Reading many of the threads over the last few months, there is a common theme among the "where can i get this from" questions. The answer invariably being either;
Have you tried this website,
They had one in Sainsbury's last week,
What about the pound shop at ???
Aldi have started selling them,
You can't get it cheaper than Tesco,
etc etc etc.

Why dosn't anyone recommend their local pet shop anymore. OK, so they can't buy in bulk like Tesco, they have to charge a bit higher price to cover rent, unlike internet trades, but they are a fabulous source of information and advice, very willing to hold a conversation about "our Molly's whatever", they have the choice and stock for you to look at, and usually whatever you want they can get it within a few days. None of this can you get from the above list.
Are you willing to let your pet shop's disappear just for the sake of saving a few pence, but even this is not always true as most can compete on most goods.

So what do you think, is it time for the pet shop's to all close or would you miss it if there wasn't any, and i don't mean just to get a can of dog food till you have chance to get to Tesco.

I can't think of an independant one anymore now Copleys has gone.

We only have one small hound, who we don't feed junk to, and who has more toys than he knows what to do with thanks to the generosity of relatives at Christmas

We buy his food in 15kg sacks which last months

We make incredibly bad pet shop customers... unless you're going to tell me you stock deer ears, in which case we'll see you once a week for 7 :thumbsup:

There's one on Woodseats. Supa-Pet I think :)

and one near meadowhead behind plumbing shop

one at Crystal Peaks market

the one in Woodhouse shut down a few years ago now

Maltby has a great local pet shop and they are always busy - and I hope continue to be.
I go to Wellbeck garden centre for all the things for my Goldfish - cos they are excellent and the most helpful staff I have met in any shop - let alone a pet type shop.

I buy everything at trade for the rescue - and my own - i buy them very little frills and stuff - I wish pet shops could grow and be more - with trainers and behaviourists and advise centres - working along side them - maybe thats the route it should go down - which the mega stores can't offer.

I don't think it is the end for pet shops.

I have a pet stall on Doncaster Market and we have lots of loyal customers some of which do just come to tell us how their pets are doing. The internet just means that people can shop around more easily and as a retailer I have to accept that I just can't compete on some items. Therefore I will happily say if certain items are cheaper elsewhere so my cutomers don't feel ripped off and that they trust us so will keep coming back.

As someone who spent over £70 in our local pet shop this week, I can't see them going under any time soon :lol:

I buy everything at trade for the rescue - and my own - i buy them very little frills and stuff - I wish pet shops could grow and be more - with trainers and behaviourists and advise centres - working along side them - maybe thats the route it should go down - which the mega stores can't offer.That's where Lotti's new shop should have the edge :thumbsup:

Yes - i agree there - and I hope it will grow with the training side as an add on.
The thing is with most of these mega shops - you get what u see on the shelf - and its not necessarily the right item that you should be going for.
I love shops that specialise - like in France - a baker sells bread - a cobbler does shoes - every shop - just does what they do - and nothing else - and I love it.
There is a guy I know in Leeds who runs a really great few pet shops - and he makes a fantastic living out of them. He also runs training classes that are constantly busy - and his customers are loyal because they know that by asking questions of him and his staff - hopefully - they will buy the product that is right for them. As with everything at the moment - the customer is king - but if you add that something else - its a product that is not easily found anywhere on line.
Helly was it you who I met many years ago when I was helping Thornberry set up their shop at the Sanctuary.

This lady was really busy - buying things for her stall on Doncaster Market when I was wandering around Batleys and yet she found the time to walk me round the wholesalers and point out the things that sell - the things to leave alone - and the things that would make them some money - do you remember if it was you?

Hmmm, promising replies, i don't personally think it's nearing the end for them, but it got me wondering with the replies i mentioned origionally, i thought people had become disilusioned with them.

I think Rainresue is right in that other aspects of welfare should be incorpoated and that should make them more appealing.
(PS, that's along way to go for goldfish food)

I can't think of an independant one anymore now Copleys has gone.

I'm opening this weekend just a couple of blocks away from where Copleys used to be :D

:lol:

Edit: Thanks Strix, and RR - I hate going somewhere and being sold something by someone who knows nothing about it.

