What would you like to see in a store????

[Biscuit71]

I am just wondering what it is the reptile community in general would like to see in a store... or more specifically, what about a store would bring you in? I have been playing with the Idea of starting something with some friends of mine... one of my friends keeps saying that it would be hard, and that it is impossible to compete with the "big guys"... (PETCO, Petsmart).. I just told him that they are basically warehouses for supplies and a few abused animals and fish (for the most part)... Nobody could compete in the sheer numbers of supplies they have, but you COULD compete with thier prices.. they are DEFINITELY overpriced. I told him that the quality of the animals being sold would be the big difference.
I am not talking full on ALL animals, but specialize in certain animals... Reptiles (and amphibians), Birds, and Fish. I feel that the "mom and pop" petstore still has alot of opportunities available to them out there, they just seem to lose heart once one of the "Bigguys" comes into town...
So back to my original question... what, in your opinion is something good to have, or something BAD to have in a petshop.. what would separate one from the pack so to speak... what would bring you in?

Any and all Ideas welcome... feel free to slam also... :thumbsup:

[constrictorcrazi74]

i think its a great idea petco and petsmart arnt knowledgeable enough to tell people how to take of animals because i no the petco by my house were tellin people to feed there baby ball pythons eat pinkys and crikets ( never in my life have i hurd to feed them crickets) for the rest of their lives not very good info .I work at the local reptile shop and we get customers in from tthe other department store with all sorts of question and they say thats not even close to whatt petco told them im pretty sure u no more about reptiles and amphibians then most people would no i give you 2 thumbs up and go for it

joe

[Beccalynn]

Our local petsmart here in Virginia doesn't even sell snakes. They occasionaly have Bearded Dragons and different types of Geckos but that is as far as their reptiles go. I think my biggest thing when going into a petstore is that I want to see a clean shop, well cared for animals, as well as knowledgable employees and owners.

[boybronco]

Proper care of ALL their animals. Even the inexpensive ones. If I go into a pet shop and see something wrong I point it out once, remind them next time I'm in there and if I come in a third time and there's still an issue then I let them know that I'll never shop there again because they do not properly take care of their animals. Outside of that I love seeing stores with the exotic things, but responsibility must be taken (ie: selling difficult to care for pets to beginners). I would rather pay more and support a responsible store than go cheap and help irresponsible people mis-treat more animals. I aspire to open a store of my own one day and that's what will be my #1 priority.

Best of luck, you're absolutely right in that there are a ton of opportunities out there. Personally what I plan to do is volunteer to local schools (elementary/middle especially) to give presentations and teach about the animals (In like an assembly or whatever). Get the kids interested young (they always will be) and your business, along with the hobby will grow.

[Biscuit71]

The big thing with me is that I have been into a few of the big shops here in my area, and even a few not owned by chain stores, and not one of them knows what they are talking about. They push UV lighting for snakes, and they tell you that the boas won't get much bigger than 3-4 feet, or that a tortoise is a great starter pet. (which they can be IF you have the space, and the ability to take care of something LONG TERM). I recently went into a pace, and the girl in the reptile area was about 16... she was trying to sell a corn snake to a guy, she said it stays very small, about 1-2 feet, and that you can raise it on crickets once a week. I jumped in, and put him straight, and she wasn't all that happy, and did they typical "16 year old thing"... making faces when she is told she isn't right, etc.... (no offence anyone :) ).
Also, it seems that a clean petshop is hard to find.. and it also seems that people almost accept the fact that a petstore will smell bad... it doesn't stop them from coming in and spending their money for overpriced animals. On a personal note.. if a place smells really bad.. that just causes me to dig deeper... and I usually find something.

[sschind]

First, the petcos and petsmarts are not your major concern, and if you have a knowledgable staff the big box stores can even be considered an asset to your business. They bring more new people into th hobby in a week than the small store can in a year. When people get tired of the lack of, or simply wrong, information they get from these places they will either get out of the hobby or find someone who can help them. If you can be that someone you just got a new customer.

Second, there are two types of smells, normal pet store smells which are nearly impossible to avoid and which most people either don't notice that much or are willing to overlook, and dead animals and dirty cages smells which are easier to avoid but people are less willing to overlook. I've gone into shops where the "normal odors" are very strong but it doesn't bother me. I've also gone into shops where I almost choked because it smelled like dead animals (no wonder judging by all the dead animals in the cages)

third, your biggest competition is the internet. You can compete on prioce with the big boxes but you can not compete with the online sites. The only thing you have going for you there is that people can get the stuff they want now. If they can wait a week, they will save the money and buy on line. They will come in and pick your brain then go buy the stuff on line. Granted not everyone does this. There are a few regulars who will support you no matter what. Some simply do not like the idea of on line shopping. Some still beleive in the addage "support those who know something otherwise they will not be there when you need something known"

Its a fullfilling occupation and a frustrating one. Are you ready to refuse sales because people are idiots? Are you ready for the people to ignore your advice and still want you to help them fix their problems. Are you ready for the people who want to buy sickly cheap WC crap over healthy, only slightly more expensive, CBB animals. Are you ready to fix other retailers and breeders problems by informing people of the correct way to care for their animals only to have them go purchase the things they need elsewhere?

What's that you say? the Fullfilling part? Oh yeah, there is that as well. You get to see the smiles on the kids faces when they take their new leopard gecko home with the proper set up that you sold them. Of course, 6 months later you will have to deal with the parents bitching all the time because they have to take care of the damn lizards because the kid won't even look at it. You get the satisfaction of knowing that the advice you gave someone will help their corn snake survive because you told them they don't eat crickets. Of course you will have to deal with the parents who will be bitching because its all your fault now that they have to feed their kids pet a disgusting mouse and on top of that the kids won't even look at the thing.

I won't tell you to open a shop or not open one, all I will say is this.

IT WAS A LOT MORE FUN WHEN IT WAS A HOBBY.

[boybronco]

One advantage you have over online is you can have prices a little higher but they can get it "Right Now" and they wont have to pay shipping. I never buy anything online if I can get the same thing locally because the few dollars I save on shipping add up.

[Biscuit71]

I won't tell you to open a shop or not open one, all I will say is this.

IT WAS A LOT MORE FUN WHEN IT WAS A HOBBY.

LOL... i can believe that... Its jsut one of those things that I ahve always wanted to do it... will I ever do it? Hell, I don't know.. maybe someday... I can see my spending my retirement doing somehting like that... never know. Easy... I am a firefighter now, and was a cop before that... and military even before that... so I know what it's like for something to NOT be easy... I look at it as a challenge... I ahve always wanted to own a petstore since I was a kid... I worked in one when I was 13, and have had a passion for it ever since. Like i said.. It may never happen.. but then again, it could tomorrow. Life has a strange way of just "happening".
As far as the smells... I know what a petstore smells like.. I am talking the smell of a DIRTY petstore... everyone knows what those smell like. Petshops have a "smell" all on thier own.. if you don't keep up on it, it gets bad quickly.