pet shop question?

Question

i have been thinking of opening a pet shop and would like peoples input on what they think a pet shop should have and be like and just to let you know i have lots of pet and do all kinds of research on all kinds of animals but mainly in reptiles
plez tell me about your experiences with pet shops good and bad


just trying to make animals have a better chance at life

by the way alot of the pets will be breed from our own animals

Answer 1

how big of a shop are you thinking of opening? what type of dog and cat foods are you going to sell? first find a few distributors that handle the feed and supplies you will want to carry. well actually go online and figure out how much shelving/gondolas you'll need. you can buy used ones but theyre expensive. theres a company out of tennessee (i think but you can find some online) that buys out walmarts that go out. they have good shelves and even the fish tank units that include the sink! its a pain in the *** to set up a store (i've set up two pet stores) but it is worth it when you see a customer smiling.
another thing is check with the DEC with what kind of reptiles youre allowed to sell in your state. they'll come in and work with you and tell you about the new laws.
it will save you a lot of money to breed your own animals.
getting the shelving and supplies in will be the most expensive part. Look for stores that went out of business in your area so you can pick up a register, shopping carts, and a counter cheap! oh dont forget to get a fridge and freezer for frozen foods and mealworms!! umm..you can get a cricket container from Fluker's to hold all your crickets. (if you cant get it there you can order one from Royal Pet Supplies. )
Good Luck!!

Answer 2

First off pet shops are very hard to run successfully. I've been to some good ones, some bad ones. You should try having a variety of different animals for sale. You should have bedding, toys, grooming equipment, vitamins, treats, and ect.
Also if you sell rodents be sure not to let their homes get over crowded. That makes for a very smelly shop and someone might report you. Also with your crickets (which you should sell if you are going to specialize in reptiles) make sure that you dust and gut load them. Make sure that their food and water supply is changed daily and all crickets that have died have been disposed of immediately.
Furthermore don't sell any animals that you didn't get from a reputable source. The last thing that you want is to sell some one a ball python when they are looking for a boa constrictor. And last but not least know everything that you can about the animals that you sell.

Answer 3

You should have supplies for every animal you plan on selling. If you plan on specializing in reptiles, make sure the cages you provide for them mimic the type of cage their owner should keep them in. A lot of people get the misconception that they can keep their snake that can grow up to 6 feet in a ten gallon tank.

If you really plan on starting a business, you should know as much as possible about every animal you have, and make sure the people you employ do as well.
The worst thing to hear is something you know is blatantly wrong being told you by a person who is supposed to know what they're talking about.
(Like when someone told me a new-born cornsnake could eat a whole pinkie. Not happening.)

The most important thing is the well-being of the animals, not the profit you make. That was my biggest problem working at Petsmart, we were forced to "push" more expensive hamsters over rats, though we all knew for a fact the hamsters bit and were less friendly, our manager told us we weren't allowed to suggest rats, instead, suggest a 20 dollar hamster to a 5 year old, who would get bit once, and want to return the hamster or have absolutely nothing to do with it.

Answer 4

this is a really huge investment to just start up the place. let alone keep it running. location is probably the key and weather or not the economy will support a pet shop. i am a manager at a petstore and know first hand that we need to make a minimum of $1,800.00 per day if we want to JUST break even at the end of the week. we offer only superpremium and holistic dog and cat foods, fish, small animals, birds, and reptiles. we do not sell dogs or cats because no matter what you're gonna get bad bred dogs, unless you can breed your own. and its kinda abusive to have kittens and puppies in little cages all the time like that. petshops are really fun to run, especially if you like helping people out, and teaching about animals and animal care. i personally would rather give away all my advice and knowledge for free, than to be a vet. working in the business you always find out what things work , why, and how. we sell at ours cat and dog food, shampoo, flea products ( NOT HARTZ), clotes, leashes, colars, training guys, books, thsirts, cages, kennels, treats, toys, water and food holders, calming sprays, medication, vitamins, peepads, pretty much anything and everything you can buy thats related to dogs, cats, small animals, fish, and reptiles.

Answer 5

Never buy your puppies from a puppy mill and only purchase them from reputable breeders, one thing that bothers me about pet shops is most don't offer mixed breed puppies, many of us love them. Keep your place very clean people will buy more if they know you care about the animals. Good Luck to you.

Answer 6

Make sure all of your animals are healthy and clean. Only purchase your animals from responsible breeders so you can guarantee the quality of the pets you are selling. Have a wide variety.

Answer 7

Of course you want to have some of the ordinary pets like cats, fish, iguanas, but its nice to have some more exotic pets like nile monitors, or larger boas. Be shure all of your animals are well cared for. But I think the most important thing is to be shure that your staff really knows what they are talking about. Nothing is more anoying then going into a pet shop asking an employ a question and them being like, "Um.........I'm not shure, let me go ask someone........maybe my co-worker will know." (he asks co-worker and reterns) "Um..........he didn't know either, I think it will eat crickets......you can always give him some and see.....the worst that could happen is he dies" Man that ticks me off, I can't tell you how many times things like that have happened to me at a pet store.

Answer 8

a couple of suggestions.
1. keep the place clean
2.treat everyone like a regular

these two things will keep people coming back. i mean besides the obvious of having good healthy animals, people will keep giving u their business instead of going to petco and petsmart because of the way they are treated.

Answer 9

That's a great idea you have!, but actually take good care of the animals, and don't sell them for very cheap because they will end up being a snake's dinner,and don't be like wal-mart and kill your fish

Answer 10

i think it's cool go for it good luck