Currently finding I have a lot of work on at the moment not only getting a shop ready and stocked out, but also producing all my info leaflets and continuing to do my research on the products I'm buying in! :lol:

I use the pet shop on West Street - its the only place I can get my bunny food (and its a special order)


Which reminds me I should go and pick it up or someone might be a bit peckish this weekend...

Well....

I went to two independant stores for an external tank filter. One quoted me £90, the other ummed, ahh'd, and said "about £100 give or take". And the internet said £63.95 with free delivery.

......Are you willing to let your pet shop's disappear just for the sake of saving a few pence,.....

No, not for a few pence. But £89.99 or £63.95 for the self same product - That's a BIG difference!

Ahh, there's that umming and ahhing I always get, Squiggs!

I always ALWAYS buy from the local pet shops when I can. But I like to give Zach food they just don't stock. I've been in and asked for them to stock the food and treats he likes, but they always give me a wishy washy answer.

So I'll buy toys and the odd treat, but they just don't have the wide range of goods stores like Pets At Home have.

If Woodseats Pet Store wants my bucket of cash a month, they'll have to order what I want. Then I'll happily fork out the cash to a smaller store because I love supporting them.

BTW, Lotti, where's your store?

Abbeydale Road - Just here:
http://www.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=90-98+Abbeydale+Rd,+Norton,+Sheffield,+S7+1FF&sll=53.800651,-4.064941&sspn=13.626984,45.878906&ie=UTF8&ll=53.364574,-1.476674&spn=0.006709,0.022402&t=h&z=16&g=90-98+Abbeydale+Rd,+Norton,+Sheffield,+S7+1FF&iwloc=addr (number 98 )

Where Richards Antique Furniture used to be :D (I love it, it's a quirky old style shop front!)

You can barely miss it at the moment, half of it's painted black on the front and once all the black's done, white pawprints are going all over the shop front! And there's parking on the front which is only restricted at certain times, and at those times there's parking around the back!

As of tomorrow, my door will be open. I won't be fully stocked up - but I'm opening anyway to let people come in and say hello and possibly take orders so I know what people want stocking.

I currently have a list of foods I'll definitely stock, but as long as I can get hold of it, I'll keep at least one bag in of whatever someone wants as long as they let me know they want it!

Unfortunately, anywhere that can buy bulk will always have the advantage, it's far cheaper to buy products if you can buy them in bulk and obviously, as a small retailer, it's impossible to have everything you want to have in stock and minimum orders can be a pain in the butt for small retailers but I really don't think it's the end of pet shops. Everywhere's struggling at the moment anyway.

Right. Zach and I will be paying you a visit tomorrow to wish to happy openings :)

Ah...near me! Perfect!

Will have to pop in and have a butchers...(that's a hint to my moggies' preferred brand by the way ;))

I use the pet shop on West Street - its the only place I can get my bunny food (and its a special order)


Which reminds me I should go and pick it up or someone might be a bit peckish this weekend...

I'm a fairly heavy investor in Andy of West Street Pets too!

He delivers industrial quantities of cat litter every couple of weeks and I've got 4 cats and a dog, and he not only stocks all of the basics but also Molly's favourite treats too.

Right. Zach and I will be paying you a visit tomorrow to wish to happy openings :)

I look forward to it! :D

you won't get any work done tomorrow now Lotti ;)

LOL Strix,

To be honest, the sign writer will still be up his ladder and I think that'll put people off coming in, but at least it's open for people to nip in if they want to say hi if they want to!

And my odd job man (aka, Dad) will be in fitting the window sign, securing shelving and such like so it's going to be a tad chaotic anyway! But fun! All good fun! :lol:

I think you should bring a certain beagley dog along at some point too - plenty of interesting smells for him! :lol:

He'll sit there with a mouth full of screws and refuse to give them back :hihi:

we call his chops 'pockets' for a reason!

I've used Crookes Pet Supplies (I think!) for donkey's years, because they were the only ones we could find who would deliver cat litter! With 3 cats (plus fosters) you can get through a fair amount of kittie litter. They now deliver my JW kibble, as well.

I could have changed to the local pet shop in Firth Park, because they now deliver, but have stuck with Crookes because they've always provided such an excellent service.

The local shop gets my money when it comes to markies, gravy bones, chews, pigs ears, tripe sticks, etc, because they've got a far bigger selection than any supermarket - and I can incorporate a trip to the shop with walkies. The dogs love it, because they get fed treats by the owner!

