14 December 2000



Open All Hours

The next time you go into a late opening corner shop you could come face to face with a display of pet products that you might normally only expect to see in your local pet shop.

Pet Delights is a recently launched London based distribution company with close connections to the independent convenient store fraternity.

In only a few months the company has introduced the concept of selling fast moving pet products through local 'open all hours' general stores and they already supply over 1,000 stores across the UK.

Local high street pet shops have long been under a great deal of pressure from supermarkets and out of town stores. However, according to Raj Patel who owns Pet Delights, the trend for more convenient stores in and around populated areas is increasing. Consumers have grown used to the fact that they can pop out during the evening and pick up groceries, cards, presents, batteries and a bottle of wine.

Mr Patel has now added pet provisions (beyond the odd tin of cat food), to the list of 'easy to buy at anytime' items.

Most lines distributed by Pet Delights are sold under the Pets Delight brand name and racks are used to keep all the pet items together. Products are available for dogs, cats, wild and caged birds and most of the popular smaller pets.

It will be of little comfort to pet shop owners to know that the product range in these mini pet stores is quite extensive, including treats, toys, food, shampoo, conditioning tablets, carpet freshener and flea and worm products. Some are impulse buys and others are essential items that everyone occasionally runs out of at an incovenient time.

Raj Patel said:

"We are offering a new concept to convenience store managers. We select their stock for them, merchandise the stands and re-stock every 6 weeks. We have proven that people want to buy pet products from easily accessible stores and our business is growing really quickly."

In the face of new challenges such as this it becomes increasingly important that pet shop owners ensure that their in-depth knowledge, specialisations and additional services are seen by consumers as adding value to the goods they sell..

..or is the alternative to open all hours and find shelf space for a few toilet rolls and some late night snacks?

To contact Pets Delight
call: 020 7639 4611,
email: petdelights@hotmail.com

For information on Pet Store Foundation & Management Training contact: The Pet Care Trust
call: 01234 273933
email: info@petcare.org.uk

Copyright 2000 Steve O'Malley (UKPets). This article may be reproduced with permission of the author and correct attribution to the source.