Company Blog

Going to the Dogs (and Cats)

by Adam Zack — September 3, 2015

Fetch: Dog days of summer

When I was young I was different from all the other kids. Everyone I knew either wanted a dog or had one. I didn’t. Maybe it was the thought of cleaning up after them, or maybe the possibility of incessant barking. Or maybe it was just never got the “I need a four legged buddy” gene. Even my own dad told me “There’s something wrong with a person who doesn’t like dogs!” I didn’t say that I didn’t like them (or maybe I did). What I said was I didn’t want one. Still don’t. But I am definitely in the minority. Dog (and cat) business is BIG business, and I do like business. Which brings us to this week’s topic, creating promotions and campaigns aimed at your four legged friends and their owners. The most shared and “liked” Facebook posts include dogs (specifically puppies) and cats (here kitty…). It’s a bond that grocery retailers need to embrace. The pet owners go to the pet store when they need pet food or supplies, but they come to your store much more often because they don’t buy their food in 40 pound bags. So are your pet toys, chews and treats really current and trendy or is it the same old Hartz products, Alpo and Kal Kan? Are they strategically placed in impulse locations or are they just on the pet food aisle? The opportunity for impulse is tremendous and there is virtually no shrink! Frozen marrow bones are a huge seller and if they are not part of your frozen set or in a separate small freezer by the pet food you’re giving up sales. Pet food stores traditionally are pretty competitively priced on pet food, but the toys and impulse items offer huge profit margins. It takes some research work and willingness to take on some new DSD vendors, but the fruit is ripe for the picking.

So when you are mapping out your promotional planner, remember to throw the pet owners a bone. Facebook contests featuring the cutest dog, or the pet that looks most like its owner, or kids with dog photos (awwww, SO cute!!) are great exposure and let you promote your pet items. Dog days of summer? That’s a promotion just waiting to be seized. Fetch!