my pet store

[Chibi Bara]

I want to build a pet store with in the next 2 years, and i am trying to do research on it.... does anyone know anything about owning or building one.

[Prickles]

um...try to get your animals from good breeders and not mills. Do some research on your local animal breeders. Also, if your are going to sell dogs, do it through a local anmal shelter. That way,you make money, and those poor dogs get good homes. If you live in south florida, i would recomend you go to either of the 2 Beverly's Pet centers and see how the store is to get ideas.

[akinddog]

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[brandy pup]

I wouldn't sell any animals. But instead offer space to local rescues and shelters. There are rescues for small pets on up to the dogs and cats and such. This would save you a termendous amount of money becuase you wouldn't have to buy them, care for them, or sell them. This is the rescues job. Yet people would still adopt them and buy supplies from you.

Sell good food, not the crappy stuff.

[Pingu]

ok brandy_pup your discouraging people to run a petstore when your posting in the petstore forum.. not too smart.

[brandy pup]

No I am informing people to run a good pet store you do not sell pups/kits. And in referance to the post above I was clarifing what I believed Prickles meant when she said to sell shelter dogs/cats. I believe she meant to to say have the shelters come in and have adoption days. For one it is against contracts to resell a shelter pet.

[mallyrk]

I can tell ya from experience that its ALOT of work.
And don't order cats/dogs from breeders.. sponser them from shelters so they get a good home. I get a huge reponse from that.. also try to have soemthing no one else around you has.. something different..
No one around me has saltwater fish and that has become very popular here ...

just my .02 ... :)

[Strapking]

It seems that all everyone talks about when opening a new pet store is what kind of animals to sell or not sell. The animals are the big ticket items, sure. but the success of any store is the repeat business. You need product. Any major chain is known, not for the pets they sell, but for the concessions they make for the pets. You need a variety of products for all types of pets. Food, literature, environmental items (like dog houses, bird perches, aquariums, terrariums, and the things to fill them) toys, collars and leashes, and if you have innovative ideas for your own signature items, then these are the things you must stock.
Now I supply pet collars, leashes, and a wide variety of webbing products to pet (and other) stores. I see many people selling the plain Jane and major brand collars and leashes. This is great for the major stores that have major advertising budgets. But the small store needs products that remind the customer where they got their stuff in the first place.
I suggest to any store that they do their homework and find quality products, offer the best advice, offer quality customer service. It also helps if the everyday products that people use have your store name on it.
I know the first thing that comes to mind is cost. I can't promise that every supplier out there is going to be inexpensive. I will happily offer my company to the service of anyone starting a new pet store. Check out Strapworks.com (http://www.strapworks.com) we have the ability to offer pet collars, leashes, leads, and in-line dog runs; customized in whatever colors you want whatever size you want, with three options on how to put your name, logo, or information on your product. We even do custom sewing, so if you have your own idea for a harness, or something entirely new we can do it for you.
I hope that anyone starting a new store will find something that they can use in what I have to say. I really hope for success in these endeavors. :D