Lord of the fish

David Lawrence opened his first aquatics shop in the quiet town of Maidenhead, roughly 40 km west of London, back in 1984. His focus from the outset was on selling ornamental freshwater and marine fish as well as pond fish. The location of this first shop provided the name for the entire speciality chain. There are now around 120 stores throughout the UK and Ireland, and their location is a special feature of Maidenhead Aquatics. Most of them are situated inside or adjacent to garden centres, and are not even visible from outside at first glance. This yields a number of potential synergy effects: the garden centre operators are hoping to attract a new range of customers, while Maidenhead Aquatics has home owners and those with gardens in its sights. One of the chain’s very few standalone stores is in St. Albans, just north of London. It is also the largest outlet, with a retail area of 1 500 m². Situated in the immediate vicinity are a pet supplies store and – you guessed it – a garden centre. This store is exceptionally large, however, most Maidenhead Aquatics stores average around 200-300 m² in size. Aquatics ranges A collection of over 200 aquariums in retail areas that tend to be small by European standards is by no means unusual, because one of the major strengths of Maidenhead Aquatics is its stock of fish. The chain offers between 300 and 500 species, not in all of its stores, but in most. This high volume also enables Maidenhead to import species itself from all over the world and deliver them directly to the individual stores from UK airports. Experienced aquarists confirm that the variety of species goes far beyond the standard range of other pet supplies outlets, and it is precisely this breadth of range that they value at Maidenhead Aquatics. Approximately 80 per cent of the fish are freshwater species and 20 per cent marine fish. Regional differences exist with regard to sales figures. In the London area, Malawi cichlids are very popular, while discus fish and catfish are preferred in Scotland. A growing trend is emerging across all stores for invertebrates, in particular for brightly coloured shrimp. In the accessories segment, the chain is developing its own brand that includes technical products such as filters and suitable filter media as well as all manner of care and food products. Strong brands include Fluval, Tetra and JBL. Another item that is now being showcased is a line of aquarium furniture made from solid wood. Designed by…