The Canadian retailer engenders genuine passion and understanding of what well-cared-for companion animals can truly bring to owners.
By Lizett Bond

When Charles Dickens wrote “Oliver Twist” (a novel of social protest set in the 1800s), he probably never imagined that a 21st century pet boutique would bear the namesake of his orphaned protagonist. Even more uncanny is that modern-day Oliver Pets & Co. promotes social conscience by encouraging responsible pet parenting through information and education.

With two locations in Burlington, and Oakville, Ontario, Canada, Oliver Pets & Co.’s dedication to pet ownership and welfare earned it Pet Product News International’s Retailer of the Year special recognition award for Outstanding Companion Animal Promotion. “Say ‘Oliver Pets & Co’ quickly and it sounds like ‘All Of Our Pets & Co.,’” said Stacey Halliday, director of marketing for Oliver Pets. 

Oliver Pets & Co., based in Ontario, received Pet Product News' Retailer of the Year Special Recognition Award for Outstanding Companion Animal Promotion.

The Burlington store opened in December 2009 with the Oakville locale following in June 2010. Each address presents a selection of small pets and a diverse product mix while preserving a boutique experience.

“That is the niche we wanted in the Canadian marketplace,” Halliday said. “As a company, we wanted to create a destination, something different than anything we had seen.”

That visual perception was fashioned using softened shades and hardwood floors to create an “old world” charm.

“Pet products are usually packaged in vibrant colors. The use of muted tones in each store allow products to speak for themselves,” she said.

Market research played a strong role in developing a pleasing ambience. During those investigations, consumers noted that product displayed floor to ceiling often resulted in a negative shopping experience. In order to avoid that “big-box” feel, Oliver Pets embraced a clean, spacious concept. Since small pets are also offered, proper ventilation was a crucial concern.

“We wanted to build out some of the things that people associate with a pet store,” she said.

Staying within the 4,000 to 5,000-square-foot footprint, the focus is on dogs and cats, but other departments are featured as well, including small birds, animals, reptiles and fish. As visiting pets are always welcomed, generous aisle space was also a consideration.

Oliver Pets made a concerted—and very successful—effort to not look like a big-box store inside or out.

Shoppers in search of high-quality dog and cat foods are treated to an array of selections with more than 40 brands in the mix, along with toys, treats and accessories.

“Launching a new brand affords an opportunity to present something that might be missing in the marketplace,” she said. “There is no reason to create something new if it’s already there.”

In that way, area demographic considerations were essential, and that research facilitated location decisions, including placement of the Burlington store adjacent to a Super Walmart.

“Walmart is a traffic generator but ultimately the people who shop with us have different views about pet ownership,” she said. “We provide knowledge-based advice that you wouldn’t expect from a Walmart stocker.

“I think it goes back to the idea of service and the feeling of walking into something special,” she added.

Customers are able to purchase starter kits or habitats, toys, treats, accessories and a full line of quality foods as well as the pets themselves. Visiting children delight in holding these creatures.

“As a pet retailer, we have a continuing responsibility to show children at a young age the discipline involved in taking care of pets,” Halliday noted.

Children delight in holding the store's live pets.

With pet care and responsibility a focal point, concern transcends all classes to include homeless or orphaned pets yearning for a loving, forever family. Oliver Pets recognizes that significance by collaborating with local shelters through fundraising and organizing in-store adoption days. Both stores will soon host permanent adoption sites in cooperation with the Oakville & Milton and Burlington Humane Societies.

“We are proud of the trust the Humane Society has in our organization,” Halliday noted.

Beyond adoption opportunities, joining forces with the local Humane Societies also encompasses event sponsorship, participation and promotion.

“We try to build as many relationships through community events as possible,” she said.

Along these lines, events such as Critters Gone Country Walkathon found Oliver Pets not only serving as sponsor but manning a booth to hand out treats with proceeds donated to the Oakville & Milton Humane Society. 

Combining efforts with Milk-Bone, the Oakville & Milton Humane Society was the recipient of a charity BBQ that took place at the Oakville store. The National Service Dogs organization was the beneficiary of another fundraising initiative held in-store as Oliver Pets teamed up again with Milk-Bone.

The Smaple Cart showcases staff picks.

Participation in the Purina Walk for Guide Dogs, held in the spring, benefits the Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides. Oliver Pets took part by hosting promotional opportunities in store and lending a hand at the event.

