Petco rival closing its doors for good after 86 years as owner admits industry ‘can’t survive’, launches 30% off sales

A BELOVED pet supply store is closing its doors after almost a century.

The pet store Petland, in Honolulu, Hawaii, announced to customers its closure after 86 years.

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Jiro Matshui, founder of Petland, first entered the pet industry by selling goldfish from a pushcart in Fox affiliate Chinatown KHON reported.

Matshui had just returned home after serving in World War II when he started selling pets.

“He took the goldfish he was raising, put them in plastic bags, put the bags in wheelbarrows and walked back and forth in Chinatown selling these goldfish, so what an entrepreneurial story to be able to go from that to building an animal pet for the family store business,” Richard Matsui, Jiro Matsui’s grandson, told ABC affiliate KTV.

The businessman opened the Petland physical store in 1946 on Union Street in Honolulu, initially calling the store Birdland.

The store eventually expanded to the now-famous Ala Moana Center.

Matshui’s pet shop was the first store to open in the mall, which today has more than 350 stores.

The businessman originally opened Petland to support his family and help his children with school, but the store eventually expanded to several other locations.

Since Matshui opened the store, his son Kenneth has taken over the business.

“My grandfather had a special talent with pets,” Richard told KHON.

“His personality and unique characteristics of just having a green thumb and then being good to animals really coincided well with his economic needs of, of course, building a business that took care of his family.”

Now, nearly nine decades after the store opened, the store will close in September.

“My dad had a little health scare,” Richard said.

“From that point of view, nothing clarifies priorities more or less than having one of these health scares.”

“We have some real doubts about our ability to survive in the age of Amazon and same-day delivery,” Richard continued.

“I think it will be a challenge that both local businesses will have to face.”

The store’s regulars are already mourning the closure.

“I bought several pets here. I bought all my fish here,” said Ariana Kakugawa, a regular at the store.

“It’s very disturbing.

“You’ve been here your whole life and it’s kind of sad to see your local store go.”

The store is running a 30% off sale on most of its products to mark the closing.