PLUCKY LITTLE COMPETITORS

摘要

Conventional Wisdom Would Tell you Beverly's Pet Center in Pembroke Pines, Fla., should have a GOING OUT OF BUSINESS sign in its window. A family-owned shop that has sold animals and supplies since 1974, it's surrounded by hulking outlets of Pets-Mart, Pet Supermarket and Pet Supplies Plus. Facing the cut-rate prices of these giant chains, Beverly's was expected to get gobbled up faster than a mouse in a snake pit. But as in the wild kingdom, life in the retail jungle is full of surprises. Beverly's turned out to be about as digestible as a porcupine. Kids love it and pester their parents to take them there. Sure, the dog food costs a little more, but they get to play with plenty of puppies, stare at exotic reptiles and marmosets, eat free popcorn, cheer hamster races and get good and scared by the predators in Beverly's 4,000-gal. shark pond. "We run a clean shop and train our employees to know what they're talking about," says co-owner Greg Rosenberg. One of Beverly's big rivals, PetsMart, abandoned a location across the street from the shop and relocated several miles away. Beverly's moved into PetsMart's old superstore last year, doubling its square footage, and reports that its sales are rising 10% annually. Says Kim Paoletti, who shops there a few times a week with her two young daughters: "It's more expensive than at the chains, but the pet-food quality is better."