Running a pet store is a labor of love — but when it’s time for a clearance sale, things can get chaotic.
And if you’re feeling overwhelmed by the thought of a clearance event, you're not alone. Luckily, you can simplify your pet product clearance sales and turn this stressful task into a smooth experience — here are six easy tips to get started.
Before starting your pet product clearance sale, you need to know exactly what you have in stock. Count all your pet products and create a detailed list — this inventory count helps you understand what needs to be cleared out. This way, there will be no surprises during the sale and the rest of the process will be smooth.
Keeping track of your inventory is important, especially when you're having a clearance sale. It helps you see what's selling well and what’s just sitting on the shelves, which is great for planning what to stock up on next time.
Using an automated inventory management system can make this job a lot easier. For example, if you notice your store's cat food is selling out quicker than fish food, these systems will show you your stock levels in real time, create reports, and let you know when you're running low on something. This means less stress and fewer mistakes from doing it by hand.
By investing in a good inventory system, you save time and worry, so you can focus on making your pet store the best it can be for your customers.
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Label your inventory so products can be easily identified by both you and your customers.
Labels should include all necessary information, such as product name, price, and any special clearance pricing. Clear, accurate labels avoid confusion, speed up the checkout process, and inform customers of available discounts.
If you use a labeling system, double-check that all information is printed correctly and up to date. Mislabeling can lead to pricing errors and unhappy customers. Verify your labels before the sale starts to avoid any issues down the line.
An effective POS system streamlines this process by generating labels directly from your inventory data, ensuring accuracy and consistency across all products, and making your clearance sale run smoothly.
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Verifying barcodes might seem tedious, but it's essential for a smooth pet product clearance sale. Ensure all products have accurate barcodes to simplify the checkout process, preventing delays at the register and keeping customers happy.
For example, if a customer is purchasing a bulk pack of dog food, an accurate barcode ensures the correct price is applied immediately, avoiding any awkward pauses at checkout.
Accurate barcodes minimize mistakes during checkout and keep pricing and inventory records correct. If a product's barcode doesn’t scan correctly, it can cause confusion and slow checkout.
If you have a barcode scanning system, test a few samples from each batch of products to catch any errors before the sale begins.
The right POS updates and maintains barcode information, so you can more accurately manage inventory and pricing.
Related Read: 6 Customer Service Training Topics To Cover in Your Pet Store
Streamline your pet product clearance sale by updating your POS system with all promotions and discounts.
This makes it so discounts are automatically applied at checkout, which makes the checkout process much easier for everyone. This is especially helpful during seasonal sales, so you can make sure to sell the right discounted pet products like seasonal toys and treats at the right time.
Enter all clearance sale details into your POS, including special pricing and promotional offers. If your POS is user-friendly, this won’t take much time.
Your POS should provide reports on which items are selling quickly and which are lagging. These reports help you make data-driven decisions to improve your next pet product clearance sale.
Related Read: 10 Pet Spending Statistics You Need To Know
Your e-commerce website is just as important as your physical store for a pet product clearance sale because many customers prefer shopping online. For example, if you have a great deal on a popular dog toy in-store, consider featuring it on your website too. You want to make sure your online shoppers enjoy the same exciting offers.
Customers expect to find the same deals online as in-store, and a seamless online shopping experience can significantly boost your sales.
Here are some key actions to effectively promote your pet product clearance sale:
Keeping your e-commerce site up to date helps manage customer expectations and improves inventory tracking.
Pro tip: A POS system catered to pet store owners syncs with your e-commerce platform, making it easier to manage inventory for both online and offline sales from a single dashboard. This integration simplifies your workflow and reduces the risk of overselling or inventory mismatches.
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To make your pet product clearance sale a success, get the word out through multiple channels. This helps you reach a wider audience and attract more customers to both your physical and online stores.
To maximize the reach of your pet product clearance sale, consider these marketing strategies:
Promoting your sale through multiple channels gets the word out to more potential customers, increasing your chances of clearing old stock and boosting sales.
Your POS system should help you post on social media, send emails, and even text messages about your clearance sale. With the right tools, marketing your pet product clearance sale is simple.
Related Read: 12 Unique Pet Shop Display Ideas
By following these six tips, you can manage your pet product clearance sales successfully. And here’s the best part: eTailPet can help with all of it.
eTailPet is pet-specific retail software that handles inventory management, labeling, barcode accuracy, POS updates, and e-commerce synchronization — all from a single platform. It’s designed to streamline your pet store operations and enhance your marketing efforts with these key features:
With eTailPet, you can focus on what you love — supporting pets and their owners. Make your next clearance sale a breeze with eTailPet's all-in-one solution.
Schedule a demo today to elevate your next pet product clearance sale.