Meet the Grainger Market Traders: Robinson’s Pet Store

Tell us a bit more about the rich history of Robinson’s Pet Store.

The Robinson family have been part of the Grainger Market for over 130 years. George Robinson and his son Ernest worked as butchers in the early 1920’s – Ernest even married Alice Shepstone, who was the daughter of the Grainger Market inspector Arthur Shepstone, and at the time was working in the Grainger Market General Weigh House. In 1929, Ernest visited a corn shop in the Grainger Market to collect an order for seed for his birds. When the store assistant told him they were out of stock as the order had been forgotten about, Ernest responded “This would never happen if this were my store, customers and customer service should come first". The shop assistant told Ernest that he had the opportunity to prove his point as the shop was up for sale, and that was the beginning of Robinson’s Pet Store.

The Robinson family has, over the years, pioneered numerous firsts in the pet trade like opening Britain’s first self-service pet store on Clayton Street in 1955 and offering products like the first canned all puppy food, cat scratching posts and all meat and liver cereal/grain free cat and dog food, a policy that we continue today.

When did you first get involved with the family business?

I have been visiting the Grainger Market and the pet shop all my life. My grandfather Ernest and father had the shop before me, so it is all I know. My first active involvement came as a 10-year-old, back in 1974, when I would spend a lot of time in the shop during the school holidays and at weekends. I took over from my dad in 2004 and with the help of my wife Pauline, have been running the shop since.

There’s a huge sense of pride that as a family we are Britain’s longest-established pet store, and the Market has always been so full of character and characters that I feel completely comfortable within its walls.

What do you love about running a pet store?

I have always had a huge love for animals and I’ve had pets over the years who are my companions. For every customer that walks through the door, it's important to be caring when it comes to their pet because it is part of their family. It’s important that we treat that relationship with a huge amount of respect.

I see a huge amount of variety every day. No two people who visit us are the same, and no two pets have the same needs. I enjoy being a part of this pet’s journey, a very small part, but an important one nonetheless. We see, and hear stories of, pets from their beginnings. I have also been doing this long enough to see the children of customers who have now become customers in their own right, which is great to see.

What kind of products do you sell at Robinson’s? What are your most popular products?

We sell a huge range of things – toys, treats, food, beds, leads, harnesses, collars, accessories.

Some of our most popular products are the huge range of natural treats we have on the counter, for dogs and cats. For most people, pets are such an important member of the family, that customers love being able to take home a healthy but enjoyable treat for their furry friends.

Being in business for so long, you must get a lot of repeat customers. Do you have any heartwarming stories or moments with customers that stand out?

Any day can be heartwarming or heartbreaking. Customers love to come and tell us of their pet’s exploits, but we also have to share the sadness when customers come to tell us of the passing of a beloved companion, a sad tale that we have unfortunately shared in ourselves on a number of occasions. Most of our customers don’t stay companion free for long and we quite quickly get to hear new stories of new pets imprinting themselves on somebody’s heart.

How do you think Robinson’s has been able to stay in business for so long?

I think being a hands-on family business, we are involved in all aspects of what we do which gives us much greater flexibility and adaptability to recognise changes in the market and also to be first with new products.

Since the beginning of Robinson’s Pet Shop, our customers have always been our focus. We know that without them our business cannot do what we do. We are committed to bringing customers the best quality pet products with quality service. All of the staff here are knowledgeable and caring, and that is something that we really pride ourselves on.

How have pet industry and pet ownership trends and products changed over the years?

With increased understanding of how our pets work instinctively, we are much more able to provide food, treats and enrichment toys which can bridge the link between wild and domestic life allowing a much more fulfilled life for both pets and people together. A happy pet is a happy owner and vice versa.

National Pet Month is all about celebrating responsible pet ownership. If you could give current and potential pet owners one bit of advice, what would it be?

Respecting the origins of your pet and affording them the chance to live as full and active a life as possible. Take the time to think about the kind of life you lead and how well suited that is to the life that you can offer to a pet.

Robinson's Pet Store is located at 187/A in Grainger Market's arcade and is open Monday to Saturday from 9am to 5pm. For more information visit www.robinsonspetstore.com.