I have enjoyed years of selling pet products to retailers and seeing how they effectively influence consumers to gain an enhanced understanding of their pet’s needs and their own wants.  They have achieved this using a number of different methods developed through experience and assuming the 5 personas of a highly effective retailer.

The Master Marketer

Retailers are constantly bombarded with opportunities to gain exposure for their stores through local news, events (pet and non-pet related), direct mailers, and publications to name a few.  Many of these opportunities can help gain new customers if a retailer can properly identify the demographic of their consumer and adequately track the performance of each marketing event.  These are 2 very important aspects of truly understanding the effectiveness of their money spent.

The Adaptive Retailer

Change occurs whether you want it to or not.  The small business retailers must understand that competition changes, customer change, and the “Best” product assortment changes from year to year and season to season.  A retailer must be able to anticipate what the consumers’ needs are and the most effective way to influence their needs once they walk into their store.  They can achieve this by 2 ways within the confines of their four walls.  The first way is by changing the way consumers flow through their stores aisles.  Consumers naturally develop patterns when they come into a store.  They determine what they came into buy and try to go directly to that product and come back toward the register.  If a retailer can redirect the consumer, then there will be a greater chance they will purchase additional products. 

The second way is the layout of a store should be eye catching and grab the consumer’s attention.  From season to season, retailers have many opportunities to create attention grabbing displays to stir the consumer to purchase product they would not normally consider buying.  Whether it is a Halloween display with costumes and trick or treat snacks, or pre-stuffed stockings and gift baskets filled with “cookies”, toys, and chews during Christmas.

The Efficient Buyer

Retailers who recognize opportunities to take advantage of deals presented by distributors and manufacturers to increase their bottom line can ultimately benefit by driving more money into their pocket.  Buying deep on products that a retailer typically keeps in stock and sells through frequently allows the retailer to increase the margin on those products on a regular basis.  This additional money gained allows the retailers to have additional spending cash for new product and innovation within their store.  In turn, new product keeps consumers interested in shopping their store every time they walk in to purchase their everyday supplies.

The Trainer

Retailers can influence consumer buying habits through product, pet, and industry knowledge.  Training their consumers to rely on their expertise is crucial to retaining that customer for years to come.  However the small business owner doesn’t stop at the consumer level.  They need to also effectively train their staff to communicate this same knowledge to the consumer and provide them the ability to support each consumer as they walk through the doors.  Opportunities to train and retrain staff can range from manufacturing willing to spend time discussing the product they represent to local holistic vets explaining the digestive system of animals.  Retailers spend a lot of money and time to keep their doors open however unless they can effectively train their associates and consumers then no amount of money will grow their effectiveness within their market or bottom line.

The Brainiac

Retailers should take every opportunity to expand their knowledge of products, trends, and industry changes.  The key is investing time into listening to industry professionals (such as manufacturing and distributor reps), reading trade publications, and attending trade shows.  These activities will provide a retailer insight beyond their four walls and assist in better understanding how things are changing within our industry. 

I love the pet industry but, what makes this industry special is the passion.  I’ve seen it at the manufacturing level, the distribution level, the retailer level and the consumer level.  We all may be working to grow our sales but, when you believe in the products that you’re selling and you’re confident that you’re helping people and pets, it’s easy and it’s addictive.  I couldn’t imagine doing anything else!