Petals and Paws Maximizes Space at Recently Opened Avon Store

It may be a mere 500 square feet but Petals and Paws packs a lot of products into its recently opened Avon location.

A satellite store to its main Canton site, the Old Avon Village store houses numerous pet food and supplies, garden products, some plants and other items. The store also offers many products for the bird enthusiast. 

“It’s been a great little store,” said Suzie Mathes, manager of the Avon location.

To maximize its space, the store's owners have even hung many of the avian houses and feeders off the beams. 

Petals and Paws opened the Avon store about four weeks ago.

Mathes said the store gives the business a presence closer to competitors and places them in the midst of a great area.

“We’re strategically located down here,” she said.

As a small family business, the store is open fewer hours than places like and . However, the Avon location offers an advantage to the area customers who work in Hartford and have difficulty getting to the main location by the 6 p.m. closing time, Mathes said.

Mathes said she always starts her day in the larger Canton store and can always bring items to the Avon location.

The Avon store is at 15 East Main St. It’s not visible from the road but is in the rear of the building sandwiched between DaCapo and .

Petals and Paws is also making some changes at its Canton store and the town’s zoning commission recently approved an application by Mark Gerrity to move his Wine and Liquor Warehouse, now located at a smaller Route 44 site, to the building.

The package store will occupy about half of the roughly 2,000 square-foot retail space. The changes are expected to be complete some time in August.

Petals and Paws Canton store manager Sandy McCollough said the business may cut back a little on its decorative items but will still carry a wide variety of its pet related items, garden products, holiday wreaths and the service and advice to go along with the products. 

“We’re trying to make it more of a service store,” she said.

McCollough said the store also carefully researches products and makes changes in what it carries if issues do arise or great new items come to market. The store also sells some locally made products. 

The Canton store also offers ice cream made in on-site micro batches as well as dog training and get togethers for owners. See its web site for details.  

Petals and Paws 

Avon 

• 15 East Main St.
• Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• 860-255-7561

Canton 

• 465 Albany Turnpike (Route 44)
• Monday through Saturday — 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday — 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• 860-693-8760