We meet a couple who set up a pet shop for particuarly personal reason
Natalie and Robert Press set up their pet shop in 2021 for a particularly special reason. Their son was diagnosed as autistic and the pair set up a pet store as part of his future. This was despite having no experience in retail or in the pet trade! They are just about to celebrate two years in business and here Natalie gives the inside story on their unique journey…
Tell us about your shop.
"We are Woof The Yorkshire Dog Shop, based in Oakwood, Leeds; a short walk from Roundhay Park. We are proud of our adopted Yorkshire heritage and so work hard to stock products first and foremost from local makers, the whole of the UK, then Europe and further afield. As dog owners ourselves, we want to stock fantastic quality, well-made products that help you have a great relationship with your dog."
Also, we want our customers to find the fun in owning a dog, so we have an ice cream sprinkle station, pick and mix, a pawtisserie and Santa’s Grotto and we’ve much more planned!
What inspired you to become a pet shop owner?
"In July 2021, our son received a diagnosis for autism and we wanted to create a future for him. We had this overwhelming feeling that a pet shop would be the way to go as he had an affinity for dogs. We signed the lease to our shop in September 2021 and opened the doors three months later, having no prior experience of retail or the pet industry!
"Our Mini Schnauzers Buster and Missy were a key factor in our decision too. We were sick of walking into pet shops that where piled high with products where everything felt cramped, shopping wasn’t much fun, and it was often overwhelming for our son — we wanted our store to be the exact opposite of this."
Why did you decide to focus on only selling dog products?
"We originally started off with dog products and a cat corner with a view to expanding to small animals but we found that it was the dog owners who really responded to what we were trying to achieve. Rather than compromise on our vision, we decided to focus purely on dogs."
What are your best-selling products?
"Without a doubt, long lasting natural treats and yak chews, closely followed by bagged treats and toys."
How do you source your stock?
"A combination of local makers, wholesalers, and direct. We’ve found that many manufacturers are lowering their MOQ which means it’s easier to shop with them. Working with local makers enables us to bring something unique and different to our customers."
You run lots of events, such as giving dog advice seminars and ‘pup up shops’ — why do you do these and what are the benefits to the business?
"The workshops and pup ups are about building the Woof community and helping people have a better relationship with their dog. Sometimes life happens and your dog’s behaviour changes and this is where we can help create awareness and connect owners to people and products that can help.
"Similarly, we wanted to create a community to support our son long after we retire. All of our customers know our son, they are aware of his journey, and accept him as he is."
How often do customers come to you for pet related advice?
"Daily! We are a hub for the community to stop by for a treat for their dog and then they stop to chat for a while. Being dog owners ourselves, our customers value the knowledge we have built up over the years and in true Yorkshire style, we are very honest about what has and has not worked for us."
What are your most successful ways you market the products you sell?
"Most of our customers are on instagram so that’s our main source however, we will be trying out TikTok very soon."
What would be your best piece of advice to other independent pet shop owners?
"Don’t be afraid to stand out from the crowd and create a business that represents your vision. We have had to make some tough decisions — not to stock certain brands as they didn’t align with our vision, particularly as they didn’t offer our business the same respect we offer our customers."
Having set up the shop coming up to two years ago — despite having no experience of retail or the pet industry — how do you reflect on the journey so far?
"Without question, it’s been a rollercoaster. The customers we assumed we would attract are not actually the customers who visit us, so we needed to adapt quickly. As we don’t come with any pretences about the industry, we’ve been able to take risks with our store, our marketing, and our brand.
"We’ve had to learn very quickly how to respond to the peaks and troughs, find what works for us, and we’ve made many mistakes along the way. However, we broke even in our first financial year (technically, nine months of trading) and have a wonderful selection of regular customers. Hopefully, our second year has built on this and we will be in a strong position going into our third year.
"Finally, we feel immense pride and tiredness as we both are working in other jobs, as well as running Woof."