For today’s installment of our local holiday shopping series, we caught up with Michele Sileo, assistant manager of Pet Pantry Warehouse on Grove Street.
Here’s our conversation.
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Chloe & Max brand holiday apparel for dogs, fun for Christmas Eve and Day ($47.99 apiece), at Pet Pantry Warehouse, 21 Grove St. in New Canaan. Credit: Michael
New Canaanite: Please give us some background on Pet Pantry and an overview of what you offer here.
Michele Sileo: Pet Pantry has been family owned for over 75 years now. We have seven stores—four in Connecticut, three in New York. We have a lot of products for dogs. We have the food and treats. We have a lot of different chews that are all digestible. For the holidays, we have all kinds of toys—some tough toys, some fluffy toys and an array of cookies, which everybody loves. We sell most of them every year. A new thing that we’ve had the last couple years are Advent calendars, which people are really enjoying—and dogs as well, because they get a treat every day, just like your child would.
A variety of Christmas dog treats in the shape of donuts ($5.29) at Pet Pantry Warehouse, 21 Grove St. in New Canaan. Credit: Michael Dinan
You mentioned the Advent calendars. What are some other things that people are looking for this holiday season?
They want bandanas or scarves, and we have plenty of those—hats, scarves and bell collars, all holiday colors, all different sizes. We have the stockings that people come in and look for. And some stocking stuffers hung up with them. We have all kinds of treats and goods around that you can pick up to fill the stocking.
Howlidays-brand Christmas dog toys, featuring “Santa’s Secret Sauce” bottle ($13.99), they range from $9.99 to $17.99, at Pet Pantry Warehouse, 21 Grove St. in New Canaan. Credit: Michael
What’s it like being a retailer in New Canaan from Black Friday to Christmas?
It’s actually a lot of fun. The store is very full and decorated. We have our special cookie display in the front, and it’s just a lot of fun to do the endcaps. It’s my favorite time. I love having all the toys and putting them out all over the store. We have Christmas, we have Hanukkah. We get a lot of people coming to use our dog washes, as well, to keep them clean for the holidays for company coming. I just love the busyness of the holidays, and people are just always very happy while looking for things for their dogs, their granddogs.
Bowser’s brand dog beds, completely washable though white, different sizes, ranging in price from $125 to $225, with stuffed toy puppies from Douglas ($23.99), at Pet Pantry Warehouse, 21 Grove St. in New Canaan. Credit: Michael
What would you say to someone who maybe has a dog in New Canaan but they always buy their dog food near where they work, or they get it delivered through some service, someone who hasn’t had a chance to stop in here yet?
I would encourage them to stop in where we’re all trained in nutrition and different aspects for all animals. We can come in here and find out what they’re feeding, try to add to the dog’s bowl, add some freshness or freeze-dried and just get some variety into their diet. If we can do something higher quality that might just improve their overall health.
Pet Pantry at 21 Grove St. in New Canaan (here on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube) is open 9-7 Mon-Fri, 9-6 St and 10-6 Sunday.