Featured In The Lakewood News Paper

           It’s unusual for a multigenerational family business to compete and prosper year after year in today’s world of corporate superstores. Just ask former grocery, hardware, and general merchandise store owners who’ve seen their livelihood gobbled up when a giant retailer or supermarket comes to town. But the Waughs of Lakewood, Colorado have defied the odds and thrived against the competition for three, going on four generations. “My great-grandmother opened up a pet store in Denver in the early 30’s” Kelly Waugh explains. Her grandparents were next, who founded Cashway Pet Supply, a wholesale distributor. This was followed by her dad, Dick Waugh, who opened the 12,000 square foot Pets N’ Stuff 13 years ago also after a lifetime operating pet stores. Kelly, 43, who has been working in family-run stores since she was 16, has help from her 3 children, who all contribute or have contributed to the family enterprise. Her oldest, Christopher, attends the University of Colorado in Greeley, and keeps his hand in the trade by working part-time at pet product distributor Nor-Sky. Pets N’ Stuff is a full-line pet store with 11,000 items. “I tell people if we don’t have it, you don’t need it,” Kelly laughs. Dog supplies are the focus of the business, but it also carries products for birds, small animals, and of course, cats. Changing customer preferences recently dictated taking out aquariums in favor of allocating more space for dog products. The store features a mind-boggling 35 feet of Coastal Pet products. Not surprisingly, “blue, red, black and pink” collars and leads are top sellers, as well as breast cancer awareness items. Coastal’s not the only collar and lead brand on the wall, however. “We also carry Yellow Dog, Spiffy Dog and Douglas Paquette”, Kelly said. “Pets N’ Stuff is my favorite account,” said Judy Krause, a Burns Sales and Marketing sales rep who sells Coastal to the Waughs. “I enjoy going over there—they know what they’re doing and they’re easy to work with.” Judy related a story that she repeats.

China Backlash

          What are some trends you see in the industry? “US-made products are big now,” she said, referring to the fallout from the Chinese pet food recall. “A lot of people don’t want to buy from China anymore. They actually check to see where something’s made”. The Waughs take that concept a step further, and encourage customers to “buy Colorado,” products manufactured in their home state. And, as you might expect in green-minded Colorado, natural, holistic and organic items also sell well. “We carry 25 brands of dog food, mostly natural, but some organic.” She recently acquired an organic cotton plush toy, and expects it to do well. She gave Coastal Pet some free advice—“I think if you came out with an organic collar, it would do pretty well,” she said, adding that customers prefer Brampton puppy pads over other brands because they’re biodegradable. A product category that is showing surprising strength is strollers for dogs. Pets N’ Stuff carries “five or six” models from Pet Gear, and they’re doing well. Who’s buying them? “Mostly the elderly with little dogs,” Kelly said. They sell for $169 to $199, and she sees it as a good vehicle for growth. “You can’t sell ‘em in a box,” however, and emphasized they have to be out on display where potential customers can kick the tires and view the features. Another product she’s setting her sights on is DNA testing. The store sells kits for $59, and it establishes the mix of breeds in the dog. On sale for only a few weeks, Pets N’ Stuff has already sold 10 units. Knowing the DNA makeup can help explain an animal’s personality type as well as alert an owner to potential health problems as it ages.

Lakewood, Colorado—Home to the World’s Cleanest Dogs

          What makes Pets N’ Stuff unique is their hugely, (and we mean HUGELY) popular dog wash. “We sell about 10,000 dog washes a year,” she said. Do the math—that averages out to about 30 dogs a day. On weekends, Kelly said they do anywhere from 60 to 70 animals, and have gone as high as 90 on one Sunday. “You pay $10, and we supply everything—including towels, brushes, shampoos and blow dryers. Afterwards, “you can leave, and we clean up the mess,” she said, which explains the popularity of the service. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and recently the dog washing franchise Wag’n Wash opened up not too far from Pets N’ Stuff. Which brings up the subject of competition—how does the store thrive in a competitive environment that has its share of big boxes to contend with? Easy—it carries the same brand of pet foods the giants do, only they sell it for less, bringing traffic into the store and creating loyal customers as a result, Kelly explained. The business has been a blessing for the family, and the benefits go beyond the day-to-day enjoyment of customers and their pets. The family’s success in the pet trade enabled Kelly’s grandfather to establish college funds for a total of 11 great-grandchildren. “I love this business,” Kelly said, “and I hope I never have to retire."