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A golden retriever with nearly 8,000 followers on Instagram has unleashed a new shop in Jersey – and is inviting furry visitors to come and explore the store's array of fun and healthy toys and treats.
Three-year-old influencer pup Ruby is the 'CEO' of MyDogify, which is based in the Central Market.
The store opened in the Central Market around three weeks ago and has already welcomed countless visitors – many of whom bring their own pooches to the shop.
Pictured: Ruby runs the store with her owner, Ella Picot.
While such products are more difficult to source, the shop's aim is to stock products that are as natural as possible, such as recyclable toys and treats that avoid additives.
Ruby's owner, Ella Picot, runs the shop, and told Express that her time selling dog hampers and fun, original products while she still worked in marketing is where the inspiration for the store came from.
"We started with our birthday hampers. We thought: in Jersey, it's just hard to find something different, affordable, easy to pick up. There's the garden centres, the pet shops, but there's not much choice," Ella explained.
Pictured: Ruby and the giant Snoopy figure are popular with customers.
The business was mostly an online side job, paired with giveaways and stalls at events and on King Street.
"We did a Valentine's pop-up where Ruby was giving free hugs. She had her "free hugs" sign and that got a lot of attention," Ella recalled.
"Some people like dogs but they don't have one, or they've lost their dog. They come over and she's so friendly – she makes people happy.
"We'd seen that idea, a few people in England were doing it, and were like, 'We'll just try!' And everyone loved it."
Pictured: Ruby knows how to pose for the camera.
After launching in September 2023, Ella spent her free time packing orders and going to events.
"We kind of had no rest! But it's worth it."
When a unit at the market became available, Ella said it was "too good of an opportunity to turn down" – despite meaning she would need to leave her job and take "a really big step" to open the shop.
To secure the unit, she had to give a presentation – and, luckily for her, the panel all owned dogs of their own and knew how a pet becomes part of the family.
Ordering stock from the UK can be complicated and costly, with high minimum orders - but Ella orders products that are kept as natural as she can, avoiding additives and choosing recyclable toys.
"That's what a lot of our customers love."
While the store is set to give her an even greater profile, CEO Ruby is already a social media celebrity with her own Instagram (@rubygoldennn).
"At first, she was our first proper puppy, so we just [posted] memories. I didn't think we'd get followers," Ella said.
"But we ended up getting followers, and we'd get brands contacting us."
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Now, Ruby has learnt to pose for the camera – even sitting at the shop counter for the occasional picture.
While Ruby is likely to be a great draw, Ella and her family went to great lengths to ensure that the rest of the store was enticing for customers too.
When Ella arrived at the market, the unit she moved into had been empty for some time and she and her family pulled out all the stops to replace the red carpets with white floorboards and built the shelving themselves.
Pictured: The shop had to be completely renovated.
One of the more show-stopping features is a giant leather Snoopy bought from Jersey Hospice's charity shop – which Ella said she discovered via Express's weekly Charity Treasures feature.
The opening of the new canine-themed shop comes at a time of significant regeneration at the Central Market.
Opening hours have been extended, and several new shops have opened in recent years in a bid to make it the jewel in the crown of town once more, and solidify its place as a tourist hotspot.
Pictured: The shop features a variety of fun and original dog products. (Elliot Dougan)
Speaking at a recent Scrutiny hearing, Economic Development Minister Kirsten Morel explained how the Central Market could be used as a testbed for new businesses, as he was asked about his plans for supporting and revamping the island's retail offering amid numerous store closures that have left empty spaces around town.
"We can use the Market to help shops get off the ground," he said.
"Somebody with a new retail concept could start in the Market, where we're in control of the rents and can help them get their foot on the ladder. That would be in the short-term. With success, they move into the high street."
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