The American Pet Products Association's 2023-2024 National Pet Owner Survey found that 66% of U.S. households (approximately 86 million) own a pet.
With such a large market, there is a lot of demand not only for pets, but also for pet food and related products. But United Consumer Financial Services says the market is not infinite, competition can be fierce, and it can be difficult for independent businesses to stand out among the national chains.
Despite the challenges, multiple independent pet retailers across Indiana are showing it can be done.
Atlantis Aquatic Gardens is a Terre Haute pet retailer specializing in tropical freshwater fish, saltwater fish, related supplies, and reptiles. The store has been operating in his home since 1975 and stems from owner Bill Heyman's tropical fish hobby. In addition to the animals for sale, Atlantis Aquatic Gardens has several exotic animals on display and also serves as a free zoo for the community, Heyman said.
“We've been a (free zoo) for years and that's why we're also a USDA (licensed) facility. We… uh, two lions and a We had a tiger, and it was our old zoo's store,'' Heyman said. “Since I moved here, I've had a few other exotic creatures, but I'm getting older, so caring for them has become quite difficult.”
Heyman said they are busy and the store generates income, but they put almost all of their income back into the business. He said business has slowed due to the rise of the internet, but the company still tries to remain competitive with online prices.
“You need to know what the price is on Amazon or eBay in order to adjust the price,” Heyman said. “It's not always going to be cheaper, but it's going to have to come pretty close, because people don't buy things with their phones in their hands anymore, especially unless they're pretty close.”
Heyman said MAP's pricing also helps keep the business competitive. This means that the price is the same in multiple locations and manufacturers will not sell their products to locations that offer excessive discounts. As a result, he said, manufacturers are adjusting their profit margins so that companies like his can be competitive. Buying products in bulk also helps the store and its purchasing power, he said.
“[Big store chains] They have their own distribution network and they buy it, but the manufacturer decides who they sell it to and how much they sell it for,” Heyman said. “Most of the big manufacturers have flattened their prices so that everyone has a chance to sell their products, whether it's in small or large stores.”
Like Atlantis Aquatic Gardens, Peru's Dirty Paws Pet Shop and Grooming has chosen to reduce its profit margins to be able to compete with big box stores. Owner Michael Graves said the smaller margins allow him to keep prices low and compete, but big box stores can still sell items for less than the purchase price. He said the company is now at a stage where most of its products can at least match the prices of big box stores.
“…usually the biggest challenge is finding a happy means of doing business to make money, but on the same side, trying to offer a product that seems to be at a fair and competitive price. ,” Graves said.
Graves first started a grooming business about 10 years ago, but started selling pets and pet supplies in 2020 when she took over a closed pet store in Peru. The store has a wide selection of pets, including birds, rabbits, hamsters, snakes, and lizards. , and various fish.
In addition to her love for animals and dogs, Graves said she started the business to change the way people view the grooming business because so many people have had bad experiences. He said he provides a personal touch by trying all the products before selling them, and he also plans to let people try the products the company sends to friends and family.
“We're very particular about the products we sell, everything we sell, and we try it on our own animals and use it on our own animals,” Graves said. “But we stand behind everything we sell. We don't sell things here just to sell products. Everything we sell stands behind everything we sell. I’m behind it and I’m very knowledgeable about it.”
Atlantic Aquatic Gardens is just as picky about who they hire as Dirty Paws stands behind everything they sell. Heyman said he typically only hires people who are already passionate about the hobby, or who have some prior knowledge or a strong interest. With employees like this, customers will be more likely to turn to someone who can give them advice they can trust.
Connecting and engaging with the community is another way these pet stores stand out. Pawpointmarketing.com says these practices, such as partnering with local pet shelters, can increase a pet store's visibility and reputation. For example, Graves said Dirty Paws provides free grooming for dogs and cats at local dog and cat shelters, and also provides food, prize giveaways and parties several times a year. It is said that there is
Atlantis Aquatic Gardens also garners community support through engagement. They are working with the Terre Haute Children's Museum to make telethon events more interesting by bringing in animals, Heyman said.
“…We were doing a lot of outreach programs in schools,” Heyman said. “I started out as a school teacher, so even after I left public school education, I enjoyed being outside with the kids, going into the classroom, and showing them the animals.”
When it comes to rare pets and their needs, independent pet supply stores may be more reliable. For example, Kokomo Crawlspace sells food for exotic pets such as bearded dragons, snakes, and spiders.
“So, we had bearded dragons and leopard geckos. When we moved back to Indiana in 2019, we had a really hard time finding suitable food for them unless you ordered online and paid for shipping.” “We did it,” said co-owner Daniel Parnell. He said. “So, we started breeding during COVID-19 and… word of mouth spread about what we had and what we could offer, and it took off from there.”
Owner Cedric Parnell runs the business out of his home, offering fresh bait that is kept in culture until ordered. He said it's difficult to run a crawl space from home because some people like to walk around and shop, but he said he has many regular customers who visit at least once a week.
“…There's a lot of people coming in. There's a lot of first-time people looking for something. The pet stores and Petcos are closed… They close around 9 o'clock.” So people looking around. There are a lot of them. I know, that's how they find us. Apparently the pet shop has closed. ”
Running an independent pet store can be difficult, but it can also be very rewarding. Graves said he enjoyed interacting with the different animals, and Cedric Parnell told his wife, “The bugs are paying the bills.''
Heyman said the animals have been around for about 50 years, so many area residents remember the animals they have kept at Atlantis Aquatic Gardens over the years and have lived with their parents and grandparents. He said he came often. He said the business wasn't a hugely profitable one, but he and his wife had enough business to keep it going and enjoy it.
“A lot of what we have here is not for sale, it's just that there are creatures that you don't see every day and people like to bring their kids there,” Heyman said. “We have big moray eels, we have giant turtles, we have a lot of macaws that talk to you and make it more like an interactive zoo. Because of that, we have a lot of friends in the community. We've had a lot of support from our community. Most of the politicians in this town, most of the police officers know us, and we have a lot of friends. So this business… One of the real rewards of doing this is the interaction and support from the public.”
