Business Name: Airedale Antics
How long have you been in Maplewood and what is your favorite thing about being in Maplewood? We have been at our present location for 5 years now – we were down the street at 7328 Manchester for one year before that, so a total of 6 (six) years in Maplewood. We love the community feel, the community support of the business. Tony and I moved to Maplewood in 1993 – we have seen so much positive growth and change. Very exciting!
How did the store go from being “Airedale Antiques” to “Airedale Antics”? When we had the shop in Saint Charles, we discovered we had more people coming in to see the two Airedales than to shop for antiques. We started carrying key chains, mugs and other items with Airedales on them, then branched out to other dog breeds, then it grew from there – first pet treats and then someone came in looking for “all natural” dog food…. And it just took off from there!
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What kinds of product do you sell? We sell “all natural” pet foods and nutritional products and pet related supplies like beds, shampoos, bowls, toys, etc. We have a wide selection of pet treats, including many either baked locally or made in Saint Louis – we strongly believe in supporting local companies. We also offer grooming services.
What is the biggest difference between your product and the product that could be found at a large chain pet store? All of our foods and treats are free of any fillers (corn, wheat or soy) and free of any artificial flavors, colors or preservatives. We know by research that has been done that corn, wheat and soy are some of the worst allergens for pets and are often the cause of many health issues. But the other big difference is in the customer service – by being an independent pet retailer, we can offer more one on one customer support, more educational services. We know the pets and their humans by name. We can work closely also with the pet’s vet to come up with the right kind of diet.
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From your name, it is evident that you serve dogs. Does “Airedale Antics” serve any other type of pet besides dogs? We have Airedale Terriers, hence the name. But we are much more than just a “dog store”. We love all of our cat customers and have a full line of cat foods, treats, toys and products. We carry some bird food, chicken food and even all natural horse feed.
The Tenth Life Cat Rescue will be at your shop on Saturday, June 15th from 11a.m.-2p.m.. Could you tell me about the organization and what they’ll be doing at your shop? June is “Adopt A Shelter Cat Month”. Tenth Life Cat Rescue saves stray cats and kittens in the St. Louis area, prioritizing those with special needs. There are so many cats out there that need homes. We are asking customers to bring in items that they are in need of – cat food, litter, blankets, etc. and in turn, we will be giving out free cat food to the customers. Tenth Life will have information on their organization and I am sure they will bring a few of their “purrfectly” adorable kitties that are up for adoption.
You have a great monthly newsletter that tells about your weekly and monthly specials and upcoming events, how can I sign up to receive the newsletter? Right now, people can call us or come into the shop and sign up for our newsletter. We are in the process of redesigning our website and it should be up and running in the next month or so. Then people can go directly to our website and sign up. The new website is going to be very informative and we are very excited about the launch of it. We are also on Facebook and Twitter.
Airedale Antics is located at 7316 Manchester and can be found online at www.airedaleantics.com.