Inside the New Ajing Store Showroom

Presenting a new space is always something special, especially when it represents growth, dedication and a project that has evolved far beyond what was originally expected.

Ajing Store started as a small fishing hobby project. Today, there is a dedicated showroom, a growing catalogue, more brands and more anglers using the equipment we select. But despite that growth, the way we approach the store has remained surprisingly simple: fish, test, understand and only then decide what deserves a place in the catalogue.

Inside the New Ajing Store Showroom

Creating the new Ajing Store showroom took longer than expected. The original idea was based on the amount of equipment I thought I would need, but it quickly became obvious that the space would have to be bigger. Much of the work was done personally, including the floor, walls and painting, which made the process slower but also allowed the space to be built around the way Ajing Store actually works.

The previous setup was much simpler. Each brand was stored in the cardboard boxes it arrived in, which was perfectly fine when the project was small. As the catalogue grew, that was no longer practical. Today, every product has its own place, making it easier to manage stock, prepare orders and, most importantly, know exactly what equipment is available.

The showroom is not a physical shop and it isn't open to the public. It is a private working space where equipment can be organised, examined, prepared and evaluated before it reaches the customer.

That distinction is important. The Ajing Store experience remains primarily online, but having a dedicated showroom gives us a much better environment behind the scenes to manage the growing catalogue and work with the equipment we sell.

How Ajing Store Started

Ajing Store didn't begin with a business plan. It started with a challenge.

Several fishermen told me, in one way or another: “You can't do it.” That was probably enough motivation to try.

The store initially started with one brand, but it didn't take long before customers began asking for more. Different rods, lines, jigheads, soft baits and other specialist equipment followed. Even today, we regularly receive requests for new brands and products, and whenever there is a realistic opportunity to bring something worthwhile into the store, we investigate it.

A Store Built Around Real Fishing

One of the most important things about Ajing Store is that equipment isn't selected simply because it looks good on a specification sheet.

A typical fishing session for me can last between three and six hours, and during that time I like to test a bit of everything. Rods, reels, lines, jigheads, soft baits and different combinations all get a chance to show what they can actually do in real conditions.

Not everything makes it into the store. I've tested soft baits, jigs and jigheads that I eventually decided not to continue selling because they didn't offer enough for the price or simply didn't perform as I expected.

The opposite also happens. Sometimes a product surprises me in a very positive way. The Arukazik Namajako range, particularly the ST, was one of the most recent examples. The amount of fish it catches and the variety of species it attracts genuinely surprised me.

That is one of the reasons I enjoy testing equipment. You don't always know what you are going to discover.

What Makes a Product Worth Selling?

For me, the starting point is performance in relation to price.

The most expensive product isn't automatically the best. A famous brand isn't automatically the right choice, and a product with a lot of advertising doesn't necessarily mean that you have a good product in your hands.

I've made that mistake myself. One of the biggest lessons I learned when I started buying Ajing and LRF equipment was not to buy based purely on marketing. I've bought products that were heavily promoted and expensive, only to realise later that the quality and performance didn't justify what I had paid.

That experience changed the way I evaluate equipment today. I don't just ask whether a product is good. I ask whether it is good for what it costs, who it is actually for and whether it makes sense for the angler who is going to use it.

Sometimes the Right Answer Is Not to Sell

There have also been situations where I've recommended that a customer doesn't buy something from me.

Sometimes an angler knows what he wants, but what he wants isn't necessarily what he needs at that stage of his development. I've had conversations where I felt that buying a particular product would simply put the customer in the wrong direction.

I've been happy to let those customers walk away without buying anything.

If that angler later wants to move to something more advanced, they will still know where to find me.

I don't try to sell the maximum amount of equipment. I try to sell what is right for each angler at the stage they are at.

Between Hobby and Business

Ajing Store started as a hobby, and in many ways it still is. The difference is that the hobby has gradually become much more serious.

