“We want our customers to know that we care just as much about their health and safety as we do about the health and happiness of their furry family members."
- Kieran Atkinson
L ike many stores, Global Pet Foods PEI has undergone some changes in recent months. In response to COVID-19, the pet-friendly chain, with locations both in Charlottetown and Summerside, has put “all the health and safety measures in place,” says Kieran Atkinson, business development manager of Global Pet Foods for PEI and Newfoundland. Stores maintain a “vigorous” cleaning schedule, says Atkinson, while also providing protective equipment for staff, acrylic shields at each cash register, hand sanitizing stations and floor decals to maintain social distancing. “We want our customers to know that we care just as much about their health and safety as we do about the health and happiness of their furry family members,” he says. “Our biggest priority is to ensure all our customers feel safe when they shop at our Island locations, and we’ll continue to take any steps necessary to reflect that.” Additionally, Global Pet Foods stores have made some changes online in an effort to ensure the safety of their customers’ shopping experience. The first new addition was implementing virtual tours of each location.
their computer, tablet or smartphone at globalpetfoodspei.ca/locations. Atkinson says the virtual tour was created in order to allow customers to see the brands and selection of products they carry, as well as to understand each store’s layout before their visit, in order to limit the time spent in-store. While most customers have responded positively to the new virtual tours, Atkinson admits that some prefer to communicate with the store’s staff in-person. He stresses that the tours “are not a replacement for our team of Healthy Pet Specialists. We are more than happy to give advice or support, whether it’s over the phone, via email or social media, or in person with the necessary health measures in place.” Online shopping is another new change for the pet supply chain. “We were already developing an online shopping option, but our timeline and launch were moved up significantly because of the pandemic,” says Atkinson. “We wanted to ensure Islanders had every option possible for purchasing their pet’s favourite products in light of recent events.” Since it is a recent move, all products might not be immediately available to buy online. However, if a customer
doesn’t see their favourite product on the website, they can still complete their purchase by phone. Customers currently have the option to pick up their order in-store or curbside, with a ship-to-home option launching at a later date. While the online shopping feature has only been recently added, Atkinson says the feedback has been positive. “Customers like how easy the site is to use, and they like having the option to purchase their items online if they need to.” In light of the changes at Global Pet Foods, Atkinson says they are grateful for the loyalty and support received from their Islander customers. “We really appreciate all our customers’ support of our local business over the last several months, as well as their continued understanding while we have adapted to meet their needs.”
Global Pet Foods 405 University Ave, Charlottetown 902.368.1326
454 Granville St, Summerside 902.724.1326
www.globalpetfoodspei.ca
Customers can take a 360-degree virtual tour of both Island stores using
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