Petsmart moving into old Borders (East Liberty)

[ML North]

. . .add another to the list of "Pittsburgh Stores with Cats!"

[LIRefugee]

It's good to finally know what the activity in the lower Borders floor has been all about. It feels a little smaller than I would expect from a PetSmart, but it's good to see the space being used. Now for the upper floor to be reused...

Also good to know the long-term plans for the bus turnaround. Right now it only offers as a memorial for the lost bus lines still depicted on the maps on the shelters.

[BrianTH]

I think the issue with PetSmart's animal suppliers is perfectly valid, but that doesn't mean they are a bad addition to East Liberty's retail scene. In fact I would bet dollars to donuts that for the most part their customers would just have been using some other similar pet store (potentially including a PetSmart) somewhere else in the area.

[groar]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

I think the issue with PetSmart's animal suppliers is perfectly valid, but that doesn't mean they are a bad addition to East Liberty's retail scene. In fact I would bet dollars to donuts that for the most part their customers would just have been using some other similar pet store (potentially including a PetSmart) somewhere else in the area.

yeah i think that's a fair enough statement. all the big pet stores sell small animals (except maybe burton's? but i'm not sure of that) and i'm sure they all come from similar conditions.

i have qualms but i go to those places when i need something they don't have at animal nature.

[BrianTH]

I recall Burton's having fewer small animals, but still having some.

[greg42]

It's a store big enough to fill a good portion of what is a large empty retail spot. It would have been difficult to subdivide further on the lower level without the spaces being rather dark. (Upstairs there are full windows on 3 sides so they could feasibly divide that into a couple smaller spots. Downstairs the windows are only on the one side, and the space is really deep if you used that as the front.)

[greg42]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

I recall Burton's having fewer small animals, but still having some.

As far as that goes, it may vary by location but Burton's tends to have ferrets, maybe a rabbit, and birds in stock. And fish. Up in Cranberry they have a couple of large birds (African Grey I think, and another one) that live for decades, not really sure who is ever going to buy them as they've been there for years, but you really need a long commitment. After they moved, the new thing is the parakeets kept in a lidless glass enclosure. Why don't they fly? Their wings are clipped. That seems lame. (I had a parakeet when I was young, and it definitely still could fly.) I'm finding myself desiring to shop there less now. The main problem is that there's one cat food I haven't found anywhere else carrying, although I probably could find it online somewhere. I'm trying to move away from that food anyway, but that's a slow process.

I don't know what they usually have in Petsmart, I rarely pay attention, and I don't shop there that much either. I think they have some birds, maybe a few small mammals more like gerbils and guinea pigs, and fish. Petco, they usually have ferrets and a rabbit in there, and guinea pigs I think, plus fish. Both may have some little reptiles too. Petsmart and Petco provide space for cats (all the time) and dogs (in special events) from shelters to be seen and thus adopted, though. That at least is a plus.

In general (not just pet supplies) there are very few perfect retail experiences, with all the policies I would prefer. Almost everything is a compromise of some sort....