Effective ways to increase pet store sales are always sought after. From creative promotional ideas to business proposals, nothing should ever be taken for granted. So here are some cues on how to improve the sales of your store for our furry buddies and their pet parents.

"From creative promotional ideas to business proposals, nothing should ever be taken for granted."

Coordinate. Are there any stores in your area who are also serving the furry members of your neighborhood? If yes, consider building great relationships with them in spite of the competition. You may be the leading seller of collars and beds but down the road is a great pet bakery. Consider building sales and promotions together for example:

If a customer buys a pet bed from you, their purchase includes a coupon for the pet bakery’s sleep aid treat. If the customer stops at the bakery first, they’ll receive a coupon for one of your products the correlates with the treats they bought.

Not only will working together support small business in your neighborhood, it could also help decrease the chances of other stores bringing on direct competition products. However, don’t rule out friendships with those stores that do have the same target audience. Build relationships so that on the off chance you are out of a product, you can send the customer to your friends store and vice versa. The customer gets what they need and will likely return knowing you are willing to help get them what they need right away all due to your positive relationship with other stores.

The customer experience. Customers, particularly in the pet industry, are extremely picky and it can be hard work to get them to notice you right away (pet parents can be tricky to please, as they only want what is best for their fur-baby)! Personal connections are the best way to engage with and cater to your customer base.

Create a process for feedback to hone in on what your customers want. A few suggestions:

• Put a survey at the bottom of the receipt. This is a subtle reminder that you value their feedback but does not make them feel pressure or obligation to respond.
• Assign an employee to take to google and find common questions and concerns of pet parents. Draft up a FAQ page for the questions your products are a solution for and display it in your store. This shows pet parents that you care and are able to help.
• Create incentive. Have feedback surveys that upon completion give your customer a discount or a free item with your brand displayed such as a drawstring bag or  hat.

Providing customers with different options to give feedback will satisfy those eager to offer their opinions and those who don’t want to feel the pressure. A word of caution: with any of the above examples it’s important to  refrain from taking the information at face value. Some customers will click random options just to get the coupon while others are willing to take the extra time. Use feedback as a tool to enhance customer experience but don’t forget other useful tactics along the way.

Create a brand with awareness. As world-views change, so should your store. Customers and retailers alike are becoming more and more conscious of their impact on the environment and have begun taking steps towards sustainability. Don’t get left behind. Consider carrying sustainable brands such as Pet Parents® washable diapers, belly bands, and pee pads. You can also do promotions centered around environmental issues. Some examples:

• An Earth Day sale on all reusable products
• For those customers not quite ready to commit; A promotion where adding a washable/reusable product to their purchase get them a percentage off the entire order. This way the customer can try out your sustainable products but still have the back-up of the disposable products they know work for them.

Don’t feel like you need to sacrifice sales on the traditional products you carry to “get with the time” of environmentally conscious shoppers. Offering a variety will show customers you care while still maintaining your store’s presence and allows you to serve customers at all levels of beliefs.

Invite influencers. Influencers are people on social media who will post about products, places, and people usually in exchange for a fee or free items from your store. Influencers are a great way to get the word out fast to thousands of people with little to no work on your part.

To find influencers, first set your parameters. How many followers do they need to have? Do they have to be in your area? What platforms do you want them to post to? What incentives will you offer them? Once you know what you’re looking for, take a moment to reach out. Set your deal and bam! instant outreach.

Influencers can create high-quality and engaging content, can build brand awareness through exposure, and above all are trusted - consumers are more enthusiastic to trust the evaluation of their peer than believing what you say because you said it.

Target Practice. Once you have a good idea of your target audience and their wants and needs in a store, you’ll want to set up targets around your store for customers to hit. These targets drive your customer’s actions. Some example targets:

• A store planogram that shows customers exactly where the products they are looking for are located. They don’t have to guess and won’t feel like they’re walking in circles trying to find what they came for
• Set up sales around customers’ replenish cycles. Say the majority of your customers who purchase supplements have small dogs. Pair this knowledge with the serving size and amount of servings you’ll be able to figure when they might be back in. Use this to determine your sales and promotions.
• Clearly display your message. If your customer base is all about sustainability, make sure you advertise big and bold that you are with them.

Even without specific targets, you’re going to have customers. The added bonus of targets is that it will make your customers feel that you are truly there for them, not just the dollar signs.

Give out free samples.Offer your products for free to pet breeders, pet influencers and pet blogs to give an honest review. Free samples will increase sales since customers will have the chance to try out your products and see first-hand if it’s effective and if it will suit their needs/wants or not (without wasting money!).

Place samples in any attractive storage bags, each with an inexpensive but colorful label containing the store's logo and the name of the product to always keep pushing your brand to become well-known and recognizable!