PDA

View Full Version : True Percs


Tarolisol
12-19-2004, 09:56 PM
Well if anyone wants some true percs head down do big als only 80 dollers :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:

StirCrazy
12-19-2004, 09:59 PM
only 80 dollers :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:

:eek: that is out ragous.. even in the land of expensive stuff (Vancouver Island) the most I have seen them is 24.00 ea.

Steve

Bob I
12-19-2004, 10:12 PM
WTH are you talking about. :question: $80.00 for one :question: $80.00 for two :question: . Either way that is beyond ridiculous.

tomini
12-19-2004, 10:50 PM
i got true percs for 15.99 each ( they were babies)

Tarolisol
12-20-2004, 03:27 AM
80 for one which is just crazy how do they justify something like that.

G1GY
12-20-2004, 05:40 AM
$10 - $15 at Gold when they have them. :smile:

Tarolisol
12-20-2004, 07:33 AM
Yeah but they never have them, wais has them for 30 dollers each still a little steep but compared to 80 it looks good.

em3r1ca
12-21-2004, 03:43 AM
actually they are 90 dollars each
and i guess they just landed high

StirCrazy
12-21-2004, 03:57 AM
actually they are 90 dollars each
and i guess they just landed high

landed high?

Steve

Tarolisol
12-21-2004, 05:32 AM
Landed high hey they better come with whatever got them that was for 90 dollers, i just cant grasp how they could charge that much. And if anyone buys them they should be shot.

AndyL
12-21-2004, 10:48 AM
Um yeah... week before xmas... Nemo... Need I say more?

Noticed even the tank prices tripled after the 18/19th. Getting ready for boxing day sale apparently!

Andy

Nate
12-27-2004, 02:59 PM
Andy,

No dry goods prices were raised for the upcoming christams/boxing day event, please drop by the store if you have time, so you can partake in some of the fantastic deals going on around the store.

As far as live stock goes, I have been working at Big Als for approx 7 years now, and what emerica means by landing high is that we work off a direct markup system. Certain percentages are to be attained as a standard for the franchise, and we follow it pretty well. Unfortunately, this means that when we get in a relativly expensive order for reasons beyond our control (had to fly on Aircanada, the US exchange(good right now though), heavy shipping, or unexpected box charges, we have to charge a bit more for the fish. However, when we get an order in dirt cheap, we pass that along to the consumer instead of charging the regular imdustry average. We have covered this topic a couple of times, and I hope that you understand, and would hope that you do have time to stop by the store.



Nate
Big Als
Calgary

StirCrazy
12-27-2004, 03:17 PM
, and what emerica means by landing high is that we work off a direct markup system. Certain percentages are to be attained as a standard for the franchise, and we follow it pretty well.

Nate
Big Als
Calgary

I understand this as I have seen it applied many times, the fish cost 2.00 but the box charge (freight and such) was 400.00. so you get 30 fish in a box you have to charge 15.00 to break even and say 20.00 to 25.00 average to make money. But a cost of 80.00 for a fish that you normally sell for 20.00 is implying that the shipping was 4X the regular cost, which seem to high to be realistic, so I can see how this is looking like a pre Christmas scam.

Steve

Bob I
12-27-2004, 04:10 PM
This is rapidly turning into more LFS bashing. Let's face it, $80.00 for a True Perc is ridiculous. I am sure none of the members of this board would be dumb enough to pay it. Therefore it would be best to let it go. If the dealer found anyone willing to pay such a ridiculous price I say "good for him" and move on. :frown:

Delphinus
12-27-2004, 04:52 PM
To be fair I have seen VERY good deals at Big Al's. It all depends on what their landed costs are. I got an astounding deal on my S. gigantea when I was prepared to pay as much as 5x what I ended up paying for it. Since then they have imported several more and they have all come in for sale at that same (ridiculously) cheap price, and I'm sure they could have charged whatever price they wanted for them. They do pass on the good prices onto the customers when they get them themselves.

