The Pet Shop | News, Sports, Jobs

Tina “Alex” Alexander, sales manager at The Pet Shop in Kahului, deftly reaches into a terrarium to scoop up egg sacs freshly laid by a female Jackson chameleon. She places each into a small cardboard box and gently tears apart the sac’s membrane, releasing an infant chameleon so small it could bask on a quarter.

In between attending to customers, Alexander jumps back into reptilian midwife mode assisted by longtime customer John Torres, who helps clean the 26 hatchlings.

This is “ohana” in action. You’d be hard pressed to find such a familial thread in big-box stores, but family is the lifeblood of The Pet Shop and other small businesses on the island.

“In Hawaii, people are about taking care of each other first,” said Torres, who lives in Wailea but makes the drive to The Pet Shop’s Wakea Avenue location because of the friendly and knowledgeable staff.

“Our employees have been with us a long time,” says John Guard, who owns the store with his wife Susan. “One of our managers, Kamele, has been with us for almost 20 years.”

Store mascot “Baby,” an African grey parrot -- Photo courtesy The Pet Shop

Frontline staff and floor manager Tina Alexander are not far behind, with more than a decade of employment.

Guard acknowledges the dedication of staff and the loyalty of his customers as key components in surviving more than four decades as a small business.

“While it hasn’t always been smooth sailing, we think it’s a testament to them that we are still here,” Guard says, adding that his staff want to keep the business going,

“They know our regular customers by name, and even know their pets’ names a lot of the time,” he says. “They always go the extra mile.”

Guard manages to ward off threats by big box stores and mega-online retailers by consistently offering personalized service and a wealth of animal and product knowledge.

Holland lop rabbits -- Photo courtesy The Pet Shop

This wasn’t always the case, however, Guard admits with a laugh. He opened the original 700-square-foot store in the Maui Mall in 1973 with the intention of making his fortune selling tropical fish after a college roommate gave him an aquarium and hooked him into the hobby. Another friend read an article touting tropical fish as the next billion-dollar industry; the hook sank deeper still.

“We were focused on selling tropical fish, but our customers weren’t focused on buying tropical fish,” he remembers. “We almost went out of business in year one.”

When Guard realized that people were buying more dog supplies than tropical fish, he increased the merchandise in that sector. Business picked up, and he was able to expand in increments until his retail space crested beyond 5,000 square feet.

Various circumstances and conditions prompted a move in late 2015 to an industrial area at 230 Hana Highway (entrance is on Wakea Avenue), where he has even more space.

While The Pet Shop still stocks a wide variety of tropical fish and aquatic supplies, it also carries one of the largest selections of dry pet foods, unique pet toys, turtles, reptiles and small animals. And the dog market remains a strong and steady revenue stream.

Tropical fish -- Photo courtesy The Pet Shop

Like the guava tree, The Pet Shop’s Maui roots run deep and wide, which helps keep the store tethered to the community.

“All of our employees, except for one, were born on Maui,” Guard says. Store manager Renee Kameleonalani Molina comes from several generations of Maui born and raised.

“We employ local residents, and that is an important part of our social fabric,” Guard says. “The profits we make here, stay here.”

Over the course of 44 years, Guard has provided a taste of employment to myriad local students.

“We’ve hired a lot of high school kids for summer jobs,” he says. “Many come back over the years and tell us how much they learned. One young man’s mother actually thanked us for teaching her son how to sweep and mop,” he adds with a laugh.

John Guard with customer Christine Kapiioho -- Photo courtesy The Pet Shop

Guard and his wife Susan hail from a long Hawaiian lineage as well. He was born and raised in Honolulu, as were his paternal grandparents–dating all the way back to missionaries Amos and Juliette Cook. His wife Susan’s lineage, he says proudly, stretches all the way back to Kamehameha.

But Maui has been home to the Guards since the early 1970s. It’s this connection to the island that keeps Guardfighting to stay afloat–and so far, it’s working.

Celebrating an off-year like 44 might seem odd to some. But understanding the challenges inherent in small business survival, it’s no wonder that Guard honors each year with fanfare and a big sale; it’s his way to say thank you to his loyal base and, hopefully, attract new customers who value quality products, educated staff and a genuine family atmosphere.

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44th Anniversary Celebration

The Pet Shop staff (from left) Jason Santos Bras, Tina “Alex” Alexander, John and Susan Guard, Renee “Kamele” Kameleonalani Molina, Shawna Lei Blando and Corey Matsumura -- Photo courtesy The Pet Shop

Sale Friday, Saturday and Sunday

20 percent off storewide

• Saturday event schedule

10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Facebook Trivia Contest Drawing (must be present to win); 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Maui Humane Society dog adoption; 2 p.m.: Demonstrations by Caring K-9’s Maui Therapy Dogs.

• Vendors from World’s Best Cat Litter, Orijen an Acana Pet Food, Stella & Chewy’s, Solid Gold, Hawaii Raw Dog and Science Diet.

• Prizes, drawings and gift bags for shoppers while supplies last.

Customer John Torres -- Photo courtesy The Pet Shop

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