Quote Originally Posted by Darkbird View Post
Sorry, but when pet stores stock 150gal tanks and lighting fixtures that cost hundreds.... *snip* .... if a store has only a few reptiles .... *snip* .... getting too far off the track of the thread, so my apologies to the OP. Back on track, yes most retail niche stores will make the bulk of their cash on secondary items and consumables. Having worked at a retail pet store, I know things like bedding, feeders, and in the case of the store I was at, RO water and salt, were kind of the bread and butter items.

Actually, it's not really off track. Bike stores that try to cater to every type of bicycling, from a kid's first bike to a roadie to a commuter to a bike tourist to a MTBer don't necessarily do a great job of serving any of those customers. They carry a lot of gear that works more or less OK for a lot of people, even if it isn't quite the perfect thing for most of them; and they don't carry much specialized equipment that only works on one type of bike. If they do carry more specialized stuff, it's probably geared toward the category of rider they make the most money off of. One reason a pet store might prefer to stock a 55-gal aquarium over a similarly-sized Vision enclosure is that you can sell it to people who have reptiles, or fish, or small mammals, or whatever. You can't put fish in an enclosure with a sliding front door; and plenty of aquarium enthusiasts spend a lot of money. Similarly, a bike shop would carry a bunch of stuff that's good for roadies, but might not carry more specialized gear that's only used for particular types of riding.

But if you find someplace that specializes a little more, you'll find a lot more of what you're looking for. Lots of those places have online presences, in addition to (or instead of) brick-and-mortar stores. You'll also get better advice; someone who knows about mountain bike racing won't necessarily know about ultra-distance road riding, just like someone who knows about fish doesn't necessarily also know about geckos. So it's really a jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none situation.