When I go to a store, I take it for what it is. The one redeeming factor about this store is that he brings in wild fish; something I like. My first experience happened to be when he was on Rt 1 @ Rt 450 when he had the camen in a 300 gal with a dog kennel fence around it. He had a tankful of wild sunset apistos for less than $2.00 each and we spent time looking through fish books trying to identify the species.
I hate the mess, smell, and the flowerhorns, but I have found dwarf pikes, L129, apistos, sterbai corys really cheap. It is very attractive to me that he has the import hook up. But I think his purpose these days is to supply the demand for mean and big fish for the folks in his immediate area; mostly uneducated in the craft of keeping fish. He caters to what sells now instead of what he used to do when I frequented the store. To me it's a last ditch effort to stay afloat.
I definantly will check him out in his new location regardless. I'll support him because we are losing local fish stores everyday and soon we will all be subject to online supply that is sketchy and over priced at best. The only other choice we have is the fish that are available through clubs. In a lot of instances, the fish have all come from the same source if they aren't wild.
As hobbyist, we have to make the local fish stores. Let them know what you want and what would keep you supporting their business. Let them know what you like and don't like. I think if they hear it enough and can analyze the input , things will change. All of them cannnot afford to do what the super chains can do. Most of the most successful animal trade establishments include mammal sales. The trend is to go online, the more we do it, the more it continues. Personally, I like to see what I'm paying for.
But I think the biggest issue with local fish stores is the cost of dry goods. The items most coveted and required for keeping our fish are overpriced and uber expensive. Of course a prudent, diligent individual would most certainly go online to look for the item at a substantually lower cost. A hobbyist has to decide, most times in an emergency situation, whether to buy online or go to the lfs. Add in the shipping on an item and it is still cheaper online in most cases. Already stressed, a hobbyist is quite resentful of paying 300% markup on an item needed in a crisis.
So, if lfs stores could help the hobbyist by making dry goods as available and competively priced as online perhaps the proprieter could reap the benefits. Consider the means to a clean and neat establishment. Display plants, fish, and invertebrates in environments that benefits their well being and educate the dumb *** Nemo, Tanked idiots about keeping fish, instead of ripping them off. Eventually the strong willed (with the cash) will find the members of a local club who will educate, entertain and enlighten them.
Those experienced at running an aquarium business could chime in and enlighten us hobbyist as to where they see the problem to be from your prospective. Perhaps we can all realize a happy and profitable medium.