Macclesfield woman celebrates fifteen years managing family business
By Alex Greensmith 8th Dec 2022
Meet the Macclesfield woman who has ran her family business for the past 15 years.
Business owner Gayle Parks runs long-running shop Pet Food Supplies in Macclesfield.
She first took over the family business in 2007, when she was aged just 21.
They sell pet feeds, accessories, and toys. The store will celebrate their 42nd birthday in March 2023.
Pet Food Supplies also sell new and used equestrian equipment, along with fishing baits or tackle. Both of which can be found in their new upstairs floor, which opened this time last year.
"For as long as I remember I have been helping out at the store," said Gayle.
"I remember as a child before I officially worked here, that I would sit in the van with my grandpa who would do the deliveries.
"He was a lovely man and would always keep chocolates in the side of the door for me.
"I used to work as a primary school teacher, but when my grandpa passed away I took the helm of the family business.
"In the past 15 years, we've grown the business from being a small shop downstairs, expanded downstairs to make the shop bigger and now we have another floor as well.
Gayle, who grew up in Gawsworth, went to Gawsworth Primary and then King's School, has spent 2022 expanding the range of products they offer.
Pet Food Supplies have introduced more raw dog food, which offers a healthier alternative to traditional dog food.
Beyond canines and kitties, reptiles, snakes, bearded dragons and geckos can all get food bought for them here.
They also cater for caged birds, ducks, and pigeons. They also sell food for livestock like sheep or pigs, as well as goldfish.
"We know a lot of customers by their name, or more often than not their pets name," Gayle joked.
"Quite a lot of people bring their puppies here to get them used to socialising. We have a treat jar on the counter too."
Gayle is the third generation to have been the Manager for Pet Food Supplies, on the Moss estate.
The family business includes great-grandmother Irene Astbury.
The 96-year-old is thought to be Britain's oldest retail worker, and co-founded the shop located on the Moss.
And Gayle has recently hired one of her kids, meaning four generations now work at the Moss Lane store.
"My favourite parts of the job are the people, not just those who come in but I also get on really well with the staff here," added Gayle.
"It is lovely to have my nan with me in the shop as well. My staff are amazing, two of them covered for me when I was pregnant with my youngest daughter during COVID, and they were out delivering every day.
"We got so many new customers in lockdown as people got new pets and wanted stuff that they couldn't find in the supermarket. And many are still with us today, I like to say 'if you shop local and stay local, we will look after you'.
"There's nine of us here. We are all friendly, offer a great service including carrying goods out to your car, and are all animal-lowers as staff who are quite knowledgable.
"It feels really good to be a part of a family business that is older than me. There's not many shops left that have been open this long and have a family heritage to shout about. I just hope my children can keep it going as well.
"In the future, we'd like to sell more products on our website, which can allow us to expand and continue the great service that we do.
"My favourite thing about being a business owner in Macclesfield is being a friendly face in the community."
Every year, the small independent business also raises money for Macclesfield charities Windyways, East Cheshire Hospice and The Rossendale Trust.
To help take her business to the next level, Gayle has decided to sponsor Macclesfield Nub News.
"The audience and interactions on social media are really good, so it is great to share our story with Nub News as well," explained Gayle.
Pet Food Supplies is open six days a week, 9am to 5:30pm.
Please note: They shut half an hour earlier on a Saturday.
Pet Food Supplies is located on 70 Moss Ln, Macclesfield SK11 7TT.
They offer free delivery for transactions over £25 within a five-mile radius.
Anything transaction under that, delivery costs just £2.50.
Macclesfield: You can support the small business for free by giving them a like on Facebook.
See Also: New pet food bank started by Macclesfield charity Windyway Trust
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