We spoke to Michael from North East Pet Store to find out how he got started in the pet industry.

Tell us about your store and team?

 

We started with just our website a few years ago, selling small animal supplies, which grew to cover all types of pets, from hamsters to horses. We now have nearly 18,000 items available. The success of our website was soon followed by our first physical store in Hebburn South Tyneside. We are also set to open a smaller pop up store in Gateshead very soon. As well as the two stores and website, we also have a team who go out to local markets and community events.

 

How did you get started in the pet industry?

 

Originally, we were a Rabbit Rescue running from our garage at home. As we grew, buying from pet shops became too expensive so we started going directly to suppliers. This then led to us supplying our customers who rescued rabbits from us. During lockdown, we started supplying other pet supplies to people who couldn't get out due to Covid.

Do you have any pets?

 

We currently have 20 rabbits, 2 dogs - Skye the Siberian Husky, Rosie the Cocker Spaniel - and 2 Maine Coon cats - Nova and Luna.

 

How do you stand out from the crowd?

We try to stand out by offering as low prices as possible, as well as always supporting the local community. We were recently nominated for the Love South Tyneside Supporting the Community Award 2023.

 

What do you feed your pets?

 

Our rabbits get fed Marriage's Rabbit Pellets as we have a long-standing relationship with Marriage's, and it's an excellent food. Sky loves Nutriment and Naked Dog Cold Compressed Dog Food. Rosie is a typical cocker spaniel who'll have anything but is raw-fed. Luna is raw-fed on a variety of brands, whilst Nova is a very picky cat and will mainy eat Carnilove Kibble with a mixture of wet food brands.

 

What do you recommend to your customers?

 

We always recommend raw food for dogs and cats when possible, followed by cold compressed food. For rabbits and guinea pigs we always recommend Marriage's as they have a very high-quality feed without being too expensive.

 

 

What is the most frequently asked question from your customers?

 

What is the best food for their pets without being too expensive?

 

What are the biggest challenges for your business?

 

Price rises, from supplies to utilities, our shops have seen a large rise that we have tried not to pass on to customers.

 

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

 

How do you stop a skunk from smelling?

Put a peg on its nose ...

 

Always have a packet of sprats in the freezer. They are great treats for dogs and cats, you can also hide tablets inside them if you need to!

What's your bestselling product?

 

Our best-selling product onlline is our Felix Multipacks, whilst in-store it would be our Devon Hay and Natural Dog Treats.

 

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

 

We'll have to blow Marriage's trumpet again. Their new packaging and sizes are excellent, offering people great choice and variety for small animals. Also, the introduction of House Rabbit is great for indoor pets.

 

What trends are you seeing come through?

 

More people are switching to raw feeding as the price is a lot better and feeding is so easy.

 

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