Market Spotlight: Washington D.C.

The greater Washington D.C. pet market is home to a variety of pet specialty retailers who make a point of teaching pet owners how to properly care for their companions. Many of these entrepreneurs joined the pet industry as a labor of love, spurred by their personal experience of caring for their pets with little support or guidance. Other business owners followed career paths into corporate settings, but were enticed to venture into careers that gave these individuals a sense of purpose and brought excitement and fulfillment on a daily basis.

At a Glance

The pet market in Washington D.C. is a collection of 43 companies operating 130 pet specialty brick and mortar locations. Within Washington D.C., there are 11 pet stores with each store serving more than 29,700 households.

Retail titans Petco, PetSmart and Pet Supplies Plus make up 60 percent of the market with a combined total of 79 stores. Single-store and multi-unit retailers represent 22 and 16 percent of the market, respectively. Weber’s Pet Supermarket and Woof Gang Bakery operate four locations each, and notable retailers such as Canine Carousel, Pet Barn, Pet

Depot and Elysium Pet Store each operate two store locations.

Within Washington D.C. and its surrounding neighbors, there is no shortage of pet parents. In Alexandria, VA for example, there are 13 pet stores serving 5,900 households per store, and in Arlington, VA seven stores serve more than 16,000 households per store.

All Roads Lead to Pet

Chris Gabriel who owns Nature’s Nibbles with his wife Anne began his career in the pet industry when his dog, Gypsy experienced severe skin problems.

“To the point that, not only her hair was falling out, but there was puss and skin falling off, leaving exposed red, raw spots,” Gabriel said. “I went to vet after vet, with the same answers and the same ‘solutions,’ namely ‘prescription pet food.’ As I started doing research about the companies I was using for my pets’ nutrition, I found that there is no such thing as ‘prescription pet food.’ As a matter of fact, it made the problem worse. My dog was miserable, and I felt miserable, because I couldn’t take care of my pup!”

One of Gabriel’s friends recommended feeding Gypsy all natural pet food to treat her symptoms.

“I said, ‘Isn’t all pet food all natural?’ Come to find out… no,” he said. “As a matter of fact, the further I went down the rabbit hole, the more I found out the awful truth about the pet food industry.”

After purchasing pet food from his friend’s all natural pet foods store, Gabriel gave Gypsy dry, then canned and then raw meals and with each transition, Gypsy’s health dramatically progressed.

“Within days, the health of my dog improved,” he said. “Her skin cleared up. She had more energy and started acting like herself. I was convinced that, like humans, you are what you eat! My friend decided to close her store and we picked up right where she left off!”

Karen Echeverri, Owner of Pampered Pet Boutique and Barkery worked in the corporate world for more than 25 years undertaking high stress jobs.

“I had huge responsibilities, I worked for very powerful people,” she said.

The day to day stressors would eventually take a toll on Echeverri’s health.

“At 40, I had a mini heart attack,” she said. “That pumps you to reevaluate your life and your life decisions. At that time, I had my pitbull, Zeus, and I just wanted to do something that made me happy. What was the sense of making a lot of money or just having a good amount of money and not being able to spend it. You have to worry about appeasing somebody when you’re not happy yourself, having to deal with people’s stress. I just wanted to do something that made myself happy. “

At that time Echeverri worked part-time at another local shop in Alexandria for about five years until Covid.

“The original plan was for me to buy her out, things happened and at the last minute she decided not to sell at that moment,” Echeverri explained. “I was already doing the day to day operations, I was the manager there, so I was familiar with a lot of things, and at that time there was another life-changing event and you decide well, if I’m running a store, why don’t I do it on my own? So, that’s what I did. I talked to my parents who were a huge source of help and they were on board. I started the store and the good thing is I had a huge support system throughout the community. A lot of them knew me from the old store, and when they found out I was opening up a store, the support started coming in.”

The career change was marked by big changes, unknown territory and venturing down an unknown path.

