Business Spotlight

Cat World: The Purr-fect Independent Feline Emporium in the Heart of Oswestry

The Purr-fect Independent Feline Emporium in the Heart of Oswestry

When it comes to unique independent shopping, Oswestry holds a gem that cat lovers travel from all over the UK to visit. Cat World Feline Superstore is one of only two known dedicated cat shops in the entire country.

Founded by husband-and-wife team Graham and Di, the business has grown from a passionate hobby at national cat shows into a thriving retail and online destination. We sat down with Graham and Di to chat about their journey to the high street, why they chose Oswestry, and the joy of being “owned by cats”.

Hi Graham and Di! What’s the story behind Cat World, and what inspired you to open your doors here?

We actually founded the business back in 2011, starting out as a small family venture selling at cat shows across the UK. Over the years, we built up a deeply loyal customer community through friendly service, specialist knowledge, and a shared love of cats. That success allowed us to expand from events into a successful online store.

By 2019, we were ready to open a physical, specialist cat shop. We live near Nesscliffe, halfway between Shrewsbury and Oswestry, so we originally looked at premises in both towns. We like them both, but we ultimately chose Oswestry because it offered much better value for money in so many ways, from rent and business rates to car parking.

Shrewsbury also suffers fairly regularly from flooding, which can drastically limit visitor numbers in the town even if your own premises aren’t directly affected. Choosing Oswestry was a vital economic decision, which is so important for a small business navigating modern challenges.

How would you describe Cat World’s personality in just three words?

Passionate, independent, and trusted.

What do you love most about trading in Oswestry?

The people are absolutely the best thing. We have a lot of regular customers who we have come to regard as friends, but everyone who walks through the door is warmly welcomed, whether they buy something or not.

Because we are such a niche shop, we get a lot of tourists during the holiday season who have never seen a cat-focused retail store before. It’s wonderful to see their reaction!

Our physical shop gives us something purely online stores completely miss out on: real-time community inspiration. Our visitors constantly give us feedback and ideas on what cat lovers actually want to buy, which shapes our carefully curated stock and our own exclusive handmade ranges.

You must get a lot of cat owners asking for advice, too?

We do! We get asked a lot of questions about cat care and behaviours. While we obviously can’t provide veterinary advice, and always refer people to their vet for medical issues, we can help in so many ways just from our own years of experience of being owned by cats!

It’s a completely free service we provide, and people just love coming in to chat about the latest escapades their cats have got up to and share photos. You don’t get that connection when you buy from a massive online marketplace.

Running an independent business isn’t always easy. What is a major challenge you’ve overcome?

The biggest challenges we faced were the COVID-19 pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis that followed almost straight afterwards. It was touch-and-go as to whether we would survive.

Ultimately, our original decision to locate in a great-value town like Oswestry and keep our overheads low, combined with offering fair prices, saw us through those difficult times. It taught us to remain true to our roots. The temptation to move into bigger, flashier premises does cross our minds, but you still have to pay the rent regardless of how much is in the till. You have to be sensible!

If a brand-new entrepreneur walked up to you today wanting to start out in Oswestry, what advice would you give them?

Start small, research your market thoroughly, and don’t try to run before you can walk.

What’s next on the horizon for Cat World?

We have just updated and completely rebranded our website, which is already seeing positive returns! This digital growth enables us to keep investing in exciting new physical stock for the shop.

For instance, we have local exclusivity on the extensive Trixie cat products range, and we are currently scouting out new suppliers for our human, cat-themed gifts. We are constantly reviewing and refreshing what we offer while keeping the customer favourites, ensuring there’s always something new to see when you pop in.

Local Collaborations & Recommendations:

We quite often get asked for dog-related items, which we obviously don’t stock! We are always happy to refer those customers to our friend Bekki, who trades as Rockways in the Indoor Market. She makes beautiful items covering almost every dog breed you can think of. You can find her right opposite the Tourist Information desk on the ground floor.

We also work incredibly closely with Oswestry Cat Rescue to support them however we can. We have a collection basket in the shop for food and toy donations, and we regularly support them ourselves with cash donations, supplies, and raffle prizes.

We support Shropshire Cat Rescue, where we sponsor one of their cat chalets at their rescue centre, and we have a collection tin in the shop which has generated lots of funds for the rescue over the years from our generous customers.

We more recently held a collection tin for Cuan Wildlife Rescue. They do an excellent job of caring for injured wildlife, some of which will be down to cats, so we wanted to support their vital work.

Visit Cat World:

Whether you’re looking for premium feline care or the perfect gift for a cat lover, you can visit Graham and Di at their Oswestry shop at: 3C Church Street, Oswestry SY11 2SU (Get Directions), or browse their newly updated ranges online at catworld.co.uk