Last Updated: October 3, 2022
If you’re a pet store owner, your primary concern is getting as many paws in your store as possible. As such, marketing is essential to growing your business. And with a little ingenuity and passion, promoting your store will be not just rewarding, but also fun.
There are many different strategies you can take to increase awareness of your store. Ideally, you should be using as many of these tactics as possible to increase your store’s traffic and your market share. Below is a list of 8 pet store promotions that will help your pet shop succeed.
Table of Contents
- Host a Fashion Show!
- Blow Up Your Instagram
- Choose a Pet of the Week or Month to Include in a Regular Newsletter
- Brand Some Free Sample to Give Our to Other Local Businesses
- Promote Other Pet-Related Businesses
- Host Short-Term Free or Cheap Puppy Classes
- Personalize the Shopping Experience
- Put Out a Calendar
Who can say no to this? Halloween is the obvious pick but you can try it for other holidays, too. A “Ben”ji Franklin on Independence Day would be hard to beat. Use the opportunity to give away gift cards or new products to the best costume. And make sure to take plenty of pictures to blow up your Instagram. Which leads to number two…
2. Blow Up Your Instagram With Customer Pet Pics
Instagram loves cute animals. And it’s free retail marketing. Take advantage of the plethora of adorable creatures coming through your doors and make them IG celebs. Remember to list all of your store information right on your Instagram page. In addition, hashtag the breeds of dogs, rabbits, and cats, so that you increase your chances of being discovered.
3. Choose a Pet of the Week or Month to Include in a Regular Newsletter
Email newsletters are a great retail marketing tool. Including featured pets keeps customers interested and excited. Give tips and advice for readers each letter and tie in a relevant product that you offer. Use this correspondence as a platform to increase customer engagement.
4. Brand Some Free Samples to Give Out to Other Local Businesses
Put a stamp of your logo on some treats to give out to pet-friendly banks and coffee shops around you. Connections with other small businesses are usually mutually beneficial. This type of word of mouth marketing can be hugely effective in spreading your brand and business story in the community.
Advertise your favorite nearby groomer or boarder and they’ll probably do the same for you. Pet owners are always looking for advice on how to best take care of their babies. The more suggestions you have, the better.
6. Host Short-Term Free or Cheap Puppy Classes
This gets new dog owners in your doors right away. Experiential retail is more popular than ever. Hosting a weekly class for a few months is worth it if you get a new, regular customer for the next 10-15 years. Plus, you get to hang out with a group of puppies every week.
Promote new, healthy products and offer bundled packages that are breed or age specific. Show your customers that you care and have the knowledge to back it up. One great example of bundled promotions comes from Homes Alive Pets, a Canadian pet supply retailer:
“One of the most successful promotions that we have run is a mix and match deal on dog and cat cans. We offer a 10% discount when a customer buys any 12 cans. This has benefitted both us and the shopper: the customer gets to try different brands (especially good for finicky cats) and purchase at ‘case pricing’ without having to commit to one flavor or brand; we win because we move more volume.”
8. Put Out a Calendar
Getting your pet into a calendar means easy holiday gifts for half your family and some serious bragging rights. Calendars are a great way to advertise, especially if people give them away. Host some auditions and let the pups go wild. Careful not to let it get too risque.
Get Creative with Pet Store Promotions
There’s plenty you could do to mix up any of these ideas. And with cute animals everywhere it’s hard not to make these fun. Give us some of your best promotional ideas for your store!
KORONA POS offers features specifically made with pet stores in mind. Use your product performance reporting to drive promotions and discounts. Optimize your store’s sales performance with built in KPI’s and inventory analysis.
Figure out exactly which slow-moving items you need to move off of the shelf, and which popular items keep your customers coming back for more. To learn more about all of the great features we offer retail pet stores, give us a call today to schedule a demo!
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