Pet store

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A Pets at Home in Bradford. Pets at home - Forster Square Retail Park - geograph.org.uk - 1156676.jpg
A Pets at Home in Bradford.

A pet shop or pet store is an essential services retailer which sells animals and pet care resources to the public. A variety of animal supplies and pet accessories are also sold in pet shops. The products sold include: food, treats, toys, collars, leashes, cat litter, cages and aquariums.

Contents

Pet shops may also offer both hygienic care (such as pet cleaning) and aesthetic services (such as cat and dog grooming). [1] Some pet stores also provide tips on training and behaviour, as well as advice on pet nutrition. Some pet stores provide engraving services for pet tags, which have the owner's contact information in case the pet gets lost.

Online pet stores

Many pet stores also offer retail products online. Citing convenience as the key motivational factor for purchasing from online pet stores, the number of United States households that shopped online for pet care products in 2018 was 13 million. [2] Other stated advantages for online shopping include competitive pricing and good value due to free shipping offers. As of 2017, North America has the largest online pet care market of any other region. [2] In the United States, more than 1/3 of all purchases from online pet stores were made at PetSmart [2] with the most popular item purchased being dry dog food. In 2017, the online sales of pet care products grew by about 3.4 billion dollars, while traditional brick-and-mortar stores reported only about 317 million dollars in sales growth. [2]

As of 2018, millennials are the biggest pet-owning generation. [3] Seventy-seven percent report that they prefer to purchase pet products like toys, accessories, and food online, but favor in-store shopping for treats, bedding and clothing. [3]

Countries

Germany

The largest pet store in the world is located in Duisburg, Germany. Zoo Zajac is located in a 130,000 square-foot warehouse and houses more than 250,000 animals from 3,000 different species. The store has become a tourist attraction, with visitors interacting with it like a zoo. [4]

United Kingdom

In 1987, the British pet store trade had an estimated worth of £150 million. [5] The largest pet store chain is Pets at Home. [6]

In the United Kingdom, pet stores are prohibited from selling puppies and kittens less than six months old. The ban was announced in 2018 following public pressure to improve animal breeding standards. [7]

United States

Henry Wersell's Pet Store in Toledo, Ohio in the early 20th Century. Henry Wersell's Pet Store, Toledo, Ohio - DPLA - 288eb6fb1efc95e70966f6ebaa09458e (page 1).jpg
Henry Wersell's Pet Store in Toledo, Ohio in the early 20th Century.

In 2004, according to the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association, in the pet industry, live animal sales reached approximately $1.6 billion. [8] In the United States, pet sales make up only 6% of the market, with most sales comprising accessories and merchandise. [4] In a 2003 survey, 38% of U.S. pet shops claimed that they did not sell any live animals. [8]

In 20 states and Washington, D.C., a license is required before being able to manage a pet store. [9] There are 16 states that have laws which mandate veterinary care in pet stores. [9] In some states and cities – such as California and Atlanta – the sale of common pets such as dogs, cats, and rabbits, is prohibited except for those from animal shelters, in an attempt to curb poor standards of animal breeding. [10] [11]

See also

Related Research Articles

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to preventing animal cruelty. Based in New York City since its inception in 1866, the organization's mission is "to provide effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the United States."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Puppy mill</span> Type of commercial dog breeding facility

A puppy mill, also known as a puppy farm, is a commercial dog breeding facility characterized by quick breeding and poor conditions. Although no standardized legal definition for "puppy mill" exists, a definition was established in Avenson v. Zegart in 1984 as "a dog breeding operation in which the health of the mill’s dogs is disregarded to maintain a low overhead and maximize profits". They are cited as being a result of increased demand for household pets, especially after World War II. The Veterinary Medical Association of the Humane Society of the United States defines the main characteristics of a puppy mill as "emphasis on quantity over quality, indiscriminate breeding, continuous confinement, lack of human contact and environmental enrichment, poor husbandry, and minimal to no veterinary care."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iams</span> Brand of cat and dog food

Iams is an American brand of dog food and cat food manufactured by Spectrum Brands in Europe and Mars, Incorporated worldwide. The food is formulated for the puppy/kitten, adult and mature stages of life. Veterinary formulas for pets with special dietary requirements are also produced.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Housebreaking</span> Act of training an animal to excrete in a designated area

Housebreaking or house-training is the process of training a domesticated animal that lives with its human owners in a house or other residence to excrete outdoors, or in a designated indoor area, rather than to follow its instinctive behaviour randomly inside the house.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nestlé Purina PetCare</span> American pet food manufacturer, subsidiary of the Swiss corporation Nestlé

Nestlé Purina PetCare, or simply Purina, is an American subsidiary of the Swiss corporation Nestlé, based in St. Louis, Missouri. It produces and markets pet food, treats, and cat and dog litter. Some of its pet food brands include Purina Pro Plan, Purina Dog Chow, Friskies, Beneful and Purina One. The company was formed in 2001 by combining Nestlé's Friskies PetCare Company with Ralston Purina, which acquired it for $10.3 billion. As of 2012, it is the second-largest pet food company globally and the largest in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">PetSmart</span> American pet supply store chain

PetSmart Inc. is a privately held American chain of pet superstores, which sell pet products, services, and small pets. It is the leading North American pet company, and its direct competitor is Petco. Its indirect competitors are Amazon, Walmart, and Target. As of 2020, PetSmart has more than 1,650 stores in the United States and Canada. Its stores sell pet food, pet supplies, pet accessories, and small pets. Stores also provide services including grooming, dog daycare, dog and cat boarding, veterinary care via in-store third-party clinics, and dog training. They also offer dog and cat adoption via in-store adoption centers facilitated by the non-profit PetSmart Charities.

