Owner of an independent pet store in Tinley fights tooth and nail for survival

TINLEY PARK, IL — Amanda Daly knows it was time to be honest with herself and her supporters. Her beloved pet store in downtown Tinley Park may not make it — unless something changes, and fast.

Daly, the owner of The Barketplace at 17258 Oak Park Avenue, says she is facing the possibility of having to close after a series of setbacks for the business over the past year. In a last-ditch effort to drum up support, she turned to social media this week.

“This is getting harder every day,” Daly wrote on the company’s Facebook page. “People aren’t shopping like they used to, we’ve had some tough setbacks and costs continue to rise. … Every setback sets us back further and further. I don’t know how much more we can fight back. I believe this is our last stop.”

It’s a heartbreaking realization for the Lockport resident, as her business is a long-held dream that has now become a reality. She hopes her public appeal will breathe new life into the business.

“We spent months digging ourselves out of the ashes,” she said.

“I realize that I’ve built such an incredible community around me that before I throw in the towel, I can be transparent with the community… Maybe our ‘spoon’ can get a little bigger – maybe we can get a shovel – and dig a little faster.

“The next step was to tell my community what was going on and be as honest and transparent as possible.”

Daly has been in the pet industry for nearly 20 years, starting working on a horse farm during her summer vacations as a teenager.

“I’ve done nothing else since I was 16,” she said. “Working with animals was always my plan, it’s what I always wanted to do.”

Daly began her career in small pet stores and experienced the power of service and connections firsthand early on. She remembers carrying bags of dog food to customers’ cars and delivering purchases to their doorsteps.

“I was very fortunate that I started in this industry in independent pet stores,” she said. “That set the stage for my expectations and what I thought people in this industry deserve.”

“When you get to know people’s pets, you get to know a unique part of their family. When you’re a part of that for someone, it’s important to bring the whole experience. You build a community.”

Daly, a Lockport resident, wanted to bring a store like the one she remembers so fondly from her early career to the south suburbs. After an initial location in Lockport didn’t work out, she found the store on Oak Park Avenue in downtown Tinley Park. It had big draws that would bring natural foot traffic – parades, farmers’ markets and the famous Jimmy Buffett-inspired Block Party. She was sold.

“We found our home,” she said. “We started building, we built this incredible community around us.”

The store was scheduled to open in 2021, but due to pandemic-related issues, the date was postponed earlier.

“The first year and a half went as well as a new company can,” she said. “We grew, we built.”

Last fall, she faced several setbacks. First, the company’s social media was hacked, wiping out the large following she had built on Facebook and Instagram, where she regularly shared special offers, product spotlights and other business news. Social media was a vital connection to her customers – one she now knows she greatly underestimated at the time.

“When we got hacked, it hit us really hard,” Daly said. “I couldn’t get it back. You’d be surprised how much my business dropped in the weeks that followed. You don’t realize how much social media has affected your day-to-day life until you lose it.”

In November, the heating in the apartment broke down, and shortly afterwards the hot water boiler broke down too. Exhausted and dejected, she called the seemingly endless setbacks her “crises of the week.”

Most recently, during the municipality’s street festival, traffic was blocked, making it impossible for customers to reach their store. She said the municipality has acknowledged this problem and apologized for it.

But the damage is done and it’s being felt. Because pet owners need essentials like the pet food she orders – some of it specifically for customers – they told her they’d have to look elsewhere. She fears she won’t be able to win those customers back.

“We haven’t recovered from that yet,” she said.

Due to the loss of sales, it is unable to restock the shelves.

“We need support,” Daly wrote on Facebook. “We know our shelves are not as full as we would like. We are frustrated too. We are doing the best we can. If you help us catch up, we will restock them. We hope we continue to be your dogs’ favorite store.”

On a personal level, she suffered an additional financial – and heartbreaking – blow with the sudden death of one of her pets, after having to pay numerous veterinary bills to save the animal’s life.

“Losing a pet is hard and emotional,” she said. “This one was really expensive and hit us hard.”

Today, she remains focused on finding a way to make her beloved small business a success.

Daly prides herself on offering high-quality products. She carries certain brands such as Fromm’s, a family-owned pet food company based in Wisconsin, and Zignature, a meat-based, limited-ingredient food line. She also offers Stella & Chewy’s, which are raw-based and other natural pet food options.

“It (the pet industry) is supposed to be about caring for those family members,” she said. “I focus on my big rule,” she said. “If I don’t give it to my dogs, I won’t sell it to you.”

She stocks natural chews and treats, including many single or low-ingredient treats for dogs with intolerances. She sells activity toys – things that keep dogs moving, active and stimulated.

In addition, she gives back to the community to sustain the business and has asked them to do so.

“We host a lot of events,” she said. “We host adoption events on a regular basis.”

She hosts monthly book clubs featuring dog-themed books and is happy to donate items when charities ask for support. They are currently fostering a litter of kittens from NAWS. For the kittens born to a feral mother, she hosts kitten meet-ups where she invites customers to socialize the little ones. She also hosts markets where vendors without their own retail space can promote and sell their products.

Daly also joined the village’s Marketing Commission, which works collaboratively to support civic activities and events, tourism initiatives and brands, and community engagement and participation strategies.

“I think it’s very important for me as an entrepreneur to support the community, from which I also expect support,” she said.

If people want the business to survive, it needs this support now more than ever.

“I love my place in this community,” she said. “The relationships I’ve built, the partnerships I’ve formed, the friends I’ve made. The charities, emergency services and organizations we’ve donated to or supported in one way or another are very dear to my heart.”

“The Barketplace has been my dream for as long as I can remember. I’m fighting tooth and nail to keep it. I’ll just be honest, my grip is slipping.”

The Barketplace is located at 17258 Oak Park Ave. Opening hours are 11am to 7pm Monday to Friday, Saturday 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.And Sunday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. You can reach us at (708) 963-3488.

Find them on Facebook for cute pet pictures, special offers, event info and more.