Though I advocate supporting your local fish stores (LFS), sometimes that is not a viable option when sourcing cichlids. As such, consider ordering your fish online.
I maintain a post listing online cichlid retailers that I am aware of. You can find that post here. Prior to today, it had not been updated since January of this year, but I suspect most (if not all) of these sites are still operational. I did add a new entry today – Prestige Aquatics.
Ordering fish online is usually a pretty simple process. Some of these sites make it easier than others. In fact, some simply operate via email (i.e., you send an email of what you want and the entire transaction is a series of emails). Nonetheless, I have ordered fish from several of these vendors and will do so again.
I should point out that most of these sites aren’t cichlid exclusive. They sell other tropical fish. So, if you’re interested in tetras, plecos, and other such tank inhabitants, you can find those too.