Many small, independent pet-care businesses operate on a service-based business model with boarding, day-care, or grooming at their core. But businesses who only rely on one revenue stream are missing out on opportunities to engage with customers, build their brand, and explore new sources of income.
New pet-care businesses have to juggle a lot of moving parts, which is why so many business owners choose Revelation Pets to manage their needs.
To help you develop a solid retail strategy, we’ve put together some of the best pet-care retail business ideas that are guaranteed to keep the tails in your business wagging!
Plushies, in particular, encourage a connection between the owner and their pet. For example, pup parents love holidays like Halloween, and many love sharing their excitement with their pets by purchasing themed toys like stuffed pumpkins, bats or cute ghosts. So having a few theme toys in your inventory is never a bad idea.
Your pet-care business should also include a selection of rubber bones, squeaky toys, frisbees, tug-of-war ropes, and enrichment toys like Kongs. This way, you’ll have something for everyone!
As you're building your retail business, don’t forget about your feline clients. Catnip, scented toys, and scratchboards can help cats adjust to their new surroundings when they board with you.
If you offer training sessions through your business, consider using your own branded leashes during each session, and then give the owner the option to purchase the leash as an add-on item afterward.
Buy-one-donate-one promotions are also a useful incentive to promote the sale of leashes or collars. For every branded item purchased, your business will give one to a local animal shelter.
But leashes and harnesses aren’t just for dogs. As more and more pet parents look for ways to share outdoor adventures with all animals in their home, harnesses for cats and pet bunnies are also gaining in popularity!
Like collars and harnesses, pet carriers and backpacks are necessary to help keep your four-legged customers safe when they leave home.
Devoting some of your retail space to smaller hard or soft-shelled pet carriers and backpacks will appeal to more than just dog owners. Backpacks, in particular, help cats and kittens explore tons of new places from the safety of a secure location.
Bows, ribbons and bandanas — what pet lover doesn’t love the look of a well-dressed dog or cat?
Once you’ve established the apparel portion of your pet-care business’s retail store, try expanding your items to include merchandise like branded t-shirts, hoodies, or baseball hats.
Holiday-themed accessories like Easter bunny ears, Santa hats, reindeer antlers, and Fourth of July bandanas are always popular around the holidays.
You may also consider including a fun saying like “I had a great day at [insert your company name] daycare” so that your existing customers can be brand ambassadors when their pup wears its t-shirt or bandana around town.
So what could be more convenient than selling a pet-friendly tote to carry all their travel items?
This is one retail item that your customers will thank you for!
Treats that are organic, or have an added health benefit like relieving joint pain for large dogs, are popular. Start small with a few treat products, and once you see which items are selling, try building on that momentum. The Revelation Pets’ report feature will help you understand monthly retail sales trends, and you can continue to build around your best-sellers.
Whether they have two legs or four, every parent loves photos of their child. Including pet photography as an add-on extra to boarding, daycare, or grooming services is an easy way to engage with your customers and add another source of income for your pet-care business.
You likely already include photos when you send pet parents their pup’s Revelation Pets report card. Take this idea one step further by offering pet photographs as a stand-alone service.
A great way to engage with customers is to host seasonal specialty sessions with the Easter Bunny, fall-themed photos with pumpkins or spring photos with flowers. You can also use these photos in your social media accounts to market your services.
Initially, offering retail items as part of your business strategy and operational inventory may seem overwhelming. But, if you’re already using Revelation Pets’ pet-care software for your small business needs, integrating items like toys, bandanas, or pet photography sessions is easy.
Including a number of diverse services in your offerings will Increase the average spend per customer, provide value to your existing customers, and attract new customers. Not only that, but creating a business strategy that’s based around both products and services will separate you from the rest of the pack and give you additional revenue streams so you can continue building your pet-care business for years to come!
Eager to learn more about pet-care business strategies and software solutions? Check out our other resources on these topics: