Nearly 500 independent pet professionals responded to our 2023 Big Survey. Here we break down where you come from and what types of businesses you operate.
Where is your business located by region?
Where is your business located/headquartered?
Nearly 500 owners and full-time top managers of indie pet stores and service providers in the U.S. and Canada took the 2023 Big Survey. Once again, the most respondents came from Florida! With Texas hot on its tail! We hope Wyoming, W. Virginia and Washington, D.C. will join in on the fun in 2024. The survey launched in September and ran for five weeks.
How long has your business been in operation?
| Less than 1 year |
|
3%
|
| 1-5 years |
|
18%
|
| 6-10 years |
|
21%
|
| 11-20 years |
|
33%
|
| 21-30 years |
|
11%
|
| 31-40 years |
|
6%
|
| 41-50 years |
|
4%
|
| More than 50 years |
|
4%
|
Nearly 60% of Big Survey respondents have been in business for more than a decade! Inspiring results for those of you just starting out!
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Where is your business located by market size?
| Small town (up to 25,000) |
|
31%
|
| Small city (25,001 to 250,000) |
|
32%
|
| Medium-sized city (250,001-1 million people) |
|
17%
|
| Large city (more than 1 million people) |
|
13%
|
| Suburban outskirts of a big urban market |
|
7%
|
How many locations or mobile units do you have?
| 1 |
|
74%
|
| 2 |
|
15%
|
| 3 |
|
3%
|
| 4 |
|
2%
|
| 5 |
|
1%
|
| 6 |
|
2%
|
| N/A |
|
3%
|
Are you a franchise owner?
Among respondents, franchise owners grew from 4% in 2022 to 6% in 2023. Not a surprise to us, considering the number of franchise opening press releases we get each week.
Check all pets that you sell products and/or offer services for:
| Dog |
|
94%
|
| Cat |
|
86%
|
| Small animal |
|
36%
|
| Bird |
|
31%
|
| Fish |
|
22%
|
| Reptile |
|
19%
|
| Other, please specify |
|
11%
|
Looks like we need “Horse” and “Farm animals” as options in 2024, but we do draw the line at countin “Humans” as pets, which some of you answered again this year. We repeat: We are not that kind of magazine.
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If you own a brick-and-mortar pet supply store with services, please check the services you offer:
| Grooming |
|
40%
|
| Self-wash |
|
35%
|
| Boarding |
|
6%
|
| Day care |
|
1%
|
| Training |
|
3%
|
| Dog walking and/or pet sitting |
|
0.4%
|
| Veterinary care |
|
2%
|
| N/A |
|
0.4%
|
| Other, please specify |
|
0.2%
|
Among the “Other” answers: exercise sessions, aquarium maintenance, chiropractic services, physical therapy, dog park, nutrition and enrichment consultations, animal communication, photography, adoptions through in-store center, birthday parties, wedding pet attendants, reiki healing, grounding mat therapy and aromatherapy.
Which best describes your independent pet business, brick-andmortar or mobile, by top revenue category?
| Pet supply store with services |
|
38%
|
| Pet supply store without services |
|
33%
|
| Grooming salon that sells pet supplies |
|
5%
|
| Grooming salon that does not sell pet supplies |
|
1%
|
| Boarding facility/day care that sells pet supplies |
|
4%
|
| Boarding facility/day care that does not sell pet supplies |
|
1%
|
| Dog trainer that sells pet supplies |
|
2%
|
| Dog trainer that does not sell pet supplies |
|
1%
|
| Pet sitting and dog walking business that sells pet supplies |
|
1%
|
| Pet sitting and dog walking business that does not sell pet supplies |
|
2%
|
| Veterinary clinic or hospital that sells pet supplies |
|
1%
|
| Other, please specify |
|
11%
|
Most of the “Other” answers to this question were a combination of products and services on the list, but we did have among respondents a pet product thrift store that benefits animal rescue, pet nutritionists who sell and deliver products, plus pet photographers and a few pop-up pet stores.
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