Testimonials
An organization is only as
good as the company it keeps. See what PIR members are saying about
their affiliation with the Pet Industry Retailers networking group, and how
it has impacted their business:
This is a
great place for information and exchanging ideas. When I log onto my email
account, this is the first email I look for in my inbox. I just love this
list. I don't contribute here as much as I'd like, but one of these
days I'll get the shop computer online and I won't have to wait until I'm
home for the night to read and respond. A big thanks to Susie for
all you do!
Beth at
Dogs By Design
Holistic Wellness Center & Spa
I opened my Self serve dog
wash in 2004 with nothing but an idea. It was slow going in the
beginning. I honestly didn't know what I was doing. What products do I
order and from who? I stayed with my basic Pet Edge orders. One day while
on line I found a wonderful group of people with the same goals and ideas
that I had. They offered insight products and services as well as business
advice. PIR was a complete turn around for my shop. So much so, I was
ready to open my second location.
One week before signing my new lease, Breast Cancer. That was it, I was
out of the game. My year passed slowly. Three major surgeries.
Sixteen weeks of chemo, and 36 radiation treatments. My wonderful husband
and my children kept the shop going, friends volunteered time. They all
knew what I didn't, I would want my shop back one day.
Tired, depressed, bald, and giving up, I turned on my computer. I once
again started reading the posts on PIR, my long lost friends. I learned of
all the new products, new ideas, and pet advice. The friendly banter of
members made me smile when I felt there was nothing left to smile about.
Then began reconstruction. As well as physical reconstruction, I had a lot
of mental reconstruction to do. Again, the whole time, quietly reading the
posts, listening to ideas, and getting inspiration.
Its been a long road, but I am finally proud to be opening my second
location. Being a member of this group has made this happen for me.
I don't know what tomorrow holds, but I do know what has made my continued
success possible, PIR.
What has this group done for me? It gave me the strength to keep going.
Thanks to this group, I'm back, ready to go, full speed ahead, floor plan
in hand and notebook full of ideas. Most importantly I
know that I have hundreds of my PIR family just a click away when I need
them.
Mindy at
Woofer Wash
PIR was a
great find for us! We are a primarily a pet service business, and as we
grow our retail offerings we needed help in finding good products,
reliable vendors and straightforward answers to our questions. PIR has
helped us with all of these things and more! It is one of the most
helpful groups around.
Joan
Hopkins
Manypaws Pet Villa,
Inc.
Westport, MA
When I opened Woody's Dog Wash in November of 2007 I was researching other
dog washes via the internet. I was told to check out the Pet Industry
Retail site by a member of the PIR in San Diego. After spending months of
researching online, going to trade shows and completing an assortment of
certification classes (yes..I did CPR on a plastic dog), I thought I had
done just about everything I could to open a successful dog wash and
retail business. That was before I clicked on the PIR site. Created by
Susie at Canine Creek Dog Wash & Boutique the site has become a daily
habit. This site is purely for retailers...created by one of the best.
The ability to share this much information on a daily basis at no charge
is amazing. New product reviews, industry news, products that sell well
and those that don't, insights on pet wellness, pet food recalls, foods
that are beneficial and a variety of topics that are too numerous
to mention all of them. The site is extremely user-friendly and
Susie checks it continuously to make sure it contains the type of
information that is appropriate to its members.
I
know my business has prospered because of the PIR site. As of now I am the
only retailer in Pennsylvania that sells Goughnuts! And I doubt there are
many stores in Pittsburgh that carry Himalayan Dog Chews or Lucky Buck
Antlers! I've added new products and decided against spending on some
proven not to sell. And best of all, I've become part of a network of
fellow night owls who are also up at 3am ordering dog products online!
I've become friend with local retailers who I would never have met and we
have found ways to work together to increase our profits, whether through
joint advertising or sharing a large minimum. The PIR site has become as
much an asset to my business as a good accountant! Kudos to Susie for her
extreme vision in creating this site.
