What did you do today?

D

Deleted member 60

Guest
Good ole' Casa De Pot..... Yup...we have a display like that here @ the nearest store....and you can buy ferts/dirt/trays/etc. and most everything else at Ace Hardware. Sure wouldn't wanna be sittin on 150K of hydro store inventory about now.... wow. It was hard to make a living in that biz when they had a "25 mile" no compete clause...but now that Hydrofarm/etc will sell/stock just about any shelves anywhere with their goods...it's gotta be really tough to stay afloat in HydroShopLand these days. Wow.

Glad i went back to growin'....LOL.
 
Capt C

Capt C

Saltwater Cowboy
stiickygreen said:
Good ole' Casa De Pot..... Yup...we have a display like that here @ the nearest store....and you can buy ferts/dirt/trays/etc. and most everything else at Ace Hardware. Sure wouldn't wanna be sittin on 150K of hydro store inventory about now.... wow. It was hard to make a living in that biz when they had a "25 mile" no compete clause...but now that Hydrofarm/etc will sell/stock just about any shelves anywhere with their goods...it's gotta be really tough to stay afloat in HydroShopLand these days. Wow.

Glad i went back to growin'....LOL.
Click to expand...
I have seen 3 hydro stores go out of business in my state in the last 2 years. Not sure about one of them but the other 2 told me that Amazon was killing them. Folks would come in to look but would wind up buying from amazon for a cheaper price. My box stores do not sell the hydro supplies so that did not hurt them. When you have the buying power Amazon has it is hard to compete. The only thing they can be competitive on is the soil because of shipping weight.
 
D

Deleted member 60

Guest
FYI.....Soil/hydroton/grow media is a LOSS LEADER for the hydro shops. All other gear is shipped FREE if you buy a minimum order (use to be 5K). Unfortunately...."Dirt" and medium are not in that equation. When I used to buy pallets of Ocean forest/etc...I'd pay about $9 a bag...then about $5-6 a bag to ship it depending on which carrier they chose. A 66 bag pallet would cost me about $400 to ship......then folks would bitch when i wanted $16-18 a bag for it. Had to unload the shit by hand...and take up massive retail space with it to store ii....all for $3 a bag "profit". I had to carry the stuff though.....you know how that is. If folks come in and you don't have something...they don't usually come back. It was a tough biz with the revolving door of new this and new that....believe me. Every fuckin time HIGH TIMES would showcase something here would come the requests....then you'd pony up...stock the product...and next month the hot talk would be about something else and the case of "X" you bought last month cus folks were clamoring for it now sits idle...and unsold....and you take a massive hit and eventually use the shit on your lawn....

This was 15 years ago now...and folks were already shopping the Net...then walking in with crazy LOW prices on goods and want me to match that price. With rent/utilities/insurance/etc......there's was no way for me to match those prices...so some folks who didn't get it....took their Bens elsewhere. (LOL..fuckin selling overpriced dope then bitchin at me for a 10%-30% profit margin....before costs)

Nope...wouldn't wanna be in that biz again....especially now. SEEMS like it'd be a goldmine...but there's just too many places to buy the stuff now. I learned a lot doin it....like...um...NEVER go into RETAIL! Yer a slave to how many come in the door...NOT how hard you work to make it successful. I can';t believe how much time i spent and how little (OK....I never bought grow supplies but that was about it) I made doin it...for 4+ years...7 days a week. I made more on my first grow AFTER I closed shop than I made in 4 YEARS of bustin my ass and hearing the "hydro store guy" bullshit from folks who had to ASK to know >anything<...LOL. Amazing stuff you can't make up....
 
Capt C

Capt C

Saltwater Cowboy
H.A.F. said:
My "local" store (30 minute drive) is also cheaper on nutes than amazon - depending on brand, but some are much cheaper.
Click to expand...
Not really like that in my state for whatever reason. The hydro store buys their nutrients buy the case. Amazon buys large lots like rail cars or tractor trailers. I would think Amazon would have much better buying power. I am sure the stores in my areas would like to sell their product cheaper than Amazon if they could.
 
BigBallzWillie

BigBallzWillie

BE THE BALL
stiickygreen said:
Good ole' Casa De Pot..... Yup...we have a display like that here @ the nearest store....and you can buy ferts/dirt/trays/etc. and most everything else at Ace Hardware. Sure wouldn't wanna be sittin on 150K of hydro store inventory about now.... wow. It was hard to make a living in that biz when they had a "25 mile" no compete clause...but now that Hydrofarm/etc will sell/stock just about any shelves anywhere with their goods...it's gotta be really tough to stay afloat in HydroShopLand these days. Wow.

Glad i went back to growin'....LOL.
Click to expand...
There's a hydro store a couple towns away that I wonder how they keep the doors open. It ain't busy....maybe 5-0 is running it, lol.
 
