Dynamic mother-daughter duo, Fiona and Christine Sharman have been proud store owners of Global Pet Foods since 2012.
Global Pet Foods won its first Best of Cochrane bronze award in 2013 and the business continued on a winning streak for many years after.
This year, Global Pet Foods has received two awards— gold for Best Pet Store and silver for Best Community Support.
“A huge thank you to Cochrane,” Sharman said. “Our team really appreciates you and it just reiterates what an amazing community we have.”
Growing up in Bragg Creek Sharman attended Springbank School and is no stranger to the feeling of a tight-knit community. She welcomed the close community ties in Cochrane, explaining the town feels full circle for a person who grew up in Bragg Creek. Sharman said she crosses paths on a daily basis with many customers outside of working hours
Cochrane continues to grow and she credits the community for the store's continuous success.
“Whether it’s at the grocery store or the drug store or just in traffic, there’s that camaraderie and that feeling of I’ve got your back,” she said. “All of the people that shop here that we have become friends with over the past ten years, I really feel they’re friends.”
Prior to COVID, Global Pet Foods would host an annual sale, but the event was canceled due to public health restrictions. Sharman still wanted to give back to the community in any way she could.
“I collected about $1,000 worth of different gift cards from different companies here in town and I made two $500 gift baskets to give away, and then I just kept it going and Marni Fedeyko also got involved with me, so we were doing it on a weekly basis giving away $100 to $200 of gift cards or prizes,” Sharman said. “It’s through the loyalty of the customers that keep coming back over and over again, that I’m able to do extra things for Cochrane.”
Global Pet Foods also supports the Cochrane and Area Humane Society and collaborates with the non-profit extensively.
The store offers a wide range of pet foods and accessories to accommodate Cochranites’ furry friends. Sharman said it is because of her incredible staff and their ample knowledge of products that the strong customer base continues.
“We have an amazing team,” she said. “I haven’t had a lot of turnover of staff, they’ve been with me for several years.”
Sharman added that her staff have become like family and believes recognition and appreciation go a long way in supporting the shop during a challenging time.
Living with COVID has proven to be challenging adversity to overcome in the community, she said, but she hopes acting with kindness and compassion can continue to prevail in Cochrane.
“We’ve done everything we can to make it still a safe shopping experience and to respect people's opinions about COVID,” Sharman said.
