Make MORE Sales this Holiday Season!

By Nancy E. Hassel, American Pet Professionals Is beginning to look a lot like Christmas, all around the pet store...it's that time of year again pet pros!  It's your chance to capitalize on the season to make great income in a short period of time AND be able to give back even more to animal rescue groups or the cause near and dear to your heart.    Pet owners will be out spending and this time of year is a great way to give back to them by thanking them for being loyal customers.   Here are a few ideas that can get you motivated, add joy and fun to the season, give back and encourage more customers into your facilities. Host an Event:  

  • Have a storefront a grooming shop, retail store, dog training facility?  Have a 'holiday yappy hour' event catering to your customers and their pets. Offer free doggie biscuits, holiday fare and refreshments for human and customers, offer a discount for that event only 10% off, 15% off select merchandise and/or afree giveaway to the first 50 people there.  Promote it a few weeks out in an email to your database and through social media.
  • Host a holiday adopt-a-thon – feature a local rescue or municipal shelter dogs or cats at your brick and mortar.
  • Cross promote holiday pet photos with a professional pet photographer.
Retail stores: Point of purchase sales:
  • Have an area in your store dedicated to ‘stocking stuffers’ for your pet – sell stockings, fun items to put in the stockings (near your check out area).  
  • Have a 'buy one we will donate one' program for items like doggie coats for shelter dogs, or beds, toy, cat litter, etc.
  • Offer a free gift with purchase. Could be a holiday themed dog biscuit as the free gift or inexpensive pet toy. 
  • Make sure you have good signage with any purchasing incentives and have your staff trained and informing your customers about it. 
Online Retail Sales:
  • Create an area on your website for Christmas Gifts for Pets and/or Christmas Gifts for Pet Owners – list the top 10 – 25 items you’re selling in your store and online!  Send out an email blast Holiday themed of course to let your customers know. Make the subject line enticing!
  • Offer a Cyber Monday Sale (do it a week before Cyber Monday & again on Cyber Monday!)
Creative ideas:
  • Offer a 12-days of Christmas Holiday Promotion (Think ELLEN!). This could be anything, buy a 6-week dog training course for a discount, $10 off a grooming service, etc. Make each day a different discount or giveaway to get people in your store/grooming shop/dog training facility/online store.
  • Have a cross promotion with complimentary businesses during the holidays, could even be businesses out of the pet industry. 
  • "Book now during the holidays for your boarding for your spring break vacation."  Think about how many people wait until the last minute to book their dog/cat at boarding (or hiring a pet sitter),  if you promote a discount during the holiday’s you may book out for spring break ahead of time!
  • Thank your customers/clients with a: Biscuit for the dogs; catnip toy for the cats; send holiday cards to customers with a really good coupon offer as a thank you for their business; Give your human clients a bottle of wine and/or chocolates with a HAND WRITTEN thank you note!
  • Keep your holiday offers simple! Simple for your clients/customers to understand $5 off a $20 purchase; %10 off any items (even sale items); Buy 1 get 1; etc.
  • Animal Rescues – host an open house where people can come bring donations to your animal rescue (tell them what your wish list is in the invite as people love to donate during the holidays). You may just get some pets adopted!
  • Mom & Pop shops: be a location drop off point - if you know of a rescue that may not have a facility or is collecting donations, offer to be a location drop off point within your facility. This will encourage customers to donate to the rescue and a very nice way to help the rescue out - you could match the donations monetarily or product wise. 
Be creative, have fun with your festive promotion, giveaways, try to stand out from the crowded sea of holiday promos, this season.  And of course give back, paw it forward and help those with some of extra holiday income! Happy Holidays!]]>

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