JoesKoi.com - Mission Statement

First and foremost, we would like to send a sincere “thank you” to our valued customers. We realize you have many options when it comes to selecting an online vendor, and we truly appreciate you giving us a chance. The main reason we chose to create this business, and to endure all the growing pains inherent therein, is because we felt a true need existed for quality Koi and pond supplies at reasonable prices. Judging by our success thus far, it seems we were right. If it weren’t for your continued support, we could never enjoy the level of success we’ve managed to achieve in such a short period of time.

We live in the real world just like everyone else does. Times are tough for some, and we realize that now more than ever consumers seek value in their purchases and they will eagerly hunt for bargains if necessary. Most vendors, at least those who are worth their salt, want to provide value to their customers in order to help encourage repeat business. In the context of where JoesKoi.com fits into this mix, we seek to provide value to our customers by offering them an unmatched selection of quality Koi and pond supplies at prices that are significantly lower than many of our competitors. In addition to value, we also try to provide bargains to our customers in the form of special deals and quantity discounts you won’t find anywhere else.

The truth is that no vendor -- storefront or online, big or small -- can truly afford to offer customers the absolute lowest prices on every product they carry 100% of the time. In the world of traditional storefront retail businesses, there are often protest rallies whenever a huge discount superstore like Wal-Mart decides to come to town because the smaller local retailers all realize they will not survive the inevitable price war that’s sure to follow. A similar situation exists in the world of e-commerce, where specialty retailers often lack the resources and buying power to compete head-to-head on price alone with Fortune 500 online superstores.

The small mom and pop store down the street will never be able to compete in a price war against Wal-Mart. There will always be a segment of consumers; however, who prefer the level of service provided to them at the mom and pop shop and may be willing to pay a slightly higher price on some items for doing so. At the same token, there will also be customers who simply prefer not to do business with Wal-Mart for whatever reason, and who instead choose to shop at other larger retailers – such as Target or Kohls. To put it another way, we realize consumers have options, but we also realize that price is not the only factor considered when selecting a vendor to do business with.

Based on our own experience in the crazy world of Koi Kichi, the most important aspects to consider when choosing an online vendor are reputation, customer service, and of course, competitive pricing. As relatively new vendors, we are working hard to establish our reputation for being honest, courteous, and fair in all transactions. Our strong commitment to customer service, particularly service provided after the sale, is well documented on our testimonials page and is sure to become even more apparent in the future as new customers continue to be referred to us by existing customers through word of mouth advertising.

No business exists to lose money, and therefore the goal of JoesKoi.com and all other retailers for that matter, is to eventually turn a profit. Our business strategy for success is dependent on volume sales; however, rather than high profit margins. For this reason our prices are not only competitive, but often times significantly lower than prices you’ll find from other vendors. As previously stated, no vendor -- ourselves included – can afford to offer the lowest prices on every product they carry. But we can guarantee that if you purchase a product from our online store, you are getting your product at a price that is only slightly higher than what we actually paid.

As our business continues to grow and prosper in the years ahead, you can also expect to see our prices on some items gradually start to decline as we gain more bargaining power to negotiate even lower prices from our various suppliers. Another insider secret to keep in mind is that most products sold in the retail market are supplied to retailers with the agreement they will adhere to MAP agreements. MAP, short for Minimum Advertising Price, agreements are intended to prevent a particular vendor from lowering his or her prices below a certain point, effectively killing other vendor’s ability to compete.

Because we highly value and respect the relationships we’ve established with our various suppliers and wish to remain in business for a long time to come, we will never sell any product below MAP. Be advised; however, that MAP is generally significantly lower than suggested retail price, which is the price most vendors actually charge customers for retail transactions. So if you come across a product we carry at a significantly lower price from another online vendor, you can be fairly certain that one of two scenarios is occurring. One, our competitor is huge and has incredible power not only to negotiate below-wholesale pricing direct with the manufacturer, but also to get them to waive MAP altogether. This is unlikely. Or two, the other vendor simply chooses to violate the terms of their MAP agreement, hurting the pond and Koi business as a whole, limiting choice for consumers, and lessening the perceived value of products they choose to under-price.

Whether you choose to make us your preferred vendor for Koi and pond supplies or not, we truly appreciate your taking the time to check us out. We also encourage you to visit some of the features we have to offer – including our DIY projects, pond videos, pond construction galleries, and more. All visitors to our site, whether they are existing customers are not, are also welcome to sign our guestbook. And all pond owners are encouraged to join our online pond tour, where your pond will be showcased and shared with hundreds of visitors each day right here at JoesKoi.com!