Pet Co makes its move!!!!!!!!!

[swsaltwater]

A B&M store in Arizona "sold out" (not literally) to Petco and upgraded their systems as well as setup a maintenance program for them, even the ones 100 miles away in Tucson. Was a store owned by 2 lawyers from what I hear. Greed!!!!!!!!! I bet they keep going nationwide. They still can't keep healthy fish though. Everyone has losses but the last time I walked into a petco half of about 30 clowns were dead in the tank. Segrest is a dump, I would never buy a fish there, and I assume from the site that Central Pet is drop shipping their Rock.

 

[JennM]

That live rock you saw is likely Walt Smith's man-made stuff. I saw a presentation on it a couple of years ago at a conference and he supplied some as a raffle prize. We asked why there's a hole in each one, and it's so they can attach a price tag to it- Petco doesn't want to get into weighing the stuff so it's sold by size, hence the 3 different sizes you saw.

Jenn

 

[IAP Brian]

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

I just looked through their site and I think their prices are either high or right in line with what most of the LFS's and I charge in our area.

I wouldn't worry too much about them. I worry more about the livestock getting treated in the usual Petco manner. Sold to people w/o a clue.. "oh look we can get Dori, Nemo and Gill, let's put him in that 20 gal tank we just got from the nice kid at Petco with the bio wheel filter. Oh, look pretty clam, let's get that too, and how about that 24 lb box of rock. It's pretty in the picture."

When they get tired of Dori and Gill dying and Nemo fading away and then dying they will come to the LFS to ask why their pretty rock didn't look like the picture and why it smells so bad. Just like all the Petco and Petsmart customers do now. The only problem is all the animals that die in the process.

 

[dizzy]

Brian,
How would livestock that gets dropshipped from a wholesaler for Petco be treated any worst than livestock that gets dropshipped for Drs. F&S or any of the other etailers? It seems to me when you run pictures of livestock on a web site and then turn the actual shipping and handling over to someone else all things are pretty much equal. Unless of course the information about the care of the animal is better on one site than another, but it seems like it would be easy for a big company like Petco to hire someone to get that stuff right. I guess I don't understand how one dropshipping etailer is much different than another expect on price and guarantee.
Mitch

PS
I guess what I'm wondering is why would anyone ordering from Petco online be concerned about how the animals are treated in their stores, as it relates to the health of their order? It's apples to oranges.

 

[Anonymous]

Oh, do I have some stories about Petco. They may hire someone knowledgeable, but whether or not they actually take/utilize that person's advice is another thing entirely.

 

[GTR1]

I was in a Petco last weekend since it was just next door to Bevmo. :lol: All the SW fish they had looked real good and not what I'd expected to see. Had I had time I would have bought a couple 19.99 tangs for my prop system but I had no plans to drop back by the shop for the acclimation. I'll admit they didn't have many in stock on this Sunday afternoon but they didn't have one fish that looked unhealthy. I know this isn't the norm for them but I do think some are really trying to provide a decent product. Actually the tanks looked a lot better than the drygoods which looked like a storm had just passed through. :lol:

If they expect the stores to drive business to their online livestock this store could be a model at least the day I was there.

SteveU

 

[swsaltwater]

they are upgrading their systems a bit with the help of a few large LFS's. They approached the old owner of my shop to upgrade their systems in Tucson before he retired and opened a restaurant. He told em to get bent but someone eventually did it. Still can't substutute for knowledge, the store you saw probbly had someone that knew how to work the system.

 

[dinky]

I worked at a Petco..as a groomer so I did not have to pull any duty anywhere else in the store, but I KNOW that the fish section is a section that anyone can work. If asked a question they can't answer they will find someone else. ( a manager etc)
I no longer work there, and went to look at fish. I felt so sorry for them. Some were housed with others they should not have been, and had fins bitten off. Others were so diseased or stressed they were malformed. I would never purchase there.....sorry MO. Personally I would have put some down since they are suffering and dying anyway. These were that sick. Very sad.
dinky

Any LFS will tell you that the vast majority of their customers are not on Reef Central or reef.org or any other forum. That they are only a very small precentage of their business. The novices/beginners is where most of the money is. They will but anything they are told they need and buy fish they can't possably keep. When it dies they will buy another to replace it untill they get discouraged and quit. Just look at Petco's Invertebrate Package, How many of the anemones do you think will make to 6 months in beginners tanks. Very sad!!

 

[wrott]

I wouldn't worry too much about them. I worry more about the livestock getting treated in the usual Petco manner. Sold to people w/o a clue.. "oh look we can get Dori, Nemo and Gill, let's put him in that 20 gal tank we just got from the nice kid at Petco with the bio wheel filter. Oh, look pretty clam, let's get that too, and how about that 24 lb box of rock. It's pretty in the picture."

Your assuming that Petco or other big box stores are the only ones that do this? There are plenty of small local fish stores that are just as bad. Im not condoning Petco but there are plenty of crappy shops that sell livestock and give horrid advice.