Wisconsin Garden & Pet Supplies Will Close After 68 Years

WAUWATOSA, WI — A Wauwatosa garden and pet supply store will close after operating for almost 70 years.

Wisconsin Garden & Pet Supplies, 8520 W. North Ave., will close Saturday. The store first opened in 1953 under Chuck Gerlach and was later inherited by his children, Bob, Dan, Sue and Tom Gerlach.

The property is now for sale, and the owners will retire, Dan Gerlach told Patch. "We're old enough that we can retire and enjoy life at this point," he said. "This business has been very successful and busier than ever."

Garden & Pet started a retirement sale in early May and is selling off its inventory with discounts as high as 75 percent off before it closes. The store will donate whatever it has left after Saturday to animal shelters and humane societies, Gerlach said.

The store employs about 10 people, and they will move on to other careers and schools, Gerlach said. Four students will start college at the end of the summer; adult workers will find new jobs, and the plant shop manager is looking at several job offers, he added. "They're all going to land on their feet."

Owner Shares Store Memories

One of Gerlach's favorite memories was about a mother who bought a guinea pig for her 10-year-old daughter and adorned its cage with balloons. "When the daughter came in to see which guinea pig she'd like, the mom sprung that on her, like, 'Hey, it's your birthday! You're taking that home today,'" he said. "So that was a real happy family moment."

Garden & Pet customer interactions have always been positive because the customers were always in a good mood and spending on their fun hobbies, Gerlach said.

The most common question that customers asked the owners was where they will go next for garden and pet supplies, Gerlach said. When he recommended chain stores to them, they told him they want to go somewhere local, he added.

Garden & Pet was deemed an essential business during the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 because it sold pet food, Gerlach said. The store saw an influx of customers who turned to gardening when traveling or going to sports games wasn't an option, he added.