how far would you drive for a quality pet shop?

[sailedNJ]

I'd go up to 20 miles but that's only because I live in a densely populated metro area & I have more than one or two options within a 20 mile radius.

If i live somewhere else, with less options nearby, that radius would easily widen.

 

[ExPeNsIvE HoBbY]

I used to drive about 100 miles and 45 min to go to a few of the huge LFS' and did that once a week while I was stocking my main tank...

Now I drive 30 miles every week for food, feeders, and equipment.

 

[AquaGem]

10-15 miles. Luckily I have a pet store I like a lot that's about a mile away for my saltwater tank. For my freshwater I go about 15 miles away.

 

[Jody]

I got no problem driving 1-2 hours

 

[thebrandon]

I have one option within 20 miles of my house. It is a petsmart. So yes I would and I have driven more than 20, sometime up to 100 miles for quality fish you cant find at your average petstore.

 

[drdud]

I think most of us would rather quit our day jobs and open a shop. I live outside Chicago, so I will drive up to an hour and half to a good shop in one of the suburbs. Unfortunately, I do not buy much. I look.

I love my local shop. It's 5 minutes away, but the sad truth is he can not compete with the internet. I try to be loyal and make large purchases like tanks and lights with him. I feel bad, but I can get 4 times as much filter media and twice as much food for the same price.

I would be scared to depend on traveling customers. You would need something unique like "killer" stands and filter set-ups and an extraordinary showroom. I have always thought that the majority of sales at a small shop are the customers that do not share the same knowledge and passion that people on this forum have. I am afraid that we are the minority and the majority just look at replacing dead fish as a 'consumable expense'.

 

[hage0245]

I actually have a small business one mile from my house called Pet Supplies Plus. They have a "fish guy" that comes in there a few times a week to take care of their 10 or so small tanks. They had dwarf puffers a while ago! No plants, and their most recent inventory was a 24" Coralife T5 setup for $115.....I mainly buy Hikari fish food and filter media from them.

I also have a great LFS about 20 minutes away from me, but I would gladly drive further.

 

[KIM_TMA]

I drive roughly 68 miles one way to my lfs. I want quality cuz you get what you pay for and if the 2 lfs that are only about 10-15 mile drives from me didn't have such poopy fish I would shop there but there store stinks and they always have dead fish in the tanks and they only want to give you a 24 hr warranty on your fish. Where the furthest fish store gives me 2 weeks. Distance is NO issue when it comes to what I put in my tanks.

 

[excuzzzeme]

I answered 20+ because we really have nothing here to be considered "quality". The closest one is 23 miles from me, expensive as all get out, immensely well-stocked and clerks abound to wait on you hand and foot. Every tank is a 50bow-front and full of fish. I have never seen a dead/sick fish in there. So many choices it'll make your head spin.

 

[Slappy*McFish]

I'd order online over burning up a half tank of gas driving around, but that's just me.
Luckily for me, there is both a Petco and Petsmart a couple of miles from where I work that I hit up sometimes on my lunch break when I need a few supplies.