In the case of these percula's, well I have a couple parting thoughts. One, they're very nice true percs, nicer than I have seen at other times. Two, they're larger, so the risk of juveniles that don't make it into adulthood is hopefully past. And three, they're wild-caught, and I think it is correct that WC fish cost more than tank-raised. There has to be an incentive to try tank-raised, or at least a disincentive to try wild-caught.

My $.02 anyhow.

takphan
12-27-2004, 07:15 PM
i have gotten good deals from big al time to time -- a fuzzy dwaft lion for $20 :biggrin: and i think nobody can beat that price.

although i work in the retail industry but i don't agree with fluctuating retail prices (ie keep markup and net profit constant)
it makes the consumers confused. :confused: and my job as a bookkeeper harder :cry:
for example, back in nov, the price for a long nose butterfly: 4 in one tank at $30/each and 2 in another at $40/each (similiar in size and health). the reason for the price difference was landed cost. why can't big al mgmt average the price? ($30X4+$40X2)/6=$33.33
that way gross profit stay constant.

a better business practice / customer relation is to absorb the short term unexpected cost (ie must use AirCanada cargo instead of Westjet due to delay and animal health) and keep the retail price constant (for popular items such as clowns) for the time being.
the increase in shipping cost can be factor in the cost of goods sold of the next fiscal year. better yet, find another carrier.

fluctuating retail price=constant markup and constant gross profit
this make budgeting a lot easier but it make selling a lot harder
for example:
1 box of 50 clown fish at $4.00/each = $200
shipping/box/handling/custom/cites = $400 <-- can increase 50%-100%
landed cost for 1 box of 50 clowns = $600 to $1000
let's say we want a markup of 40% = $400
selling price for the box of 50 clowns =$1000 to $1400

if all 50 survived then each clown is $20 <--very unlikely
if only 25 survived then each clown is $40
if only 12 survived then each clown is $83

thus the price of clowns fluctuates, it puts the sale staff in a very tough situation to explain to the customers.

fluctuating retail price is a double edged sword:
- i am passing the saving to the consumers
and
- i make the consumer pay for unexpected cost.

just my 2 cents

Tak :confused: :confused:

AJ_77
12-27-2004, 07:58 PM
To be fair I have seen VERY good deals at Big Al's.
Same - my blonde Naso Tang was $25 for a "medium" that was fat and healthy, and still is today. Can't beat that - saw similar specimens around town at the time for 90-110 dollars.

So while the accountants may or may not like it :smile: , it gives me an opportunity to take advantage of some very attractive prices, if the timing is right.

AndyL
12-27-2004, 08:59 PM
Ok so maybe I was a bit harsh... Here's what I know... I've noticed over the past year, that the Calgary big als - some prices are well above those of the Edmonton Big als. (Eco Complete african cichlid this summer was 39.99 in edmonton - Calgary it was 69.99 for the same bag).

I think it was the 15th I was in, pricing my new tanks - perfecto 30xt's and perfecto 65 customs - went back the next week and the prices had pretty much doubled. Call it a period between sales - or whatever you prefer... But those were the facts - I am skeptical about price changes right around xmas - call me crazy.

Sorry to big als if I was a bit harsh - but lets face it - somehow those sales seemed to end in the crazy week before xmas and started again on boxing day... How else is one to interpret that?

Andy

takphan
12-27-2004, 09:59 PM
So while the accountants may or may not like it :smile: , it gives me an opportunity to take advantage of some very attractive prices, if the timing is right.

yesssirru :biggrin:
i was prepared to pay upto $50 for the Kleinii butterfly and walked away with one big and healthy @ $22.50
:biggrin:

one of the reason i don't like fluctuating prices is because it is a pain at month-end to do various financial reports :sad:
but i guess that why my boss needs me :biggrin:

Tak

Bigals_brodie
12-28-2004, 12:39 AM
Um yeah... week before xmas... Nemo... Need I say more?

Noticed even the tank prices tripled after the 18/19th. Getting ready for boxing day sale apparently!

Andy

Andy, Exactly what did you see in the store triple in price?

