Role of large pet store chains in the hobby

[Sam_Peanuts]

My first one was(is, she's still with me) a G. rosea NCF bought at a large chain since I didn't know any alternative and knew pretty much nothing about them, but from neither of those two since we don't have them here.

 

[Steve123]

Interesting what one learns on the way to trying to learn something else. So many of you who have posted have been in the hobby long before the establishment of the current big chain stores. @eminart and @Timbenzadrine - the 1980s? Impressive. Of note, "Petco did not begin to transform into a national force until after its 1994 initial public offering (IPO) of stock . . ." -Encyclopedia.com

My first one was(is, she's still with me) a G. rosea NCF bought at a large chain since I didn't know any alternative and knew pretty much nothing about them, but from neither of those two since we don't have them here.

@Sam_Peanuts - That would count as starting in the equivalent of PC/PS (Canadian version), so later I'll put your vote would into chain store (other), a selection I can't edit in now.

PC/PS was my introduction to arachnids, though not tarantulas. I walked into one, knowing the smaller enclosures tended to have interesting things. My son wanted a scorpion, and as far as I knew, PetCo was the only place in town that had one. So we went there, found one and bought it, like Like Sam_Peanuts, also knowing pretty much nothing about how to take care of it. Tarantulas came shortly thereafter, but as I said, we found one outdoors--otherwise, I'd have bought one from PC/PS I'm sure.

Newer members to the hobby? Clearly my bias is that large chain stores reach a lot of people, and may have a large role in the growth of the hobby in the last 20 years. I doubt this poll will show it, and if we're lead to another conclusion, so much the better. So far, I think we're heavily skewed towards hobby veterans. Would like to hear more, including from members who started since 1994 or so. A vote and a short post, much appreciated.

 

[gypsy cola]

My problem with large chain store is the prices. Cat food is sooooo much cheaper every else. Feeders are overpriced. I understand the bread and butter is dog and cats supplies. I don't expect high quality from them. It's like going to the apple store and complaining about the lack of headphones.

I am lucky that some of the LPS in Salt Lake City are pretty decent. I picked up a P.metallica sling for 70$ at one. If they don't have the T you are looking for they will either order it or know someone who does. Also have a decent amount of local breeders with a good stock and we also have KSL plus now we have two Wasatch reptile expos a year.

 

[Ellenantula]

I have never purchased from a pet store. That said, I would gladly buy a T there if I saw one I wanted. I feel it makes little difference if the store replaces a T because it dies from poor pet store husbandry or if it is replaced because it was purchased -- it WILL be replaced by pet store either way. I am in the camp that pet stores purchases don't encourage them carrying Ts.

Do you want their Ts to die there of of poor husbandly before store replaces or do you want to save a T and then let store replace it?

 

[mmfh]

I was given my first T. (G. porteri) for free, from a mom and pop store getting out of invertebrates.

 

[Andrea82]

Bought my first T from a breeder,no petstores involved. With one exception,all my tarantulas come from breeders,or other people ending their hobbies.
I must add though,we don't have super corporate-pet stores that sell tarantulas here.

 

[Exoskeleton Invertebrates]

I cast my vote G. porteri/rosea by a local pet store. We did not have Petco or pet smart at that time.

 

[Exoskeleton Invertebrates]

Like it or not, pet stores will carry tarantulas; they bring in curious people, especially children, and while they may not buy a spider, they'll probably buy something else: another pet, or food/supplies/toys for their cat or dog. The occasional losses of tarantulas is inconsequential compared to the increased traffic and sales they bring. Spiders are cheap at the wholesale level. Tarantulas have been sold in pet stores since the 1960's. What some people fail to understand is that tarantulas increase store sales, even if they never sell a spider. They don't care of they sell the spider, they want the additional shoppers in the store that come with it.

We can try to educate pet stores to better care for their spiders, calmly, without putting them on the defensive. They don't get much training. Some will be receptive, some won't. The turnover is high in those places and if you didn't get anywhere with one employee or one manager, you may with the next.

Think of the spider...is it doomed? Maybe, but we can help change that. It should not have to die because it happened to wind up in a pet store. Is that how you want to die, making a meaningless point for someone else? Walking away accomplishes NOTHING. If it dies it will be replaced, just as they have for the past 50 years. Save those spiders however you can.

Than do your part Poec54 save those Brachypelma albopilosum from Petco and cast your vote accordingly.

