Online Shopping

wegotcrabs · #1 12/17/2007, 04:44 PM

Does anyone go to local pets?- Or is everyone buying online. Online seems to have a much better selection then all the local stores- and at good prices. I have never bought online- What is the best site to go to?

shyland83 · #2 12/17/2007, 05:08 PM

i buy almost all my dry goods online, you can't beat the price and most of the places get the stuff here in a few days. I order most of my dry goods from thatpetplace, i have also ordered from marinedepot, drsfosterandsmith, and aquacave.

I try really hard to buy locally to support the lfs, but most of the time the price difference is just too great.

shyland83 · #3 12/17/2007, 05:12 PM

oh yeah, and reefexotics and jcaquatics are 2 online retailers located close by, so you can usually pick up locally if you prefer. owners of both are club members and you couldn't ask for nicer people to give your money to.

cb747 · #4 12/17/2007, 07:58 PM

Ill second all the above with a preference towards Tony (reefexotics) and Cindy (jcaquatics)

Great people to deal with!

ralphie · #5 12/17/2007, 09:07 PM

I used to buy all of my drygoods from thatpetplace and was quite happy with them. But, I switched a while ago to JC Aquatics, Cindy, and have been even happier. Great service and prices and she has even gotten me stuff that was not listed on the website.

wegotcrabs · #6 12/17/2007, 09:19 PM

What about for live stock.

shyland83 · #7 12/17/2007, 09:29 PM

i buy most of my livestock locally, but i have ordered from liveaquaria and NYaquatics and was very happy with both of them. typically unless your buying a lot at once, or are looking for something rare it usually ends being cheaper to buy locally. we do group buys here sometimes, drops the shipping costs and makes it possible to buy just a few things.

reefly · #8 12/19/2007, 09:05 AM

I print out the item online, I bring it with me to a local store and most of the time they match it, rather than lose a sale.

Spracklcat · #9 12/19/2007, 09:46 AM

Even salt is cheaper online, even with shipping. I wait until That Pet Place has a sale going, and buy a bunch. Best is I don't have to lug it to the house.

reefly · #10 12/19/2007, 11:40 AM

You know if you don't support your local stores for supplies, you're not going to see them survive?

Where do go when a part fails? You may not be able to wait for it.

Instead of doing group buys online why not submit our needs to Aquahut or Pets Warehouse to see if they can match or come close.

At least try and give them the business or you won't be shopping for fish for too long on LI.

cb747 · #11 12/19/2007, 11:52 AM

While you have a valid point in my neck of the woods stores wont compete with online prices. I cant vouch for Aqua Hut or PW. If i need a part right then and there yes ill pay whatever it costs. If it can wait i get it wherever is cheapest. IMO its kinda like buying a car. Your not going to buy the first car from a dealer because you want it. Your going to shop around. Theres also the added bonus of not burning your gas or spending the time to go from place to place. It arrives at your door. I dont see anything wrong with it.

shyland83 · #12 12/19/2007, 06:44 PM

yeah it's nice to buy local, and i try to support the lfs owners as much as possible. When it's only a few bucks + or - i buy locally when i can. but a few things.

It's an expensive hobby and sometimes the price break buying online is half what it costs locally and unless you have more money than you know what to do with it's just not practical to pay double locally.

If we just fork over whatever the lfs are charging they have no reason to try to compete.

There are many things we need in this hobby that are simply not sold locally. i tried to buy flatworm exit recently and simply couldn't find it locally. sometimes you have no choice.

DgenR8 · #13 12/19/2007, 06:52 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by cb747
While you have a valid point in my neck of the woods stores wont compete with online prices. I cant vouch for Aqua Hut or PW. If i need a part right then and there yes ill pay whatever it costs. If it can wait i get it wherever is cheapest. IMO its kinda like buying a car. Your not going to buy the first car from a dealer because you want it. Your going to shop around. Theres also the added bonus of not burning your gas or spending the time to go from place to place. It arrives at your door. I dont see anything wrong with it.

I gotta disagree, Chris. What's wrong with it is we're losing the LFSs. You may not like the price, but you can go to a LFS and buy a pump on the spot if your main pump rolls over dead one day. Order it online, and leave your system sit stagnant while you wait for shipping........... There's a benefit to having LFSs around, and if we're not buying stuff there, we're going to lose them.
I understand the appeal of Internet prices, I buy stuff from Tony, too.
I just hope people start to realize how valuable a resource a decent LFS is. A big part of the enjoyment in this hobby for me comes from walking the aisles, and talking to the owners of my favorite LFSs.

cb747 · #14 12/19/2007, 09:06 PM

I do support some LFSs. I just do a bulk of my purchases online. It isnt only LFSs either. Its all brick and mortar stores. I dont like seeing LFSs close but i simply cant afford some of the prices these places charge when if i have the ability to wait a few days and get whatever im buying significantly cheaper. Its all about economics.

