We spoke to Scott & Georgia from Bertie's Pet Store

 

Tell us about your store and team?

 

We are a family-run independent pet store with a team of 3 members of staff: Scott, Georgia and Anabelle. We are passionate about sourcing the best possible products for the pets of Portishead and pride ourselves on our range of natural and healthy treats and pet foods.

 

How did you get started in the pet industry?

 

Scott had previously worked with a large pet manufacturer for 26 years, so when the opportunity came up to open his own pet store right on his doorstep, it was meant to be. The shop we are currently in was previously a pet shop in Portishead for over 40 years, but closed six months before our opening. This was a great opportunity for us to come in and change up the interior and fine-tune our product range to items we truly believe in.

 

Do you have any pets?

 

Between us, we have three dogs. Scott has a wonderful 3-year-old rescue from Hungary called Tilda. She is settling in well and enjoying her new life as a shop dog and chief product tester. Georgia has two rescue dogs from a local rescue centre - a 10-year-old Rottweiler cross called Baloo, and a 7-year-old German Shepherd cross called Elsie. They are the dream team for testing out tough toys and long-lasting chews.

 

How do you stand out from the crowd?

 

We have spent a long time deciding on our range of products (which is constantly growing!). Everything you can find on our shelves is products we believe to be the best choice for healthy pets. You won't find foods or treats full of animal derivatives and fillers, and we are a 100% rawhide-free zone. This helps us when it comes to offering our customers help and advice on feeding, as we know exactly what is in all our products. We also have an in-store groomer and a designated area for free fittings of harnesses, collars and coats.

 

What do you feed your pets?

 

Tilda is currently fed on Natures Menu Raw Nuggets. This is the food that she is most keen on, and it has put a wonderful shine on her coat. Elsie and Baloo are fed on our own brand of grain-free dog food, which includes 50% meat, sweet potato and a mix of vegetables.

 

 

What do you recommend to your customers?

 

This depends entirely on the customer and their pet. There is no one product fits all, and we enjoy taking the time to get to know our customers and their animals as best we can in order to provide them with the best products or advice. If we can help our customers make one healthy switch while they are in store, this is a positive for us.

 

What is the most frequently asked question from your customers?

 

What is the longest-lasting dog treat? This can be a tough question to answer given that all dogs eat differently, but our top favourites would  have to be Yak cheese chews, beef tendons or raw bones from our frozen section.

 

What are the biggest challenges for your business?

 

Being a small business, we don't always have room for masses of stock, so for us, it is keeping on top of orders as best we can to make sure all areas of the shop are well stocked all of the time, and trying not to prioritise certain areas whilst letting others run low.

 

Tell us your best (family-friendly) animal joke?

 

What breed of dog is best at performing magic tricks?

 

A Labra-cadabra-dor!

 

Our customers are always fascinated to hear how the Yak Cheese chews will puff up in the microwave once they reach a smaller bite-sized piece. In general, having great product knowledge is always good on this side of the counter as we can provide handy little tips like this to our customers.

What's your best-selling product?

 

The most popular area of the shop is our doggy deli. The most popular treat in that section would have to be Doodles Deli mini sausages, which we often run multibuy offers on.

 

What do you think is the best new product of the year?

 

We love the new Twiggy Tags range, and they have proven very popular with our customers. They are incredibly easy to fit, and we haven't had a dog yet be in between sizes, which can happen with some less adjustable options on the market.

 

What trends are you seeing come through?

 

More and more of our customers are conscious of what is in their pet's food and are gladly making a healthier switch after quickly comparing the quality and quantity of ingredients.