Pet Specialty Blog

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I’m in Mouthfuls every other week buying dog food since, as it turns out, feeding 300 pounds of retriever is no small feat! Milo, Macallan, O’Malley, and I give this place our biggest “paws up” rating.

Here’s why Mouthfuls rocks…

Atmosphere – Cozy neighborhood vibe… irresistible front window display, inviting atmosphere of abundance, great lighting, displays of varying heights arranged to draw customers through the store, just enough “departmentalization” to make products easy to find

Employees – Deb and the team are accessible, authentic, and enthusiastic – they really know their customers and care about their dogs.

Displays – Toys are set up in a casual “play-with-me” fashion via bins along the wall, leashes are organized and visible. There’s an inviting bakery case, and even a treat bar… and always something to play with on the checkout counter!

Assortment – Toys, travel gear, beds, food, and specialty treats – something for everyone — and the K-9’s love the abundance of Kyjen.

Sales Savvy – In tune with modern times, Mouthfuls has an attractive shoppable website that tells their story, as well as a Facebook page, and a blog. These folks are wise enough, however, to cover all of the bases – they recognize the importance of community involvement and in-store events, such as photos with Santa.

In short, Mouthfuls fosters a spirit of neighborhood camaraderie that keeps us coming back again and again. One of the rare specialty retailers that’s doing everything right!

Visit www.mouthfuls.net and you’ll be inspired immediately.

What can you improve? With the help of Kyjen and our new home runs like Invincibles and Dog Games, we invite you to get with the program!

If you’re a wholesaler, be sure to opt in at www.kyjen.com – we’ll keep you up to date on the latest and greatest!

For display ideas, send a photo of your store to me at Kim_m@kyjen.com.

We hope to see you in Orlando at the Global Pet Expo March 16-18 – Booth 1001!

Pet Business posted a great article on the web. Toys that play back can greatly help your business!

The big push is on and the question becomes how to optimize fourth quarter sales and end the year on a successful retail note… let’s get festive!

This time of year provides a great excuse to change your environment – create an enticing atmosphere that will encourage guests to linger and SHOP.

First, assess your space. How far do you want to go… add some woodland trees that you could place toys and ornaments in… or garland with lights around the windows… or would it be better simply hang a canopy of white lights from the ceiling? Whatever the case, make it special. Inspire people to celebrate their pets this season!

Second, make it easy to buy. Email or mail a coupon to your customers – perhaps a buy-one-get-one-free special. If you enjoy in-store events, how about a “yappy hour” with dog treats and cocoa and in-store specials? A drawing or door prize is always a good addition. Maybe a fun afternoon event featuring photos with Santa?

Finally, be sure to have:

• Gift Registry – put a book by the register for people to register their pets’ holiday requests
• Impulse Items – stocking stuffers near the register, and if you don’t have stockings, you should!
• Dear Santa cards – pre-printed note cards on which the pet’s request is written in the blank… the card can then be conveniently left somewhere at home where Santa will find it

And don’t forget… right now is the time to get some great last-minute merchandise deals! Set up a wholesale account at Kyjen.com and check out the holiday toys and accessories that customers can’t refuse. We’ll get them to you fast!

Cheers!

Facebook… Twitter…FourSquare… You may think that you are not technologically savvy enough to be a part of social media. But the advantages of social media in the pet industry is measurable!  I already have many customers who have loyal followers on Facebook and all I hear are success stories!

Check out this article by Direct Marketing News about the pet industry and the advantages of social media  and do yourself a favor and grow your business with social media: http://www.dmnews.com/social-media-rises-in-pet-pushes/article/136931/

Whether in the cereal aisle at your local supermarket, or in the TV section at a big box electronic store, consumers, now more than ever, are information hungry. Even though discretionary budgets are back on the rise, consumers have kept to the recessionary adapted habits: garner as much information as possible about a group of products, and then make an informed decision based on criteria that is important to them (quality, value, price, etc.)

It’s important to point out why a certain product (which may have a higher ticket price) should be purchased over a less expensive alternative. Why not put this information within the consumers reach… or more accurately “eyesight?”

Small cards (even 3 X 5 index style) work great to fit a few key features and benefits about a product and still fit within your well crafted display. In a perfect world, you or an employee would be able to talk with every customer and convey this info in person, but as we all know, the day to day tasks and other customers inhibit us from doing so. Thus the displayed info must suffice.

Think liquor stores, below each bottle of wine is a small note card displaying the points the bottle of wine is rated. The same holds true with pet products, simply place a tag by the product and have the tag do the selling.

Get creative, have fun and increase sales!

Picture from http://www.wine-flair.com/uploaded_images/Frank_Family-754398.JPG

Earth day is approaching, don’t miss out on an opportunity to increase sales this month with a focus on making your business and pooch more eco-friendly and reap the benefits long term. A poll recently conducted by the Global Strategy Group shows that 87% of consumers are more likely to buy products from an environmentally friendly retailer.  There is no better time for your store to go “green” than on April 22^nd, Earth Day.  With more and more businesses emphasizing the importance of going green, doing so has never been easier.

