Dr. Petco...
- Thread starter Balz3352
- Start date
Don't assume doom and gloom. Petco is a for-profit big business and does not typically buy businesses to run them into the ground. They have access to the same livestock that LA did. They have access to the same drygoods that dr F&S site did. They probably did the acquisition for the people, processes and experience.
I hope that petco stops selling SW stuff unless they can get some people in there who know what they are doing. I mean, who doesn't love brown zoas, $9 a pound AQ rock that is covered in nuisance algae and sickly looking clownfish.
What is amazing, is that I once bought a Chrysurus angel at Petco for like $18 as a Koran.
What is amazing, is that I once bought a Chrysurus angel at Petco for like $18 as a Koran.
I do hope things turn out for the best. Where I'm concerned is that Petco is worried about profitability more than anything else. Their SW livestock is typically in a sad state...they provide the bare minimum to keep their livestock alive long enough to sell them, and their QT procedures seem to be non-existent UNLESS you get a knowledgeable employee in a store that decides to rattle some cages (figuratively of course 
).
How much does LA/Divers Den spend on ensuring their livestock is healthy? What happens if/when Petco decides to shift their financial investment into getting "better" fish in their retail stores...pulling focus/resources away from the LA operation? Those are the small questions that worry me. I know they said things will be business as usual...but typically that's followed by "for now" when companies get absorbed like this.
On the flip side...perhaps LA can provide their knowledge to Petco and completely revamp how fish are kept in their stores and provide some education for their employees and customers. I just don't have that much faith in Petco. :/
As an aside...anybody remember "Flying Fish Express"? Everyone worried that the sky was falling when DFS bought them out...and they were integrated with LiveAquaria. Things seem to have turned out fine after that buyout...so hopefully history repeats.
My old forum is non-existent...but I found this old post from 2003 when FFE was being purchased...post #23 is somewhat amusing http://www.thereeftank.com/forums/f...s-bought-by-drs-foster-amp-smith-16034-2.html
). How much does LA/Divers Den spend on ensuring their livestock is healthy? What happens if/when Petco decides to shift their financial investment into getting "better" fish in their retail stores...pulling focus/resources away from the LA operation? Those are the small questions that worry me. I know they said things will be business as usual...but typically that's followed by "for now" when companies get absorbed like this.
On the flip side...perhaps LA can provide their knowledge to Petco and completely revamp how fish are kept in their stores and provide some education for their employees and customers. I just don't have that much faith in Petco. :/
As an aside...anybody remember "Flying Fish Express"? Everyone worried that the sky was falling when DFS bought them out...and they were integrated with LiveAquaria. Things seem to have turned out fine after that buyout...so hopefully history repeats.
My old forum is non-existent...but I found this old post from 2003 when FFE was being purchased...post #23 is somewhat amusing
http://www.thereeftank.com/forums/f...s-bought-by-drs-foster-amp-smith-16034-2.html
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Flying Fish Express was indeed a great operation.... along with Marine Center.... two of the better places to acquire fish on-line back then.
It will be interesting to see how Petco deals with LA and DFS. Kevin Kohen seems to think that it's a positive thing based on his post on RC, though several are waiting to hear from him in other venues. As pointed out earlier, this will either be good news for Petco or bad news for DFS. Time will tell.
It will be interesting to see how Petco deals with LA and DFS. Kevin Kohen seems to think that it's a positive thing based on his post on RC, though several are waiting to hear from him in other venues. As pointed out earlier, this will either be good news for Petco or bad news for DFS. Time will tell.
Most of the reason that the fish at Petco are terrible isn't even due to the employees. Corporate has rules for everything and it is really difficult to get around their policies. My sister just started working at Petco and has been trying really hard to see what she can do to improve the aquatics section but almost everything she wants to try is blocked by corporate. Also as a new employee, she has no clout. The only thing that will change corporate policy, according to her, is if customers will tell Petco that they want to see things get better. I know most of us here just go buy our fish elsewhere, but if a lot of people start telling them that they'd buy from Petco if the quality improved, there's a chance that corporate would allow them to make some positive changes.
...and that EVERYBODY that works at Petco looks like they are just counting the seconds until their shift ends... especially the managers who will sit in the office when they know that there is 12 people waiting for one register. If any of these people very cared about the animals, they are either long gone or that care has left them.