CO-OP OPENS CHISAGO PET STORE
Federated Co-ops’ Country Store on Highway 8 in Chisago City has always offered a variety of foods, toys, and treats for pets. Now, we’re going a step further to serve pet lovers in the Chisago Lakes area.
The Animal House will handle only live pets and pet supplies, so our employees will become experts in pet care.
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The Animal House is open for business during construction.
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Workers recently constructed a wall that divides our long, rectangular building in half. One half will be a C-Store that will continue selling auto supplies, Carhartt® clothing, and lawn and garden supplies. The other side will be a pet store appropriately named The Animal House.
Besides pet supplies, The Animal House will carry live animals including fish, reptiles, rodents, puppies, and kittens. “Betty Boll, our Chisago store manager, came up with the idea as a way to better serve the customers of this area,” says Gene Schmitz, the co-op’s retail division manager. “There were no pet stores close around Chisago and many people showed interest in Federated building one.”
“When we were a Country Store handling many kinds of products, it was difficult for our employees to know much about pets,” says Gene, “but employees of The Animal House will be dealing specifically with pets, so they will have much more knowledge to dispense.”
Pet lovers looking for a clean store with good variety and the right prices will enjoy The Animal House. “We’re working with a reputable local breeder to provide puppies for our customers and with a rescue organization as the source of our kittens,” Gene comments.
The Animal House employees—Jordan, Jessica, and Jordon—all have backgrounds or interest in pets. One comes from a family that grooms animals. One worked as a veterinary technician. One is currently studying animal health. Sue Austin, a certified pet groomer, will set up shop in the back of our store.
Customers who pick up horse, beef, pig, and chicken feeds at the Country Store will find the same feeds (and help to load them) in our warehouse. Since the C-Store and The Animal House share the same register system, you can order animal feeds at either location and pick them up at the loading door on the pet store side.
A WALL OF WATER AND FINS
Forty-five fish tanks (3 deep and 15 wide) will be framed into this 40 foot wall at The Animal House.
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One big attraction at our new Chisago City pet store will be a 40-foot wall of fish tanks—three tanks high and 15 tanks wide. “We’re recessing 45 tanks in that wall and putting frames around them so the only thing you’ll see is the glass and the fish,” says Gene. “We want the whole wall to look like one big picture, so if you remember anything you’ve seen in The Animal House you remember that wall.”
The Animal House construction is scheduled to be finished by July 5, but the store is open during construction. Want to know if The Animal House handles what you need? Call the main store line at 651-257-6320 and press #1 for the c-store, #2 for the pet store, and #3 for grooming.
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