Opinions on opening a specialty shop

Im considering re-opening a commercial store front locally, and would like a few other shop owners and or coustomers opinions on a few things.

Shop owners

Of thoose of you who run a retail location what percentace of your store front is devoted to reptiles?

How many sq ft do you devote to live herps or supplies for herps.

How many of you run a reptiles only shop

How many other shops are in your city

How much do you spend on adds, and is any of it TV

How much of your traffic would you say is walk in, compaired to die hard local herp nuts

What approach do you generally take towards live inventory. Do you buy in bulk and run sales or generally stick to a price and only order when another is needed.

What area of your town is your storefront located. Is it in a upper end community or a "more affordable" neighborhood.

What is your monthly lease payment and utilities combined (no labor costs please or animal expensex)

Now I know each shop is different, and Im not a novice, I used to have a shop. However I would like to see what others in the industry do locally to help with local sales. I will say I am in Nebraska, and the shop would be located here, so have no worries with competition as thats not what its about.

Now for Customers

Would you perfer your shops to be a reptile only store or a full line pet shop

Would you avoid a shop if its in a dumpy location, but you knew it was the best place in town to get herps.

Would you avoid a shop if its more tnen a 20 minute drive, or would you likely just visit less frequently

Would you rather see a store that has a large number of well cared for animals of each species to choose from, even if that means being kept in rack systems compaired to larger dislay cages, or would you perfer to see a store spend money on large displays and keep the numbers per species down.

What do you think most pet shops/ specialty shops could or should do to better serve the coustomers. What are your pet peeves when entering a store?



Again Im sure for each city or person its different. And Im not asking anyone to divulge any secrets. I would just like to start a open dialouge about stores. Also I would like to think that maybe someday each state would have atleast one specialty reptile storefront. I freel rather then tearing down pet shows as a whole, its up to us to fix the problems assosiated with them. I think a everday access to herps for the general public is VERY IMPORTANT to draw in new people to the hobby. Ive done many shows, and anyone who has knows that most of the people at a show are the same people year after year. Shows are great for experienced herpers, but shops start the hobbiest on their way to becomeing a experienced herper. How many of you remeber being a kid going into the store and seeing all the animals mom and dad wouldnt allow you to have. Heck untill I moved out on my own I wasnt allowed to have any pets, especially herps. Im sure the majority of peoples houses are the same way.

Mickey Hinkle
The Lizard King Reptiles