“You’re going into a realm of uncertainty, especially during Covid, which is when I opened, while being a small business” Echeverri said. “We don’t know what’s going on tomorrow, so I was taking on this huge responsibility and not knowing my end path. When it comes to issues of the world such as a recession or Covid, a lot of people rely on their pets for support. So that is where I think the pet industry is sustainable at times because you need to feed and take care of your pet, you need a companion. I know Zeus was a huge source of support when I felt like I couldn’t do things. I just looked at him and I was like, ‘I can’t fail him because I’m being selfish. I have to get up every day, I have to walk him and I have to feed him.’ He gave me a lot of purpose in life throughout many different life changes. Pets have that keen intellect and insight that not a lot of people pick up on.”

Following college graduation, Krista Heinz, Owner of Doggy Style Bakery, Boutique & Pet Spa, applied her English degree to answering phones and drafting business budget proposals for a privately owned publishing company.

Her career trajectory did an about face following 9/11.

“I decided I didn’t want to work in an office anymore,” Heinz said. “I wanted to do something I loved and something that was meaningful to me and the people around me.”

For Pennye Jones-Napier, owner of The Big Bad Woof, her entry into pet was spurred by a life-long great love of animals and the timing of when she tried to find a way to have her partner change careers due to burnout.

“We realized that our community needed and would embrace supporting a local pet supply store,” said Jones-Napier. “We started looking at spaces and then another colleague decided to move his store, and the spot was perfect for a corner store location. We took over the lease and literally bootstrapped the project from there. I came from luxury retail and hospitality which gave me a skillset in customer service, and my partner also had a strong management background. Our other partner at that time also worked in retail for years.”

“I started off my career in the corporate world,” said Amanda Lattanzio, Owner of The Muddy Mutt.

She applied her communications/marketing degree to propose work and marketing for large companies within the D.C./VA area.

“I decided that corporate life was not for me and wanted a change in life,” she said. “My best friend was selling the Mutt, so I decided to take the leap and make the Mutt my own.”

“Weber’s is a true family business,” said Deb Clark, Co-Owner of Weber’s Pet Supermarket. “It was founded by my father in 1979 as a feed and grain store with an emphasis on dogs, cats and horses. I had not initially planned to become a business owner myself, but my husband and I were at career turning points, and found ourselves drawn to the idea of going into business. As lifelong pet lovers, we feel fortunate to have been able to support our local community and their pets for going on 35 years now.” 

Filling Industry Gaps

“I opened my store in downtown Washington, D.C. and my vision was to create a place that welcomed dog owners and helped them to engage with their dogs and their neighbors, while providing people with healthy, humane and local alternatives to the products offered in big box stores,” said Heinz of Doggy Style Bakery, Boutique & Pet Spa. “We make our own doggy bakery goods, we host events, and we carry locally made products, treats, and foods. We love engaging with our customers and handing out treats to their furry friends. Our customers talk to each other and to us about the products they use and love. They are often the biggest reason a product will become popular.”

She continued, “Our store name was chosen because we are in a popular LGBTQ+ neighborhood, and we needed to come up with something fun and edgy to match our clients. Doggy Style was really the obvious choice and it is a name everyone remembers!”

A desire to operate an eco-friendly company and the movie to prove naysayers who objected to the idea wrong, drove The Big Bad Woof to succeed. Alongside these achievements, The Big Bad Woof has formed partnerships with companies that also believe in the vision of making the pet industry more sustainable for current and future generations.

“When we started The Big Bad Woof in 2005, being a green sustainable company was not a part of the standard for the pet industry, and the more we were told we could not be green and have a store that held our community values, the more we dug in to prove it could be done and done successfully,” Jones-Napier said. “We sought out other companies that were striving to be sustainable, and there were only a handful, like West Paw Designs, that produced toys and pet supplies with a green business model. We were fortunate to have Generation Pet as one of our first distributors, who were also building their distribution business using sustainability as a guide. We had four wolfdogs at the time we were opening the business, and my partner, Julie Paez, coined the name as a play on the famous children’s story of The Big Bad Wolf.”

