𝘐𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘙𝘺𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘕𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘦 𝘊𝘩𝘶𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘭
If you ask Ryan Churchill what inspired his father, Ben, to purchase a Pet Valu franchise, Ryan and his wife Natalie agree: it was Moose. Moose was Ben’s chocolate lab and he loved visiting Pet Valu. Of course, becoming a Pet Valu owner was ultimately a business decision, but “family is at the heart of everything my father does,” says Ryan. “When I moved away to university, he got a dog … and that dog became his life — or dogs, because there were several. His dogs go everywhere, they're all in his truck, wherever he goes. And he realized how good it felt to go into that first corporate Pet Valu store that he went into, which is why he wanted to own it.” Then a couple of years ago, Ryan and Natalie, followed in Ben’s footsteps and now have their own three stores in and around the Halifax area. “We've always had dogs, we’re big-time pet lovers, and in terms of retail, it's one of those industries where, generally speaking, customers are super happy and excited to walk into your store,” says Natalie. She loves that their locations can serve not just as a place to find great pet products, but also a warm and exciting destination for their furry customers. “At our Young Street store, for example, there is a dog that pulls her owner across the parking lot every day to come into the store because she knows she gets a treat, which is pretty cute,” Natalie says. “Some people build their days around a visit to Pet Valu. In certain circumstances, they'll go for a walk or a hike … and it's like a whole outing that ends with a trip to Pet Valu.”
Like other Pet Valu employees across Canada, staff at Natalie and Ryan’s stores receive specialized training that help them become Animal Care Experts (ACEs). And as animal lovers themselves, most are enthusiastic about learning and always looking for new ways to support pet parents and their pet family members, says Natalie. “The staff know more about animal nutrition and care than a lot of other people I've ever met, they're very excited to learn new things. They're always talking about something that's come up with a customer that they felt proud to help. And so I think it's fulfilling for them as well, rather than just being a cashier behind a counter.” Additionally, a lot of the ACEs attracted to working at their Pet Valu locations have past (or ongoing current) experience working with pets in other types of roles too, says Ryan. “A lot of the staff that we have, they have vet tech backgrounds, or they are dog trainers. They've worked in the industry for a long time. You know, they've used a ton of different products. Most of them have a plethora of pets, dogs, cats, lizards, fish — you name it, they have it. So they are very excited to talk about any of those things.” That passion then translates to making customers feel very comfortable in the store, and incentivizes them to return, again and again, he notes. Natalie agrees, saying “A customer can ask a question, and you can see the ACE get excited about it. They get excited about the answer and all the solutions we may have, or the options that are out there.” “If we can be at least a small part of making someone have a memorable moment of some kind, then you know, that's kind of what we're after at the end of the day. We want people to want to return to see us and include us in their daily lives,” she says.
For Pet Valu franchisees, becoming an Animal Care Expert (ACE) is more than a job — it’s a rewarding community responsibility
A multi-generational Pet Valu franchise owner shares the journey of how his family became ACEs, the ACE training they receive and their dedication to community.
