We spoke to Darroch from Pet's Village

 

Tell us about your store and team?

 

Passion for animals run through our veins. The project was born from a veterinary surgeon and a veterinary nurse - we realised that there was a huge number of products on the market that were just not made with pets in mind. We wanted to offer pets and their owners products we genuinely trusted and believed in, and we wanted a community where pet owners could get real advice on caring for their pets.

 

How did you get started in the pet industry?

 

Our three founders have all been passionate about pets, with two of them working in the veterinary industry for over a decade, dedicating their days to saving and treating pets.

 

Do you have any pets?

 

Between our founders, we have a total of 8 cats and 6 dogs! Many of them are rescues and fosters from a local charity.

 

How do you stand out from the crowd?

 

Being independantly owned by vets and nurses who really do want the very best for every pet that comes through the store, we pride ourselves on listening to what our clients want and constantly adapting our range to suit their requests.

What do you feed your pets?

 

With a whole menagerie, we feed a wide diet from Royal Canin and Lily's Kitchen to two very fussy Maine Coone rescues who are on Iams Sensitivity.

 

What do you recommend to your customers?

 

We love recommending Jude's ice creams, and always suggest freezing a KONG filled with Arden Liver Paste.

 

What is the most frequently asked question from your customers?

 

We get tonnes of questions about safely feeding raw food, which is why we will only stock complete raw diets - it can be really tricky to juggle the proper nutrition when raw feeding, so it's super important to feed a complete diet, even if you want to jazz it up with treats and toppers, always keep a complete raw base.

Weigh your food! Never just go by packaging or scoops. It's so easy to overfeed pets, and we always recommend calculating calories and nutrition before feeding.

 

 

What are the biggest challenges for your business?

 

As a new business, we know competition is tough with online traders, so we have tried to build a catalogue of products that aren't easy to find online and are as unique as possible.

 

What's your best selling product?

 

Without a doubt, our deli is the most popular section - people love being  able to purchase fresh treats for their dogs. The ostrich range has been super popular over the last few weeks, with a large number of pups with allergies and sensitivities in London. People are loving the novel protein offering.

Shop Ostrich Deli

Doodles Deli Air Dried Ostrich Sniew 1kg

SKU: 271302 Packsize: Single
RRP £99.99

Doodles Deli Air Dried Ostrich Sausage 1KG

SKU: 271289 Packsize: Single
RRP £41.99

Doodles Deli Air Dried Ostrich Jerky 1KG

SKU: 271288 Packsize: Single
RRP £69.99

Doodles Deli Air Dried Ostrich Chips 1kg

SKU: 271303 Packsize: Single
RRP £59.99

Doodles Deli Air Dried Ostrich Meaty Sticks 1kg

SKU: 271301 Packsize: Single
RRP £59.99

Doodles Deli Air Dried Ostrich Neck 1kg

SKU: 271298 Packsize: Single
RRP £49.99

Doodles Deli Air Dried Ostrich Liver Flakes 1KG

SKU: 271290 Packsize: Single
RRP £49.99

Doodles Deli Air Dried Ostrich Burgers 1kg

SKU: 272021 Packsize: Single
RRP £35.99

Doodles Deli Air Dried Ostrich Bites 1kg

SKU: 272022 Packsize: Single
RRP £35.99

Doodles Deli Air Dried Ostrich Cave Man Bone [Dcse 25]

SKU: 271328 Packsize: DCse
RRP £14.99

 

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

 

We have loved the Apex Flavoured Bubbles, and they pair great with the new bubble gun, which is such a perfect toy for kids and their pets!

 

What trends are you seeing come through?

 

There's been a big shift in supplementing nutrition, whether that's through treats or nutraceuticals - we've seen an uplift in functional treat sales specifically for cats.

Shop Functional Cat Treats

M & C VetIQ Healthy Bites Urinary Care Cat Treats 65g

SKU: 2501711 Packsize: Cse 8
RRP £2.30

M & C VetIQ Healthy Bites Breath & Dental Cat Treat 65g

SKU: 262731 Packsize: Cse 8
RRP £2.30

M & C VetIQ Healthy Bites Hairball Remedy Cat Treats 65g

SKU: 262732 Packsize: Cse 8
RRP £2.30

YowUp Cat Yogurt Skin & Hair 85g

SKU: 270148 Packsize: Cse 10
RRP £2.50

YowUp Cat Prebiotics Yogurt 85g

SKU: 270146 Packsize: Cse 10
RRP £2.30

M&C Vet IQ Healthy Bites Serene Calming Cat Treats 65g

SKU: 270156 Packsize: Cse 8
RRP £2.30