“The services and products that Weber’s offers have evolved with the preferences and needs of our customers,” Clark said. “When Weber’s was founded, our focus was on serving a more rural community than we do today. Today Weber’s focuses on helping our customers find the highest quality food and supplies. We pride ourselves on providing honest advice and a positive shopping experience.”

Necessary Conversations

“I have conversations about pet nutrition every day and have for more than 20 years!” said Gabriel of Nature’s Nibbles.

Heinz and her team listen to pet owners’ feedback on products they want while helping other them make product choices that are right for their budget and pet’s needs.

“Many of our customers are educated and vocal regarding the products they want to see on our shelves,” she said. “They can be a great source of information regarding the newest products, foods, toys, etc. that are working for them and their companion animals. And for the ones with questions, we want to steer them in the right direction. We strive to offer the best in healthy, humane products, keep ourselves educated about what we have and pass this on to our customers. These relationships build trust which in turn makes us a store where pet owners can come when they have questions.”

Last year, The Big Bad Woof implemented a nutrition counseling business as an additional service for customers.

“This allows me to delve deeper into health issues and health maintenance for their companion animals, working alongside their veterinarians to provide more holistic support,” said Jones-Napier.

Supporting and educating pet owners goes beyond helping them find the right products for their pets. It encompasses all aspects of the pet’s well-being.

“We also work with and refer people to local trainers and behaviorists as needed, emphasizing the importance of passing on helpful information to help our customers’ pets thrive,” she said.

Accountable pet ownership is often talked about at The Muddy Mutt.

“Responsible pet ownership does not just mean good food, walks every day, training, etc. It also means maintaining a healthy hygiene for your pup. Monthly baths, monthly nail trims, monthly hygiene area scrub or shave,” said Lattanzio. “Some people take showers every day. Dogs need baths and showers as well. A key to a healthy dog is most of the time maintained through their coat. We can determine the health of a dog from their coat and we will most of the time find things wrong with a dog when they come in for a groom. Matted dogs are not happy dogs. Itchy dogs are not happy dogs. Smelly dogs, albeit might be happy, but most of the time are not healthy. Bring your pup in, let us pamper and help you take the best care of your pup.”

“Pet parents are generally much happier with their pets’ behavior when they embrace training with the knowledge of what reasonable dog behavior can look like and how they can best support their pets in learning to be good family members,” Clark said. “Besides that, we encourage pet parents to consider all new food fads with a grain of salt. New food innovations can be very exciting, but some pets will do best with the tried and true foods that they already eat! Weber’s makes sure that our customers have access to both the latest and greatest food options as well as the reliable classics to help our customers best support their pets’ nutritional needs.”

Maintaining Solid Ground

The Big Bad Woof has succeeded in this market because leadership focused on and enhanced the qualities and features that smaller pet specialty retailers thrive at which big box and online can’t necessarily replicate. From offering an enviable and broad assortment of raw and frozen pet foods and a collection of products that are unavailable at larger retailers to training staff to guide and influence shoppers’ decisions, priorities and attention were directed in the right areas.

“We have one of the largest offerings of frozen food in the DMV area (D.C., Maryland, Virginia) and throughout our 19 years in business we have always promoted good nutrition with raw pet food, plus offering a wide variety of brands and types of foods and supplements which are not found in the big box stores,” Jones-Napier said. “We have focused on lots of training with our staff so they are able to help with a myriad of questions, and we offer a great Rewards program which has served our customers well. The relationships we have built with other businesses whether pet-related or small business related has also been an important factor.”

The Muddy Mutt’s location has been a key factor.

“We are situated right next to a large dog park that draws on crowds from D.C., VA and MD,” Lattanzio said. “We have people travel from as far as Woodbridge, VA to as far as Columbia, MD. Our success relies on word of mouth but it also relies on the quality of the services we provide. Customers tell us they won’t go anywhere else because of the employees and how well we provide services for their pup.”