 

[Steve123]

My problem with large chain store is the prices. Cat food is sooooo much cheaper every else. Feeders are overpriced. I understand the bread and butter is dog and cats supplies. I don't expect high quality from them. It's like going to the apple store and complaining about the lack of headphones.
I am lucky that some of the LPS in Salt Lake City are pretty decent. I picked up a P.metallica sling for 70$ at one. If they don't have the T you are looking for they will either order it or know someone who does. Also have a decent amount of local breeders with a good stock and we also have KSL plus now we have two Wasatch reptile expos a year.

That's interesting @gypsy cola, we buy our cat food and litter from Costco for the same reason. I look at the animals, but don't buy dry goods there. If the purpose of selling animals in large chains is to draw customers in to buy dry goods, then maybe they are using the Walmart price point strategy: Sam Walton believed in having an alluring and unbeatable "opening price point" item in each category -- whether TV sets or bathing suits. The low price functioned to catch the consumer's eye and create the perception of value across the higher price points further up the aisle." -Frontline

I have never purchased from a pet store. That said, I would gladly buy a T there if I saw one I wanted. I feel it makes little difference if the store replaces a T because it dies from poor pet store husbandry or if it is replaced because it was purchased -- it WILL be replaced by pet store either way. I am in the camp that pet stores purchases don't encourage them carrying Ts.
Do you want their Ts to die there of of poor husbandly before store replaces or do you want to save a T and then let store replace it?

Yes, replaced either way. I also wonder if in the average hobbyist's hands, the Avic. avics. die anyway, Grammostola porteri/rosea less so. These are relatively low cost ways of getting people in the door.

I was given my first T. (G. porteri) for free, from a mom and pop store getting out of invertebrates.

Kay, mom and pop stores would be "different origin." Thanks!

Bought my first T from a breeder,no petstores involved. With one exception,all my tarantulas come from breeders,or other people ending their hobbies.
I must add though,we don't have super corporate-pet stores that sell tarantulas here.

Oh, the Netherlands! Quite a selection in the EU.

I cast my vote G. porteri/rosea by a local pet store. We did not have Petco or pet smart at that time.

Kay, another veteran! Sounds like G. porteri/rosea and Avic. avic. have served as introduction to the hobby species for a long time, well before PC/PS. Thanks!

Looks like by far most of the respondents bought from other sources. Could this be representative? Is the G. porteri I saw last month in PC/PS the same one I saw last week? Interesting. Still a lot of veterans up there replying though. Others?

 

[Exoskeleton Invertebrates]

That's interesting @gypsy cola, we buy our cat food and litter from Costco for the same reason. I look at the animals, but don't buy dry goods there. If the purpose of selling animals in large chains is to draw customers in to buy dry goods, then maybe they are using the Walmart price point strategy: Sam Walton believed in having an alluring and unbeatable "opening price point" item in each category -- whether TV sets or bathing suits. The low price functioned to catch the consumer's eye and create the perception of value across the higher price points further up the aisle." -Frontline

Yes, replaced either way. I also wonder if in the average hobbyist's hands, the Avic. avics. die anyway, Grammostola porteri/rosea less so. These are relatively low cost ways of getting people in the door.

Kay, mom and pop stores would be "different origin." Thanks!

Oh, the Netherlands! Quite a selection in the EU.

Kay, another veteran! Sounds like G. porteri/rosea and Avic. avic. have served as introduction to the hobby species for a long time, well before PC/PS. Thanks!

Looks like by far most of the respondents bought from other sources. Could this be representative? Is the G. porteri I saw last month in PC/PS the same one I saw last week? Interesting. Still a lot of veterans up there replying though. Others?

For you to see the Grammostola porteri last month or even last week of the same one possible but seeing the species as porteri very slim. From what I've noticed of finding out about Chile closing its doors for exportation 99% percent of the wild caught population at pet store, privately own pet stores, vendors etc. are the "Northern Gold" species. Not the same species that are now labeled as porteri from the 80's.

 

[High Lord Dee]

I worked in the pet industry years ago. The quality of animal care is based on the knowledge and work ethics of the individual employees. Today, it seems like most of the workers in the pet store chains are very young with limited experience in all the animals (not just inverts). Seems to be a complete lack of training. A small investment in training and educating the employees could go a long way in turning this around. Any purchases I have made from pet stores in this hobby have been rescue missions.

 

[matypants]

Than do your part Poec54 save those Brachypelma albopilosum from Petco and cast your vote accordingly.

