Connie Packard-Kamedulski, owner of Animal Fair at 90 Danbury Road, will close her store this month after 15 years in business. — Steve Coulter photo
Animal Fair will close its doors April 24, owner Connie Packard-Kamedulski said this week.
Packard-Kamedulski purchased the pet store business at 90 Danbury Road, formerly known as Hubbard’s Cubbard, 15 years ago and won the grand prize in a small business contest sponsored by Lands’ End Business Outfitters, INC magazine and American Express OPEN in September 2013.
“I’ve been doing this for 15 years and there are other things I’d like to do with my time,” she said.
“I will miss my customers, who’ve really become my friends over the years, the most,” she said. “I’ve really enjoyed working in the retail industry and getting to know all the vendors and trends.”
Packard-Kamedulski said she tried to sell the store to a private buyer so that Ridgefield could still have two independently run pet stores, but couldn’t find anyone interested in making the purchase.
“I couldn’t find a buyer in the current market conditions, so I’ve decided to close the store with the announcement of my retirement,” Packard-Kamedulski said.
She said she’d like to do more traveling in retirement, as well as spend time with her husband, Greg, her two sons, Brad and James, and her two Shetland Sheepdogs.
“Brad lives in California and I’d like to spend more time out there and travel to Florida,” she said. “We also have a summer home in Madison, Conn., that I can’t get to with the store hours in the summer. …
“James is starting up his own vintage collegiate sweater company, and apparently I’m the retail and marketing consultant for that project,” she said.
Dog training is also in her future.
Packard-Kamedulski’s oldest sheltie, Belle, has competed in the masters agility championship at the Westminster Dog Show in Manhattan the past two years under the show name Adalia Legally Blonde.
Her second dog, Cooper, is 3 years old and also might be trained for the agility competition.
“I look forward to time with my own dogs,” she said. “Going to Westminster was a lot of fun and I really have enjoyed getting to know the sport.”
A location for pets
The location has been home to pet supplies for more than 20 years, beginning with Hubbard’s Cubbard and then Animal Fair.
Packard-Kamedulski said she was sad that a pet store wouldn’t continue to exist in that location, but she was proud that she was able to withstand various changes in the industry throughout her ownership.
“There’s definitely been a change in the focus of the business,” she said. “There’s been less and less emphasis on exotic animals and a lot more on cats and dogs.
“There’s also been a shift away from the basic foods to the more healthy foods, and I’ve found new vendors to help this store change its focus to go along with the industry,” she said.
It’s not all cats and dogs, though.
She said healthier bird food has also been a component of this change, and something she’s made sure her store offers to its customers.
Animal lover
In addition to surviving for 15 years and winning the small business contest two years ago that included a new wardrobe for her staff and a pair of VIP trips to Wisconsin and Washington, D.C., Packard-Kamedulski said she’s proud that she was able to transition into retail without any previous experience.
“When I started, I had never worked in retail,” she said.
“I graduated from UConn with a degree in animal science and had jobs in communication and marketing,” she said.
A self-described “animal lover,” she grew up in a household that had cats, dogs, rabbits, and horses — but that’s as far as her experience extended.
“I share the same birthday as St. Francis, the patron saint of animals, and I’ve always had a passion for animals since I was little,” she said.
Everything must go
Packard-Kamedulski said the store will have a big sale as it prepares for its final day.
For the next week or two, food and treats will be discounted by 10% and everything else in the store will be on sale for 25%.
“We’re going to continue to increase the discounts as we go forward,” she said.