Present status and marketing strategies of aquarium fish trade in Kota district of Rajasthan: A case study

The study provides an inial assessment of aquarium fish trade, and consumers profile in Kota district of Rajasthan (India). A sum of 12 aquarium shops and 25 aquarium users were surveyed during 2014–15. The aquarium shop owners were selling new aquariums, aquarium accessories, ornamental fishes, fish feed etc. and doing aquarium business service as their main business. The target market for aquarium business service is household persons, hobbyists, business enterprises and instuon. All aquarium fishes were purchased from metropolitan as Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai and Jaipur. Traders mostly sell all Glass Aquaria and fresh water fishes. The fancy guppy, black molly, barbs and sward tail were most popular small sized fishes. In the present study parrot fish and Oscar were the costliest fish available in the fish aquarium dealer and the price range from Rs. 100–400 per pair. In the present study 40% customers were having less than 2 years experience and 36% were having 3 to 5 years experience in aquarium keeping, this indicate that aquarium keeping is an emerging hobby in Kota city. The shop owners in the district were found to have the support of geng new arrivals in the aquarium business through the wholesalers and significantly through the customer's feedback. A few sellers were also found to get professional training in the sector. The free servicing on the purchase of new aquarium as provided by a few sellers is an encouraging markeng strategy noced in the study. It was also found that most of the aquarium users (40%) were youngsters and in the age group of 20–30 years. The average net profit of each shop owner dealing in fish aquarium business was found to be Rs. 2.71 lakh per annum. The projected annual turnover of aquarium business in Kota city was calculated Rs. 264.96 lakh which has a scope of 2–3 mes increase in next five years with enhanced popularity of the hobby.