While Piers and Michelle visit trade shows includingPATS Telford, Interzoo and Zoomark, Piers finds a number of start-ups on social media. Although they havemore than 100 suppliers, they arealways looking for unique, small companies with distinctive products.Piers said: “I want a really unusualrange that we will work on and pro-mote, and we will get the sales going.We want smaller companies to find usand approach us; we want to be animportant customer to our suppliers.”

Most suppliers are paid in seven to14 days said Michelle, adding: “We areessentially a zero-debt company.”

Their commitment to suppliersextends seamlessly to establishedbrands such as Whimzees, which is now 10 years in theUK and distributed through the pet trade only.

Whimzees has a range of natural, daily premium dental chews in a variety of shapes, including a doggie toothbrush. At Scampers, it has a large

display for its full range, including an LED screen

playing a video. The Whimzees chews are muchbetter than Dentastix, says Piers.

Sometimes, however, new launches don’t work– and there are many reasons,including being launched tooearly to market. One suchexample was when Scampers offered a freeze-dried dog food before raw had taken off. The UK market was notready for freeze-dried then.

“Our relationship with suppliers isjust as important as our relationshipwith customers,” he said. “We wantintegrity from our suppliers; it’s atwo-way street, we never pitch companies against each other. So if

someone comes in with a new crate, we will not just buyfrom them because it is cheaper. It’s really important forus to be working with an honest distributor, such as VitalPet Group. Companies who value us as a pet specialistand who value the specialist industry.”

Piers and Michelle have absolutely no time for

F ROM DAY one nearly 35 years ago, PiersSmart (pictured left with Rooster and Sardine) has been against the sale of pets inshops and a firm supporter of Lucy’s Law

and its principles. There are way too many animalswaiting for new homes in rescues, he says, and animal welfare has always been the main focus atScampers Natural Pet Store.

“I would rather work with and support animal welfaregroups so we are not adding to the problem ofabandoned animals. If people call us for rabbits, we

direct them to a local rescue,” he said.Piers and his business partner-and-wife Michelle

have forged strong links with groups such asPhoenix French Bulldog Rescue, where Michelle is avolunteer home inspector. The couple own Sardine,a crossbreed French Bulldog who came from a verypoor background, and French bulldog Rooster.Frenchies, says Piers wryly, have ‘changed my life’.

With such high standards on animal welfare, youwill not find items like choke chains, bird cages orsmall rabbit cages/runs; these are antipodal to their

ethos, which is all about being ethical and having integrity. They also steer a total commitment to natural products – there is nota sniff of derivatives on any shelf in the5,500sq ft shop. Period. One supplier suggested they trial its biggest-selling treat.“We looked at the ingredients and it containedderivatives. I told him, sorry, it does not fit myprofile,” said Piers. “Nothing edible in this shop

comes from China, well, apart from one treat, a sweetpotato, but that is USDA organic certified.”

Piers and Michelle are unwavering when it comes toquality – they inspect every potential new product, fromthe ingredients in a food to the material in beds, tochecking whether a pet carrier has been pressure tested.She said: “I’ve had some say why do I need to see thepressure test certificate, but in a worst-case scenario, ifyou have a 20kg dog in a bag and it breaks, well, I’m notgoing to risk it.”

“If there is an ounce of doubt, it will not go on shelf,”said Piers, giving as an example how they discontinueda harness that a dog broke free from.

Every manufacturer is also invited to train all theirstaff. Not only does this mean better customer serviceas staff have full product knowledge, but it also helpsforge a better relationship with suppliers.

SUPPORTING SUPPLIERSPiers and Michelle are passionate aboutsupporting small, independentmanufacturers and have helped anumber gain a foothold in thetrade. Walk around the store andthis support is everywhere – froma double freezer filled with Different Dog’s hand-cookedrecipes to DOG Streamz magneticdog collars, Diet Dog herbalsupplements, King Catnip organic NorthAmerican catnip toys and the SuperNature range of beneficial toppers thatcan be shaked or sprinkled on to food.

>>

24 May 2019

Scampers stoppedhanding out plastic bags about2½ years ago andhas stopped selling

plastic bottles fromits fridge – instead, theyonly sell canned drinksand bottled water,

supplemented with twowater fountains, one forpets and one for humans.

Everything is recycled. Forexample, cardboard boxesare placed by the counter forcustomer use and otherpackaging is recycled.

Scampers was the firstpet store to insist that pet

food containing tuna had tobe dolphin-friendly. It set upa pet food bank in 2013 andhas been the first retailer totrial a number of new products. “It’s about seeinggaps in the market and seeing what is needed. Itjust makes good businesssense,” said Piers.

PIONEERS

“If you want tosee an exhibitionof the highestquality pet

products, this iswhere you come”

Piers Smart

May 2019 25

One for me, one for you!

The same ethos of a selectrange of premium productsapplies to wild birds andsmall animals Store is well laid-out

Scampers carries a select range of key brands

Different Dog held live cookingdemos at Crufts this year

Above: Probably the largest offering of wet dog foodwe’ve ever seen in a pet shop

Below: Tasting stations entice owners to let theirdogs sample different brands

shoptalk

Pet food bank!