Oh man, I wish my local Petco had some B. albopilosum. Curly hairs are so awesome! As it is, there are just A. Avics at my Petsmart and nothing at Petco.

 

[Exoskeleton Invertebrates]

Oh man, I wish my local Petco had some B. albopilosum. Curly hairs are so awesome! As it is, there are just A. Avics at my Petsmart and nothing at Petco.

Ask them to order you some pay in advance. If your local Petco orders from Cal Zoo they can get them. Yesterday I called Cal Zoo and the person I spoke with has plenty of them. Ask and you shall receive. I'm going to be getting 7 more specimens. Hopefully by this week if weather permits.

 

[eminart]

So many of you who have posted have been in the hobby long before the establishment of the current big chain stores. @eminart and @Timbenzadrine - the 1980s? Impressive. Of note, "Petco did not begin to transform into a national force until after its 1994 initial public offering (IPO) of stock . . ." -Encyclopedia.com

I've been around a long time, but I still consider myself a tarantula newbie. That one I got back in the 80's when I was maybe 11 years old was the only one I kept until I got another one several years ago. Snakes were always my first love. Then college, jobs, and marriage got in the way. But, I've settled down and I've really started to get into T's again. But yeah, we certainly didn't have a Petco back then. Hell, the little town where I grew up still doesn't have any large, chain pet stores. But, the little local pet stores would pop up and die off on a regular basis, and import smithis were common back then. It's amazing how far the reptile and T hobby has come since I was first checking out, and rechecking out all of the reptile books from my little elementary school library. There's so much more information with the internet and so much more experience out there to give good advice.

 

[BobBarley]

I starte off with a G. rosea RCF at a PetCo. Didn't know anything about them back then and I improved my husbandry when I came across these boards. She's still with me today and I'm currently waiting for her to drop a sac for me!

 

[Exuviae]

My first tarantula was a G. rosea from a local pet shop (not Petco or Petsmart, though), but it wasn't an impulse buy. The shop I got her from is pretty good, for the most part, providing pretty good enclosures for the animals, but my only complaint is that she had apparently had a previous owner and was mature, so she only lived about a year and half with me.

 

[TomKemp]

I picked up my first T (G. Rosea) from a local pet store when I was a teenager. Since then I've picked up a few over the years from pet stores and even a couple from some of the larger chains. Anymore though I buy from dealers online. Better selection, Better prices etc.

 

[Andrea82]

That's interesting @gypsy cola, we buy our cat food and litter from Costco for the same reason. I look at the animals, but don't buy dry goods there. If the purpose of selling animals in large chains is to draw customers in to buy dry goods, then maybe they are using the Walmart price point strategy: Sam Walton believed in having an alluring and unbeatable "opening price point" item in each category -- whether TV sets or bathing suits. The low price functioned to catch the consumer's eye and create the perception of value across the higher price points further up the aisle." -Frontline

Yes, replaced either way. I also wonder if in the average hobbyist's hands, the Avic. avics. die anyway, Grammostola porteri/rosea less so. These are relatively low cost ways of getting people in the door.

Kay, mom and pop stores would be "different origin." Thanks!

Oh, the Netherlands! Quite a selection in the EU.

Kay, another veteran! Sounds like G. porteri/rosea and Avic. avic. have served as introduction to the hobby species for a long time, well before PC/PS. Thanks!

Looks like by far most of the respondents bought from other sources. Could this be representative? Is the G. porteri I saw last month in PC/PS the same one I saw last week? Interesting. Still a lot of veterans up there replying though. Others?

Yes we do have quite a selection,although I must say, the Netherlands are a little behind,compared to the UK and Germany or Poland.
And the Aphonopelma species are a bit scarce (sp?) here. But the prices are wayyy better her I must say. When I look through the classifieds here,my jaw is somewhere between my knees and
ankles....
Oh, and I am by no means a veteran , only been active keeper for a year now,and in the hobby for two

 

[Chris LXXIX]

Yes we do have quite a selection,although I must say, the Netherlands are a little behind,compared to the UK and Germany or Poland.

If i'm not wrong the Netherlands were (is still today?) a snakes "bastion"

 

[Andrea82]

If i'm not wrong the Netherlands were (is still today?) a snakes "bastion"

That could be the case,but I am not
into snakes,so i have no idea actually. The only exotic animals I own are my T's and some leaf insects