>
> > I have a plan. We need to fight fire with fire. Little fish stores can't
> > compete against the big guys, but could a big fish-only store chain?
> > Imagine a chain of bigbox fish stores. Each store has some 500-600 tanks
> > of fish in it. There are 2 or 3 distribution centers which import/buy
> > all the fish and then clean them up with cleansing/conditioning, and
> > then send only very high quality fish to the stores. The result is that
> > a hobbyist who walks into such a store will be blown away by the huge
> > selection of healthy fish and by the expert staff that really knows what
> > it's doing, and really works to help the hobbyist succeed. Each store
> > could even have some little classroom/learning center in it, and perhaps
> > even host local fish club meetings. Eventually, the hobby wouldn't
> > dwindle and suffer in a PetsMart/Petco infested arena, but instead
> > thrive as never before.
> > So, who has a few spare million to invest?
> >
> I'm in, I'll just wait for an uncle to get rich, die, and leave me all his
> money! I would make a great manager!
>
Actually I have given a lot of thought to a really big fish store. I think it
would rock! It could blow away all the fish/marts and bring back the hobby of
fish keeping. There are a lot of closed down food stores around here just eh
right size (big!) to make it work. Unfortunately It would take probably
$500,000 to get started in one store much less start a chain but it would be the
saving grace of the real aquarium hobby. Most people just starting out in the
hobby really don't know what they are missing. I can remember stores that would
take hours to just look-in-everything. Now you know what they are going to have
before you get there. If you want anything odd or even irregular you have to
order it ahead of time. it's been so lone since I saw anyone but online stores
offer anything really different or new I can't remember when it was.
Moon
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