New store Austin

[weiwencheng]

Has anybody heard that the old ownership of Austin Aquariums, ie Mike, is opening a new store in North Austin?

[Markster]

I went there a few weeks ago and the owner was closed due to IRS coming in and taken over. I met the new owner, a young female, who was waiting for her loan to go through and reopen the store.

[BIGBIRD123]

^^^

[cpreefguy]

vvv

[caferacermike]

I went there a few weeks ago and the owner was closed due to IRS coming in and taken over. I met the new owner, a young female, who was waiting for her loan to go through and reopen the store.

I think you missed the part where the poster was asking if MIKE the old owner is OPENING a NEW store in N Austin to cheat people from. Very interested. I have not heard that rumor yet but since there were about 7 failed businesses started by that guy before, it sure would not surprise me.....

[MikeP]

I stopped by the 'new' Austin Aquariums and the new owner seems to be trying to do things right. Give em a chance - whatever problems you had with Mike he is not in the picture anymore and the new ownership is trying to make a go at it and I hope they succeed.

[apedroza]

I went in there the other day and the lady seemed real nice and enthusiastic. She seemed really interested in what I though she should carry or what would I recommend she carry. She seemed real nice and I may stop in from time to time to see how she's doing.

[caferacermike]

I saw Michael cleaning tanks today, well caught him doing tank cleanings.... The look on his face was priceless. It was confirmed that indeed a new shop is already in the works. It is to be near AquateK and Kingfish, still close to the old AA..... of course........

[weiwencheng]

3 stores within 2 miles of each other, isn't that a bit much

[cpreefguy]

3 stores within 2 miles of each other, isn't that a bit much
Not when you go out for a fish store run :)

[HecticDialectics]

3 stores within 2 miles of each other, isn't that a bit much

Only if you're the owner of the one with the worst prices and service.. :P

[caferacermike]

3 stores within 2 miles of each other, isn't that a bit much

Actually that would make 4. The who knows what's going on former AA, AquateK, Kingfish (oh yeah they will get my business), and his "next" store.

[LoneStar]

I'm just waiting to get my tank up and running and Kingfish to get their store up and running and then..... Watch Out! :)

[TAXMAN]

Good for business. They'll need to make prices competitive with each other for the thrifty shoppers. Then they can make money off their repeat business. And yep, great for a multiple store run. I love to do that when I want something and dont know what it is. :)

I met the new owner as well a couple of weeks ago. Very talkitive. I guess she was just excited. Seemed really nice and willing to help. I wish them good luck. It's got to be hard to keep a fish store running.

[caferacermike]

Not good for business....

San Antonio just had a few threads about this. There is only so much money being spent by the hobbyists in any given area. What will happen is that the buyers money will saturate. All these little shops popping up will distract from the larger more established shops. The shops that might actually care and have proper advice about what you are buying. Sure prices might drop for the consumer but quality generally suffers to compensate for the lower price. So instead of shopping at AquateK which used to be ran by people with Degrees in business and marine sciences you will end up with a kid being paid $6 an hour to tell you whatever you want to hear. Just because another shop opens their doors does not mean that $500,000 worth of new hobby money comes with it. Instead of 2 or 3 really good shops in SA they have several little shops nipping at each other.

And to point out the obvious... Mike tried his hand at retailing fish in Austin about a half mile from his new location, it didn't work. The market and hobbyists forced him out because of shady practices. The problem here is that the leech is just coming back around to draw attention away from the decent established shops.

[TAXMAN]

I meant good for our business. Maybe misunderstood. I agree 100% it will hurt thier business. Thats not really my problem. We did not tell them where to place the stores. They should do more research. I own a business as well and know what it is like to have a market saturated. But I offer and give excellent service which puts me above most. I do not come down on price to be competitive. I dont have to and the builders know it. But I still get more work than I need and refferals are still coming in. Maybe the LFS should think the same way. But for me as the retail shopper, I will take price over service most of the time. Other than the way you may get treated at the store, they carry the same items and livestock and thats what I am there for. I'm not out to buy service.

[Headless_donkey]

I am not a business person, but I have heard an interesting theory about small business placement. Sometimes it helps to be close to your competition. When I first heard this theory it seemed counterintuitive, but now it makes sense. The first thing every retail business needs to foot traffic. If you own a store in a saturated market and you are way off the beaten path it is going to be hard to generate people's interest. If you are close to stores selling similar goods the people are more likely to "drop in." So basically, you benefit from other stores' popularity. Also, as a small business owner(especially a LFS) you assume you can not stock every thing everyone wants all the time. If the customer can fill their needs in your area they are more likely to come back to your store. I think in the customer's mind the group of small stores become one giant store. You can also pool shipping resources with the other stores. Example: It might be cheaper to have DI water delivered because the truck is already headed down the street. Just a thought.
2 points as a consumer:
sometimes service wins my business
someone needs to open a second store needs to open in SOUTH Austin!

[HecticDialectics]

But for me as the retail shopper, I will take price over service most of the time. Other than the way you may get treated at the store, they carry the same items and livestock and thats what I am there for. I'm not out to buy service.

I agree. Especially when the price difference is any more than 10-20% or so. That's about what service is worth to me. I'm -really- not going to pay $50-60 for an equivalent frag I can find down the road for $25-30...

[TAXMAN]

I agree. Especially when the price difference is any more than 10-20% or so. That's about what service is worth to me. I'm -really- not going to pay $50-60 for an equivalent frag I can find down the road for $25-30...

That was my point. If it's close in price then service wins. But I had a pump at a particular North store that they wanted about 150.00 for and got it down the road for 60.00 . Service doesnt make THAT much of a difference to me. :)

[grimwulff]

Michael is still doing a couple service contracts, but is not working for any retail stores. he has a fulltime job working for Dell.

[bozack]

****, he ended up at Dell?????????

[caferacermike]

LOL....

[aggieMEDIC]

just to bring some kind of closure to the original question. Deep Blue Aquariums is the new store and i will agree with some that the prices are a little high on some items but they are definitely lower than previously at AA. the guys are nice, i work on burnett on saturdays so i hit all the stores on my way in just to see whats new.