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Why is the Aquatics Industry so small? (UK)

I much prefer to buy local if i can.
Seeing what your buying is the most important thing to me, watching behaviour and the condition of holding tanks etc, especially for livestock. Id rather pay a few quid extra and be able to see what i buy. Plants ill try to source locally, but failing that ill buy online, but again only from trusted sources.
The reason most LFS cant survive is due to competition from the internet and the low prices offered. Its ok saying local fish shops are more expensive, but they have greater overheads. Admittedly if you are also not getting the correct advice then this needs to be addressed, but ive found in the most part that lfs advice is generally good. More specific issues eg with planted tanks can be addressed on forums such as this... remember this is a growing part of the hobby, UKAPS is promoting it but for most people in the aquarium/fish trade this is new and will only be expanded with increased demand.
As regards to poor quality in LFS, then this can im sure also be a problem found over the internet. Its more a case of finding a good LFS and not giving up on them because you dont like some of them.
Of course there are things that you just cant get locally and in this case obviously buying online is the only solution.
Cheerio,
Ady.
 
Im lucky enough to have two great LFS near me, both being MA. One already has a great plant selection in co2 enriched holding tank which i use a lot has now also started stocking marine. Popped over to my other MA 5 mins away and they have just installed 3 new large co2 plant tanks also. I can only see that articles from George in PFK (Kudos) and the like are really getting the word out there about planted tanks.
My only slight problem with the LFS is they never know what plants will be available when, having just placed a substantial order with TGM and AE i would have happily given MA the business if i could have been sure it would arrive on time and complete.
As a rule, recession tends to close down the cruddy stores, no loss in sorting the wheat from the chaff.

My crystal balls spies planted tanks becoming a LOT more popular, firstly because they kick ass and secondly as expendable income continues to be under pressure, for many the rising cost of marine will see people seeking alternatives.... thats were UKAPS comes in 🙂
 
It well and true to say support the local shops, but if they are crap, stubborn and not ready to move with the times what should you do? Keep buying from them?

I'd say vote with your feet (wallet) and buy from somewhere else, simple as that.

Yes you can spend time and try to explain to a pet shop owner jow could he get more business (I have tried) but they just don't care. I was told that bread and butter are marine, and fish, plants are not what they care.

Some even have non aquatic plants for sale, they would die some time soon and people will come back for more. $$$

What I have seen are shops turning to dogs and cars, two local shops are now selling dogs, cats, rats and spiders/snakes etc.

That must make more money than plants. 🙂

So yes, I'll say buy online and support good shops. In London for fish there are three that I know, ADC, MA in morden and Wholesale aquatics in Mile End. For plants I think only MA and ADC.

I go to ADC every week and try to buy my stuff there. So I support the local shop. But would't you think that in a 12 million city that is pretty bad?

70 million people in the UK and how many nice shops do you know? 20 maybe? Shocking.


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You have MA Cambridge at Coton inside the Polhill garden centre which is the one near the Madingley American cemetry, the other is Maidenhead scotsdales in Great Shelford at the Scotsdales garden centre.

I personally prefer the Scotsdales store.

Andy
 
Tom said:
easerthegeezer said:
Im lucky enough to have two great LFS near me, both being MA.
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Are there 2 MA's in Cambridge then? I was at one a couple of weeks ago buying goldfish. One near a US Cemetery. Where is the other one?
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Yes mate, are you local to cambridge then? I thought i was all alone :lol:

I use scotsdales as a rule but find both to be very helpful and knowledgable. Coton MA tends to get more uncommon fish which is always nice. Last time i was in they had Asian Rummynoses which i had never seen before except in Viktors Asian spirit.

I consider myself very lucky to have 2 good LFS in close vacinity, seeing as others struggle to find one.
 
I would agree Iain both are pretty good stores. I also go to Amwell Aquatics near Soham so I would say I have 3 really good stores within 25mins of me. Coton tend to stock more variety of Plec's of which I am getting a bit of an addiction :lol: .

I am Newmarket based so not too far from you Iain.

Andy
 
awtong said:
I would agree Iain both are pretty good stores. I also go to Amwell Aquatics near Soham so I would say I have 3 really good stores within 25mins of me. Coton tend to stock more variety of Plec's of which I am getting a bit of an addiction :lol: .