You can’t get that online!Scampers Natural Pet Store became ‘the trade experiment’ when its owners chose todelist ‘the big four’ pet food manufacturers in preference for natural, high-meatbrands. Sandra Pearce visits to see how the experiment has gone

No plasticbottles onsale here

September, largely for the benefitof the pet food), but they are ‘prettymuch done now’ – apart fromreplacing a few animal images onthe exterior of the shop. “If youwant to see an exhibition of thehighest-quality pet products, this iswhere you come,” said Piers.

Another recent addition is the I-Clean XL Touch PLUS dog wash,from Vital Pet Group, described asthe ‘most up-to-date DIY dog washin the world’ and which features thevoices of 40 celebrities includingMorgan Freeman and Jack Sparrow.

It’s a good position to be in, said Michelle: “We areprofitable, we are reinvesting and we can afford to do it.”

Raw has taken off a storm; Scampers has seven double door upright freezers and six chest freezers, notcounting those in its store. Initially Purrform raw cat foodwas sold from the cat section, but this did not work. Once this was moved to join raw dog food, it allchanged. It’s as if cat owners suddenly saw the fullimpact and realised the benefits of feeding a raw dietto their pets, they said.

THE I(NDEPENDENT) FACTOR“This business is based on bulk food declining,” saidPiers. “We are now selling 25% of what we used to sell in bulk bags.”

Chances are owners will buy bulk pet food bagsonline for convenience, but they will still want to visittheir independent for the experience, he said. “Even ifyou are having bulk dog food delivered, you will stillcome in here and you will hand select three to four bagsof treats, a new collar, a toy. That’s the bond with yourpet. You do not buy this online.”

A bonus is there’s now more space for raw and high-meat food, treats and toys, which all add to the pet shopexperience. “And people want to come here for tastings.”

Independent specialists provide a huge service, hesaid. “We have a lot of people who have never owned adog before, such as millennials who may never havegrown up with an animal, or people who have bought anew pup due to a celebrity having them.

Bichon frise wins weighty prize

May 2019 27

was a streamlined offer of key ranges of natural andhigh-meat brands and the launch of its popular andwidely-shared ‘Where’s the Meat?’ campaign.

The same philosophy of ‘just choosing the best’ rolledout across the store to cat, small animals and wild bird– with cat, for example, staff promote natural, high-meatwet and raw ranges first before offering dry brands likeCarnilove or Canagan.

It was such a huge opportunity; pet owners arebecoming more aware of the importance of qualityingredients, recognising the impact this has on their pets’lives, they said. Scampers was going to help ownersdecipher confusing ingredients’ lists with clear labellingonshelf and offer only the very best quality in pet nutrition. “We were the trade experiment. Peoplethought we were nuts – but we were right.

“Those businesses thought they owned us, but we arenow truly independent. We are in charge of our destinyand our business, and our reputation has been built onthat. So many others are still worried about what priceJames Wellbeloved or Royal Canin is on Zooplus, butbeing truly independent, who cares?”

More than two dozen retailers have since visited Scampers to learn from their

experience and talk to Piers and Michelle about theirjourney – and they are more than happy to talk to retailers and share their insights.

MAKING THINGS WORK BETTERScampers went the EPoS route 20 years ago, and thedata you can get from this is invaluable – both are taken aback when new products land without barcodes.“We can’t sell anything that does not have a barcode,”said Michelle.

Over the years, Piers has kept a close eye onpurchasing patterns instore – his latest observation washow 80% of sales were being made from 60% of theshop. The result was a strategic relocation of a numberof product lines such as all dog toys, treats and wet food,and adding more shelves to units in the treats section toaccommodate more products. More space was given toitems like dog harnesses, and dedicated space createdfor clearance lines. “We also have dog products placedthroughout the store to encourage customers tobrowse,” he said. “Everything is focused and targeted.”

For example, food bowls are placed strategically nextto food, and treats opposite training toys and boredom

busters. There is a rationale behindevery display – even the toys areorganised according to their construction material.

Piers and Michelle are especiallypleased with their new floor – the previous was an ageing tiled floor.This was replaced in a mammoth two-week operation where once the shopclosed for the day, staff had to coverall units, like a crime scene, and pushthese to one side so the floor could belevelled and screeded. In the morning,everything was moved back into placeso the shop could open as per normal.This latest round of investment hascome to about £140,000 (whichincludes air-conditioning added in

26 May 2019

manufacturers who promisethey will never go into grocery butlater do exactly that, or changedirection in the manufacture oftheir products in pursuit of profit.These brands are immediately discontinued. “In my view, being ethical means walkingyour talk,” said Piers.

TURNING POINTUp until 2010, pet food was their biggest seller with thelion’s share of shelf space, dominated by ‘the big four’pet food firms. But Piers and Michelle had been sensingfor a while that something was amiss – in his words,there was ‘a massive bloody problem with dog food’.

“My own dogs looked out of condition,” he said, “then I saw the shenanigans that were going on, whatwas passing as meat, the use of terms like meat derivatives, and I started following people like SusanThixton (author of Truth About Pet Food) and Dr KarenBecker and changed my business.”