Littlest Pet Shop is a toy franchise and cartoon series owned by Hasbro and currently under license with Basic Fun!. The original toy series was produced by Kenner in the early 1990s. An animated television series was made in 1995 by Sunbow Productions and Jean Chalopin Creativite et Developpement, based on the franchise.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pet food</span> Animal feed for pets

Pet food is animal feed intended for consumption by pets. Typically sold in pet stores and supermarkets, it is usually specific to the type of animal, such as dog food or cat food. Most meat used for animals is a byproduct of the human food industry, and is not regarded as "human grade".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Petco</span> American pet supply store chain

Petco Health and Wellness Company, Inc. is an American pet retailer with corporate offices in San Diego and San Antonio. Petco sells pet food, products, and services, as well as certain types of live small animals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dog Chow</span>

Dog Chow refers to the name brand of dog food marketed and manufactured by Nestlé Purina PetCare. Dog Chow was first introduced in 1926, and has since expanded its brand offerings to include a wider selection products for dogs with addition of food for puppies, elderly dogs, and dogs needing a weight maintenance formula as well as offering other types of pet food, including Puppy Chow, Cat Chow, and Kitten Chow.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Hong Kong)</span> Charity

The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is a registered charity to promote animal welfare in Hong Kong, with outreach services to China.

Beginning in March 2007, there was a widespread recall of many brands of cat and dog foods due to contamination with melamine and cyanuric acid. The recalls in North America, Europe, and South Africa came in response to reports of kidney failure in pets. Initially, the recalls were associated with the consumption of mostly wet pet foods made with wheat gluten from a single Chinese company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Friskies</span> American brand of cat food and treats

Friskies is an American brand of wet and dry cat food and treats owned by Nestlé Purina PetCare Company, a subsidiary of Nestlé global. Friskies was initially introduced by Carnation Company in the 1930s as a dog food brand. When Friskies cat food was introduced in the 1950s, it was the first dry pet food product specifically for cats. The brand was acquired by Nestlé in 1985. From the 1970s to the 2000s, variations in Friskies cat food proliferated as the competition for consumer spending intensified.

Lumina Media was an American publisher of magazines, books, and associated websites. Throughout all its incarnations, the business has focused on the pet-keeping and -breeding market, though also with some other topical lifestyle and hobby publications. The original company was founded in 1974 as Fancy Publications by Norman Ridker, absorbing Kennel Club Books in 2004, which made BowTie a main competitor to TFH Publications in the pet-book market. In 2002, Bob Garfield of On the Media called Fancy Publications "the Time Warner of the pet magazine business". After some financial difficulties, BowTie was restructured as I-5 Publishing in 2013 under the new ownership of David Fry and Mark Harris, and took on its present name in 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pets at Home</span> British pet supply store chain

Pets at Home is a British pet supplies retailer selling pet products including food, toys, bedding, medication, accessories and pets. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index. Founded in 1991, the company operates 453 stores across the UK, as well as an online store. Pets at Home also provides a range of services such as grooming, veterinary care and dog training.

Foster & Smith, Inc. was an American mail order and e-commerce pet supply corporation based in Rhinelander, Wisconsin. The company funds PetEducation.com, a "resource for any pet owner who is seeking information."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Petland</span> Chain of pet stores

Petland is a privately owned operator and franchisor of pet stores based in Chillicothe, Ohio. Ed Kunzelman founded the company in 1967. Petland currently operates 131 stores in the United States, and at least 63 in foreign markets including Canada, Japan, China, Mexico, Brazil and El Salvador. The chain is notable for its controversy over documentation from the Humane Society of the United States revealing the purchase of dogs from puppy mills.

Pets Corner UK Ltd is a retail store chain that specialises in the sale of ethical pet care products and the provision of pet care services in the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richmond Animal Protection Society</span> Canadian non-profit organization

Regional Animal Protection Society (RAPS) is a no kill animal services agency in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada. RAPS operates the RAPS Cat Sanctuary, a fostering network, social enterprise thrift stores, and the RAPS Animal Hospital, a full-service animal clinic.

References

  1. ↑ Dallas, Sue (2000). BSAVA Manual of Veterinary Care. Wiley. p. 7. ISBN   0905214498.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Topic: Online Pet Care Market". www.statista.com. Retrieved 2019-11-29.
  3. 1 2 Danziger, Pamela N. "The Pet Retail Market Is Hot And Getting Hotter By The Day". Forbes. Retrieved 2019-11-29.
  4. 1 2 Crair, Ben (19 August 2015). "The World's Biggest Pet Store Has 250,000 Animals". Bloomberg Business. Retrieved 30 November 2019.
  5. ↑ Franklin, Adrian (1999). Animals and Modern Cultures: A Sociology of Human-Animal Relations in Modernity. SAGE. p. 92. ISBN   1446222969.
  6. ↑ Bolakee, Nishi (8 June 2006). "Pampering pets for profit". BBC News. Retrieved 30 November 2019.
  7. ↑ "British pet shops to be banned from selling puppies and kittens". The Guardian. 23 December 2018. Retrieved 29 November 2019.
  8. 1 2 "Ten Fast Facts about Pet Shops". 9 November 2005. Retrieved 3 April 2014.
  9. 1 2 Duncan, Ashley. "Brief Overview of Retail Pet Stores" . Retrieved 3 April 2014.
  10. ↑ Hauser, Christine (2 January 2019). "California Forces Pet Stores to Sell Only Dogs and Cats From Shelters". The New York Times. Retrieved 29 November 2019.
  11. ↑ Godwin, Becca (14 November 2018). "Atlanta bans pet stores from selling cats and dogs". AJC. Retrieved 29 November 2019.
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