Pet Stores and Pet Boutiques for Sale

Pet stores today usually fall in one of two categories. They are either a franchise in one of the large pet store chains such as Petco or Petsmart. Or they are an independent boutique-type store. According to the most recent research, nearly 57 percent of all households in the United States own a pet. Those pets obviously need a constant supply of food and other essentials. All of this means that pet store owners generally have a steady flow of customers, whether they are part of a pet store chain or a boutique.

Buying a pet store or pet boutique is a big investment. In addition, if you intend to sell any animals in your store, you will find that selling animals is heavily regulated in the United States. The U.S. Animal Welfare Act (AWA) applies and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) monitors licenses and inspections. Depending on the state, there can be additional licensing and inspections. However, not all pet stores sell animals. Many pet stores today simply focus on selling pet food and supplies. This dispenses with a lot of regulatory headaches for pet store owners.

Benefits of buying a pet store or boutique

If owning a pet store or pet boutique sounds like a dream to you, there are lots of benefits:

Pet store owners usually get to know their clients and their pets. If you love animals and their people, owning a pet store is a great way to be part of your local pet community. Pet stores are often at the heart of the local pet community, offering training classes, holding Halloween events, Easter events, pictures with Santa Clause, donating to the local shelter. If there are ways for pets to be involved, the local pet store is usually a gathering place.

A good pet store usually has very stable business. The pet food and products industry is very stable. The amount spent by Americans on pets and pet products has increased every year for decades. Even during recessions, the pet food and pet products market has proven to be strong. Customers will cut back on just about everything else before they cut back on their pet’s standard of living. Americans spent $29.07 billion on pet foods in 2017 and that figure is expected to increase in 2018

If you are selling high-end pet food, you can have an edge. Manufacturers of these more expensive foods often restrict them from being sold at big box stores and in grocery stores. If pet owners want to buy these exclusive, niche foods, they have to buy them from pet stores and pet boutiques. For other pet foods, Wal-mart can be your major competitor.

The profit margin on some items can be very high. If you sell toys, crates, bowls, and other supplies, you can have a profit margin of around 50 percent. Pet food has slimmer margins because the price is usually set by the manufacturer.
Pet ownership is increasing so buying a pet store or pet boutique could be a good decision if this kind of business appeals to you.