Dog Community

Mom and Pop store Vs Chain store

Posted : 5/18/2006 7:28:41 AM

Another thread got me thinking about this and I didn't want to hijack that one.

I buy my dog food at a small mom and pop local business instead of PetSmart because they are a small, local business. I pay about $30-$38 (depending on sales) a bag for 40 lbs of Nutro. I could buy the same bag at Petsmart for less than $30, but I continue to go to the local store instead. To support my local businesses. Thankfully they don't sell puppies, just dog, cat, bird and some fish supplies. But they carry all the high quality foods and only one brand lower than Nutro.

This local store has to charge more because they can't buy 40,000 bags of Nutro and ship 100 bags to each of it's millions of stores. They buy two pallets worth and have to pay more. But I'm supporting a local family in doing so.

Plus it's great to go in there. They always offer to carry the bag for me (bad back) and they know me and my boyfriend by site. They give each of their customers "Holiday" gifts each year and often, if you take your dog in, they will throw in free goodies for them.

So how many of you will pay the extra money to support a local business as opposed to going to the convenient Petsmart? (Petsmart is literally 2 miles from my house, the local store is about 10)

marynh

Posted : 5/18/2006 7:34:34 AM

if I had a choice of places to shop for pet food I would support my own personal economy before worrying about someone else's.
BUT....I would have to drive 45 minutes one way to get to the larger chain pet stores to save money on pet food so I do go to the little mom/pop pet store in the next town.
Another BUT....last time I did go to the larger pet store (this past February) I found they actually charge more for the dog food I buy (Nutro Natural) than the little mom/pop store!!!!
But again if I had the choice I would worry more about my finances than the store's finances. I'm selfish that way [8D] I have bills too

cyclefiend2000

Posted : 5/18/2006 8:14:21 AM

we buy our pet food from a local small chain. they only have about 10 stores in total (maybe less). we dont necessarily buy from them just to support local people, they are the only place to get the food we have been feeding. when we were buying nutro for our dogs we would get it from either petsmart or the place we buy from now. petsmart is definitely more accessible to us, but i do like supporting local people's businesses.

many times for us the local people sell for less than petsmart anyways. now the place we are buying from offer a free bag of food after buying a certain number of bags, which is nice. got our free bag on the last visit.

edit: the place we buy from also carries the bags of food out for us as well. that is very nice when my wife stops alone. she doesnt have to try to carry out 2-40# bags by herself.

twelvepaws

Posted : 5/18/2006 8:46:41 AM

I try to support local economy when I can, but an $8 dollar difference would probably make me hesitant. Driving that extra 8 (16 actually) miles that you do, probably adds another $10 to your bill!

griffinej5

Posted : 5/18/2006 8:55:00 AM

I buy Max's food at a small local store, well, I think they have 3 locations now, but it's not a big chain. He eats Evo, so I don't have too many options on where to buy it. I think the only other place that carries it is about 35 minutes away, although I go out that way to doctors, so I would pick it up there if this place didn't have it. The store I regularly go to is 10-15 minutes away, where the Petsmart and Petco are 20-25 minutes, although I go past the Petco on my way to the train station when I have classes. I never go by a Petsmart regularly. We also have the Pet Valu chain which carries some stuff I would consider. One is about 5-10 minutes away, and the other is right by the store I regulary shop at. I've gotten things in there, but not food.
My mom was going to buy Millie's bag of food at the same place I got Max's, since it is convenient, but they were out of the big bags, so then she went to the Pet Valu, which also didn't have it (not sure if they were out or don't carry it). So, since they carry Natural Balance in Petco, she had me pick up a bag on my way home yesterday. Where the next bag comes from will most likely depend on what we'll be going near when the current one is almost out.

puggylover

Posted : 5/18/2006 10:38:10 AM

I by my dog food from a small store that has only 2 locations. One of which they just opened. It is out of my way to go there because it is on the other side of town than everything else. So I usually only go there for the food because it is the only place that sells Innova. I like the place a lot it has a bakery.where they make dog treats, which my dogs love. Everyone there is so nice. Also when you by 10 bags of dog food you get 1 free. If it wasn't so out of the way for me I would do all my shopping there, but I have bills and gas is expensive.

