Nature's Emporium

I love this store. They have the same toys as PetSmart or Petco and they are priced much less. They have a huge selection of premium pet food, plus all sorts of cute garden/gift type things. The parking lot can be a bit of a disaster, but otherwise this is a great place more

i have had several nice experiences in this store. more

My dog is on a special diet. I buy it by the case and it's kept in the top shelf of the display area. When I walk in there they ask me if I need food and they get it for me. It's not just one person who remembers me, it's everyone in there. If you need something they don't carry in the store, they will try to get it for you. I would recommend them to anyone. You definitely get treated better by them than the big box pet stores around here! more

To update my earlier review: There has been a change in staff in the last few months, and it's a change for the better. They now recognize me when I come in, they are friendly, and ask if I need help with anything. I'm not sure about their knowledge since I haven't needed to ask, but the atmosphere is much improved. Below is my earlier review: Okay, so how many pet shops really have knowledgeable staff? Not many...or ANY around here, esp when it comes to 'exotic' pets (did you know rabbits are exotics)? I always enjoy my visits to Nature's Emporium; it has attractive gifts that create a nice environment for the pet supplies and the small but selective group of pets they carry. Most of the pets are birds, but there are always a few furry creatures like guinea pigs, rabbits, ferrets, and an occasional chinchilla. They all seem healthy and well cared for, but it worries me that I know so much more than the staff people after just a few hours of reading on the internet! I also feel sad that none of them seem to care when I tell them how the pets I've bought there are doing. They are very attentive and kind when I'm paying them, though. It's a small enough place that one would expect them to care about the pets and to recognize customers who come in repeatedly...but they don't show any evidence of that--esp. those who work at the register. I've encountered a couple of nice employees, but again, they don't know much. Still, I like going there better than PetSmart or Pet City. But I tend to order stuff online from Foster and Smith even more often than I go to the pet store!! Pros: healthy pets, good supply selection Cons: staff not knowledgeable or interested in customers more

I bought a pair of Orange Cheek Waxbills (sm. finch-like birds) there in March 2005, and over 4 years later, they are still going strong - tweeting away. On a side note, they are great little birds, I highly recommend them! This is one of the few pet places I have found in Roanoke that sells plain millet bird seed. We don't buy a whole lot of things there, but it's definitely worth at least a visit if you have never been in. Pros: Fairly wide selection of animals/items Cons: Staff not always helpful/knowledgeable more

I stopped in for betta food once, and I will never go back. They no longer sell puppies thank God, but their staff are idiots. I personally overheard a sales girl telling a customer that,""sure, 2 male bettas will be fine in the same 1/4 gallon cube tank..."" I was also looking for a very specific type of plant, and when asked if they could special order it, none of them knew a thing...and told me to come back some other time. That was after having to practically blast my way into their cozy conversation about what they were going to do over the weekend, and other assorted drivel. If you are going to be in retail sales, esp pets, know about your products and the animals you are responsible for. Also have the common decency to respond to a query without acting like it's an imposition. Cons: Too many to count more

We went today to get our two year old a pet. Well, they have a special that if you buy a Rabbit cage and accessories then you get the rabbit free. That was an awesome idea for us, eventhough the rabbits only cost $19.99. The girl there, I believe her name was Krysta, was AWESOME! She let us know everything we needed to know and what all we needed to buy for the rabbit. We only spent $120ish and walked out with a HUGE cage, bedding, food, water bottle, ceramic food ball, vitamin bites, chew toys AND the rabbit! I thought it was excellent! I would definitely recommend going back to anyone. We will be returning there for all our animal needs from now on! =] Pros: Customer Service! Cons: None! more

I wasn't looking for great service just a local store that carried Canidae dog food in the 'Noke. I used to go to P.A.W.S. in Lynchburg last year. Stopped by and after reading the last review to avoid aggravation I didn't ask, I just went straight to the back to search for my dog food. Took me a couple of walk throughs but I found the spot for it and the shelf was empty. I asked on the way out if they had any Canidae in the back or was it all on the shelves. The cashier asked the manager who immediately said they did have more and called a stock girl and asked her to get a bag. The manager said she couldn't, she was pregnant. So a very pretty petite girl goes back and pulls one off a full pallet and said she was going to carry it for me but the bag was almost bigger than her so I insisted I get it. I'm a firm believer in not rewarding bad service by my patronage but my experience wasn't that bad. I would have took off a star for not keeping the shelves stocked but having a pretty girl go get it evens it out. I did ask them if they read the bad review and they said they had not. I guess now they can read one of each. Pros: Close by, good location for me. Cons: Parking lot turn not clearly marked, passed by and had to loop back more

I have no idea who owns this store, but the young women at the counter are textbook examples of poor retail training. Four were at the register, chatting each other up. I was the only customer in the store. When I asked for help finding pet food, one pointed toward the back of the store but never looked at me and never disengaged from the conversation about what the four of them plan on doing tonight. Unable to find the food I was looking for, I went back to the front and stood silently until one of them turned to me. ""Do you have any more of the flavor in the stockroom?"" The answer: ""If you can't find none back there on the shelf, we don't have none."" more