I am Newmarket based so not too far from you Iain.

Andy
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Good to know there are some locals, always nice for plant swops etc...

Im not sold on Amwells, not sure why they just dont give me any confidence... not that i have a great deal of experience with them.

Had a really nice large green phantom at coton the other day, ££££££... i miss my gold nugget 🙁
 
easerthegeezer said:
awtong said:
I would agree Iain both are pretty good stores. I also go to Amwell Aquatics near Soham so I would say I have 3 really good stores within 25mins of me. Coton tend to stock more variety of Plec's of which I am getting a bit of an addiction :lol: .

I am Newmarket based so not too far from you Iain.

Andy
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Good to know there are some locals, always nice for plant swops etc...

Im not sold on Amwells, not sure why they just dont give me any confidence... not that i have a great deal of experience with them.

Had a really nice large green phantom at coton the other day, ££££££... i miss my gold nugget 🙁
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they are not that bad at amwells (they gave me a good deal last time we went in 😀 )... but there fish can be a bit pricey

ps sorry about the nugget bud
 
Hi guys i'm not that far from Cambridge just up the road in Huntingdon. i went to amwells last weekend not a bad shop quite a wide range of stuff, they didn't have any plants when i went in Sunday afternoon. went in to Ely Aquatic Center on the way home they are in the middle of a refit so that might be interesting. the owner said all there plants come in on a Wednesday. fish stocking was minimal as the where moving them from one room to another. I'll definitely try the maidenhead at Scottsdale soon. I keep trying to convince the wife we need to go to the green machine 😀
 
sussex_cichlids said:
I dont think it small in any scale in the UK few years ago the aquatics trade did take bit of a dive as i sore about 4/5 local shops close or down size and other shops stop retailing fish altogether not just small shops but some quite big name in the trade like Fishy Business think they only closed one store in Burgess Hill West Sussex but that was a shock one week its there next it was gone.

Few others change hand like Dicker Aquatics and another lost was Kingston Aquatics at Wyevale Garden Center in Lewes East Sussex i should expect some member may of heard of Tranquility in Brighton massive store one best fish & reptile houses in Sussex they now gone that shocked me when i went there 5 months ago as there was no signs they were doing bad spoke to few people at aquatics live who knew them they were very shocked

But we had few new shops open a new MA at Tunbridge Wells and new P@H in Newhaven

Yes aquatics trade has been hit hard a bit but what hasn't in last few years economically

But with more shows like Aquatics Live taking off in the UK were only going to see the hobby grow and get stronger again with more publicity and growth we could see some of the old shops reopen in time and from the numbers that were at aquatics live 2011 its looking good to see hobbie starting to grow again

STOP BUYING FROM EBAY & ONLINE AND SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL FISH SHOP HELP THEM STAY OPEN
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I completely agree with the adage of use them or lose them. Its completely understandable why they are more expensive than online and smaller businesses always suffer from economies of scale. Being in Brighton I have noticed all of what you said above, where do you find are the best shops down this area?
 
So what do you guys think would make 'the perfect shop'? For the consumer as well as the business obviously needing to make a healthy profit so they can stay competitive and on the curve?
 
shaunb84 said:
I completely agree with the adage of use them or lose them. Its completely understandable why they are more expensive than online and smaller businesses always suffer from economies of scale. Being in Brighton I have noticed all of what you said above, where do you find are the best shops down this area?
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  • Worthing you got
    Pets@Home

    Brighton you got
    Fishy Business
    Paraquatics
    Maidenhead Aquatics on the race course
    Tranquility Woodingdean [Closed]

    Eastbourne you got
    Pets@Home
    Aquamania
    Fishy Business
    Seaside Aquatics
    World Of Water

    Hailsham you got
    Fish Around
    Dicker Aquatics

    Lewes you got
    Fur Feathers and Fins

    Newhaven you got
    Pets@Home

    Crowborough you got
    Mill Broke Aquatics

    Tunbridge Wells you got
    Maidenhead Aquatics
Theres a few for ya i try to get round most at least once a month hope thats helped?

Chris may beable to add a few i may have missed
 
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