To Whom It May Concern:

My name is type your name and I belong to a group of dedicated pet enthusiasts concerned with the care and welfare of hermit crabs. I would like to discuss an issue with you, the resolution of which could prove to be mutually beneficial to both our interests.

As an experienced hermit crab hobbyist, I have observed many pet stores with crab habitats that are set up improperly. And customers, more often than not, mimic in-store setups when creating their home habitats. Unfortunately, this can lead to life-threatening issues for hermit crabs, especially during their molting cycles. Hermit crabs are highly intelligent, long-lived creatures that thrive in a varied environment and hermit crab enthusiasts are as interested in tank design as aquarium enthusiasts, as devoted to habitat enrichment as small mammal owners.

Having a proper in-store setup can create educated enthusiasts that generate greatly increased profits for you in terms of both initial sales and repeat customers. (As a dedicated hermit crab enthusiast, I have purchased items from the fish, reptile, bird, and mammal sections for my crabs and I am not an unusual in that regard.)

A proper in-store habitat also helps ensure that new hermit crab owners give these beautiful creatures what they need to live long, healthy lives. (The two most famous, longest-living captive hermit crabs have had the same owner for more than 30 years.)

To the dedicated pet owner, trust is an invaluable component of the relationship with their local pet store. Customers who have a positive experience in your store and feel comfortable that your employees have provided quality information will generate repeat business. These same pet owners often form tight-knit groups of like-minded hobbyists—mostly online—and with a very wide reach. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you how crucial word-of-mouth is when it comes to generating new customers.

Most importantly, hermit crabs need several inches of substrate in order to bury themselves and properly molt. Obviously, such a practice in-store would not be feasible, since customers won’t buy crabs they can’t see. However, simply noting the proper depth on the hermit crab habitat and using a separate tank set up to the right substrate level for display purposes, you can demonstrate what they should be aiming for at home.

Training employees in the proper set-up would increase sales of substrate and ensure that crab owners leave with the correct information to care for their new pets post-sale.

I am happy to leave you with a stack of our comprehensive, customer-friendly care sheets. Our online group of hermit crab enthusiasts has amassed a wealth of information over the years and we happily share our knowledge and help educate newcomers to this fascinating hobby.

To enumerate the ways this might benefit your business, I have created a list of items that the new hermit crab hobbyist will need in order to ensure the survival of their new pets. Providing this information, and/or having an in-store sample tank reflect this setup, will go a long way toward generating additional sales revenue. The list below reflects a basic setup.

Basic Supplies for Two Small Hermit Crabs:

20-gallon aquarium: $25.00

2 medium reptile water dishes: $15.00

1 medium reptile food dish: $8.00

1 package of two forest moss bricks: $10.00

1 glass aquarium lid: $20.00

16-watt under-tank heater (UTH): $40.00

1 box Instant Ocean: $18.00

1 bottle Prime water conditioner: $5.00

Total: $135.00

As you can see, the initial cost for a proper setup is approximately $135. When you factor in the sand and gauges, that price rises closer to $150. Any amount lost by not selling a $5 crab to the customer who only wants an inexpensive, throwaway pet, is recouped 25 times over by the one customer who buys the correct setup and may keep their crabs for decades, returning regularly to restock food and redecorate the habitat.

Additional Items You May Want to Carry In Your Store:

Play sand: $3.50 per 50-pound bag (two needed for a twenty-gallon aquarium)

AccuWeather Digital Gauge: $9.00

Natural, unpainted shells, with suitable openings for hermit crabs (each crab needs 3-5 shells). These shells retail between $3-10 each, depending on size and quality of the shell.

Items That Customers Will Return For As They Learn More About Their New Pet:

LED light bar: $50.00

Additional decorative items (aquarium plants, climbing structures, etc): $50-75

Air pump, plastic tubing, air stones: $15

Repeat purchases of Instant Ocean, Moss, Prime water treatment, and shells.

As you can see, educating your customers as to proper hermit crab setup and care will greatly increase sales for your business. Having a sample habitat set up in your store will give these customers an appealing example of how their home habitats could look. And lastly, allowing us to place our comprehensive care-sheets in your store, for employees to offer to potential buyers, will not only lead to longer, happier lives for these intriguing animals we care so greatly about, but will also generate greater (and repeat) sales for your company.

Hermit crab care is an issue I am deeply passionate about. Please do not hesitate to contact me for care sheets or to discuss this issue further. Thank you very much your time.

Sincerely,

Type Your Name Here

Your contact info (email, phone number etc)

Our websites:

http://crabstreetjournal.org

http://lhcos.org

http://coenobitaspecies.com

https://www.facebook.com/groups/landhermitcrabowners/

http://www.facebook.com/CrabStreetJournal

https://www.facebook.com/groups/LHCOS.BuySwapSell/

https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/104242881986319914361/communities/ 107087384508817205370