Shape the future of the high street

PEARL’S (PET CARE)

Pearl Hamilton

We are a family owned and run pet shop in the North East of Scotland. Established in 1982 by Pearl Hamilton, the business has grown, and moved with the times ever since.
We specialise in everything you need for domestic pets. We do not, and never have, sold livestock. Partly because Pearl has always felt that the display housing available to the pet trade is not a fair or adequate housing for pets, partly because she feels that all pets should be able to go from their mothers, to the new home, without being poked at and stood on display in shops, and last, but not least, by the time she’d have given people the third degree, as to whether they were fit and proper people to purchase an animal – they’d have been saying ‘never mind missus, we’ll go elsewhere’ anyway!
This ethos has taken us to where we are today. That combined with the simple fact that we NEVER advise for the sake of our till, but ALWAYS for the benefit of the animal in question, means that we have generations of customers coming to us for ALL their pets needs and desires!
We have moved premises, changed the services we offer, and generally bent, and shaped the business to fit in with our customers needs, at any given time. At the moment, we, as a small, independent, family business, are aware that many of our customers are working increasingly long hours, to support the lifestyle they have chosen for themselves and their families. With this in mind we offer alot of services to make shopping for the pets as easy and hassle free as possible.
Customers in the local area benefit from free local deliveries, 24 hour ordering service, and a range of payment methods, including Paypal. Customers from further afield, many of whom used to live nearby, but have had to relocate, for various reasons, can also benefit from 24 hour ordering, and easy payment. THIS includes our on line customers!
We fully understand that in this day and age people still WANT to shop in independent shops, and still wish to benefit from the service, experience and knowledge that you can often only get from and independent family concern, BUT, in reality, it is getting harder and harder to do so. We understand this, because WE are people just like you, and we are all customers of somebody – something that many businesses seem to forget! Not us!
Following our first dalliance into web pages, way back in the 1990s, we initially used ebay as our ecommerce platform, but as our online sales have grown (becoming Powersellers on ebay), we have found a definite need for our very own, up to date web site. We’ve refused to join in th complaining and moaning that is so often the tune of smaller businesses. WE shop online, so why shouldn’t our customers?! The internet is NOT something to be scared of, or to see as the end for high street retailers, it is just another TOOL for us to embrace.
Over the years we have introduced everything we can to help our customers enjoy shopping with us. As far back as 1997 we were welcoming email orders from existing clients.

We are a tiny shop, but we have HUGE business ethics. The main one is – give people what they want. It isn’t much to ask, and it isn’t hard to offer!
In line with our instore customers, we strive to offer excellent service and advice to all of our online customers. We pride ourselves in being able to offer hard to source items. Ones that you maybe saw 20 or 30 years ago, and can’t find now. Or ones you’ve seen in bigger stores, but at a horrendous price. Or, more often than not – things you have NEVER seen before – we have all sorts. PLEASE do drop us a line, and we will do our best to list any of your ‘hard to find items’.
After being in the pet trade this long, there isn’t much we don’t stock. But, unless we know there is a demand, we might never think to list your dream item on here! So, go ahead, ask. You don’t have to buy, but it costs nothing to challenge us to list it!