Recent Articles from Karen Karen Alley
Decorations Keep Customers Happy, Spur Store Visits
So much of what fishkeepers buy on their regular visit to the pet store is a necessity. Food, water treatments and replacement cartridges for filters are important to keep fish alive and the environment healthy. But it’s the decorations that help keep customers happy and coming back to the store. Whether it’s a treasure chest […]
GloFish: A Glowing Opportunity
At some point every retailer has wished for a crystal ball. After all, wouldn’t it be great to have the ability to see into the future, to know which new products were going to be long-term best sellers and which ones would just end up collecting dust on the shelves? If someone looked into their […]
High Tech Lights Now Aquarium Centerpieces
Things are changing in the world of lighting, and these days, the pace of change is pretty fast. It all started with the advent of LED lighting, which brought big changes to the aquarium industry. At first, change was slow, and the cost of LEDs when they were first introduced made the products out of […]
Differentiation is Key in the Freshwater Category
When customers walk into B&B Pet Stop in Mobile, Alabama, they’re immediately mesmerized by the wall of fish tanks full of moving color. The store boasts 17 different 240-gallon systems and three 135-gallon display tanks that are teeming with neons, sword tails, rasboras, African cichlids and countless other fish. Owner Bill Trufant has made his […]
Aquarium Cleaning Made Clear
Unless you’re operating a 24-hour business, common practice in retail is to save the chores of vacuuming, sweeping and taking out the trash to the hours where the establishment is closed for customers. After all, it seems in a retailer’s best interest to put the best face forward and let customers see a store that […]
Lovely Aquatic Livestock
For those customers who are always on the lookout for something new, challenging and different, independent retailers have a unique advantage. The ability to stock specialty equipment and new types of livestock, combined with personal service and customer education, makes stores ripe for differentiation. And one way to do that is to expand beyond fish […]
Reefkeeping is More Convenient and Accessible Than Ever
When it comes to the increase in variety of options of reef products, from aquarium kits and easy-to-use filters and skimmers to programmable controls, it’s almost like the age-old question of what came first, the chicken or the egg. Has the growing interest in reef tanks led to the development of new products? Or have […]
The New Face on Fish Food
“All-natural,” “no artificial colors,” “fresh ingredients,” “Omega-3” and “probiotics.” When you see these terms in the context of fish food, you might assume you’re talking about frozen or live food. But the past few years have seen a revitalization of sorts in the flake food category, helping this popular staple continue to earn its place […]
Bringing the Reefs to Life for Marine Fishkeepers
When it comes to reef systems, fishkeepers are looking for color, vibrancy and life. As the category continues to grow and evolve, hobbyists are building more balanced systems with a variety of livestock, rather than the coral-only tanks of the past. And thanks to the result of years of research and advances in captive breeding and aquaculture, these customer demands are able to be met [[...]
Crustacean Craving
Walk along the shops at a beach town this time of year, and you’re sure to come across a sign saying, “Free Hermit Crabs! (with purchase of kit).” Hermit crabs are popular items in beach town souvenir shops, in part because these prolific creatures conjure up images of the seashore, and people see them as […]
Broaden the Base
The tide is turning in favor of saltwater fish. As many retailers know, the saltwater fish category as a whole often suffers from an image problem. Getting into the marine side of things has the reputation of being expensive, too much work and too hard to find success. But thanks to new aquarium kits, heartier fish and other innovations, the saltwater category is shaking […]
Water Care Made Easy
It’s a simple fact that fish thrive in clean water. Keeping the right pH balance and “bad” bacteria at bay helps keep oxygen levels high and infections low. While the basic science of properly balanced water doesn’t change, there are some new innovations and trends in the water treatment category that help improve customer satisfaction, […]