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Help me stock a grow store.

kro

Member
Hey ya'll I could use some help and advice. A building supply I work for is changing it's business plan a bit and will be carrying a full line of organic soils and ferts as well as hydro ferts and supplies.

The basic organic stuff is simple enough but the Hydro side I'm pretty much out of the loop on. Customers are pretty brand loyal so getting the right products on the shelves is important.

Before you shut me down with internet vs grow stores we're an established business with the lowest prices on name brand organic ferts in the state from my experience, I have no doubt we can be competitive or even beat the online stores in price. What I need from you here is ideas. Favorite lights, hoods,bulbs, fert lines misc supplies. Everything you would dream of finding 10 min from your house.

The business is on the west coast of The US if anyone has links to resale suppliers pm me. thanx everybody :)
 

green_tea

Member
fans... S&P
carbon scrubbers: PHAT filters
green air products, CAP products
supersun reflectors
some CMH bulbs

I could go on...


the big one is S&P fans IMO, they are real quiet...
you can get a 8" 500CFM fan from them for like 180. buy like 10+ and its like 150 or something...

phat filters are awesome, just ask anybody who has one how long it has worked for them...
 

kro

Member
alright some good stuff, we have the full line of Foxfarm products already..as well as the usual stuff bone and blood meal worm castings.. thanx green tea, I can stock anything, I want to make sure what I have is what people are going to "have to have" when they come into the store. Good stuff 0420 I'll check those out.
Here's a quick list of what I'm looking at to start with. GH hydro ferts flora nova stuff. hydroton, net pots, ph adjusters and maybe a light to start with. I 'm looking atat something like a hydrofarm 600 cool tube with a digi ballast just to let people know we can get them. Any help is appreciated, the owner was on my ass today about getting this set up . Thanx again
 

00420

full time daddy
Veteran
id start with a simple hydro set up like gh water farm or a 4 x 4 table with a 4 or 6 hundy plant some matos or peppers if anything your boss can sell the good's that you grow hahaha

your on the right track with ferts hydroton ph ect.... id probly wait on net cups not many ppl use them and most place's can get them to you in a day or 2.... if you buy 4000 or more its free shipping ;) witch is not hard to do with a few lights/bulbs ...

good luck
 

kro

Member
thanx 00420 I'm thinking of just nutes and some basic supplies and order what I need as I need it instead of sitting on a bunch of stock right off the bat, depends on final shipping costs etc. We actually did an ocean forest vs reg potting soil contest with tomatoes. :)
What else would you all like to see in a local store? anything i'm missing? preferred brands etc? thanx.
 

clowntown

Active member
Veteran
:yes: General Hydroponics
:no: Advanced Nutrients
:yes: Peat pucks
:yes: Square pots
:yes: Free lollypops
:yes: Loose bagged coco
 

Grizz

Active member
Veteran
and as CT said plenty of loose baged coco, cana, and cocco can are my favorites, as well as canna nutes , perlite chunky, cloning supplys, t5 floros, full selection of lights and bulbs 400w to 1000w halide and hps, and free lolipops, and a fregerator with free cold beer like my grow store has here. If I were you I would go to one of the better stores in your area and check out what they have and what people are buying
 

00420

full time daddy
Veteran
clowntown said:
:no: Advanced Nutrients

id have to disagree on this to a point...........

AN has some items that blow the competition away :nono: (there ph up & down are the best.) i do agree half there stuff is crap

dont for get 6 mil panda film,3/4" & 1/2" grommet's, tee's, elbows, hose, pump's, rez's, ph meters, plant labels, shot glasses (big and small), spray tips for ez cloners the list go's on n on........
 

Hydro-Soil

Active member
Veteran
Black Buckets for SURE!
Extra lids!
Rapid rooters
Mylar for LESS than a 5X markup please...
Sell the christmas wrap if it's cheaper... just get something without designs on it. (I swear I see snowflakes in my dreams now LOL)

Put out a couple of the big watt CFL's with some plants...
Put a digi thermometer on it so people can see how cool it runs :)

pH Up and Down
Both the small bottles of liquid and the larger tubs of powder.
Not all of us run 5 gallon bucketss and not all of us run 50 gallon tubs ;)

Aquarium pumps 10 - 20 - 40 and 60 gal sized pumps
Not the cheapest crap... just something decently priced that will run a few years.

