How To Run a Clearance Sale at Your Pet Store

You love running your pet store — but there’s that one corner of the backroom.

Last year’s holiday dog sweaters. A dusty stack of soon-to-expire specialty dog food. Maybe a pallet of discontinued bird seed is blocking the path to your new shipment of summer toys.

That’s the moment it hits you: It’s time for a clearance sale.

You’re ready to reclaim that space, refresh your stock, and turn those slow-moving items into cash.

In this blog, you’ll find a step-by-step plan for doing exactly that — including how to identify what to clear, whether it’s dead stock, seasonal items, or soon-to-expire products, and how to run the sale smoothly from start to finish.

When’s the Right Time To Run a Clearance Sale?

Most pet store owners can sense when something isn’t selling, but your point of sale (POS) data confirms it. Running a clearance sale is a strategic move to keep your inventory healthy and your cash flow strong.

Here are three good reasons to schedule a clearance sale:

• Clearing out dead stock: Old, unsold inventory — unpopular reptile lamps, discontinued harnesses — ties up capital and shelf space. A clearance sale recovers some of that money and opens the door for faster-moving products.
• Making room for seasonal items: Rotating seasonal inventory means clearing out last season’s items to free up space for what customers want now. Liquidating holiday-themed toys or winter gear keeps your floor fresh and your prime display space productive.
• Selling soon-to-expire products: Pet food and treats have a shelf life. If high-volume kibble or limited-edition treats are nearing their best-by date, a clearance sale moves them before they’re wasted — and often introduces pet owners to premium products they might not have tried at full price.

Related Read: ANSWERED: What Is a Good Inventory Turnover Ratio for Pet Stores?

Your 4-Step Guide to Running a Pet Store Clearance Sale

Once you’ve decided why you need a clearance sale, it’s time to execute. A successful clearance event takes planning, accurate data, and consistent follow-through — both on the floor and at the register.

Step 1: Use Data To Identify Clearance Items

The first step is knowing exactly what needs to go. You don’t want to accidentally discount your bestsellers.

Here’s how to identify slow movers:

• Pull your inventory and sales reports: Analyze your store’s trends to pinpoint true dead stock — like niche cat litter or unpopular aquarium accessories. This data shows what needs to be cleared. For example, if premium cat food sells fast but fish food lags, the fish food goes on clearance.
• Flag soon-to-expire products: Check best-by dates on pet food and treats and prioritize anything within 60–90 days of expiration.
• Clear out seasonal leftovers: Pull products tagged as seasonal for clearance markdowns. As winter turns to spring, gather dog sweaters and booties before warm weather makes them obsolete.

Step 2: Choose the Right Markdown Strategy

Once you know what you’re clearing, tailor your discount approach to the reason and quantity of items:

• BOGO offers: Buy one, get one (BOGO) offers work well for large quantities of a single item — like a slow-moving dog toy — where moving volume quickly is the priority.

• Straight percentage discounts: For a few remaining miscellaneous items, like winter jackets, a simple 50% discount is easy for customers to understand and act on.

• Tiered discounts: To encourage larger purchases and boost your average order value (AOV), structure discounts so customers save more the more they spend. Give 10% off orders of $20 and 20% off purchases over $50 of clearance cat food, for example.

Step 3: Prepare Your Products, Pricing, and POS

Chaos at the register is the fastest way to ruin a clearance sale. Your goal here is speed and accuracy:

• Label all products correctly: Mark every clearance item with the original price and the sale price. Clear labeling reduces confusion for customers and staff and speeds up checkout.
• Update your POS system: Enter all clearance pricing and promotional offers into your POS before the sale starts so discounts are applied automatically at checkout — no manual calculations, no pricing errors.

Related Read: How Our Smart Order System Can Automate Your Inventory

Step 4: Market Your Clearance Sale Online and In-Store

With your products priced and your POS ready, it’s time to get the word out:

• Target relevant customers: Use your loyalty data to announce the sale to customers most likely to buy the clearance items. Advertise discounted bird supplies to shoppers who’ve bought bird products in the last six months — not cat owners.
• Keep your website current: Update product listings with clearance prices and feature the sale prominently on your homepage. Since many pet owners browse online before visiting, your website should reflect in-store sale prices in real time.
• Promote across multiple channels: Announce the sale on social media with posts that emphasize your best deals and sale dates. Send email newsletters to your customer base and text alerts to loyalty members for more immediate reach.
• Highlight clearance items in-store: Design bright, bold signage to direct walk-in customers to sale sections, and use your store layout to put the best bargains in high-traffic areas.

How eTailPet Makes Clearance Sales Simple

Running a successful clearance sale involves more than slapping a 50% sticker on a bag of premium dog food. It takes careful data analysis, system preparation, and targeted marketing — and you don’t have to manage all of that across multiple disconnected tools.

eTailPet is built for pet store owners who need everything in one place. Here’s what it handles:

• Inventory and label management: Simplify stock counts and keep pricing accurate across your entire clearance selection.
• POS promotions: Whether it’s a BOGO offer on seasonal dog sweaters or a straight discount on expiring cat food, eTailPet automatically applies the right savings at checkout.
• E-commerce sync: Your online clearance prices stay consistent with in-store deals. This prevents awkward inventory mismatches or having to manually upload product listings twice.
• Targeted marketing: Send clearance announcements directly to relevant customer segments via email or text, right from the platform.
• Post-sale reporting: When the sale ends, eTailPet shows you exactly what moved and what didn’t. This data helps you plan an even better clearance sale next time.

Use the Build and Price tool to find the right eTailPet plan for your pet store today.