I have always used my local pet shop, because they are the only one that'll deliver! I get a bale of shavings from them £11 a time (:O) and I used to get my food for the piggies in there but they don't stock it anymore :(

I've just asked about sacks of the dogs food though so fingers crossed!

Lotti, will you be stocking parsley bells for the piggies?

I tended to use the supermarket/Jollyes at Meadowhall Retail Park, and blatantly declined to notice that there is a pet shop in Broomhill near to work (therefore cutting out the need for a car journey when I have forgotten hay etc).

I much prefer going in there, admittedly it costs a little more, but I can have a nice natter, stroke his dog and help out the, vanishing too quickly, local businesses! Plus it reminds me of being a kid and all the excitment a visit to the pet shop entailed.

Good luck Lotti....

There's one on Woodseats. Supa-Pet I think :)

Excellent place this!!!! They could'nt provide me with the Zebra finch's I was looking for but did let me use they're internet and phone to track some down:hihi: Top pet shop:thumbsup:
In the end, after traipsing all over Sheffield, I found some just down the road at "Pet's are pals"..lol
Was totally knackered in the end but got some nice birds.

Pet licence, cost of seems to be putting a lot off stocking pet's. Sadly:(

I used to work at the garden centre at Birley, he had a few bunnies and bird's in but did'nt have a clue how to look after them properly, the one big black bunny would only let me cuddle him and cut his nail's cos he did'nt trust the bloke that owned it!

I tended to use the supermarket/Jollyes at Meadowhall Retail Park, and blatantly declined to notice that there is a pet shop in Broomhill near to work (therefore cutting out the need for a car journey when I have forgotten hay etc).

I much prefer going in there, admittedly it costs a little more, but I can have a nice natter, stroke his dog and help out the, vanishing too quickly, local businesses! Plus it reminds me of being a kid and all the excitment a visit to the pet shop entailed.

Good luck Lotti....

I get my hay from a farm just down the road from us!!! £2.50 a bale and it last's ages:thumbsup:
Doe's anyone remember Animal Magic on the wicker???? I recall getting the same excited feeling as a kid, if we ever visited there..lol
Never bought anything from Maces at the market though as Dad one got a kitten from there and it died a few day's later.:(

Pet licence, cost of seems to be putting a lot off stocking pet's. Sadly:(

Personally I think this is a good thing. No animal should have to start out its life on a shop floor deprived of human contact (where applicable) and then sold as a commodity or god forbid, impulse buy. There are alternatives out there such as breeders and clubs, its just a shame that people don't think to use them with all the benefits they frequently bring.

I use pet shops that do not stock pets for this reason - Jollyes currently get the bulk of my business, I will not step inside P@H.

I use the little one in Broomhill, Jollyes, Pet are Pals in Chapeltown and the pet section at Wentworth Garden Centre - depending which one I'm closest to when I remember I need something!

I use the pet shop at Meadowhead. They're lovely people and will always try and get me what I want. I used to buy all my rabbit food / hay / shavings there when I was breeding so was often spending 50 odd quid a time. They were the ones who advised me to take our GSD off the cheap crap food we were feeding him and recommended lots of others that would be better. We decided to go with Burns in the end. They also supply parrot food. Last time i looked in P@H parrot food was much more expensive there. My pet shop sells toys cheaper and better than supermarkets and P@H, and are the owners are smiley, friendly and always happy to have a chat.

I use the the one at Hillsborough bottom of Dykes Hall road and sometimes the one at Middlewood.

Personally I think this is a good thing. No animal should have to start out its life on a shop floor deprived of human contact (where applicable) and then sold as a commodity or god forbid, impulse buy. There are alternatives out there such as breeders and clubs, its just a shame that people don't think to use them with all the benefits they frequently bring.

I use pet shops that do not stock pets for this reason - Jollyes currently get the bulk of my business, I will not step inside P@H.

I agree.

I have not even looked into the price of a license to sell 'livestock' because I wouldn't want to anyway!

Plus, if you've seen some of the places pet shops get their livestock from, it'd put you off for life :(

I support Woodseats super pet always as he supports me with my buisness he supplies hay and food whenever i need it , even delivering at 10 pm one night in the summer when i ran low. Tom can get most stuff from his suppliers and is my nearest pet shop.
But Gl to you Lottie I hope all goes well for you