Too many small businesses have closed in the past three to four months with one being a convenience store at a major intersection.  If you are looking to start a new business then come on down to Pineville.  We have plenty of empty spaces available.

Meanwhile, the Town of Pineville has spruced itself up.  New signs, new drop off box for power and phone payments, a ballpark, etc.  I am sure I have missed mentioning other improvements that have been or will be made.

A small annoyance I find wasteful is that the Town of Pineville continues to have a larger, full color, monthly newsletter each month.  Why not just post it online?  Save some money and some trees and possibly come down on our electric and phone bills?

Although the changes are nice to some degree, I see them as not being fiscally responsible.  In these tough economic times with more and more people out of work, these superficial improvements to the Town of Pineville feels like a slap in the face to the business owners.  Thank you for repaving and enlarging the parking at Town Hall although I have never in twelve years seen more than two cars there at any given time.

Instead, give incentives to get small businesses to come back to Pineville, lower our taxes, anything to keep us here and get more businesses to come here.  Or if you insist on spending money rather than saving money, then put in sidewalks so the people walking along Old Lancaster Hwy or Hwy 51 near the I485 on and off ramps do not get killed.  Something that is truly needed.

Without the stores that grew Pineville to what it is today, it will quickly turn into a has been town and no one will bother driving to shop here.  But at least the Town Hall is fancy.

To all Gourmet Pet Supply Customers

We regret to inform you that, unfortunately, after nearly 18 years in
business, Gourmet Pet Supply Inc., makers of Beak Appetit, Jurassic Cuisine and
Critter Cuisine products, has been forced to cease operations and close
down as of November 9th, 2009 due to economic constraints.
We thank you for your many years of loyalty and support.

This used to be our old front room, the main door you would enter our store in a few years ago.  I gave up that space since the flooding problem was getting so severe and the landlord would not correct it.  Thankfully, the flooding issue has been corrected and it is not an issue any longer.

It is a little cramped but we have a lot yet to get rid of by way of old fixtures and the like.  As we get settled in we are finding what needs to stay and what needs to go.

We are still under the temporary store hour schedule.  We should be open later in the day starting sometime in August.

As always, we strive to meet your needs and will continue to meet boarding customers by appointment on the days we are closed or after hours.

Things are changing so fast we hope you will come in and watch us evolve yet again!

We are so happy our landlord caters to small businesses.  Without their support, Bird Zone would have never been able to grow from one single unit in 1997 to taking over the entire building in it’s hay day.  With the economy shrinking so has our store.  And our landlord knows that this too shall pass.  We just have to weather this storm.  Once things get back to normal we will grow again.

We will officially be out of our old space by July 15th, 2009.  Our new address is 219 A Main Street, Pineville, NC 28134 instead of 219 B Main Street.

We hope you will stop by and check out our new space.

Of course, it’s the economy that ultimately did them in.  Just like all the other small businesses and a few large businesses closing these past six months.  But the pet industry is different than say, restaurants or boat shops.  People love their pets and will do anything to keep them and take care of them.  Some people will feed their pets better than they feed themselves.

The pet industry is notably a safe industry to be in during recessions.  In fact, dog businesses are booming right now.  So what happened?

Competition, you say?  Correct.  There are big box pet stores all over Charlotte now.  Getting into a price war with a giant corporation is not a smart thing to do if you are a small pet store but you still have to keep your prices within reason of what the big guys are charging.  What is a small store to do when the big chain stores sell products below what the pet store buys them at wholesale?

Not only do the big box pet stores sell the same products but they also rarely run out of stock on those products.  The smaller pet stores do not normally have the space to keep extra stock on hand nor do they have the same amount of retail space to offer the same variety as the big guys.  And the reality is that the small stores cannot afford to tie their money up in extra stock the way the large stores can.

Could the internet be a factor in the small pet stores closing? Yes, it is another heavy blow to pet stores.  Buying pet products online is far cheaper than paying what a traditional pet store charges.  The average person does not appreciate the knowledge of the sales clerks working in the small pet stores.  Most people work in pet stores because they love pets.  They normally have a lot more pets than the average person.  With all those personal pets, the pet store’s animals, and hearing customer’s stories on a daily basis this gives the average pet store worker more knowledge about which products would be better in your situation.

Instead, what most people do now is read online to research what they think they need and then buy a product to fill that need.  Since we all buy products online, we all can admit to buying things we were not certain we needed and ended up not using or not needing those things.  In the case of food, some foods just are not very good and pets will not eat it no matter how great the company markets it to be.

The pet store worker knows these things.  They know which products are returned over and over.  Which manufacturer’s products last longer than others.  They know what typically works best in most situations.

Location is another issue.  Like Frank and Peg’s being in business in the same location for over 40 years they cannot spread themselves out over Charlotte like the big box pet stores are.  Why go across town to Frank and Peg’s when you can just run in and buy something at the closer, chain pet store even though you don’t know any of the employees who work there.

Don’t forget the grocery stores, Walmart, and Target.  It’s a matter of convenience and price not about quality with these stores.  Again, the brands they sell market their products well but are they really better?  If you were to compare their products side by side with a better pet store brand you would find that although you will spend more in the pet store the product will normally last you longer and be of much higher quality.

