Question from a reader: “Are pet stores a good business to get into?”
My answer: In this current economic market I would say no. While people can say that dogs, cats, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish are man’s (and woman’s) best friend, the financial realities have not been kind to our animal friends. There have been a lot of cases where people have lost their houses and as part of leaving their debt behind they have also left behind their dogs and cats because they cannot afford to take care of them anymore.
Leaving animals alone outside to fend for themselves after they’ve been domesticated isn’t a good idea. Wild dogs and cats forage for food and are hungry like any other living creature and it isn’t fair to them. Here in Southern California, the wild dogs join packs and it is not unusual to see half-dog, half-coyote packs running around late at night or very early in the morning. There isn’t enough food in the mountains for the critters so they come down to feed wherever they can.
If you are already in the pet store business? If you already are in an established pet store, my guess is that some business is doing steady – like specialized pet foods and certain seasonal items (cat and dog sweaters?) but a lot of novelty items probably aren’t selling. Maybe you have had to trim store hours or staff.
As a reminder (which isn’t lost on store owners), people who have a hard time taking care of themselves or their children shouldn’t be allowed to have a pet! A clear example also of people not knowing what they are getting into is when the Dalmatian movies came out and everybody wanted Dalmy pups. The problem is the pups are kind of nutso and skittish and a lot of them got returned the day after a birthday. Parents should research what they are buying to prevent anguish for both the kids and the animals later on. But I am getting off topic here…
For specialized markets like pet stores that only sell purebred beagles, etc there may be a steady market but like everything else I suggest that they are having problems with sales like you and I are.
Like any other business that has a storefront, if you do decide to go into business, even though the economy isn’t great, see if you can get some decent terms and a few months (if not a years) rent for free or at a lower cost.
Remember that some suppliers have minimum orders as well and you may not be able to afford to keep your store stocked in everything that you might have wanted to in your planning stages.
Just use caution if you decide to go ahead with the pet store business. If you love animals it might be fun but remember that both you and your four-legged friends, winged and finny pals have to eat and they can’t eat if you don’t have the money to feed them. Having critters go belly up on you just isn’t profitable.
Kim Isaac Greenblatt
Are pet stores a good business?
Tags: Business, food, Kim Isaac Greenblatt, pet stores, profitable