Our 65 gallon tanks have been $139.99, 90 gallon tanks $255.99, and 75 gallon tanks $169.99 for the past 8 months. For boxing week the tank prices are as follows. 65 gallon for $79.99, 75 gallon for $99.99, 90 for $169.99. Thats just the tip of the iceberg.

Nate
12-28-2004, 03:53 AM
Takphan, thankyou, and I can understand what you mean. I can understand where you are coming from as I have taken several accounting courses as well, in my pursuit of a business degree.

You put it perfectly when you said that it was a double edged sword.

I think that all in all what has frustraqted the staff at Big Als is that when you see something as a percula clown that is 89.99, why dont you ask why this is. When you come on this board, and just flame the heck out of us, it is discouraging. Surely you can see "the other edge of the sword" we are talking about (Tony's S. Gigantea, AJ's 25 dollar 5-6 inch BLONDE naso tang, etc...) You hear all the bad on this board, and very few, but some, come on here and say, Big Als has large banggai cardinals for 25 bucks and they are 25 % off on Boxing Week (spikehs, who bought 2 today, just an example). Take the good with the bad, ask me why the clowns are 90 bucks and who knows, you might just find out the reason.

Anyways, the reason the clowns were so expensive was that it was a new supplier we were using to try to add more variety of livestock to the store, there were some hidden charges that were unexpected. When these fish, that were packed quite heavily landed in Vancouver, a bunch of the boxes were leaking so we had to put them on air canada as no other airline will take them if there are one leak, or no cardboard. The order was then delayed in shipping which makes our mortality rate go up.

There are many, many considerations to take into account from everything down to an extra cup of water per bag, down to me having to pay a couple of employees to pick up and put away fish at 3 o'clock in the morning. I think that pricing livestock is a bit more difficult than some of you think, and I thank all of you for your support on both edges of the sword.

I do agree with Takphan that it may be easier to set a standard price for an item, but as I also have a couple of hobbies of my own, I know what it feels like to find that killer deal as well.

The only other topic I have not really covered is the tank prices. I apoloigize if something may have been mislabeled, but I can put a personal guarantee that the prices on tanks, have not changed on tanks in the last 6-8 months. 6-8 months ago we brought the prices down to be more competitive with the smaller stores in town. Our tanks are all perfecto, except for custom tanks, and made of all new glass, not your shower door variety.

regards,

Nate
Big Als Calgary
640-0635

Bob I
12-28-2004, 04:24 PM
IMHO it is unfair to flame Big Al's when they offer some fish at ridiculous prices. If they they take a hit on a shipment because of unusual conditions and want to apply their normal markup, it is up to them. The business is consumer driven, and if the consumer is willing to pay those prices the dealer wins. However, it is the consumer's choice to buy, or not buy. The smart consumer will pass up on this deal, and wait until he can get a better price. :eek:
In addition it is a large gamble on Big Al's part. If all the customers say"thanks but no thanks" They will lose even bigger. They will then get stuck with the fish, and take the chance of losing them. If that happens they may re-examine their business pracices. :cool:

vertex
12-28-2004, 08:57 PM
IMO, I find this practise a little strange as I always just assumed Big Al's was ripping people off whenever I saw big price differences. I had no idea why until I read this here. I think it would be a little more useful if Big Al's actually told their customers this as it is one of my reason I have avoided them, simply because I thought they were trying to take advantage of the consumer more so than other LFS. (This of course only when I saw high prices with no apparent reason).

Anyway, its nice to know but surely the everyday customers their don't know this and I'm sure many of them think the same thing I thought after seeing some ridiculous price, and they go elsewhere and don't come back...

Both sides to everything I guess. Thanks for the info on xplaining this odd pricing!

Canadian Man
12-29-2004, 02:20 AM
No offence to anyone but I am upset our society has come to the state of "everyone being told everything about everything" I deal with this in my bike shop on a daily basis.

IMO if people want to know something they should ASK. Don't wait for someone to tell you.

:biggrin:

Nate
12-29-2004, 03:11 AM
Canadian man....