DgenR8 · #15 12/20/2007, 05:30 AM

I can't put up much of an argument when you bring price into the equation that way. Just realize that when the LFSs are gone, they won't come back.

reefly · #16 12/20/2007, 08:17 AM

Larry, not sure if you remember I met you at Pets Warehouse a while back.

Anyway don't they have a policy where they match any online price, I know I sometimes order off their website which has lower prices than the store, I pickup my order without shipping.

Unless you know, I'll double check that price match deal next time i'm in there

Long Island Andy · #17 12/20/2007, 11:10 AM

It is almost impossible for a LFS to compete with on-line prices. Like most of you I have purchased things on-line. I will usually try the LFS first. Something like replacement lights I would always go online because a store cannot stock every light out there. But whether it was AH or PW I think we should try to give them the benefit of the doubt. I know when it comes to livestock ( other then clean up crews) I want to see and inspect what I am buying.
I think that LFS need to work on the pricing of corals and fish, because it comes down to moving the animal for a few bucks less or having it so long they can give it a pet name I would rather sell it.
Like Larry I walk the aisles for 15 minutes before I even want to purchase anything, I do think without our support the LFS will go the way of the dinosaur.
Look at Les, it is a tough business. I think that if the stores are willing to work with us, both online and them can co-exist. That is a big if.
One last rant, my brother and brother in law are licensed plumbers. Both of them tell there customers to sometimes order their sinks, tubs, etc from Home Depot because the supply house that they buy from charges more than Home Depot!!!!Something is wrong with this picture. I guess I am sympathetic to the issue because most of my family own private businesses.
Whew too much caffeine....
Thanks for reading
Andy

gusto1 · #18 12/20/2007, 12:15 PM

I also do a fair amount of shopping online but also buy a lot of other stuff from LFS ( frozen food, fish. dog food , bird food, etc..) and try to support our LFS, but you also have to think about how many of us would be buying a $90.00 fish from a LFS, if we had to pay $ 700.00 for a protein skimmer instead of $ 400.00 shipped to us. So buying online does help them in some way or else we all be buying $5.00 African Cichlids.

cb747 · #19 12/20/2007, 12:23 PM

Caffeine is great! Anyway back to topic in the broad picture of things all of us involved in the hobby and various message boards have this conversation. A broad majority of LFSs business isnt us. Certainly we contribute to it but where by far all of it.
Now speaking for me even if PW does match the price i still wouldnt go there. The only reason is its not close to me so even without payiong shipping it wouldnt be worth my time and gas to get there to pick it up. The shipping would balance out between my gas. Ive never been to PW and ive been to AH once. Im mainly Pets of NHP and Pet Barn in Franklin Square which wont match online prices. Im sorry to see Les go. I used to go there when the meetings were in the dance studio and i was a member of LIRA. Now it would be a 45 minute drive each way.
Something Andy pointed out. This is more than just a LFS issue. All these big companies come in and wipe out all the small guys. Home Depot and CVS to name 2. Yet im sure we all go there as opposed to a small mom and pop place because its cheaper.
How many of you go to Petco to buy dog and cat food? Its the same thing basically. Alot of pet shops sell food but does anyone buy it there?
So next time anyone walks into HD or CVS think of the small mom and pop pharmacy or harware store thats no longer in business because they cant compete. Anyway enough of my rant

DgenR8 · #20 12/20/2007, 06:21 PM

I still go to my local mom and pop hardware store over Home Depot any chance I get. I may spend a few more dollars, but I get in and out quick, and if I need advice, I know I get good advice with mom and pop. Not to mention that they really let you know that they appreciate your business.
If your only criteria is price, you'll buy online every time. I'm glad that I am able to consider things other than price.

DgenR8 · #21 12/20/2007, 06:21 PM

I still go to my local mom and pop hardware store over Home Depot any chance I get. I may spend a few more dollars, but I get in and out quick, and if I need advice, I know I get good advice with mom and pop. Not to mention that they really let you know that they appreciate your business.
If your only criteria is price, you'll buy online every time. I'm glad that I am able to consider things other than price.

cb747 · #22 12/20/2007, 09:32 PM

Im like you Larry in that reguard. I have a harware store right around the corner from me. Out the door and back home 5 minutes after i left. I pay more but the reasons you said are good.
I had a friend of mine who had a pet store. He was basically put out of business by all the Petcos and i cant remeber the name of the other place. I saw another place locally here go in Mineola.
Take a place like Pets of NHP. There are always people in there shopping. My business for them is irrevelant because i surely do not make or break them. They also sell everything for pets and dont rely on just fish for a living. Its a tough living no doubt and sometimes stores have to evolve and change. Unfortunately some dont make it and have no choice but to close.
My only criteria isnt price but it does play a factor. I do patronize the LFSs around here however on things that can wait or arent an impulse buy i do shop around and online for.