“There is something to be said about an organization that recognizes what a dog can do to bring happiness and a standard of living to a person that might not otherwise have those opportunities without that assistance,” Halliday said. “So they are very dear.”

In April 2011, Oliver Pets & Co was instrumental in the “Chihuahua Project” by raising community awareness and funds to assist the Oakville & Milton Humane Society’s efforts to rehabilitate and find adoptive homes for 33 dogs discovered in squalid conditions during a hoarding seizure.

“We try to earmark all of our fundraising for pet-related causes,” Halliday said. “It’s not “Do we want to donate?” it’s “How are we going to donate?”

In advocating responsible pet ownership, staff members play a critical role by imparting knowledge, a huge component to customer service.

“It is a true life commitment, the life of a pet, and we want to make sure our staff has the skill sets to give advice from a product point of view to meet demands and needs,” she added.

With a mission of acquainting customers with as many species of pets as possible, employees must possess the expertise to converse confidently, intelligently and responsibly when it comes to pet caretaking. That ability inspires trust, and employee training is an essential factor.

Customers of all ages enjoy bathing their dogs in the token-operated K-9000 Self Serve Dog Wash.

“We expect a lot of our staff and they love it,” she said.

In that regard, training includes exposure to product information, new technology, ingredients and formulations. Employees are also provided with product sales sheets, features and benefits. Using Biz Trainer, an online learning site with modules provided by Rolf C. Hagen Corp., further enhances education and training.

“When you are a specialty boutique and a destination point, with people choosing to come to you for products, you are expected to know about them,” Halliday noted. “The difference between big box and specialty is the intimacy of a smaller store with highly skilled and passionate people.”

That enthusiasm plays a supporting role in the presentation of the Oliver Pets Sample Cart. A rollaway shelf, the Sample Cart showcases “staff picks” as employees choose their favorite products for customers and pets to appraise. Situated near the checkout counter, everyone is encouraged to taste, try and play with products displayed on the cart.
 
Too big for the Sample Cart but an exciting new product nonetheless, the K-9000 Self Serve Dog Wash was introduced in December 2010 in both stores as an affordable alternative to professional grooming. Using tokens purchased in-store, customers are able to conveniently wash and dry their dogs. The K-9000 is also used for fundraising efforts.

“We recently had a fundraiser where we sold the tokens and donated a percentage back to the shelter,” Halliday said.

Giving back holds a lot of sway at Oliver Pets as witnessed by its Elite Loyalty Program. Membership benefits include a 1 percent cash-back program on purchases with the use of this free card. Members receive fliers with promotional information, accumulate cash back and participate in a “buy 10, get one free” pet food bonus.

Oliver Pets draws customers with its loyalty program.

“The Elite Loyalty Program was created to improve and encourage customer loyalty as well as reward customers for shopping with us,” Halliday reported.  “This year we have continued to develop and promote this program.”

Perhaps the most meaningful and successful savings plan, Seniors Day, also known as “Experienced” Elite Loyalty Cardholder Day, occurs the last Thursday of every month. Members 55 years of age and older use their loyalty card to receive a 20 percent discount on purchases made in addition to benefits already offered in the Elite Loyalty Program.

“It’s our way of saying, ‘We value your business and as a courtesy, we put aside a day just for you,’” Halliday said. “When we do anything in our stores it is with the fundamental understanding that we have a responsibility to ensure that our customers are provided the tools and resources for responsible pet ownership.

“The whole point of that ownership is a genuine passion and understanding of what loving a pet can truly bring to your life,” she continued. “Dogs have moved from outside to inside and 50 percent of people allow pets to sleep on the bed. It’s a far cry from when they were locked outside every night.”

In keeping with that philosophy, perhaps Dickens sums up best the character of Oliver Pets when he wrote: “Have a heart that never hardens, a temper that never tires and a touch that never hurts.”

 

AT A GLANCE

Oliver Pets & Co. Locations: Burlington and Oakville, Ontario, Canada Employees: 8 to 9 full- and part-time at each store Size: 4,000 to 5,000 square feet Years in Business: 2 Products and Services Offered: A full line of high-quality pet food and accessories for dogs, cats, birds, reptiles and small pets; small pets, including birds, reptiles, fish and small mammals;  K-9000 self-serve dog wash; on-site adoption centers; adoption days; Elite Loyalty Card; Senior Days. Website: http://www.oliverpets.com/

 

 

 Posted: Jan. 25, 2012, 2:45 p.m. EST

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