How long has your business been in operation?
| Less than 1 year |
| 1% |
| 1-5 years |
| 20% |
| 6-10 years |
| 21% |
| 11-20 years |
| 32% |
| 21-30 years |
| 12% |
| 31-40 years |
| 8% |
| 41-50 years |
| 3% |
| More than 50 years |
| 3% |
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that about 45% of small businesses fail within the first five years. Congrats to the 79% of Big Survey respondents who have been going for more than six years! Those are inspiring results for businesses working toward that goal.
Where is your business located by market size?
| Small town (up to 25,000) |
| 27% |
| Small city (25,001 to 250,000) |
| 36% |
| Medium-sized city (250,001-1 million people) |
| 19% |
| Large city (more than 1 million people) |
| 13% |
| Suburban outskirts of a big urban market |
| 5% |
Where is your business located/headquartered?
More than 500 owners and top managers of independent brick-and-mortar pet stores and service providers in the U.S., Canada, Bermuda and Mexico took the 2024 Big Survey. The biggest respondent group came from California this year with 43 responses! The survey launched in September on SurveyMonkey and ran for five weeks.
How many locations or mobile units do you have?
| 1 |
| 67% |
| 2 |
| 17% |
| 3 |
| 9% |
| 4 |
| 3% |
| 5 |
| 2% |
| 6 |
| 2% |
Are you a franchisee?
The percentage of franchisee respondents grew again this year, from 6% in 2023 to 12% in 2024.
Which best describes your independent pet business by top revenue category?
| Brick-and-mortar pet-supply store with services |
| 42% |
| Brick-and-mortar pet-supply store without services |
| 32% |
| Grooming salon, brick-and-mortar location and/or mobile, that sells pet supplies |
| 8% |
| Boarding/day-care facility that sells pet supplies |
| 4% |
| Dog trainer, brick-and-mortar location and/or mobile, that sells pet supplies |
| 3% |
| Pet-sitting and/or dog-walking business that sells pet supplies |
| 1% |
| Veterinary clinic or hospital that sells pet supplies |
| 2% |
| Other |
| 8% |
Most of the “Other” answers were proud indies touting services such as in-house bakeries and raw-food kitchens. We had animal shelters and humane societies with on-site retail operations take the survey, too.
If you own a brick-and-mortar pet supply store with services, please check the services you offer:
| Grooming |
| 64% |
| Self-wash |
| 49% |
| Boarding |
| 21% |
| Day care |
| 28% |
| Training |
| 26% |
| Dog walking and/or pet sitting |
| 17% |
| Veterinary care |
| 10% |
| Other, please specify |
| 14% |
While most categories were little changed from last year, dog walking and/or pet sitting grew from 7% in 2023 to 13% in 2024. Indies are giving the apps a run for their money! Among the “Other” answers: titer testing, nutritional and other pet health counseling, dog sports, and sessions for rehabilitation, massage, reiki, chiropractic, hydrotherapy.
Check all pets that you sell products and/or offer services
for:
| Dog |
| 94% |
| Cat |
| 85% |
| Small animal |
| 36% |
| Bird |
| 30% |
| Fish |
| 20% |
| Reptile |
| 20% |
| Horse |
| 11% |
| Chickens |
| 17% |
| Other, please specify |
| 8% |
“Wild bird” and “Livestock” were the most common “Other” answers this year.
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