With the holiday shopping season quickly approaching, your pet store needs a plan of action. A Deloitte survey last year found that 82% of respondents planned to shop during the Black Friday to Cyber Monday period. That’s why your store needs a strategy that wins over pet parents, not one that loses them to the competition.
But where do you start? A good plan involves more than just slashing dog food prices.
We’ll cover the best tips and ideas for pet stores to get the most out of Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Small Business Saturday, plus how a modern point of sale (POS) solution can help your holiday sales surge.
What do you want to achieve this holiday season? More email leads? Getting rid of dead stock? New customers?
Before you even start creating your plan, you need a North Star. Setting clear goals for your store makes your strategies more tailored and more likely to succeed.
For example, if your primary goal is to sell more dog and cat toys, you can design a buy one, get one (BOGO) coupon specifically for that product category, then create signage and social media graphics to promote it as a Black Friday or Small Business Saturday–specific deal.
Pro tip: Keep your goals specific and limited to avoid stretching your team thin.
Tackling the holiday season requires some preparation on the logistics side, or you’ll find yourself overwhelmed. Here are a few things you can do to get your pet store ready for the week of Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
Check last year’s sales data to see which products experienced a surge in sales around the same time period. This can help you understand what and how much to stock ahead of the season this year. If pet owners seem to buy a lot of holiday costumes for their furry friends, then you can set up special deals or order more inventory beforehand.
It’s also helpful to look at what’s stuck in your pet store as dead stock. If you find that a certain brand of pet toys are collecting dust, you can mark down that specific brand to get rid of the items faster.
A pet store POS solution can automatically generate detailed sales reports and visual graphs to show you what deserves a closer look during the holidays.
Once you’ve analyzed your holiday sales, you’ll know what reorder points need changes. After all, you don’t want to run out of high-demand items during the holiday season, or your customers might shop elsewhere.
If certain items are part of your holiday deals, order extra or adjust your reorder dates. For example, if holiday-themed dog sweaters are flying off the shelves, order more before you sell out — otherwise, customers may abandon their carts when they see something they wanted is sold out.
Certain POS systems can generate purchase orders for you or simplify the reordering process. Some automatically recommend products to reorder based on your past sales data.
Related Read: How Our Smart Order System Can Automate Your Inventory
No customer wants to spend half their shopping experience in line at checkout, nor do they want to hunt down an associate to ask questions. Deloitte’s survey last year found that 72% of Gen Z shoppers planned to buy in store, so creating a comfortable in-person experience is worth it.
Appropriately staff your pet store for the shopping season. That could mean scheduling more people to staff the cash registers or adding more attendants for your doggy daycare. Check last year’s sales data by time of day to see which hours saw upticks in business, then let that inform your staffing plans.
Pro tip: A POS like eTailPet provides a Sales by Hour Report. Choose the date you want to view, then look at the gross sales numbers and profit margins for each hour your store was open.
You can use multiple channels to advertise your pet store’s sales or events and to inform customers of seasonal store updates, like temporarily changed hours.
If you manage a social media profile, for example, you can post festive content promoting your Black Friday discounts — like a photo of a cat perched in a pile of wrapping paper announcing “30% off all cat trees this weekend.” Try to create visuals striking enough to stop someone mid-scroll.
For the less social media–savvy customers, notify them about upcoming discounts and promotions through email marketing and SMS messages.
Draft messages, create graphics, and schedule social media posts, emails, or text blasts ahead of time. That lets you handle things in-store once business picks up.
If you also manage a website for e-commerce, it’s important to update it to reflect the codes and discounts you advertise, especially on Cyber Monday. Announce sales with website banners to grab visitors’ attention and drive more purchases.
Related Read: Digital Marketing for Pet Professionals: 9 Strategies
So what exactly should you offer pet parents during this time? Here are some ideas you can use for Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday promotions and events.
Run compelling holiday deals and discount your pet essentials to bring customers through the door.
For example, you can offer Black Friday discounts on equipment like litter boxes, crates, and aquariums. If someone has been considering replacing their pet’s furniture, a great deal might be exactly what convinces them to treat their pet to something new.
Here are other promotions you can run during the holidays:
Comprehensive POS platforms let you set up discounts that automatically apply at checkout once a purchase meets the requirements, so staff don’t need to manually verify each transaction. You can also set up coupon codes for both online and in-store purchases.
While coupons and discounts have the potential to bring more customers into your store, make sure you’re still turning a profit. Use data and reports to check on the profit margins of your products before you slash prices.
Pet parents want to give their companions the best during the holidays. In-store and online events pull them in. Here are a few ideas:
With the help of seasonal events, your store gets more traffic, and customers feel a stronger connection to both your store and their communities.
If your store runs a subscription program alongside its regular operations, you can promote deals exclusive to members — ultimately attracting more subscribers. For example, you can run Black Friday deals for regular customers, then add an extra 10% off for customers that have pet food or grooming appointments on a subscription plan.
Pro tip: Offer loyalty members the same kind of benefit. Use a POS system that hosts its own customer loyalty program or integrates with one so you can set exclusive discounts for the holidays.
Longtime subscribers will see their investment as worth it, while you’ll get the interest of potential new ones.
The shopping craze doesn’t end at Black Friday. Small Business Saturday, meant to encourage people to shop small and shop local, is another opportunity for you to bring new customers into your store.
Run Small Business Saturday promotions that differ from your Black Friday deals, like a discount on grooming or a treat bundle. Make them more enticing than the big-box pet store offers from the day before, and pet owners will have a reason to skip the Friday crowds and shop with you on Saturday.
Small Business Saturday is a great time to partner with other local businesses, too. Collaborate on a joint promotion between shops. For example, if people purchase from both your pet store and the boutique next door, they get a free gift.
Related Read: 9 Ways To Compete Against Big-Box Pet Retailers
A POS system that’s meant just for pet stores can help you start the Black Friday rush on the right foot. Features like customizable promo codes and price discounts, detailed reports, and customer loyalty programs set you up for a season with more sales and satisfied customers.
eTailPet’s software was built exclusively for pet store owners. It simplifies everyday operations and gives small pet shops a leg up over the big ones. Schedule a personalized demo now to discover how you can make this holiday season your most profitable yet.