Best suggestion worth R500-00

Encourage regular customers to subscribe on your website. Registered customers can specify their pet interests so that when you receive new stock, an automated email can be sent to customers that would be interested in the new stock. Eg if I'm looking for freshwater species, I'll be notified of new stock, with pics, when they arrive. Should help with boosting sales.

 

I know it is already a important thing to you guys but, NO dead fish in a tank. It is really nasty when you see a danio nibbling at his dead brother.

 

Moolis is doing this for some time already. I wonder if he will share the success or failure, shortcomings of the project with us?

 

Gain the competitive advantage via:

1. Match the product selection to the needs of the customers (do a market survey)
2. Ensure sales people are knowledgeable on all product areas (become the go to pet specialist)
3. Swift response to e-mails & questions
4. Make the store a fun destination
5. Reward customer loyalty.
6. Define a clear mission and vision statement
7. Network, network, network and B2B
8. Develop a fun and resourceful webpage with the typically the following features:

a. Convenient online secure purchasing &payment facility
b. Up-to-date product listing & pricing
c. Detailed product selection & description
d. Product feature comparison and advice
e. Customer support
f. Effortless product search function
g. Resources for Pet owners
h. Add area for surveys on satisfaction and recommendations
i. Competitions & Specials

 

The id cards with details are a good idea,decent fair prices always a good idea (i dont wanna walk down the road and find it for 10% or more cheaper! do your home work keep it competitive ),im in Durban what we miss here is an lfs that sells live foods and perhaps petstop already deals with this ,im talking grown brine shrimp,daphnia,perhaps cultured tuberflex or blood worms grown in clean conditions and what ever else u guys can get hold of. also rare speciality orders once every 6 months from south america where we place orders as a group through the lfs for fish not commonly to our country,this would be a big thumbs up,ive seen it done on some fish websites in the states and the uk ordering from peru.

 

Just need to say something on the imports. I have seen countless times how members moan about special fish.

When one of the guys do get a special order I wonder if 5% of those fish are sold to forum members.
They always seem to want special fish at guppy prices.

I would also like to see a local is lekker, tank, cage, enclosure for local breeders.

 

Just want to point out that I am making this statement in general, it is not aimed at anyone specifically and is applicable to 'non food' imports in general. I am not even considering importing live stock myself, as that is a very specialized field and if bigger profits is made on that, it is deserveably so, as the risk is greatly increased. We all know the saying wrt risk vs return or interest.

I bought a cradle for a well known brand cellphone recently. It landed here in one week, the original product, for a third of the price it is sold in shops. That includes shipping, customs, the works!

 

well @Vis with guppies heading into the hundreds of rands a fish these days ,i think wanting them at guppy prices is pretty fair excluding delivery of cause

 

a small practical suggestion? How about a picture of the fish and its name next to the tank which it's being kept in? often there are several species of fish in one tank, and joe public may not know which fish is which, even if the list of fish is written on the tank's glass. Would be awesome if it could be coupled with basic vital info of the fish too. such as estimated adult size, recommended tank size, food, tank mates, water specs etc.

and if you were REALLY clever you would do what I've seen the big grocery stores do, and group 'likely' purchases (or the 'oh yes! I'll need that!' purchase) together. for instance, stack the right food for the fish in a certain tank next to that tank. The customer is more likely to buy the food.

How about compiling and selling a small booklet with basic 'need to know' info? such as the nitrogen cycle, tank maintenance etc? Not only do you make a bit of money but you educate joe public too

 

Suppliers... Suppliers... Suppliers

When I worked as the floor manager at Mica Hardware, I discovered that Mica was fundamentally nothing more than a middleman to get stock from the suppliers, through our doors, and into the hands of the client. You were basically a glorified sales rep for a supplier, with the added bonus of making a profit.

One of the things we implemented at our store was "supplier" days, or evenings. Whenever a rep walked into the store to try and push his stuff, take new orders, or keep up the relationship, I roped them into a supplier day. And you know what I discovered... the reps JUMPED at this opportunity.

Simply put, give your reps the opportunity to come spend an hour or two in the evenings at the store and TRAIN your staff. Your staff are now being trained at the supplier's expense. I always took this a little further and opened up these "training" sessions to the public. The only condition I had with the supplier was that they were only allowed to "punt" the products that I kept of theirs. If they wanted to market something else that I didn't keep, they had to agree to put that stock in my store for 3 months on consignment.

