Noah’s Ark pet store, located on Elm Street, is a familiar fixture of downtown Winnetka for many of its residents. Those who have happened to walk by the store in the last few months, however, may have noticed a change.
Along with the luxury pet merchandise shown off in the storefront, there’s something new: a sign with the words “Say No to Petco” and an image of an adorable dog.
This display is only part of the reaction of Winnetka residents to the possible arrival of a Petco-affiliated boutique store, under the name Unleashed by Petco. Petco signed a letter of intent in the fall to lease a building on the same street as Noah’s Ark, a beloved family business.
That news sparked ire among many Winnetka natives, who have previously fought to keep big box stores out of their small, quaint town. With the help of Noah’s Ark, they’ve become busy campaigning against Petco, even organizing a protest walk of 50 people in December.
One of the participants, Wrigley McGee, is also the very dog whose visage graces the window of Noah’s Ark. His owner, Winnetka resident and first time protester Charlotte McGee, said she chose to walk alongside Wrigley “because I really support local businesses.”
Angie DeMars, the owner of Noah’s Ark and a leader of the anti-Petco movement, agreed. “We’re trying to avoid having a big change come into Winnetka.”
This sentiment appears to be widespread among Winnetka residents. A petition that has received 210 signatures of support on change.org, states that the New Trier school district is “not a community that needs, nor should encourage big box, corporate retailers.”
For McGee, the debate over Petco truly is just a matter of principle, “It bothered me that it was a big box store. I’m all for healthy competition, but I think it should be another mom-and-pops store,” she said.
DeMars, however, is a bit more concerned about the practical consequences for her store, comparing the situation to the movie “You’ve Got Mail,” which stars Meg Ryan as a book shop proprietor and Tom Hanks as the owner of a book store chain attempting to buy off Ryan’s store.
DeMars added, “Everyone can say, ‘we’ll still shop here, we’ll still shop here,’ but you never know. It could put me out of business.”
Unleashed by Petco is being marketed as an intimate, boutique-like version of the corporation’s major stores. According to its website, Unleashed offers “premium, natural, organic, and raw nutrition,” products.
Despite this possibility, DeMars is confident that her store’s “amazing service” will be enough to make up for any competition from PetCo.
This assertion appears to ring true for many patrons of the store, including some New Trier students. Junior Juliana Sawma, typifying the attitude towards the store, said, “They’re nice owners and they’re nice to my dog. Noah’s Ark should stay number one.”
Junior Kate Fehrenbach also recognizes the popularity of Noah’s Ark. She said, “Even if Petco does move in I think Noah’s Ark would still have loyal customers.”
High school students are less certain about whether Petco should be allowed to enter Winnetka. “Petco is corporate but it has a bigger range of goods…and Noah’s Ark is more like a specialty shop.” said junior Chloë Drost, acknowledging that Petco could fill a distinct niche in the community.
For now, Winnetka residents will have to wait to see how the conflict will be resolved. Some pet store employees and customers currently believe that Petco has decided to abandon the location in Winnetka, but that claim seems to be based only on rumor.
Even DeMars, at the center of it all, said, “I don’t know anything that’s going on. I would probably be the last to know.” A Petco representative could not be reached for comment.
If Petco does come to Winnetka, one thing’s for sure: it will face a lot of opposition from people like Charlotte McGee. As she said, “I would use my pocketbook and boycott the box store…That’s not what Winnetka’s about.”