RUFFIN?S PET CENTRE: STRATEGIES FOR SURVIVAL AGAINST THE BIG DOG

Ruffin?s Pet Centre in Stratford, Ontario, is a recently acquired franchise owned and operated by Chris Koslowski. It is a successful retail outlet which sells domestic and exotic pets, foods and supplies. It will soon face the threat of Wal-mart which plans to operate within the same commercial-hub on the east side of Stratford. Whether customers will remain loyal to Ruffin?s or switch to Wal-mart is in question. This paper analyzes the operations at Ruffin?s, the potential threats it soon faces with Wal-mart?s presence, and provides recommendations for success in a potentially hostile environment. It also provides specific retailing advice and recommendations to increase the shoppability at Ruffin?s. This paper concludes with a market analysis and demand estimation for two differentiated product types and a plan for their implementation into the market.