Ways to make your business more eco-friendly:

• Promote a special offer for Earth Day, if customers bike or walk to the store versus drive their cars they receive XX% off their entire purchase or off of a specific item.
• Recycle boxes, packaging and receipt paper.
• Use florescent and LED Bulbs, they last longer and use less electricity.
• Consider using motion sensor lights.
• When cleaning use cloth towels vs. paper towels.
• Look for “Green” cleaning supplies (i.e. Seventh Generation, Simple Green)
• Become paperless as much as possible, think twice before you print.
• Switch off electrical equipment when not using.
• Offer discounts to customers who bring in their own bag or do not use one.

Ways to make your pooch more eco-friendly

• Help control the pet population by adopting pets from shelters and/or neutering your pet.
• Always pick up your pet’s waste, reducing contamination in our lakes and rivers.
  • Even better, use biodegradable bags that are cornstarch based.  They decompose much quicker than regular plastic bags ( Kyjen)
  • Be your dog’s chef.  You will know exactly what goes into the food and you can purchase organic, pesticide free food for Fido.  If cooking is not your thing, consider visiting holistic dog food stores in your area.
  • Look at labels for eco-friendly products using recycled or all natural materials (i.e. Kyjen – Bottle Buddies, Kyjen – Eco Hemp)

Happy Early Earth Day! Hope it is a prosperous one for you!

What do your customers mean to you? Besides the obvious answer of money, good question . For Indies, your customers should affect you on more than a monetary level. Most of these people tell you about their families, their pets, their problems. And your there to not only listen but get to know their needs that you can then fulfill with an object in your store. People want to be listened to, it makes them feel important.

For example, I went to a snowboard shop to fix a binding that was loose. They not only helped me fix the binding (free of charge), they asked me about my skill of riding, my preferences for terrain, and other personal things about my snowboarding lifestyle. I felt I was important enough to get to know, even if they don’t remember me next time. As they were listening, they suggested that I wear a helmet because I prefer to ride fast. They listened, they informed, they sold me a $90 helmet. I left a happy customer.

Next time a customer comes in, start asking questions. You might get a full 20 minute life story, but I guarantee people will like you more, and want to buy from you more often. Is this customer important enough to get to know? The answer every time should be, Yes.

I wanted to share a quick story about a small bike shop in the Highlands (Colorado) named Urbanistic Tea and Bike Shop.  That’s right, a combination of bicycles and tea.  It’s obvious that this company is run by people that are doing what they love.  You wouldn’t think that these two items would go together but this small business has learned to differentiate itself.

My story is this, they have great customers service and they care.  Have you ever gone into a shop and was turned down b/c you weren’t a paying customer?  It’s frustrating and defeats the purpose of brand loyalty, in this case the store is the brand.  We took our bikes out for the first time this spring and of course the tires were flat, the seats were at the wrong height, etc, etc.  We walked our bikes to the store, where it was busy w/ 3-4 customers in line.  Right away they noticed our tires were flat.   They brought our bikes (three in all) inside, past the customers in line and filled the tires and adjusted the seats.  We left and didn’t purchase a thing.

Do you think we’ll go back if we need something on our bikes?  Do you think I hesitate at all when someone asks me for a good bike shop (referred two already)?  Customer service goes a long way and it’s all about not keeping score.

I recently came across an exceptional product with exceptional marketing — it’s a great inspiration for all online stores.

Saddleback Leather was formed w/ one purpose, to be the best leather bag ever made.  The bags roots were imagined in Mexico where Dave, the founder, sketched a drawing for a leather maker, a few Spanish words were fired back and forth and the bag was born.  After coming back to the states and people shouting from across the street “Where did you get that bag”, Dave realized that more people will want and need this bag.  He since has stitched his way in history and his bag will live on far after he will.

I believe companies can truly learn from this business model.  When you visit www.saddlebackleather.com you will instantly be drawn in by his candor words and real language.  It is refreshing to read a website written as someone speaks and I believe it shows passion and transparency, which in today’s business world matters.  He answers questions w/ blunt answers and tells you how it is.  He speaks to his customers.  How does your site stand out among the masses?  Do you write directly to your customers or just throw facts at them?

Dave has blogs and videos of real people in his travels explaining his bags (see the Rastafarian demonstrating the different sizes).  You’ll win a $500 credit on the site entering the photo contest where you are encouraged to have a famous person standing on the bag in the most remote places on earth.  Want to see the durability?  Watch the video where Dave is dangling the bag over a crocodile in Australia to see whether or not it will sustain a bite.  It’s small details like that that make you stay on the site and want to learn more.  Does your site have interaction?

I think retailers, websites and any company for that matter can learn from his honest way of doing business.  You are buying from a person and not a company, which to me seems almost euphoric in today’s push button response.

Looking for a place for your dog to play, not much offered in Denver, CO according to a recently published article in the Denver Post.  As the number of pet lovers has increased significantly in the last few years, the number of parks and green spaces available to them has remained stagnant.  The people of Denver recognize this need and are in support of adding 10 new off-leash dog parks in the next decade.  However, government officials worry about funding for this project.  To offset the costs a draft proposal suggests charging for use of the park through paid tags.  The cost of the first dog would be $25.00 and $10.00 for each additional tag per year.

What do you think? Is there a need for more dog parks in your area? Do additional dog parks result in additional business for you as an indenedent retailer?  Do you think the tag fee will be successful in raising the needed funds?  Any ideas to share on how you have gained additional business in your store as a result of having a dog park nearby?

Get Out and Play (at your local dog park or anywhere else for that matter)!