In a huge leap of faith, Scampers dropped the ‘bigfour’ (even though they were bringing in £¾m turnover),reviewed everything on its shelves, and in came manufacturers who had unique, bespoke products suchas Natures Menu, Nutriment, Gentle and the SymplyGroup (Symply, Canagan and Picolo brands). The result

shoptalk

Back in 2014, cold-pressed dog food brand Gentle launchedinto the UK market – Piers andMichelle had worked withfounder Beate Rothon to createthe product and launch it into the UK.Gentle is made by traditional

German family business MarkusMühle, which has more than50 years’ experience making cold-pressed foods. It was the

perfect partnership, said Michelle.“Piers understood the market in the UK, Beate was new to theUK, but knew how well the foodcould work.”The whole process, from

creating the product using thevery best ingredients to designingthe packaging and marketing wasjust a lovely experience, she said.“We were joking the whole time.” Piers added: “Beate is the most

integrous person I have dealt with.The only thing I wanted in exchange was an absolutelyclear, exclusive territory to buildup, and she wanted to make sureno one would sell Gentle online.”Because it is a genuine

cold-pressed food, Gentle worksperfectly alongside raw feeding.“It feeds exceptionally well,” said Michelle, “and we’ve neverhad problems with it.”

GENTLY DOES IT

Four-sided shop counter

becomes a focal point

You can’t miss raw!

The cat owner shops in a differentmanner to the dog owner, says Piers

Above top: Whimzees has a large display for its fullrange, including an LED screen playing a video

Above: Enticing display of treats and chews

<<

“Those people come in all excited but with very littlepet-owning experience – some may have bought theirpups off dubious websites – and may not have theknowledge. Great pet stores serve a very importantplace in the community. Without us, a lot of those dogswould have ended up in welfare, not house trained,owners would not have been told the importance ofsocialisation, dog training, the list goes on. If we werenot here, I do not know where they would go.”

Scampers has a high staff-to-customer ratio andweekends see seven staff on duty. “It’s about providinggreat service and chatting with people. What I think isthat people love taking their pet to a great pet store. Onweekends, we can easily have 100 dogs come in. Some-times the dog comes in without the owner!” he said.

Scampers has a large customer base – there are5,500 active subscriptions to its regular newsletter withan average of 50 new subscribers every month. “One ofthe things we do well is we understand our customers – I am our customer,” said Michelle.

Following its recent investment, Scampers startedadvertising on radio again in January and has three adstalking about the store, its products and dog wash. Itstagline? ‘You can’t get that online.’

Piers said: “It’s all about the experience. We know ourcustomers love coming here and the experience theyhave here. And that’s the important thing.” n

DIVA PETS has invested in new products, servicesand staff training to grow its dog grooming and petsupply business with support from Liberis Finance.According to a report from Insider Media, Wayne

Briscoe opened the Doncaster-based store in 2012after spotting a gap in the market and when a well-located retail outlet became available. He used his background in construction for the

shopfitting and tapped into his wife’s expertise as adog groomer and veterinary nurse to help get theirfirst customers through the door.Liberis’s Business Cash Advance, which provides

funding from between £2,500 and £300,000 with payments linked directly to a business’s cash flow,helped to fund investments in products, stock and staff training.Wayne has also invested in a jacuzzi spa hydro bath

and electric grooming table, which he says has attracted custom and improved productivity. Furtherinvestments in ultra-sound scanning, microchipping,breeding, and even artificial insemination are underconsideration, Insider reports

Retail and groomingfirm invests in growth

THE UK distributors of Swedish premium pet foodbrand FourFriends Pet Foods have struck a promotional deal with Toad Hall Cottages.The deal will help to introduce the brand to the

ever-increasing dog-friendly hotel/holiday cottagemarket by offering visitors a money-off discount andsamples of the range.Toad Hall currently has more than 400 holiday

cottages across the South West, which accept dogs.FourFriends own pet nutritionist, Meri

Hakkarainen, said: “We are absolutely delighted to besetting up this deal with Toad Hall Cottages and it will give us the opportunity to introduce the brand toholidaymakers and hopefully a new family ofFourFriends Pet Food customers.”

Pet food brand makesfriends with holidaymakers

Fundraising vet swapsstethoscope for skisA VET from Anglesey took part in the Arctic SurvivalChallenge to raise funds for the Royal British Legion.Emma Bayman, of Bodrwnsiwm Veterinary

Practice, was part of a 10-strong team, with activitiesincluding cross-country skiing, ice fishing, huskysledding and snowmobiling in the Swedish provincesof Jämtland and Härjedalen.Emma and many clients of the surgery have helped

her to raise more than £1,000 for the charity.

A BICHON frise has won Royal Canin’s HealthyWeight Competition 2018. The winner was vet nurseAnna Wright, from Mimram Vets, with her entry, 12-year-old bichon frise Archie.The prize on offer was a £1,000 holiday voucher

and trophy for the pet owner and vet nurse, as well asa £500 J.A.K Marketing Voucher for the vet practice.

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