in the wall store that is mainly freshwater, but hes got 2 or 3 tanks overflowing with sw fish and inverts, but no corals and he sells it for virtually nothing. bought a sixline wrasse for $7 last month.

 

[aquaknight]

Made the rounds in Orlando (went down for the weekend to pick up tank), there's aprox. 6 stores in 35mins of each other, my favorite two are virtually around the corner from each other and all are doing okay. One was adding LEDs to their coral tanks. And how I managed to walk away from a $99 3" Polleni Grouper, I have no idea...

 

[smartorl]

I live in the Orlando area and the stores seem to be doing pretty well.
 
Where do you go?
 
Did anyone see the news story last night that the recession is officially over?

 

[aquaknight]

Quote:
Originally Posted by smartorl http:///forum/thread/379490/anyone-else-seeing-inventory-issues-at-your-lfs#post_3311608
Where do you go?
Fishy Business and Fish Bowl (forgetting their newer name) are the favorite two I mentioned. I also hit up Aquarium Fanatics, The Aquarium (waste of time and gas), and Vinn's two stores near UCF.

 

[smartorl]

Haha, those first two, along with Open Oceans are the ones I frequent and they seem to be doing well. When I first got back from MA, they were always empty, never a wait, now, one year later, it's nice to see people in there actually buying things everytime I go.
 
Next time you are in the area, check out Worldwide Corals. That's moving up on my list quickly!

 

[reefraff]

I just buy online so I don't have to worry about it. Denver is a tough market for equipment and livestock. Lots of generous locals who frag reasonably and some home based businesses to. I really don't see how some of the stores here keep the doors open.