Ann
Cipriani
Woody's Dog Wash & Boutique
woodysdogbath.com
I have always been
involved with the mainstream pet industry and did not know much about
boutiques & bakeries & dog washes etc. I have spent the last 37 years
owning huge stores with lots of employees. I never really related to
stores that could not make a simple $500 minimum order or who got little
discounts. My orders would run $8K to 12K a week just with Central or
Royal. We sold our mega store in November and moved ourselves to Central
Florida and opened a holistic pet foods market. I had always wondered how
people managed a small store. It was not an easy transition. I so over
ordered with this store it was unreal. Now I know how tough it is to make
a minimum order sometimes with some of these vendors and I no longer get
those mega discounts from Royal and Central. Your buddies at those
places no longer know you because you are not spending tons a week with
them.
But, I have learned so
much from all of you who have beating it out day to day to make it work.
This business has always been easy to me and we have been very successful.
I have not worked so hard in my life as I am now. Customers used to flock
to our store and as long as we gave them good service, we were successful.
We spent little effort promoting ourselves, going to events etc. BUT
NOW,we go to festivals and dog clubs and give out cards etc. I am going
through now what most of you have been doing a long time. My hat is off to
you guys! We are promoting like crazy. We rotate and make new displays
weekly and move product all the time.
Nothing new to you guys, I'm sure.
I love the fast response I get when I need your help or question about a
product etc. You guys have a wealth of information. After 37 years, I
thought I knew it all. Guess not even close! This is a whole new life for
me. I am very pleased that Deb from Pets Natural Choice told me
about this group and that Susie was gracious enough to let me join.
Thanks.
Ric
Hutchens
Whole Earth Pet Supply
wholeearthpetsupply.com
This PIR group is
extraordinary. You all are truly amazing and my life savers for those
discouraging days when I really need a pick me up. Just when I think
I want to throw in the towel from exhaustion, a bad week, or from just
feeling overwhelmed someone posts something wise, or funny or inspiring. I
have learned so much from each and everyone of you. You all truly inspire
me to strive for the best that I can be and that my store can be. And,
when I have a success it is a great way to share with those who "get it"!
Like Ric, even
though I had been in retail management my whole life I never owned my own
business until 5 years ago and storefront until 3 years ago. It has been a
very "educating" experience to say the least. I never realized how
"married" I would be to the business. How many sleepless nights I would
have. But, on the other hand, I also never realized how many lives I
would touch and how many animals I could help either. And, how fulfilled,
proud, and truly happy I am on owning my own business. And, it is SO
comforting to me that just when I think it is only "me" going thru these
feelings, I realize that there are a lot more "me's" out there by reading
your posts as well.
This selfless networking that this group does is totally invaluable to
all. I am not always able to make it to trade shows and to hear feedback
on new items, food choices etc., is worth a million dollars to myself and
my business. Being able to split orders and special order among this
group is a true gem as we all can't afford to by hundreds of dollars in
minimums.
Anyway...each and everyone of you are very special and important to me and
to my business. Each and everyone of you brings your own very special
insight/take/knowledge into this business and as they say..."it takes a
village to raise a child"...I think as being PIR members we are the
Village it takes to help make each of our individual stores a success as
well. Thank you Susie for starting this group and thanks to all of
you for all you do!!
Nancy
The Grateful Dog Bakery
gratefuldogbakery.com
Nice job on the
website, Susie!
I've reaped many benefits since joining - somebody on an unrelated
(non-pet industry) message board told me about this group, and I joined.
Since my shop is aquatics only, and there aren't many of us in that vein
of the industry here, I'd like to see more "LFS" (Local Fish Store) people
join up. However, I've gleaned a lot of information about the pet
industry in general, and since I have furry pets in my home, I'm able to
learn a lot about things pertaining to them and their care.