Bubble wands. The porous tubes that you cap off.

Hot babes... Wait.. aren't they usually genetically impure? LOL

pH Pens
TDS meters

Again.. not the super expensive kinds and not el cheapos... something decent and sturdy. (I'm sure peeps here will be able to suggest a brand or two)



The bottom line is that if you offer decent goods at a decent price without ripping people off because its 'Grow Supplies' We'll be back over and over and over and over and over.

If you're nice and pleasant and informative and helpful I'll even drive across town to go to your place instead of your competitor right around the corner.

Remember that good business is not forgotten... it's just not practiced as often anymore.

You build it and we'll buy it... Good luck!
 
1,2,3,5 gallon pots. Sell squares off the top they are better, more efficient use of space.
Mylar
Reduction tubing and rings.
Quiet flex insulated tubing.
Root horomone.
Rootech clone gel.
Wands
Hose.
Rooting plugs.
Can Fans.The new ones that are smaller but move way more air and fit right inside of the isulated ducting.
My 10inch moves 1050cfm and doesn't sound like the 10 vortex.
Panda film and a lot of it.
Prunung shears, or trimming clippers.
Thermostat controlled switches.
Wall fans.
 
Y

yamaha_1fan

I think you need to get catalogs/inventory lists from all the distributors, then see what you need.

It all depends on the stores plan. If they want to be a full blown hydro store, they are going to need to sink some bucks in it. I have done a little homework on this.

I would focus on the basics, a couple lines of nutes, some hydro equipment, lights etc. Then talk to the customers and over time, you will know what you need to carry. I know some hydro stores are successful at carrying a limited line and others seem to have everything.

Bottom line, its a business and it needs to be profitable.
 

kro

Member
Your replies are exactly what i was looking for. The business is established, already profitable and locally owned. Markup for all inventory is 1.5 or less which is why a bag of Ocean forest is half the price it is at just a hydro store. Thanx again for the help guys
 

PharmaCan

Active member
Veteran
CNS17 Grow & Bloom
Cal Mag+
Liquid Karma
Dutch Masters Penetrator, Reverse & Zone
Serenade
Neem oil
Pyrethrum spray & bombs
Hot Shot No Pest Strips
Sticky trap type no pest strips
Rockwool cubes of various sizes
Calibration solution for the meters you sell
CO2 bottles
free lollipops

PC
 

Fast_Pine

Member
I think you could sell a coupple of Trimpro's, if you are attracting enough MJ specific custys..

Maby some bubble baggs?
 

Erestese

Member
Hannah Meters
Oakton Meters
Cabinets (ask a local craftsman)
Seeds (not pot)
Hydroton
Grow Bags
Secret Jardin Tents
Fox Farms Big and Chunky
Airstones and Pumps
Co2 and regulators
Climate Controls

Have all parts to build a Hydrofarm cause most of us growers are DIY'ers by heart and its also cheaper to construct your own. Just offer some diagram of how it should be put together and I'm sure you could make a killing off of DIY Hydro setups. Offering an Ebay outlet for overstocked items wouldn't be a bad idea either.
 

Chomas

Member
Secret Jardin Dark Room grow tents
measuring syringe for ferts
extension cords, other electrical stuff like splitters etc.
high quality airstones, airpumps
small fans for in-tent usage
variety of top of the line carbon filters & fan combos
 
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Mr Celsius

I am patient with stupidity but not with those who
Veteran
Smart pots
Guanos (bad & seabird); I.E. Budswell
Blood meal
bone meal
kelp meal
maxicrop
Mycorrizhae
Roots Organic
Botanicare flood tables
Botanicare nutrients (all of them)
General Hydroponics
Earth Juice
Can Fans/Filters
Vortex fans
Ecoplus air/water pumps
Ceramic air stones
Regular pots (all sizes)
Hydroton
Fox farm (I know you said you carry it)
Lumatek ballasts
Sun System 2 hoods (pretty much anything from Sun Light supply)
Hortilux bulbs
Rapid Rooters
Rockwool
Oasis cubes
Pure coco, were talking Botanicares, Cocotek (GH), Black Gold, Sungro "Just coir", ect.
Truncheon pH/TDS/ec Meter's

I could probably think of more... later
 
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