ExoticReefCreations October 14, 2013 Share October 14, 2013 Over the last year we have had the opportunity to get to know a lot of you here on wamas. Over that year, you have not only helped us grow but supported us tremendously. Through that time, we have been run off residential property and while it has served its purpose, we have been heavily toying with the idea of moving to a true store front/warehouse location to not only expand our size but to also offer a much larger inventory! We will still continue to handpick 100% of our coral and carry only the highest quality coral at prices everyone can afford! With this location we would What we want to know is, given the quality and prices we have, would you regularly shop in-store if we opened a location in Frederick Md. The location we are looking at is 25 miles North of the 495/270 split, all highway driving and located less than a 1/4 mile off the exit! We would love to hear your feedback! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squishie89 October 14, 2013 Share October 14, 2013 My inclination is to say yes, but soon I wont be buying almost anymore corals as I have no more room. But I think your store deserves its own space. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HgrReefs October 14, 2013 Share October 14, 2013 I'd be there! I drive through Frederick 5 days a week, so I'll say you have my support. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YHSublime October 14, 2013 Share October 14, 2013 Location does not matter to this guy, you have my support. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pizzaguy October 14, 2013 Share October 14, 2013 I'm a tri state kinda guy. You know my answer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveS October 14, 2013 Share October 14, 2013 Frederick may work for the hard core WAMAS people but see is that iwho you are building you business on. Do some research. There used to be a store there and think it did well. Try to learn lessons on what they did well and poorly and see if it makes sense for what you want to do. If you have store hours to keep, it might make it tougher for you to do the things that have made you successful so far: hand picking corals, attending shows, doing group deliveries to the DC area, etc. Yes you may be able to do them all for a while but you need sleep too and a real life. Reliable help cuts into the "profit". Think about what you can see yourself sustaining for 2, 3, 5+ years. Either way, I wish you luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ctenophore October 14, 2013 Share October 14, 2013 That is good advice from Dave. The delivery thing is interesting- you might look into the costs associated with expanding the courier service vs. opening a retail space. Your livestock and photo quality are excellent, so I doubt you'll have trouble selling via internet/photos. I wonder if there would be a market for a food truck style business model for marine fish & coral- announce that you'll be at some convenient location (major shopping center parking lot?) during lunchtime or for a few hours on a weekend, see who else shows up besides your scheduled deliveries. Mobile LFS run out of a Sprinter van; remember, you heard it here first Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swimmatte October 14, 2013 Share October 14, 2013 That is good advice from Dave. The delivery thing is interesting- you might look into the costs associated with expanding the courier service vs. opening a retail space. Your livestock and photo quality are excellent, so I doubt you'll have trouble selling via internet/photos. I wonder if there would be a market for a food truck style business model for marine fish & coral- announce that you'll be at some convenient location (major shopping center parking lot?) during lunchtime or for a few hours on a weekend, see who else shows up besides your scheduled deliveries. Mobile LFS run out of a Sprinter van; remember, you heard it here first Haha, it's funny you bring up the mobile thing, because we've actually discussed this on the way back from hand picking once. We talked about doing it out of a box truck once a month and parking it somewhere like....... Avast Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanM October 14, 2013 Share October 14, 2013 Haha, it's funny you bring up the mobile thing, because we've actually discussed this on the way back from hand picking once. We talked about doing it out of a box truck once a month and parking it somewhere like....... Avast Frederick is tougher for me than Ijamsville, but I would go. It seems to be near the edge of "WAMAS" and farthest from the largest concentration of them which is NoVA, but it is probably not wise to center the business on the club anyway. If you parked at the end of Justins driveway you could kill two fish with one stone, heh. I love the ice cream truck idea for deliveries and sales, and if you did that, please have a window on the side you can open to hand out corals and have a speaker on the roof playing music. 8) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacobB89 October 14, 2013 Share October 14, 2013 Well I'm in Baltimore area we have 3 stores near me 1 within 10 min and others 30 so Frederick would be a little farther but worth the drive after seeing your stuff at the show at that pet place and talking with the 2 of you and buying from you there I will def make trips there I already wanted to swing by were your running out of now lol. Like others said about the store I have seen stores come and go quick for many reasons some being run down store not much light to see fish let alone where your walking. Dead fish in tanks multiple times and overpriced. Things I like in some of the nicer stores are clean tanks nice rack systems with good lighting to see corals and fish. Also maybe its just me but I love stores where you can see the sumps and skimmers and see how well everything is maintained. Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk now Free Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swimmatte October 15, 2013 Share October 15, 2013 I think the real question to have answered would be, are there people out there that haven't come out to see us that WOULD come see us if he had a store front with more inventory, maybe some dry goods, and possibly even fish? We appreciate all of our regular customers, and are confident that we would have your continued support, as we stand by our product 100%. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gmerek2 October 15, 2013 Share October 15, 2013 Ill be there! Mr coral used to have a store here. Not sure what happened they sell on EBAY now under a different name. I do see some overpriced corals sit a while at my LFS and I do have a lot harder time selling corals on here than you do lol Has to be the hand picked corals and reputation Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacobB89 October 15, 2013 Share October 15, 2013 Location location location is how you get new customers and ads. Place by me (house of tropicals) always are busy right in a shopping center in a busy area. Its places that put a store in a industrial park that can't be seen from the road and only people that know of them go there no new ones. Just my .02 Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk now Free Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hlem October 15, 2013 Share October 15, 2013 i would just do the math. how much would it cost to operate the store. how much is your average income now. how much do you want to earn, and so on. and i'm sure there are bunch of other things to consider. if the number comes out positive, and the extra work you put in is worth it to you and sustainable... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cliff Puckstable October 15, 2013 Share October 15, 2013 Don't go too far. I'm being selfish. I like the in home feel. It's cozier. I liked it when QR was at Steve's house. I feel that it would keep your prices very low bc you wouldn't have expenses like rent and bills. And as you know, we don't like expensive coral. But I also think you'd get a lot of walk in customers with a store front. Decisions, decisions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swimmatte October 15, 2013 Share October 15, 2013 i would just do the math. how much would it cost to operate the store. how much is your average income now. how much do you want to earn, and so on. and i'm sure there are bunch of other things to consider. if the number comes out positive, and the extra work you put in is worth it to you and sustainable... That's good in theory, but the thing is, if business stays the same as it is right now, it would be pointless to open a store front. We're just trying to figure out if more people would visit us if we had a legit store front. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
howaboutme October 16, 2013 Share October 16, 2013 Ok..so you're asking people that haven't been there if they will come if you had a storefront...You've gotten a lot of "yes" from people but they've all been there already so you can presume they will continue. I will answer your actual question for myself. I will not visit even if there is a storefront. It pains me to say that because I know you have great stuff but there is very little justification to drive all that way from where I am in NOVA. If you do a storefront, consider some place closer where you will have a larger population to serve, which will probably justify the higher rents. Either way, good luck and continue to offer great stuff! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparker October 16, 2013 Share October 16, 2013 Personally I would suggest no for the store front. Imo it would end up costing you more than you would see in increased sales. I Think in this current economy it would be prudent to keep overheads as low as possible to remain competative.. Just my 2 cents. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BowieReefer84 October 16, 2013 Share October 16, 2013 Personally I would suggest no for the store front. Imo it would end up costing you more than you would see in increased sales. I Think in this current economy it would be prudent to keep overheads as low as possible to remain competative.. Just my 2 cents. Agreed. I think you would be better off getting a company car. Drive around making deliveries and you can write off the gas/car as a business expense. Also, you can prob expense a lot of your electric bill. I went to the mrcoral storefront once, but it's quite far for most folks. You would not get any business during the week imo, and the weekends would be tough to justify having a storefront. Not to many people are going to get on 270 north at rush hour after working all day. Maybe get a really small economy car get a cool paint or vinyl job, and do the delivery thing. It would be a mobile bill board as well. Didn't two fish storefronts in Frederick just go out of business? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gmerek2 October 16, 2013 Share October 16, 2013 Please open a store in Frederick dont listen to them lol! I did hesitate calling a stranger and inviting myself over to their house to buy coral. You will sell more! Although a mobile coral unit would be smart! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swimmatte October 17, 2013 Share October 17, 2013 Ok, let's add a second part to this question. If we opened a storefront in say, Gaithersburg (20 minutes from Tyson's, and about 30 minutes or so closer to nova than Frederick, then would people come more often? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanM October 17, 2013 Share October 17, 2013 Ok, let's add a second part to this question. If we opened a storefront in say, Gaithersburg (20 minutes from Tyson's, and about 30 minutes or so closer to nova than Frederick, then would people come more often? No brainer for me, of course, and I would probably even bring lunch. My wife wouldnt appreciate you being that close, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wade October 17, 2013 Share October 17, 2013 Honestly, don't do it. The overhead costs (insurance, rent, operations) rarely bear out the added sales. Unless you want to get full spread like Quantum did, its too much. You will need other people present to operate things and you'd have to have financial backing to get enough stock in to make it worthwhile - including tanks and all materials to set things up. I've helped set up 2 LFSs in the Raleigh, NC area - both have lasted a couple of years and folded due to time requirements/monetary loss. It'll probably kill your ability to drive up and handpick things as often as you do as well. They are an intense amount of work. That said, I'd visit. But the hours have to work as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacobB89 October 19, 2013 Share October 19, 2013 I would jot come much to gaithersburg hike for me but more people here live down there but regardless everyone from wamas are going to buy from you its attracting new customers you want to do. Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk now Free Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bengeeee October 19, 2013 Share October 19, 2013 Id be there all the time because that's local for me. Gaithersburg is missing a nice store. I think with your customer service and product you could do well. I will say however that Gaithersburg doesn't have the best track record for successful fish stores. But you can change that. Ben Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now