Paulo

Posted : 5/18/2006 10:45:19 AM

I buy my food from a smaller store. Reason being is that they carry Innova and Canidae and Petsmart doesn't. To be honest if Petsmart carried either of these 2 brands and it was for a cheaper price than my local store I would buy it from the cheaper place.

huskymom

Posted : 5/18/2006 10:47:26 AM

Well if I had a choice, I would probably still buy my dog food from the local store. However since the store I buy it from is the only store in the entire city that carries Innova I don't have a choice. I still like to go into Superpet on occasion to check out whats new and look at the lizards and snakes and stuff but I rarely buy things from there.

Kara

Posted : 5/18/2006 10:53:54 AM

We always try to support the local stores we like. Unfortunately with pet stores we don't really have any small local stores. We have a PetSupermarket and a Petco within 5 minutes of the house. I do get Gracie's food from a local grooming shop that sells the higher end, organic foods. For items other than food, I will usually shop online like at idog for stuff.

rwbeagles

Posted : 5/18/2006 11:04:06 AM

I'm with whoever said their personal economy's support comes first lol!

Plus the local feed store here always has dusty bags and I wonder how often they change them out. I know they don't turn over all that quick..esp the niche brands. If they only reorder when they sell..which would be smart business....there might be some really close to the date and even beyond it...bags in there. Neat store tho, I like to go in an poke around.

The fact that Petsmart big as they are has some big time bad PR if they sell something that makes a dog sick, have stricter reg's on store sanitation and parasite/rodent control, etc...there's some protection for the consumer in that.

fuzzy_dogs_mom

Posted : 5/18/2006 11:20:55 AM

I agree with Mary & Gina as far as personal finances coming first. Also, now that gas is creeping toward $4 a gallon, you have to figure that into the equation. If you have to drive any distance, are you really saving anything?

Joyce & Max

tashakota

Posted : 5/18/2006 11:49:53 AM

I guess for me, it's not so much as saving money, it's supporting local small businesses. We go to a local hardware store for most things first, then Lowe's when they don't have it. It's sad to see small stores go out of business because of large chain stores. I was just curious who else felt the same way.

schleide

Posted : 5/18/2006 12:55:37 PM

We buy almost everything at our local pet store. They are more expensive, but they give better service. They know people's dogs, they are happy to chat about nutrition (and know what they are talking about - they only carry very high quality foods and happily chat about the differences between them and based on discussions about individual dogs will try to help pick one that will be best for you and your dog) or any other issue you are having. They also always toss in free treats!

fuzzy_dogs_mom

Posted : 5/18/2006 2:19:57 PM

It is kind of sad to see the bigger chain stores putting the small, independent stores out of business, but I guess it's a sign that people would really rather shop at the bigger stores. Here, everytime someone mentions putting in a *big box chain* a large group goes totally bonkers, worrying about everything from negatively impacting the downtown area to disturbing toads. The fact is that nearly everyone goes out of town to shop for most things, because the prices and the variety at the bigger stores are better. And the city moans and groans about losing the tax base to other cities, but they still won't give us anyplace to shop. So ... I (and apparently a significant number of other people) travel to Woodland to go to Wal-Mart, Home Depot, Mervyns & Target, Vacaville to go to Kohls, Lowes & Costco and Sacramento to go to Trader Joe's. Just the way it is.

Joyce & Max

smilee1079

Posted : 5/18/2006 2:32:41 PM

I buy my Innova from my vet. The local mom and pop places charge $8 more per 16 lb. bag and are maybe 1 mile closer. I will probably buy my Canidae from the local store though. Most of my other dog supplies I buy online or on sale someplace.