If I owned a Pet Store, it would be an urban store that welcomes pet parents.

• First, the design of that store would welcome animals so all materials would be easy to maintain.

• The flooring would not only be easy to clean but also antimicrobial and sound absorbent.

• Walls would be painted with a paint low in VOCs (volatile oil compounds).

• Color would be used in the store for example Pantone’s Greenery, their color of 2017 combined with Shadow, Benjamin Moore’s 2017 color.

• The ceiling would be sound absorbent since dogs can be noisy sometimes.

• The store would have big windows with daylight pouring in or light glowing out, depending on the time and season.

• The big window(s) would NOT be crowded with product.  I would have a bi-weekly window story that is funny or informative or graphically striking so that people would say “let’s go see what they’re doing this time”.  This window(s) would display product but in a memorable way.

• Most pet stores are beige and tend toward the sentimental.  I would have a contemporary, minimalist design with areas showing the “maker” sensibility such as a locally crafted cash desk with a feature wall behind it with the store’s name, Facebook, Google plus & Instagram URLs to encourage connection with my store and my pet owners.

• I would have minimalist looking, very strong gondolas for product but nothing would be displayed on the floor so that the floor would always be the closest to immaculate that is possible.

• I would layout the store so that all the high gondolas and coolers were against the wall.  The doggy daycare and dog grooming areas and a smaller cat grooming area could be the center and focal point of the store.

• The store entrance would be planned to honor disabilities with a 36″ wide door with an 18″ wide sidelight on the handle side with lever handles.

• There would be a 36″ wide x 32″ high maximum area at the cash for helping wheelchair bound and other physically challenged customers.

• The center open area would be designed so that it could be reconfigured for talks and training.  Who wouldn’t want to see a K9 dog working with his/her trainer companion?

• I would use a big “pinnable” board for people to post lost animals, pet sitting, vet services and other pet related information.  This would be kept current on a weekly basis.  Therefore, if you lost a cat as we did, it would behoove you to go into the store weekly to update the store on the loss or reunion.

• All the lighting would be energy efficient, a combination of fluorescent and LED in a residential color temperature of 3000 and 3500 Kelvin.  This would make the animals’ coats shine and sparkle.

• There would always be a dog watering bowl.  Since water fountains are ubiquitous in new stores I would investigate tying the dog’s water into this system.

• I would have a coffee / water bar so that my customers could help themselves.  If I used a Keurig like system, all the pots would be recyclable.

• I would have a small book area where books about animals and people would be for sale.

• I would love to incorporate an organic back garden with pollinator friendly plants where daycare dogs could romp and customers could sit with their pets enjoying the fresh air, their coffee or water plus conversation with other pet owners.

And how would I run the Pet Store?  What services would I include?

• I would focus on cats and dogs, their services, food and toys.

• Doggy daycare is hugely popular in urban areas.  The way my store is planned, with an open center area, plays easily into this.

• Once a month I’d have a cats’ nail clipping event.

• There would be 2 resident cats.  They would be “working cats” i.e., comfortable hanging out in the store, being petted by customers with places to sleep.  Cats, unlike dogs, are not all social animals so they would need to be “trained” from when they are wee kittens.  In addition, they would need socialization with dogs.

• I would get to know my customers so that within reason I could stock what they like and buy.

• I would liaise with a dog walking park close by and with one or two shelters so that a pet friendly community was built surrounding my store.