Calgary pet store marks 100 years in business

Small business survives in Calgary A family-run pet store says it’s been a rough ride the last few years, but they are hanging on. Ina Sidhu reports.

The owner of a pet store on Kensington Road says she’s seen all the ups and downs of Calgary’s economy for three decades and has lasted through them all.

Christine Nurse with Fairplay Pet Supply inherited the business from her father and says it hasn’t been an easy time at the helm.

She says she’s had to take some drastic measures to avoid shutting down entirely.

“We know how to trim expenses. We had a tough learning experience in the 80s; we had three stores close down.”

Nurse says that helped her weather the storm of the last downturn too.

“We’ve been through this before and we know where we have to cut. The last place I want to cut is employees’ hours.”

The toughest thing, Nurse says, is staying positive in the slow economy.

According to the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, small business confidence dropped to its lowest level since 2016 last month.

Analysts say that the price of crude was to blame for the change, even though things aren’t going terribly for the economy.

“I think the economy is doing moderately good,” says Anupam Das, MRU economics professor. “However, this is at the present. When businesses make decisions, they try to forecast about the future.”

Das says those same businesses will also be looking towards another possible change later this year.

“They may also wait for the election to be over; they’ll make investment decisions after.”

No matter what happens with the economy, Nurse says she can feel good about something.

“A hundred-year birthday party boosts your confidence too.”

(With files from Ina Sidhu)