The final, lethal blow to the small pet stores right now is the sad fact that many people are giving away or selling, if possible, their pets.  Right now, more people are getting rid of their pets because they are moving and can’t take their pets with them.  Aside from dog and possibly cat owners, the average pet store customer base is rapidly, if not exponentially, shrinking.

What is the pet owner to do?  Times are hard for everyone right now.  But if you drive a Mercedes, you are going to put the premium gas in your car even if you have to pay over $4 a gallon right now.  You bought the car and you have to take care of that car.

Buy smarter.  Go to the local, individually owned pet store you trust, speak to someone who has some knowledge and ask them for help.  Instead of wasting money buying the lower end products, try the better brand for a change and see the difference.  Maybe you did not even know you were wasting money buying that particular product.

Support the smaller stores.  Most of them have their whole life’s savings invested in the stores.  Most owners work 70-80 hours a week in the stores and a lot of that time is behind the scenes doing ordering, payroll, accounting, etc.  The owners work so much harder than anyone else too because of all the other responsibilities that go along with owning a business.

There is nothing to be done for Frank and Peg’s.  The owner and employees will probably join the unemployment line and try to get on with their lives.  Their customers will surely miss them.

Come by and visit them soon.  They will be weaned in two to three weeks and ready to go home.

Losing your house can be devastating.  Losing your pets is just as awful.  If you think you will not be able to take your pets to your new destination, please make arrangements ahead of time.

Most apartment communities and rental companies allow pet birds.  Most do not even care how many you have.  Obviously, a loud macaw or cockatoo might disrupt neighbors but that also depends on the bird and the neighbors.

Even if you have neighbors who complain there are tricks you can do to lessen the noise like providing foraging toys or other toys to keep your bird entertained.  Sometimes, simply moving the cage into another room away from the complaining neighbor is all it takes to make everyone happy.

We encourage you to do what you can to keep your pet.  During the stressful time of finding a new home some options might not be as obvious as others.  You could always ask a neighbor or family member to take your pet until you get settled in your new place.

If you are thinking of relocating and are concerned that you cannot keep your pet bird, please call our store at (704) 889-4615.  We are skilled at finding new homes for birds.  With our large database of customers, often it takes only a few days to find a perfect family for your feathered friend.

Here is a good article for more information on this topic.

The American Federation Of Aviculture Inc. And Other Animal Groups Oppose H.R. 669

The American Federation of Aviculture Inc. and other animal groups urged pet owners to contact representatives participating in a hearing on H.R. 669 and ask that the bill be killed.

By BirdChannel News Division

Posted: April 10, 2009, 8:00 p.m. EDT

Photo courtesy of Melissa Bellande, FL H.R. 669 is a bill that bans possession, import or export to the U.S. transport between states or breeding of nonnative species in the U.S.

The American Federation of Aviculture Inc. (AFA), the Avicultural Society of America (ASA) and the National Animal Interest Alliance (NAIA) issued an action alert together that opposes H.R. 669, a bill banning most nonnative animals in the United States.

“H.R. 669 is an ‘anti-animal bill’. There is no amendment that can fix this bill,” states the action alert.

H.R. 669 is a bill that bans possession, import or export to the United States, transport between states or breeding of nonnative animal species in the United States.

H.R. 669 excludes some animals from this possible ban, including dogs, cats, horses, goldfish, domestic rabbits and some farm animals. The bill also notes that the Secretary of the Interior can exclude other animal species that are deemed “common and clearly domesticated.” Any species not excluded must go through an assessment process to determine its possible negative impact to the economy, environment, other animal species and human health. Supporters of H.R. 669 believe it prevents harm to these areas from nonnative, invasive species.

The AFA, ASA and NAIA believe that if H.R. 669 passes, “Most nonnative species of animal (i.e. exotic animals) won’t remain in the United States much longer. That means your exotic pet bird, reptile, fish or mammal.”

The action alert urged people to voice opposition to the bill by contacting their representative before April 23, 2009, when the bill will be heard by a subcommittee. It also noted other actions people can take to oppose the bill.

H.R. 669 harms everyone involved with animals — pet owners, breeders, rescuers, rehabilitators, zoos and service or product providers, according to the alert from the AFA, ASA and NAIA.

“The result of this bill will be to put a stop domestic breeding of most endangered or threatened species in the United States for zoos, conservation, or reintroduction programs,” state the AFA, ASA and NAIA.

Both the AFA and ASA are nonprofit national avicultural organizations that educate people about birds, with the AFA focusing on captive birds. The NAIA is an alliance of various groups that promote animal welfare.

The American Federation Of Aviculture Inc. And Other Animal Groups Oppose H.R. 669

The Goldie’s Lorikeet hatched on 3/3/2009.

The Timneh African Grey hatched on 2/13/2009.

If you need food or supplies and want it shipped directly to your home, please visit our online store to get what you need shipped to you fast.

In the meantime, we will be picking up the baby Timneh African Grey from the breeder.