As we all know, NYCPet is stocking their shelves on Clark Street for an August opening. With four other pet stores within a four-block radius, I wondered if owners are nervous about the competition.

When I’m hunting for just the right dog gift, I often find myself at rowf, four-and-a-half blocks away from NYCPets, on Middagh Street. rowf has the airy deliberate quality of a SoHo designer store, with a photo board of their canine customers, a bowl of water near the door and a treat-of-the-day (some kind of dried fish on Sunday, something I couldn’t snap in half for Hermia and Daisy on Tuesday) on the counter. The shelves feature a few bags of kibble but a broad range of leashes and collars. Yuning, the proprietress, expresses little concern for the new store, secure in the specific niche she has created for herself, her caramel spaniel and gray poodle, who bark a welcome at passers-by. As Yuning squatted to pet Daisy, she said, “We specialize in treats and toys,” and the matter was closed.

Pet Emporium’s legendary Sammi, for 18 years the de facto mayor of Montague Street, gave his famous shrug when I asked him about it. Continue Reading →