Market Focus: Denver

r From Pg. 8 their daily routine. “My store focuses on minimizing the environmental impact our pets have on the planet and the Denver market is perfectly situated to support this goal,” explained Skylar Clifton Owner of Sustain-A-Bowl Pet Supply. “The conversations that I have with pet parents start with nutrition and always end with environmental impact; it is a great deciding factor when all other things are equal.”

“I love that I get to spend my days surrounded by adorable animals and their loving owners,” said Sara Lindsay with Dogma Pet Supply & Dogwash. “It’s so rewarding to see the joy that pets bring to people’s lives and to be able to help them take care of their furry friends. Plus, the Denver pet community is so friendly and supportive—it’s like being part of one big family!”

For Simpawtico, one of the most enjoyable aspects of running a pet business in Denver has to do with the interaction with its customers and their pets. “Having a business and living within a walkable community gives us a unique and fun experience to interact with the community daily,” said Co-Owner Kevin Hogan. “Denver loves their pets and we do too!”

More than pure luck

“We have long-standing relationships which help cultivate mutual trust and support between the retailers and Animal Supply Company,” Edvalson said. “Many of our delivery drivers and warehouse teammates have been with us for years, which has led to great relationships with vendors and retailers. Our territory sales managers in the market have a background in pet retail allowing them to have insights into what our customers need, and they are extremely knowledgeable on the brands that we carry. Because of this, they are able to provide our retail partners with solid recommendations to grow their business.”

Tompkins with BlackPaw attributes the company’s success in the Denver market to her “wonderful” staff. “I can genuinely say that every person who works at BlackPaw loves animals and is happy to come to work every day and help animals and pet parents,” she said. “The other large factor is our customers. We have loyal customers who have been shopping with us for years and they are so understanding, supportive and wonderful. They are constantly cheering us on, and we have come to know them by name and think of them as friends.”

Hughes from Flatirons Natural Pet Market & Wash chalks it up to three main factors that led her company to flourish. “Definitely aligning our values as a business and as animal lovers with those of the local consumer makes the incentive higher to shop at our store,” she said. Second, having knowledgeable staff is incredibly important. If the advice that you give to your customer results in a tangible, visible and positive change in their pet then you have gained their trust and confidence and you have a customer for life. That is the key element to a successful independent pet retailer. And third, location is important as well, being visible in a shopping center that drives local business and near other businesses with the same target demographic is always an advantage.”

Gannon with Petzlove Food’n Stuffz believes the independent pet retailers are positioned to succeed in the Denver market because each company offers an inimitable experience in their stores unlike the larger players in the market. “This marketplace has a relative saturation of chains, franchises and big box operators,” he said. “Most of these stores tend to miss the mark when it comes to the Denver pet parent. There are unique challenges to operating in the Denver marketplace. National ‘cookie cutter’ chains have limited success in meeting the demands of the local pet parent, which is why the independent market is so robust and successful in Denver.”

“Exceptional customer service, highly educated staff with low turnover and a killer location are the major contributing factors to our success,” said Johnson with Fine Pet Supply & Outfitter. “We are also a ‘one-stop-shop’ by offering grooming, self-serve dog washing and the largest selection of any indie shop in Downtown Denver. When you make customers hunt and track down their favorite products across numerous stores you will ultimately lose their business.”

Some of the factors that have helped Simpawtico to thrive in this market are “location, location, location, an amazing staff, great customer service and a little luck,” Hogan said. “We located our store in a highly walkable pet-centric neighborhood that lacked local pet options. Our store and our neighborhood have grown exponentially, as did Denver, since we have opened. We chose this neighborhood as this is where we personally live. Being a part of the local community strengthened our uniqueness creating a strong community bond. We have also been fortunate enough to retain our tight-knit group of highly knowledgeable staff who reside within the area as well. Another important factor in our success is our ability to pivot. We stay hyper-focused on inventory, pricing and industry news. This knowledge allows us to keep up with what are the healthiest and best products for our customers and their pets.”

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