I've also found that there are a lot of things that the pet industry in
general, regardless of any shop's specialty, are universal among all of
us. If I've had a challenging customer or a silly situation, I can
post about it, and we can all laugh right along with one another. We've
all been there, done that. Also, regardless of the specialty, there
are things unique to the pet industry, and to small independent business,
that I've learned, that I've shared, and overall it has helped me conduct
my business, particularly during tough economic times.
Sometimes it's just a comfort to know "I'm not alone" - we all have
similar issues, and struggles. I'm glad I belong to this group -
it's helped me tremendously.
Jennifer Myerscough
Imagine Ocean Aquarium Services
Canton, GA
My fellow PIR members,
What great responses! Great job Susie, on the website idea. You are always
moving and shaking, keep "rocking this industry!!"
PIR has been an excellent ice breaking and bargaining tool. I have
always found a way to talk about PIR to everyone that I network with, both
pet industry colleagues as well as distributors and manufacturers.
PIR is not just a handful of dedicated professionals ( as we were when we
started), it is a powerful segment of Pet Industry Professionals. We
represent a large and varied demographic that collectively wield a huge
buying segment of the market. We communicate with each other in a way that
is both friendly and professional, helpful and encouraging, caring and
inspirational. PIR has a village feel and an urban savvy mentality.
PIR is at times a watchdog group. We tell one another about issues that
arise that we should be aware of. PIR has brought together pet industry
professionals in a way that is safe and offered a confidence shield to
those who needed to grow. It has also given those of us who have been in
this adventure for a while the chance to keep fresh and sassy. It has
offered a collaborative boost in a very non-judgmental way.
PIR is a virtual linking of Pet Industry pioneers in a way that did not
exist when most of the VIP's of our community started. it offers a way to
network while still in your pajama's, with or without your first cup of
Java. PIR is so much more than a trade group. It is an eye opener to
every manufacturer, distributor, or business that I talk to that they had
better pay attention to the fact that we have each other’s backs.
My two cents,
Donna F. Walker, RVT
South Bark Dog Wash, LLC
"Home of the Original Blueberry Facial"
www.southbark.com
I own a dog
daycare and have been building my retail ever so slowly and struggle with
meeting minimum requirements for local vendors. Many times I have to pay
higher prices because I can't meet a local distributor's minimum and have
to order from some online distributor that charges nearly retail rate. I
get so frustrated when I introduce a product to a customer and they get
excited about it and then eventually stop purchasing from me because they
were able to find it much cheaper at a big box store. And my profit margin
is at bare minimum! How to compete with that?? Thankfully through
PIR I am learning to keep the faith that my little specialty retail will
find its following if I stay dedicated and true to my mission of providing
healthy, natural products to my customers. :)
Janet A.
Primo PetCare
I was referred
to this site by another member and have since made it a point when I'm on
vacation (ok, actually at other business-related events) to tell anyone I
visit about it. I believe that the more members we have (actually, the
more PARTICIPATING members) the more everyone will benefit and the more
power that PIR can wield.
I enjoy coming to the PIR group when I can to share stories, get feedback,
share products, ask for nutrition assistance, sell off/buy inventory, and
to just do a baseline: "am I crazy?" check when dealing with a
vendor/product/customer issue. I recently heard the saying: "everything
you know you learned from someone else." That thought could be easily
worked into a mission statement for this PIR group – everyone has learned
something from this whether they want to or not!
A great group of people; all worth knowing or getting to know.
Paul Rathe
Soggy Paws, Inc. (soggypaws.com)
makers of GROWL AND MEOW (growlandmeow.com)
No Water? No Problem! No-Rinse Clean is a Minute Away!
I think the
PIR has improved the store's customers' service. I've had customers come
in with questions that really stumped me. I've posted those questions to
the group and more times than not several members have come to my rescue.
The collective knowledge that the PIR offers is an incredible tool.