There was a point when I realised that Ajing Store was occupying my entire mornings. The amount of stock had increased, more brands were being added, orders were increasing and more people were asking for specific equipment. With that growth comes responsibility, but the reason behind the project hasn't changed.

I still want to go fishing. I still want to test equipment. I still want to understand what works and what doesn't. The business has grown around the hobby rather than replacing it.

Why Ajing Store Is Not a Physical Shop

One of the questions I receive is why Ajing Store doesn't have a traditional physical shop. The answer is simple: I don't believe a conventional retail space would make the project better.

The showroom is not intended to become a traditional retail location. Customers cannot simply walk in to browse the catalogue or make a purchase.

Instead of investing heavily in a customer-facing shop, that investment can go into equipment, stock, testing and the fishing itself. It also gives us much more flexibility. We don't need to fill shelves simply because shelves need to be filled, and there is less pressure to sell a product just because it happens to be in stock.

It also allows the relationship with customers to happen somewhere much more useful than behind a counter.

On the water.

Real Demonstrations, On the Spot

This is one of the parts of Ajing Store that I enjoy the most.

Customers can sometimes test equipment with me during fishing sessions, where they can actually feel the rod, change a lure, adjust a rig and see how the setup behaves in real conditions.

One example happened exactly like this. A customer was fishing with me and tried the rod I was using. He liked it enough to decide that he wanted one, so I went back to pick one up, returned to the fishing spot and handed it to him. We then simply continued the fishing session.

That kind of experience is difficult to reproduce in a traditional shop.

Deliveries That Happen on the Water

The same approach sometimes applies to deliveries. Standard shipping is always available, but in Portugal, close to 50% of our deliveries are made in person, usually by arrangement with the customer.

Sometimes that means meeting a customer during a fishing session, handing over their equipment and, when appropriate, helping them get started with it. Sometimes the product is tested almost immediately.

This wasn't something that was designed as a marketing strategy. It simply grew naturally from the way we fish and interact with customers.

For us, a delivery can become part of the fishing experience rather than simply the end of an online transaction.

Why These Products Make It Into the Store

We look at performance, construction, how the product fits into real Ajing and LRF situations and, perhaps most importantly, how all of that relates to the price.

Sometimes a relatively inexpensive product is the obvious choice. Sometimes paying more genuinely gives you something better. The important thing is understanding the difference and knowing who will actually benefit from it.

That is also why we continue to test new products and listen to what anglers are asking for. We don't want the biggest catalogue possible just for the sake of having one. We want a catalogue where the products have a reason to be there.

What Fishing Has Taught Me About Equipment

Fishing has taught me a lot about equipment, but perhaps the most important lesson is that several things people often associate with quality aren't necessarily the same thing.

Sensitivity doesn't automatically mean more fish. Price doesn't automatically mean quality.

Real fishing experience has a way of exposing those differences.

That is why I prefer to explain the reasons behind a recommendation rather than simply telling someone which product to buy.

A Project That Keeps Evolving

Ajing Store is still evolving. The new showroom is another step in that process, just as adding new brands and testing new equipment are.

Customers continue to ask for products that we don't currently stock, and whenever we find an opportunity to add something that genuinely makes sense, we look into it.

The objective isn't to become the biggest fishing shop. It is to become better at what we already do: selecting better equipment, testing it properly and helping anglers find something that actually suits the way they fish.

More Than a Store

Ajing Store started with a little stubbornness, some free time and a challenge from other fishermen. It grew into something much bigger than I originally expected, but the principle is still simple..

I don't want to sell the maximum amount of equipment. I want to help an angler find the right equipment for where they are in their fishing journey. Sometimes that means an inexpensive rod. Sometimes it means something highly specialised. Sometimes it even means telling someone not to buy anything.

The showroom, the growing catalogue and the new brands are all part of the same process, but the reason behind it hasn't changed.

Fish it. Test it. Understand it. Then decide if it belongs in the store.

That's Ajing Store.