A new pet shop owner used wooden pallets, upcycled furniture and scaffolding planks to fit out her store so she could invest more money in buying stock.
Shona Dempster opened The Pet Stop (Grampian) in the Aberdeenshire town of Ellon at the end of July and felt the distinctive interior of her store and the products on sale had been an instant hit with the area’s pet owners.
“I’m loving the rustic result,” she said. “Upcycled items have character and by doing the majority of the work myself the whole shop is more meaningful, with each item having its own story.
“When compiling my business plan I was concerned about the price of new shop fittings. I wanted to keep costs down so more capital could be spent on stock. I was also brought up to not be extravagant and to find more economical ways of doing things.”
Shona decided to start her own business specialising in pet food and treats for animals with allergies after discovering her own dog – a Rhodesian Ridgeback called Barney – was allergic to chicken, turkey, beef and corn.
LOCALLY-SOURCED
Initially, she sold locally sourced products at farmer’s markets while continuing to work full-time as a customer service controller.
“While selling the pet products from market stalls I kept being asked whether I had a shop,” said Shona. “It made me realise that customers approved of the products I was supplying and there was gap in the area for a shop location to mimic my market stall.
“The response so far has been hugely positive and overwhelming. The people of Ellon have been without a pet supplies store for some time and now customers seem to be happy to have something like The Pet Stop in the town again.
“It has also been heart-warming to see that some of my market regulars are travelling to Ellon to purchase their dog food.”
The Pet Stop sells food, treats, toys and accessories for a wide selection of pets, including dogs, cats, ferrets, small animals, birds and fish.
Sourcing locally is also important to Shona. “The products I sell from Aberdeenshire are beeswax paw protector (Boyndie Beehive), collars made of tartan and Harris tweed (Hound Heart Collars) and enrichment toys (Rumledyke accessories),” she added.
“If local is unavailable I look within Scotland, utilising two wholesalers with depots in the country along with recognised suppliers of natural dog treats.”
