It should come as no surprise that our story Friday about for its Bunker Hill Mall store generated a fair amount of conversation.
Most locals took a sharp tongue toward Petco's small-format Unleashed store, instead backing locally-owned pet boutique Durty Harry's.
Here are a few choice comments:
"I think Durty Harry's rocks and would not go anywhere else for my dogs! Petco has the right to open here, just as Domino's has the right. It does not mean you have to use their services. Michelle and crew have embraced this community and I intend to embrace them back... Shop locally!"
—Jim Mansfield
"Hopefully like ever other corporate store that has tried in the "deficit mall" will fail also, all that mall is, a tax write off ! again big corporate business transaction."
—Just a Person
"Michelle is right that she can provide and match a lot of what unleashed can. But I have been shopping at petco and unleashed for a long time. They price match, they have the rewards program, I have been to unleashed a couple times in Allston and Arlington, and they do a great job at getting to know people(and their dogs)."
—Informed Citizen
"Petco is very much a corporation with corporate cultures. Although they may not be public (they once were), they are managed through several private equity firms. The goal of these investors is to maximize profits, nothing more."
—Keola
"The Unleashed concept allows the small boutique feel with a big box backing. I work at an Unleashed in Cali and I know EVERY dog that frequents my shop's name. I know what the people do for a living, where they live, their kids names, I know all sorts of details because I make friends with my customers."
—Betsey M
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