H.A.F.

H.A.F.

a.k.a. Rusty Nails
Capt C said:
Not really like that in my state for whatever reason. The hydro store buys their nutrients buy the case. Amazon buys large lots like rail cars or tractor trailers. I would think Amazon would have much better buying power. I am sure the stores in my areas would like to sell their product cheaper than Amazon if they could.
Click to expand...
I use the Fox Farms top-feeds mainly (organic) and the 4lb bags are $9.99. On amazon they run $12-$20+
 
D

Deleted member 60

Guest
In HydroWorld there is a "tiered" purchasing system.

Little guys get quoted "X" price. BIG guys get quoted a far cheaper, volume purchasing price. Right out of the gate they have an edge over the mom-pop shop who can't afford to buy a pallet of..say...1000 watt ballasts. (or whatever) Even as a third party ....those doing volume sales have an edge over the little guy.

It's the oversaturation of the market that drives or kills sales. More folks are growing now that it's all so much easier across the board to find supplies/genetics/info.....but as the big boys sell to anyone who will set up a shelf it gets harder and harder to survive.
 
H.A.F.

H.A.F.

a.k.a. Rusty Nails
stiickygreen said:
In HydroWorld there is a "tiered" purchasing system.

Little guys get quoted "X" price. BIG guys get quoted a far cheaper, volume purchasing price. Right out of the gate they have an edge over the mom-pop shop who can't afford to buy a pallet of..say...1000 watt ballasts. (or whatever) Even as a third party ....those doing volume sales have an edge over the little guy.

It's the oversaturation of the market that drives or kills sales. More folks are growing now that it's all so much easier across the board to find supplies/genetics/info.....but as the big boys sell to anyone who will set up a shelf it gets harder and harder to survive.
Click to expand...
But a lot of the "little guys" are shifting to selling their mom-n-pop stuff ON amazon. Just about every one that sends you an e-mail after your purchase asking you to review their company - is in that category.

Ever heard of Interplanetary Development? When they started on amazon they had a pollen-press (a good one) and that was about it. They threw in stickers and these cool anti-smell bags that they were planning to sell...
 
BigBallzWillie

BigBallzWillie

BE THE BALL
stiickygreen said:
In HydroWorld there is a "tiered" purchasing system.

Little guys get quoted "X" price. BIG guys get quoted a far cheaper, volume purchasing price. Right out of the gate they have an edge over the mom-pop shop who can't afford to buy a pallet of..say...1000 watt ballasts. (or whatever) Even as a third party ....those doing volume sales have an edge over the little guy.

It's the oversaturation of the market that drives or kills sales. More folks are growing now that it's all so much easier across the board to find supplies/genetics/info.....but as the big boys sell to anyone who will set up a shelf it gets harder and harder to survive.
Click to expand...
The oversaturation of any "market" is realized by the big guys first, right about the time the small guys are piling in. The small guys get hammered.

Apparently, folks thought they were going to get rich flipping smoking glass. Smoke shops...that are dying...want $50 plus for a 5" glass spoon type pipe. But they are $12-$18 all day on fleabay. Just bought 5 pipes for stocking stuffers for less than $80. Nice pieces at that. I will continue buying them to try and ease their pain ;)
 
Last edited:
Capt C

Capt C

Saltwater Cowboy
H.A.F. said:
I e-mailed them with a question about extra parts and had a decent exchange with the dude. 2 guys starting a small business. Amazon actually put them on the map. So the Hydro-store that uses amazon as an extra storefront, or at least does internet orders, is the one that will succeed.
Click to expand...
Yes if you can't beat them join them.lol I know i am guilty of ordering to much stuff on line. It is just to easy and the price is usually right.
 
H.A.F.

H.A.F.

a.k.a. Rusty Nails
Capt C said:
Yes if you can't beat them join them.lol I know i am guilty of ordering to much stuff on line. It is just to easy and the price is usually right.
Click to expand...
My point was that you and everyone I have seen on this forum has or had those IPD no-smell bags - or a Chinese knock-off. Mom & Pop can do just fine if they GROW (pun intended with the times. You can't put the genie back in the bottle.
 
D

Deleted member 60

Guest
I sure don't disagree....but there are many factors in the mix that play into successes and failures of these stores. My local store has held a sole spot in town...other than the ranch stores and hardware stores that carry this/that....and they recently branched out into hemp/hemp clones/their own brand of salves/CBD/etc. I have no idea how well they are doing (or not) but they seem to do enough volume to stay afloat and keep well-stocked. It's exactly like the legal gig and the folks who still think their "top shelf" Black Market bud will command the market over the legal dispensary offerings. Yup....there's that genie again.....
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top