Colleen White
deMuddy
Mutt
Quite simply,
it gives me a place to “meet” other professionals (manufacturers and
fellow retailers) when going to trade shows is not a possibility. I had
been hungry for a place to discuss my business with those who understand
what is so special about building a business around a love for pets, one
that serves customers who love their pets. Either you get the human-animal
bond or you don’t, but those of us who do, know it is a “fierce” passion.
The other business lists I am on can’t begin to allow the kind of sharing
re new products, recall alerts, questions of what works best re diet,
supplements, toys that PIR does.
I appreciate the variety of retailers, I am not the sole “online only”
retailer here, and that is nice!
I have been grateful for those who go to the various trade shows and then
generously share what their favorites are of the new products they saw
there. From discounts from vendors, information, support and simple
understanding of the issues facing the pet industry, this list has been
marvelous. I can read (and do) all the trade publications but it can not
match being able to “talk” with fellow retailers.
Thank you again Susie for taking the initiative and for the time you’ve
put into growing this community
Pat Krook (& the tabby - Alix
P. Curl)
Plain Brown Tabby Toys and Treats
"Where Kitty Wishes and Dreams Come True"
www.catniptoys.com
Nice job on
the website, Susie! It looks excellent with its clean look and the PIR
logo colors.
Thank you to PIR for the information passed around about products, general
business and just about any other topic related to pets (and sometimes not
related). I like that I've been able to learn about small vendors who
really want to sell their products but have a hard time getting it out
there. It's nice to know that PIR has been and will continue to be a
conduit of marketing and sales for these small vendors. It's hard enough
to be unique on one's own but having a group to go to and hear about new
products makes that easier - still not a walk in the park but definitely
keeps me down to a jog instead of a full out run!
The camaraderie in this group is a breath of fresh air considering we
could all see ourselves as competition to each other but I'm immensely
impressed that we don't - there's a constant flow of information and help
being passed around that each person can use or ignore.
When I started my local raw food business 5 years ago then my online store
3 years ago, I didn't know how I would keep pace with the "big guys."
Being a member of PIR has made me realize I don't need to keep pace with
them, just outsmart them! LOL
Thank you to Susie for starting this group. I hope it continues to grow
and provide new members with as many benefits as I've seen since joining.
Stephanie Case
Products4Pets
Susie,
The website looks great...........I can't wait to see how it develops over
time!
I don't remember exactly how I found my way to the PIR group, probably
just searching for anything relating to retailing pet
supplies............and there it was! I've been in the grooming industry
for about 15 years, 13 of those have been as the owner of my own salon.
Over the years, I saw so many unhealthy pets that I began to research pet
nutrition, going to seminars, reading books, and spending hours at a time
reading online websites. With that knowledge and information at my
fingertips, I began to discuss pet diets with many of my clients. Time and
time again, they would get half of the information I was trying to convey
and end up with another low-quality product for their pet. This, of
course, led to them asking ME to bring in the products I was recommending.
I had been selling a small amount of shampoo and conditioner, brushes,
combs, etc., but bringing in dog food, treats and supplements was about
the last thing I wanted to do. I had myself convinced it would take too
much time and effort and I'd end up losing out on grooming income.
I finally bit the bullet, so to speak, and brought in the rest of the
retail. It has been a journey, for sure! The best part of that journey has
been the information, advice, stories and general camaraderie of the Pet
Industry Retailer's list. I have laughed at many of the stories told,
often times because I could relate! I have made SUPER contacts with
vendors that are either also members of the list or vendors that have been
highly recommended by someone on the list. Not every purchase is a winner,
unfortunately; however, I am certain that my decisions have been made
easier with the help of the others here. I can't imagine jumping into this
business without the support and knowledge of everyone on this list. I am
truly indebted to Susie as well as many others, way too many to mention. I
tell everyone I can about this list, retailer and vendor alike. The ones
who don't check it out have no idea what they are cheating themselves of.
A world of thanks to you all for helping to make my business what it has
grown to be!
Beth Kidd
Dogs By Design
Holistic Wellness Center & Spa
