F15hguy Posted August 4, 2012 Report Share Posted August 4, 2012 Just out of interest (ATM) I am trying to find out how viable a marine fishkeeping retail setup would be in Tauranga. so atm just finding out how many Marine Fish Keepers are in the Tauranga area to see what the possible customer base would be like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingart Posted August 4, 2012 Report Share Posted August 4, 2012 not enough to garner much trade compared to cost of running the set up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F15hguy Posted August 4, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 4, 2012 yeah but thinking a few more might jump on the bandwagon, setup cost is an issue, will have to do a full costing before submitting it, need to work out the potential average returns, if it cost $20 a week to run a couple of tanks, and we sell 1-2 fish with a profit of $40, then its not worth it, if we can sell 3-4 fish profit of $100 it is (mainly to cover risks etc...) I am avoiding adding potential additional sales such as filters, lights etc... to save that for my ace in the hole come submition day Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingart Posted August 4, 2012 Report Share Posted August 4, 2012 good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anthony law Posted August 4, 2012 Report Share Posted August 4, 2012 ohhhhhhhhh goody..more the merry.it means ...more do it ...the prices of marine stuff come down for the average jo.. :spop: :smln: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F15hguy Posted August 4, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 4, 2012 but only if average joe comes to the party as well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raeh1 Posted August 4, 2012 Report Share Posted August 4, 2012 I know when goldfish bowl got into more marines there was demand, and have created more hobbyists since. Being in Tauranga water changes are easier and there is no competition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F15hguy Posted August 4, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 4, 2012 unless you factor in Wonderworld which have the ability to import their own Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingart Posted August 4, 2012 Report Share Posted August 4, 2012 yes that is a big factor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheepsnana Posted August 5, 2012 Report Share Posted August 5, 2012 I don't think we have any proper retail marine setups here in the bay. Kiwipetz has one tank, but I'm not even sure that the stocked fish are for sale. Marine would have a lot more demand in Tauranga if people could see what they can put in those tanks. However, as mentioned, high setup costs would be a big deterrent. I know when goldfish bowl got into more marines there was demand, and have created more hobbyists since. Being in Tauranga water changes are easier and there is no competition. unless you factor in Wonderworld which have the ability to import their own But being able to buy locally would be better than needing to travel or pay shipping? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F15hguy Posted August 5, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 5, 2012 well so far the demand has been just one person, when the setup costs are in the range of $5,000 - $10,000, and the profit is at risk constantly. I'm thinking it will be a no go unfortunately. p.s. the Marine tank at kiwi petz is his personal project, but i'm sure he will sell out of it if asked nicely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingart Posted August 5, 2012 Report Share Posted August 5, 2012 to my knowledge there are 8 tropical marine tanks in tauranga not counting mine most deal with wonderworld or get stock shipped in additives are bought in bulk online purchases are made for other goods etc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F15hguy Posted August 6, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 6, 2012 +1 in whangamata, doesn't make for a good customer base even if you include the potential new keepers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrahamC Posted August 6, 2012 Report Share Posted August 6, 2012 Was talking to a guy in the biz and he told me lots of pet shops are struggling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F15hguy Posted August 6, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 6, 2012 very true, Tauranga just lost one, and without our other businesses supporting us we would be long gone, funny how animates seems to be busy all the time though , most of our customers complain about prices but then talk about shopping at animates, shows the power of a good marketing budget Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrahamC Posted August 6, 2012 Report Share Posted August 6, 2012 Animates was also in trouble ... they were 50% purchased by Masterpets who were also in trouble and were then bought by Ebos in Dec 2011 Lesson: support your local LFS! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F15hguy Posted August 6, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 6, 2012 I supported mine so much, now i'm stuck there 40hrs a week =P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted August 6, 2012 Report Share Posted August 6, 2012 The pet shops in the "poorer areas" seem to do best but in my dealings with the local petshops they (like a lot of retailers) seem to be struggling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zuri08 Posted August 6, 2012 Report Share Posted August 6, 2012 +1 in whangamata, doesn't make for a good customer base even if you include the potential new keepers Theres A marine tank in whangas? Is it a private one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheepsnana Posted August 6, 2012 Report Share Posted August 6, 2012 very true, Tauranga just lost one, and without our other businesses supporting us we would be long gone, funny how animates seems to be busy all the time though , most of our customers complain about prices but then talk about shopping at animates, shows the power of a good marketing budget When I did my research on getting my first tank, I noticed that Animates had expensive equipment, but cheap fish. I think the cheap fish get people in the door. After losing my first two bristlenose from them, and them blaming my low pH, I have not bought from them again. I find I would rather pay $4 more for the same fish and know that a competent staff member is looking after them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raeh1 Posted August 7, 2012 Report Share Posted August 7, 2012 I'm not sure why you need a $5000-10,000 budget to start. If you have a store why not set up 2-3 4 foot tanks with hang on skimmers and keep it simple. reckon with store wholesale rates it would be more like $1000. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrahamC Posted August 7, 2012 Report Share Posted August 7, 2012 It seems that a number of shops do run marines tanks for display purposes but without obviously trying to sell the fish. The pet shop near the Napier City Library seemed to be like that ... Not sure if the fish at the entrance to Euro in the Auckland waterfront were for display or for consumption. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reef Posted August 14, 2012 Report Share Posted August 14, 2012 I am trying to find out how viable a marine fishkeeping retail setup would be in Tauranga. so atm just finding out how many Marine Fish Keepers are in the Tauranga area to see what the possible customer base would be like. Go and see a Accountant. might cost you a $1k but worth it. Accountant will do a budget and forecast to work out what you need to earn to make a go of it. Big thing when starting up a Business is capital. so if you don't have $30-$40k surplus cash in the Bank to play with then it will be a struggle. Big issues with Marines is that too many people that can't afford it are getting into marines which is not great for the Hobby as everyone wants it cheap. Prices will never come down in the long run , especially given everything around us is going up in price. Setting up a decent Marine store is going to cost well over $50k, doing it cheap never works out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheepsnana Posted August 14, 2012 Report Share Posted August 14, 2012 How to make a small fortune? Start with a large one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raeh1 Posted August 19, 2012 Report Share Posted August 19, 2012 I do and don't agree with reefs statement. Yip to set-up a well equipped commercial set-up then lots of cash required and cash-flow is key. Asking an accountant for sure. As for pricing I believe that currently it is on the high side and think with increasing competition (no more oligopoly). I reckon a 20-30% retail price drop in the near-ish future is on the cards. This will probably still make a fair return for importers in a more competitive market place as supply increases and the market adjusts. The up side of this is that it will make the hobby more affordable for hobbyists and offer more variety and more people will take the hobby up. So all will win in the end I suspect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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