I agree... when you fully know something, then go and tell others. Before you start spreading the information, you should be completely informed.

ahhhhhhh....retail......


cheers,

Nate

Quinn
12-29-2004, 04:27 AM
I would rather pay more money for better quality fish and more educated employees than less money for the opposite.

Snappy
01-16-2005, 12:13 AM
I saw the true purcs that you are refferring to and had an attack of serious sticker shock. They also wanted about $60. for a mandarin at that same time. Big Al's has ticked me off and I now will only go there in an emergency. Their fish return/ trade-in policy has me stuck on the principle of the matter. I find it insulting to offer me only 25% of what I bought it for at their store after it grew and could now sell for much more. In the past month alone they have lost at least $900. in business from me, or I should say that is what I spent and didn't shop there. I hope it was worth the lousey $10 extra they wouldn't give me. They didn't even have the smarts to ask what else I was going to buy that I wanted to trade on. I then went to Wai's and was offered twice the amount that Big Al's would give me. I of course dropped an additional $300-$400 with Wai's that day since he treated me fair.

Bob I
01-16-2005, 12:18 AM
25% of what you paid for the fish eh :question: That is probably what they pay for a fish to begin with. :eek: That sounds about right. In their markup they have to include losses, and desired profit. what they offer you for a fish is probably what they would pay wholesale. They do not account for the fact that the fish is healthy, and probably will not die. Face it. that is what business is all about, profit and loss. :biggrin:

Snappy
01-16-2005, 12:45 AM
Well I am also in business myself and understand about profit and loss, but at the same time if I don't treat the customers right I soon won't have any. In my business I can't offer someone my wholesale cost if the item is in new condition and are just wanting to trade. In that case it's a wash and even though there is an exchange I still made the money. I also know if I have to work a deal with one guy I can always make it up later on something else. I was prepared to spend money at Big Al's that day but they didn't seem to consider that. To me that is not good business. Fortunately they are not the only game in town.

Bob I
01-16-2005, 01:35 AM
Yup we have been through this round and around before. You have now jumped into the old intangible tangible called "Customer relations". Big Al's does not seem to be very worried about that factor. I am not sure if I was as big as they are if I would worry either. So, in reality there is not much you can do except talk with your wallet. If enough people do that we may make a difference. :exclaim: But honestly I don't think it will happen. :sad:

StirCrazy
01-16-2005, 04:22 AM
I don't understand why this is still going, as a buisness if you take a loss it is a write off. so if you lose fish you can write of the shipping (or portion there of) and cost of the fish so only loss is profit. In 4 years the highest I have seen a clown is 26.00 so am I to assume that this is the first time a clown has landed high in 4 years?

Steve

G1GY
01-16-2005, 07:42 AM
I then went to Wai's and was offered twice the amount that Big Al's would give me. I of course dropped an additional $300-$400 with Wai's that day since he treated me fair.

I'm not to sure about Big Al's(Because I don't shop there.), but the prices at Wai's are mighty high compared to others. I bought clowns there for $30.00 a peice(which never survived for some reason or another), and replaced them with ones that I picked up at Gold for 1/3 the price! :eek:
That's on one particular fish, the list goes on.

Snappy
01-16-2005, 06:42 PM
I agree that Wai's is often more expensive but I generally find the quality of live stock better than say Big Al's for instance. I have been happy with Gold's so far. Where else do you like to shop? I am always open to suggestions.

Bob I
01-16-2005, 06:55 PM
You could give Ocean Aquarium a shot. I have had some good results there. :biggrin:

monza
01-16-2005, 07:09 PM
I'll be the "I like Wai's guy," been shopping there for years. I like to support one store and I expect them to support me in return, and he does. Great customer service and great deals (discounts). I'm also not the type of guy to drive all over the city to save a couple of bucks.

I do check out the other stores all the time. Nate, at Big Al's has totally changed my view on that store he is great for the store and knows what he's talking about. Thanks Nate.

If I see a killer piece of live rock or something I need 'right now' at another store I'll buy it but if I can get it at Wai's I do.

Dave