Meet Kitty Korner TT. A feline-focused, strictly online pet supply store. “We provide items that a cat would need throughout its lifespan and some extra goodies for the cat lovers.. Our goal is to provide products that are otherwise unavailable or scarce in Trinidad and Tobago. Our products range from basic essentials to luxury items that enrich the lives of kitties,” says owner Marissa Edmund. “A lot of time is spent researching the latest cat products on the market, we aim to get the best and visually pleasing products that cat owners will love,” continues Marissa. But how did this brand begin?
“In 2020, just as the pandemic hit, I decided to get a cat. I had just ended a relationship and wanted companionship. I got a cat (Sigmund Freud) and fell deeply in love.Getting supplies for him however, was quite tedious as most pet stores catered to dogs. I visited about 4 stores in order to get all the essentials that were needed for a new cat owner. Then I found it was difficult to spoil my cat as I had to continuously shop online and ship products into the county.That’s when I decided I would open my own store in February of 2021 so new cat owners would not have to stress the way I did. As for the name, I thought “Kitty Kornertt” had a nice ring to it so I stuck with.”
As for whether Marissa does KittyKOrner full time, the answer is no. She is a full time medical doctor and she runs the feline brand on the side. “It’s a huge challenge but I enjoy it a lot. Some challenges I face include answering phone calls, responding to messages, running our social media pages (IG, FB, Tik Tok), creating content for these pages and also running our website and doing deliveries!! It’s a lot of work as I have to fit all of it into my already hectic for schedule.” says Marissa.
But for her, it has been a year of learning. “For example, I basically had to turn myself into a content creator, graphic designer, marketer and more. I had to learn tools like Canva, Capcut, Pixel Cut, Excel and others to get the brand off the ground. I also designed and created the website on my own (thank God for Shopify). The reward is seeing videos or pictures of my customers enjoying their new products and also getting positive reviews.
Amidst all the learning and challenges she faced to get her brand started, there have been many milestones from Marissa and KittyKornerTT. “We have been open for 14 months!
We have over 2000 IG followers and 1000 facebook followers which is much more than I ever expected. We launched an online store in April 2021 and had our first ever pop-up shop in March 2022. We had a booth at Upmarket too! We have rescued and found homes for 2 cats and partnered with a foster home and helped find families for over 20 cats.”
Marissa has certainly learned and achieved a lot since starting the brand. When asked if she had any advice to share, her answer was simple. “I’ve learnt to keep going no matter how badly you want to give up. The journey is hard, especially when you’re doing it mostly on your own. Every failure is a lesson and opportunity for you to do better next time. Also I’ve learnt to trust my gut.” That great advice, Marissa!
As for those considering the path of entrepreneurship, Marissa is the perfect example of juggling it all. “Being an entrepreneur isn’t as easy as it looks, so you have to be prepared to work hard and consistently. Believe in yourself even if other people don’t believe in your plan or vision. You don’t need other people to believe in you. Many people around me thought I was crazy for starting a business during the pandemic, worse yet a cat store as I knew nothing about cats! I also knew nothing about finance, economics or running a business. Everyone saw me as a doctor and that was the box I was expected to stay in. Don’t let people keep you in a box.” Wise words, Marissa.
Now that she is definitely on the road to building her brand, Marissa said then when it comes to creating a brand, it’s about image and perception. “To me one’s brand is the image they portray and the way they are perceived by others. With kitty kornertt I want the brand to be luxury, affordability and chic.” She sees a business like the engine in a car and the brand is the outer appearance/image of the car.
The local brand scene has definitely been expanding over the years. “Generally I think local brands sell themselves short. I don’t think a lot of local businesses try to push the boundaries. For example, when customers first visit my website they often say “this is so well done, it doesn’t seem local”. To me that shouldn’t be the case, It’s as though local brands are expected to be subpar/inferior.”
KittyKornerTT is definitely destined for great things with Marissa at the helm and her vision for the brand. For all things feline, this is the brand for you.