“Since Weber’s has been around since 1979, we are deeply rooted in the community and the wonderful people and pets who live here,” Clark said. “My kids went to school here and my grandkids will be going to school here, so we really understand the area. And because we are a small, local business, we can be agile and adapt quickly to the changing need of our local customers in a way that huge, standardized chains can’t. We’re very hands on and hear directly what our customers are looking for – and can immediately find it for them. We’re also fortunate that our local municipal governments really support small businesses and encourage shopping local.”

A Passion for Pets

“I really enjoy when, after giving customers nutrition advice, for their specific animal, they return with gratitude and finally feel relieved that there is an answer to better health! Challenges are on-going. Especially with higher prices for quality ingredients,” said Gabriel of Nature’s Nibbles.

After 20 years of running Doggy Style Bakery, Boutique & Pet Spa, for Heinz, career fulfillment still comes from getting to know the customers and their dogs and cats.

“And I love solving the day to day challenges that come with running a business,” she said. “Listening to customers and finding ways to improve their relationship with their pets has been my greatest achievement. We not only offer high-quality products, but we also offer grooming services and dog training. Our services grew from the requests of our customers and the way we offer them was also designed, in a large part, by what our clients want. I always listen to our customers and try to meet their needs. We have been in business for more than 20 years, and although the economy, market and products have changed over the years, our clients have always loved their furry friends and always wanted to give them the best. When we focus on this, we overcome the challenges that we face.”

Jones-Napier agrees; noting that in addition to becoming acquainted with The Big Bad Woof’s clientele, she loves being able to help them with the benefits of good nutrition.

“Also, before and especially now being on the other side of the pandemic, being able to participate in events with our larger community and getting to know and help in different areas,” she said. “Not only with pet adoptions but facilitating food donations with pet food pantries and building bridges with our customers and other pet professionals to help them have the best life with their companions.”

“I believe that the recent closure of several major pet chains in the DMV area (D.C., Maryland, Virginia) has created new opportunities for smaller pet care businesses,” Jones-Napier continued. “This allows passionate and dedicated pet care providers to bring their unique skills and ideas to the market. One of the main challenges is to provide personalized services to the community and compete with online giants like Chewy, Amazon, and PetSmart. These online services lack the personal touch that some people and their pets need. Establishing trust and maintaining continuity takes time and effort.”

At The Muddy Mutt, no two days are alike, which suits Lattanzio.

“I truly enjoy all the animals we have come through our doors. Every day is a different day at The Mutt, and it literally keeps us on our toes,” she said.

One of the most fulfilling aspects of Lattanzio’s career is teaching well-intentioned pet parents how to take the best possible care of their pets.

“There are many great things about running a pet business, but the main part would be educating and working directly with the owners to better help take care of their animals,” she explained. “Many of the owners do not know and that is where we step in. The challenges we face are mainly owners believing either they can do the grooming themselves or they don’t need to get the services done for their pup that we recommend. At The Muddy Mutt, we are here for the pups. We strive to make them feel their absolute best they can and if we need to add more services to their visit, then that’s what we need to do. We whole-heartedly care about the well-being of each animal that comes through our doors.”

“It’s all about the pets and the people! They are why we strive to find the best mix of high quality, innovative and budget friendly products for our customers,” Clark said. “As for current challenges, pets are family, but our northern Virginia neighbors are really feeling pinched by the broader economic environment at the moment. As a retail store, we’re working even harder these days to find premium products that are right for our customers, support their pets’ health and happiness, and don’t increase their financial stress. We serve the greater Washington D.C. metropolitan area, which tends to be very transient due to the types of jobs people have here – a very high percentage of people working for the government and the military compared to other areas of the country. Building strong relationships with our customers is key for gaining word of mouth recommendations when people move into the area.”

The greater Washington D.C. market is where pet-focused businesses are passionate and determined to teach pet owners how to properly care for their pets. By offering a collection of safe and trustworthy products, engaging in necessary discussions in-store and creating a warm, inviting space within the walls of their storefronts, these selfless business owners are here to support and advocate for pets and pet parents. 

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