EE425 - Fetching €40 Million: How Anthony Gallagher Started & Scaled Petstop

The Entrepreneur Experiment

In this episode of The Entrepreneur Experiment, Gary Fox meets Anthony Gallagher - the man behind Petstop, Ireland’s most successful independent pet retailer. From sweeping floors at Penneys to nearly selling his dot-com startup for $42 million (before it all collapsed), Anthony’s story is packed with lessons on grit, resilience, and building something that lasts. He shares how he bounced back from financial ruin using pure hustle, delivered pet food himself during lockdowns, and quietly scaled Petstop to €40 million in annual revenue—all while competing head-to-head with global giants. This is a masterclass in staying the course, putting people first, and never underestimating the power of showing up - week after week, store after store. Show Notes: In this episode, we cover: 🐾 How Anthony grew Petstop to €40M without external takeovers 💥 The $42M dot-com deal that collapsed overnight 📦 Using his son’s communion money to pay staff - and bouncing back 🧠 Competing (and winning) against multinationals like Maxi Zoo 🏪 The importance of location in retail—and why he still visits every store 🚚 Scaling delivery by literally driving orders to customers 🔁 Building a team with 20+ years’ loyalty 🐕 Why launching private-label brands like Nádúr changed the game 💡 How being “too early” can kill a great idea (and why timing is everything) Resources & Mentions: Anthony's business: https://www.petstop.ie/ Private-label brand: Nádúr Lifestyle pet range: Alice & Co Irish-made treats company backed by Anthony: Green Treat: https://green-treat.com/ ----- Subscribe to our newsletter for weekly inspiration on Business, Brain and Body, as well as exclusive events, courses and more, straight to your inbox. It's free! https://www.mrgaryfox.com/subscribe-1 --- Visit my partners Enterprise Ireland: https://bit.ly/EIreland Azure Communications: https://bit.ly/azureEE Nostra: https://bit.ly/3HHwSMo