Welcoming a new pet into your home is a heartwarming experience that brings joy, companionship, and a newfound sense of responsibility. Ensuring their well-being and happiness starts with providing them with the right supplies and essentials tailored to their unique needs. However, with a plethora of pet supply stores dotting most city landscapes, the task of selecting the perfect one can be daunting.
In this short guide, we’ll embark on a journey to help you determine the ideal pet supply store that not only offers a diverse range of high-quality products but also aligns with your values as a responsible pet owner. Join us as we explore the key factors that will lead you to a pet supply store that’ll be perfect for your pet’s unique needs.
Product Variety
If you’re looking for the best store for your pet care needs, the variety of the products each shop offers is an important factor to consider. Whether you need a wide range of products for your many pets or you prefer a smaller specialty pet supply store, it’s a good idea to browse through your options with your needs in mind.
Customer Service
Very few people want to frequent a pet supply store if the staff are inattentive and inconsiderate. When you visit a store, take time to talk to the staff to see what the store’s overall attitude and customer service quality are like. Ideally, the best pet stores have staff members who are caring, personable, and willing to help you with whatever you need.
Some Things to Look For: Were you and your pet greeted when you walked in? Did your pet receive a special greeting in the form of pets, scritches, or treats? Did an owner or manager happen to be there? Were they able to answer your pet-related questions? Do they host adoption events or support any local rescues or shelters? Do they give back to the community in other ways? By supporting a business with your patronage, you are, in turn, contributing to the charitable acts the business partakes in. It’s a good feeling to know that the money you spend on your pet’s health and wellness is also contributing to the well-being of people and pets in your community.
Prices
Pricing is another important element of choosing the best pet supply store in your area. While you don’t want to shop at the cheapest possible store, one that’s considerably more expensive than other local options might be out of the question as well.
Perform price checks during your visit so that you can compare how much cat and dog toys, pet food, bedding, and other pet care items are going to cost if you choose one option over another.
TIP: Make sure you consider any loyalty programs they offer, such as Points, Frequent Buyer, Cash Back Rewards, and even Adoption Rewards. For instance, a simple Frequent Buyer Program can save you hundreds of dollars every year. Add a regular schedule of monthly Offers, and you’ll save even more! It’s always a good sign when a local business chooses to reward its customers’ loyalty. It shows they value their customers and are truly in the biz to help pets and their people.
Convenience
When shopping for pet supplies, you’re not going to want to go too far away from your normal routes so finding a convenient location is paramount. Check for pet supply stores around your neighborhood or close to your place of employment so that you can conveniently pop in without having to take a long drive to get to your chosen shop.
In addition, you might want to check pet store websites to see if stores that are just outside of your normal driving routes offer online shopping and delivery services. This way, you can access the best possible products without sacrificing convenience.
Staff Knowledge
In addition to stellar customer service, you’ll want the staff at your chosen pet supply store to be knowledgeable about your pet’s specific needs. Whether you own a dog or cat or you have more exotic animals, it’s important that the pet supply store’s staff members can provide you with sound advice when you need help.
Here are a few things to check if you want to ensure that the staff at a specific pet supply store are knowledgeable about specific pet needs.
- Do they know/can they find out where the food they carry is sourced?
- Do they know about the needs and behaviors of various pet types?
- Are they aware of the location of the nearest pet hospital?
- Are they able to provide advice on your pet’s specific care needs?
- Are the staff members relatively knowledgeable about the variety of products they carry?
- Can the staff advise you on other pet-related topics: training, local dog parks, etc.?
Your Unique Needs
With these tips in mind, you should be able to determine which pet supply store in your community offers everything you need in the way of animal care. Take time to research your options carefully so that you can make a decision that makes the most sense for you and your pet’s needs and preferences.
Let’s assume you have a very busy schedule, and you’re only able to shop for pet food late in the evening. In this case, you’ll want to ensure that the store’s hours of operation match your needs and that their doors remain open until you’re done shopping.
Let’s also assume you own a variety of exotic or special-needs pets that require very specific products in order to keep their needs met. In this case, you’ll also want to make sure the store you choose has a department dedicated to each of your pet types, as well as staff members that can recommend you all the right foods, supplements, toys, and the like so that you can ensure your pet’s optimal well-being.
