Maggy's Pet Boutique Owner

• Posted on 6 March 2022
• By Marcia
• 0

We get a lot of questions about who owns the shop, where the name came from, and why we choose Beamsville. So we asked our owner to reintroduce herself.

Meet the Owner of Beamsville's Independent Pet Store

A little bit about me and why I opened a pet store in Beamsville

Maggy’s Pet Boutique has been open for over three years now and I thought now would be a good time to reintroduce myself and tell the story of how I came to open a pet store. 

My name is Marcia, and the short story is that I have loved pets for my entire life and after 20 years in the pet industry it was time to take a chance on myself and pursue a dream.

My Background

I first started in the industry in 1999 as a retail associate in Canada’s largest pet store chain and worked my way up to a store management position during my years there.  In addition to this, I also studied in the Pet Care Worker Program at Niagara College in 2000 and worked as an apprentice dog groomer early in my career as well. (Fun Fact - the grooming salon I trained at had a location in Beamsville!)

In addition to my time in retail and pet grooming, I also worked in dog daycare and dog sitting, and have volunteered with the Humane Society, with National Service Dogs (as the local coordinator of the Easter Egg Hunt for Dogs), as a therapy dog visitor at local seniors homes, and have participated in all kinds of events, activities, and trade shows. 

After many years working for a corporate chain, I took a break from pet retail and focused my efforts on a pet sitting business for a few years. But every time I visited a pet store, I imagined myself opening a store.  It was a persistent thought for a lot of years and in 2018 I decided to make it happen.

Opening the store

It took a lot of hard work to make this dream happen.  Opening a successful business requires planning and research to find a location, build out the store, find suppliers, hire staff, and promote the business.  This would have been easier if we had opened a franchise, but the idea of going corporate did not appeal to me.  I value being unique and being able to curate a specific list of products. While chain stores have to promote the corporate brand, or the preferred head office brand, and we are free from the bias that this creates.

My vision for the store was to be a friendly and fun place with high quality products and services. As an independent, woman led business, which was striving to be different from the big chain stores, I chose to focus on Canadian made products as much as possible and picked a bright shade of pink as the key brand colour.  I am proud to say that no one can say that our store is a cookie cutter!

Choosing the location

Both my family, and my husband’s family, have long histories in Beamsville dating back to the 1950’s.  Our parents grew up in Beamsville and we have always loved Beamsville.  I did consider other locations, but our family history, coupled with the fact that there was only one other pet store in Beamsville (which is part of Canada’s biggest chain of stores), made this location really appealing for my independent pet store.

Naming the Store

A lot of people think that my name is Maggy. And that’s ok with me because Maggy was an awesome girl that lit up my life.

Maggy was our first dog as a couple.  She was a black and white Australian Shepherd with endless energy and a sweet personality. She was fun loving and a loyal best friend.  I named my store after her to honour her and to model the store’s personality after her.

What we have accomplished so far

We are proud that over the past three years we have supported a lot of local causes and pet rescue groups.  It feels nice to make a small difference in your community.

What I am most proud of is the team that we have here at Maggy’s.  We have three full time groomers and two cashiers.  Our team cares about each other and supports each other.  Our groomers came to Maggy’s from other grooming salons and they like the supportive, family-oriented environment. They receive competitive pay, health benefits, and support in their professional development.

Last but not least, we have made a lot of new friends in the community, and helped dog and cat owners find quality nutrition and enrichment. Our business is growing and here to stay.

More about Maggy’s

Maggy’s is an independent retailer that buys local or Canadian-made wherever possible. This keeps money in the local economy and is good for the environment too.

Maggy’s Pet Boutique offers high quality dog and cat foods, pet supplies and dog grooming services.  The emphasis is on high quality natural foods, and wherever possible, local or Canadian products.  This includes several locally owned brands including Boreal Pet Foods, Raw Performance, and Iron Will Raw. From time to time, we give local makers and artisans a chance to sell their pet products in our shop.

Our grooming service is one to one by appointment. Our goal is to create a low stress environment for the dogs that get groomed here. We start with intake questionnaire and have a brief meet and greet to get to know you and your pets. There are no kennels as dogs do not stay for long. Our staff are caring and dedicated professionals who take part in professional development opportunities.

Thank you!

Thank you for shopping with your local independent pet store.  You’re making dreams come true and helping the local economy.

Sincerely,

Marcia Belchior