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Just For Pets celebrates milestone anniversary with retailer awards
Just For Pets has marked its 20th anniversary by honouring three of Australia’s leading independent pet retailers at its national conference.
The event, held recently at Melbourne’s RACV City Club, brought together members, supplier partners and industry figures from across the country to celebrate two decades of supporting independent pet retail and to recognise businesses setting the standard for the sector.
Janine Yeates, Group Manager at Just For Pets, said the three winners reflected the qualities that define independent pet retail.
“They are family-owned and independently operated businesses whose owners are personally invested in their customers, their teams, their communities and the future of the Australian pet industry.”
Family-owned PetCare Warehouse Caringbah, run by brothers George and James Galopoulos, took out Retailer of the Year. The business, owned by the Galopoulos family for more than 40 years, was praised for its expert knowledge, customer service and supplier relationships. The award is voted on by Just For Pets supplier partners, and PetCare Warehouse Caringbah was separately recognised as the top independent retailer nationally for both Royal Canin and Eukanuba.
Nerang-based Uncle Tom’s Pet & Poultry, owned by James and Nicole Wood, won Member of the Year. The couple have run the business from its current location since 2011 and were acknowledged for their engagement with Just For Pets’ marketing initiatives, retailer networking and supplier partnerships.
ClawsnPaws Pet Supplies, owned by Rob Thompson and based in Montrose, Victoria, received the Boehringer Ingelheim Retailing Excellence Award. A Just For Pets member since 2012, the business relocated from Kilsyth to Montrose in October 2025. Thompson was recognised for his commitment to the industry and “can-do” approach to business.
“What makes these awards particularly meaningful is that they recognise more than sales performance. They celebrate collaboration, strong supplier relationships, innovation, engagement and a willingness to continually improve,” said Yeates.
Yeates said the group remained focused on giving independent retailers the tools to compete while preserving the individuality and personal service that set them apart.
“Our independent retailers are the heart of Just For Pets. As family businesses, many of them have spent decades building relationships with generations of local pet owners. We are enormously proud to support them and to celebrate their achievements.”
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