Specialism is where an independent wins. Aquatics, reptiles and small animals are poorly served by chains and searched by dedicated keepers, and a shop known for one of them draws customers from a much wider area than its high street.
Problems come before products. An owner whose dog is scratching or whose fish keep dying searches the symptom, and a shop that explains what to check earns the visit that a product listing never would.
Weight changes how people search. Bulky food and bedding are looked for with delivery or collection attached, because carrying them is the actual problem, and saying plainly that you deliver locally captures that intent.
Services are searched separately from goods. Water testing, nail clipping and weighing bring in people who did not intend to shop, and they arrive in person, which is exactly where a shop wins.