SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY – Saratoga County now has one more place where it’s all about pets, with the opening of the all-new Benson’s Pet Center.
An eighth Benson location is now open at 175 Ballston Ave. in Saratoga Springs. After a soft opening phase over the past two months, the store is in full swing and is fully stocked with supplies for dogs, cats, etc.
“The opportunity presented itself, and we thought it would fit a good niche for this side of the Saratoga and Ballston Avenue area,” said general manager Moira Nowc, who has been with Benson for 16 years. explaining why the company decided to expand. in this area.
Benson’s has two other centers in Saratoga County, in Wilton and Clifton Park, as well as Benson’s Fish Room in Ballston Spa.
Unlike most Benson’s Pet Center locations, the new store does not have live animals for sale, although it does carry crickets and rodents.
One of the more unique features of downtown Spa City is its do-it-yourself dog wash station, with three bays (two large and one small) where owners can bathe their dogs on-site. “We jokingly say, ‘Come ruin our bathroom instead of yours,'” Nowc said, noting that the $15 fee includes use of the store’s shampoo, towels, aprons and hairdryers. . “Then we clean, disinfect and do the laundry.”
The dog wash stations have been busy since the store opened. “We knew it would be popular,” Nowc said. “We had no idea how popular it was going to be.”
The Saratoga Springs store is Benson’s first location to offer a dog wash and, due to its success, the company plans to offer it to other locations in the future.
Alongside this latest expansion, Benson’s Pet Center is currently celebrating its 30th anniversary. The company was founded in 1992 in Saratoga County, with a store in the old Saratoga Mall. Over the past three decades, Benson’s has grown into a small, independent chain of pet supply stores with locations throughout the greater capital area, as well as one in Pittsfield, Mass.
As a community-driven business, Benson’s Pet Center is happy to welcome repeat customers and their pets to all of its stores. “Every time you walk into Benson, we want you to feel at home,” Nowc said.
The new store staff enjoy meeting and learning the names of many visitors and their pets. “We love what we do,” Nowc said.
Nowc is also pleased to welcome back local customers who previously switched to online shopping for their pet needs, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. “We’ve gained a lot of customers who are happy to come back to us because they were our customers, but then they found it more convenient to go to Chewy or Amazon,” she said. “So a lot of people are cooling off in independent stores, which is great.”
The Saratoga Springs store is open seven days a week, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.
Same-day delivery is available within a 10-mile radius of any location for orders placed before 3 p.m. weekdays.
Curbside pickup is also available.
Benson’s welcomes walk-in visitors for the do-it-yourself dog wash during opening hours, until one hour before closing.
More information about Benson’s Pet Center is available online at bensonspet.com.
The new store can be contacted by dialing (518) 682-3712.