Fish at Walmart

Swimfins

Swimfins

This is as good as it gets.
Sep 24, 2004
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Montreal Quebec Canada
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How can Walmart make a profit selling aquarium fish? I'm sure they lose more than they sell. And the upkeep of those holding tanks, lights, heater etc..
Dojo loach: 1.85 each. I don't get it. :mad2
 
I would imagine that they really dont care too much. If you go in and buy a fish, they may loose money, but while you are there, maybe you will get a new CD or something like that. Also, the rent for a fish store is huge, where walmart easily makes rent anyway, so adding a pets section dosnet really affect them too much. Walmart can also buy in MUCH bigger bulk, so prices are lower, and also, there is usually only one employee so they can keep their cost low. From another post it sounds like you were getting new tires at walmart, that is why you were looking at fish. If they make tons of profit on your tires, they can cut you a deal on fish. They profit, your happy, and come back again.
 
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They also use the fish section as a way to attract people you need to buy a DVD and you are going out to the store to buy it but wate you need to buy a few gold fish as well so why go to the LFS and target when you can just go to walmart. It is a ploy to make their store that much better than the compeditors. Tell you work at Walmart how is the cuality of the fish there?
 
I was actually changing tires at Canadian Tire, just across from Wally World, but I had to kill an hour or so, so that's why I ended up perusing the fishies.
I didn't buy anything (just browsed the store), but you have a point about walking in for one thing and walking out with another item.

Another thing is, that you have to hunt down the employee who handles the sales, because he's usually in the aisles somewhere stocking shelves. The wait is enough to deter most people. Although the prices are amazing! Unfortunate for the fishies, however.
 
Actually, it's unlikely they make a profit worth mentioning on the fish, if any. Pet chains like Petsmart and Petco don't make much of a profit on any of their live animals. After you pay for bedding, food, caretakers, supposedly a vet (yeah right), and count in losses, those animals are just taking up room. But they keep people coming back, and they make pets widely available so pet supplies are in high demand. And the supplies are where they make profit, methinks. And you don't educate people on proper care, because deaths and illness' keep the people coming back (for a replacement or medicines or whatever the employee says they need to help the pet recover).

It is unfortunate, for sure. But so goes the world. :-/
 
i agree with rava.i went to our local walmart last week to buy 4 ghost shrimps to add to my betta tank and they must have emptied the tank because i had 18 in the bag.my cichlids had some good treats.however,what i did notice at walmart is that their tanks are not very clean and they do not take the dead fish out right away either.i overheard a clerk selling two huge goldfish to a lady and when he asked what size tank she had she said a 10 g.also,the clerks are not knowledgeble and i stopped asking them questions especially when one of them told a customer,that a pleco would be suitable for a 5 g.anything to make money,right?
 
I've always said one thing about Walmart's fish. NEVER BUY THEM! Walmart can dominate the market as many ways as they want but this is one area they shouldn't be encourage. Sure they may have a 90 day return policy on them but really, I'd be surprised if they made it a week.
 
I think that depends on your Wal Mart though, Neo. The female betta I had that died several weeks ago, she was from Wal Mart (only place that sells females around here). I'm trying to remember how long I had her... It was either just short of a year or just over. Certainly not a healthy lifespan, but much longer than a week. ;) I had to laugh about the 90 day return policy you mentioned, remembering what trouble I had returning a *live* fish. I bought two female bettas, and they didn't get along, so I kept the peaceful one and needed to return the blue female (I didn't have room or resource to keep her at the time, and couldn't find anyone to give her to). So I brought her to the returns department to get a refund, and the lady was totally confused when I told her "no, it's alive, it just doesn't get along with my other fish, so I need to return it". So she gave me the refund and told me to take it to the fish department. The guy there was just as baffled that I was returning a live fish, but he took it. lol Good ol' Wally World... :p
 
walmart

i would avoid buying from them at all cost - most of their fish are sick because theyre tanks all share the same filtration - so if one tank is sick they all are :sad
 
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