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Animal Kingdom founder Ian Barette tells Emily Moore why he launched the business 25 years ago to continue the legacy started by his grandfather
TO all intents and purposes, Animal Kingdom is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.
But, in many ways, this milestone is a chapter in a story which goes back more than a century, as Ian Barette explains.
“I founded Animal Kingdom in 2000 but in doing so, I was continuing the legacy started by my grandfather, Joseph H Barette, who set up an agricultural merchant’s business on the Esplanade in 1922,” he explained.
“As that business developed, my father, Alan, some of his brothers and my cousins all joined the firm, and it was only a matter of time before I also became a member of the team.”
But as the Island’s economic mainstay switched from agriculture to finance, the family decided at the end of the 1990s that it was time to stop that merchant activity. That move meant that quite a few staff would lose their jobs, so Animal Kingdom was created, purely to protect their livelihoods.
And while that decision was made more than a quarter of a century ago, Ian is pleased that a number of those staff still work for the company today, forming part of the 22-strong workforce, which is split across the company’s St John and Halkett Street premises.
“While the business was originally formed to safeguard people’s jobs, we diversified into offering pet supplies as well as continuing to cater for traditional farm animals,” said Ian.
“We now supply everything from pig feed and troughs for your chicken feed to horse rugs, wormers and dog and cat flea treatments,” said manager Kieran Hector.
While the product range is extensive, it is the experience which the firm’s staff bring which Ian says underpins Animal Kingdom’s focus on customer service.
“We are known not just for selling animal food and a wide range of accessories, but for being able to advise our customers, many of whom have been loyal to us since we opened,” he said.
“Although we have embraced modern technology and evolved over the years, we still operate in a very traditional manner, with customer service and a friendly greeting at the heart of everything we do.
“That personal approach is supported by the team’s knowledge of animal welfare and care. Some of the team live on farms and have grown up looking after everything from horses and sheep to guinea pigs and chickens. Meanwhile, team members also specialise in domestic pets and have a strong understanding of those animals’ nutritional needs.
“The past 25 years haven’t been easy,” he reflected. “We have faced many challenges during that time, not least of which was the Covid pandemic. However, thanks to a decision we made in 2005, we were in a much better position that many to weather that particular storm.
“We were the first pet shop in the Island to offer our products for sale online, and it was a decision which paid dividends, especially in 2020 when Covid hit, because, from the first day of lockdown, we were able to provide our customers with a full ecommerce service.”
Being a traditional Jersey business, we recognise the requirements of serving our island community
While demand is now much more evenly split between in-store and online purchases, the company continues to provide a delivery service, something which is particularly popular with agricultural and equine customers, who may want a whole pallet of horse bedding or animal feed.
Facilitating these orders, says Ian, is the company’s fleet of electric vehicles, something which supports the firm’s mission to be as “green as we can”.
“We are very concerned about the natural environment and, as a country-based activity, we really value the Island’s rural surroundings,” he said. “It is therefore important to us to operate as sustainably as possible, which is why we have been building an electric vehicle fleet since 2012.
“Being a traditional Jersey business, we recognise the requirements of serving our island community. When the supermarkets have closed their local warehouses, we have consistently maintained our local warehouse storage capacity because we know how precarious the Island’s supply chain can be, especially in the winter.
“And it is that emphasis on service,” adds Ian, “which will determine how we serve our island community in future.
“As we celebrate our 25th anniversary and look to the next chapter in the Animal Kingdom story, we are not just building on our legacy but also thanking our staff and customers for their loyalty and support. After all, without them, we wouldn’t have a business.”