I always invited customers to join... and you would be surprised how many actually came. In the beginning it was always few, but after a few months, the customers thoroughly enjoyed these events.

Discuss specials with the suppliers for these events. Many times the suppliers will be prepared to knock off the price and give great discounts.

But I warn you... after a few months of supplier events, you find yourself building nice long standing relationships with not only your suppliers, but the customers too. It reached a point where it was almost a full time job just dealing with these customers. They became so loyal to Mica, that they would literally invite you to their house to discuss any projects they wanted to do around their home, and how Mica could get involved.

Get your suppliers to come train your staff:
* Eheim
* Seachem
* Microbelift
* ADA
* Tetra
* Sera

Get breeders on board to come discuss how to run a successful tank.

 

Bigger Shop, Mega store will be better
More variety of equipment.

Staff, should not follow you every second and stand behind you constantly looking over your shoulder. While you are trying to decide what to buy and making expensive desicions.

 

We did not restart this after the fire. Did not had thetime to kick start it again.
Only major problem we experienced with our system wasthat customers were too lazy to keep their cards with themselves, they expectedus to keep it for them and manage it on their behalf and this did not work atall. Too many opportunities to make mistakes and sour customer relations.

But Yes a new system is on the cards for March 2012

 

PetStop has a very successful email notification list system in place. Just askour customers, we send out email on a weekly basis.
:bigsmile:to subscribe send your list of intrest to subscribe@petstopsa.co.za an you are done.

 

I was actually refering to the email system you have in place. Do not know what you are referring to above.

Any reaction to the suggestion in #19?

 

Must acknowledge it is more than 5% but it is definitelynot more than 15% and Yes 80% of the forum guys would tell you they can get itcheaper somewhere else or want a discount..
But that -15% and 20% are absolutely great guys to workwith and I would go out of my way for them, any time.
Thanks to their friendship I love doing all the work onthis forum.
And discounts? Loyal customers would tell you they are looked after better than any other place.

 

I have not actually read what the others are saying.
but this is my 2c worth on fishes when walking into a LFS / Petshop

Info card with the species and if they are cold water or tropical, we can all assume that they are cold/warm.
with male and female discriptions - as most people like to buy both sexes of fish. also if they are aggresive or socialable.
The prices to be priced in common name and scientific name and prefered to by typed out.
sometimes people just go huh! what was that again??, ask yourself this question - do my customer asks whats that fish common name
and the price? when the price is right on the tank written in a handwritting that no one understands (no disrespect to you or ur staff)
and Dead Fishes is a common thing at any LFS but try and remove them as soon as possible. Ask yourself another question -
what do the common customer talk about when they are at the fish tank? oh look at this dead fish, and how the other one is eatting it.
and the customer next to it will also turn around and try look at it. cos everyone is a on looker.
Staff are well trained on some products but not all, we not asking them to write an exam on the products but have more understanding
of it. another example I dont wanna phone someone else (you know who you are) to get info on a medication, cos I want my fishes to survive.
With the above mentioned you will have your staff less busy trying to answer a 10 min question and to understand what the customers wants
and you will actully have more movement/sales of the product. The fishs are sellable by itself if they are healthy/presentable but staff can help them select
and catch the ones the customers want.

oh Moolis, can you kindly move your betta's to the fish section? cos they are at the cashiers counter and into a nice stand so everyone can see?
cos not everyone see them unless they buy something.
you keep some really good ones compared to other shops, so lets show us clients that you have some good fish.

 

Glad to hear that

I only see the forum side and a lot of the time when the post comes that the fish arrived or a special order can be placed the members disappear.

 

You see now we even learn from the building industry.Been busy with a large building project myself the past few weeks (mostlybuilder warehouse and Chamberlains), I thought this industry just wanted yourmoney, especial Builders warehouse. I should have gone to Mica!!!!!
BUT not too keen to tackle a large project again,building contractors either promise a palace and deliver sewerage farm OR do agood job but cannot deliver on time.!?

But I know myself. Next year all this is forgotten and Itackle a new project with Mica on my side :bigsmile:

 

I agree with you on that one shihr

 

I 1st needed to resolve the issue with the water, but nowafter we PM'ed and it is resolved
I read it again and there is lots of meritin your suggestion, TDS would make a difference!

Again sorryfor your inconvenience!!!