Amber Pets celebrates 25th anniversary

Posted by on 10 Nov 2023

25 years ago on 13th November 1998, Angela Collinge signed on the dotted line taking over ownership of Amber Pets at Cutgate Shopping Centre in Rochdale.  Named after the original owners dog, Amber, the shop has been around been around for many years but over the last quarter of a century Amber Pets has become a cornerstone of the local area, offering specialist and premium pet products and serving the pet-loving community of Rochdale.

Back in 1990 Angela was a 14 year old school girl when she got a part time job cleaning out the animals at the pet shop to save up to buy a horse. Little did she know that 8 years later the business would be hers, skipping forward 25 years. It isn’t really a job, but a true labour of love.

Angela said, “Over the years we have created a community. We don’t just sell products, we are here to give advice and pride ourselves with a personalised and friendly service. 95% of customers are regulars, and have been over the past 25 years”

Family and community is very much at the heart of the business, Angela’s parents help out in the shop every week, and children, nieces, nephews and other family members have worked there. Since owning the business, many of the young staff have gone on to study and qualify to be vets and veterinary nurses.  The team wouldn’t be complete without Jonathan, who has volunteered at the shop for 16 years and as an individual with autism, his work in the shop plays a critical part in his independence.

Angela, along with her partner and dog photographer Richard Smith, run the annual Denehurst Park Dog Show in partnership with the Friends of Denehurst Park, raising £6,000 over the past 3 years for the charity.

The pet market is highly competitive, and has seen huge growth over the past few years, and whilst it is a challenge to compete with the discount retailers, what Amber Pets does offer is wide range of superior products at competitive affordable prices.

Angela stated “We are incredibly grateful for the support of our loyal customers and the dedication of our team members who have made these 25 years possible.  We are excited to continue providing top-notch products and services to our community and look forward to many more years of helping pets live their best lives.”

As we continue with our series on discovering Rochdale we will be sharing more stories of locally loved institutions and hidden gems from in and around the borough that make Rochdale a great place to live, work and play.