How do you get customers to buy more? Offer them a better deal.
One simple way to create more value is by putting together a bundle. This strategy involves selling multiple products together at a reduced price to encourage larger purchases. In a pet store, bundles are also a convenient way for customers to find the essential items they need to care for their animals.
In this blog, we’ll share five tips for creating bundles that sell — including what products to put together, how to set the right prices, and methods for marketing them effectively.
Let’s get started.
Choosing a few items to combine and reducing the price is easy — but a more thoughtful strategy yields better results. Follow these tips to create a bundling strategy that meaningfully boosts sales.
As you decide which products to include in bundles, think about the real-life moments that bring customers into your pet store. These might include getting a new dog or cat, traveling with a pet, routine grooming, or updating a small pet’s habitat. Then choose essential, budget-friendly items and create a bundle for each scenario.
Here are some examples:
(hamsters, guinea pigs, rabbits, etc.)
Most bundles include just a few items, but you can offer larger sets for customers who want to invest more in their pet. Review sales data to identify popular products and consider adding your top-selling dog food brand or a bestselling collar — items like these tend to boost bundle performance.
Related Read: Pet Shop Products List: 10 Essential Items To Sell
Bundling multiple items a customer needs makes the purchase convenient, but convenience alone may not persuade them to buy the entire set. The secret ingredient is offering a discount compared with purchasing each product individually.
First, decide how much to mark down the total. Many retailers offer a 10–20% discount off the combined price of the items. The discount should be substantial enough that it makes a difference in a customer’s decision, but not so large that it eliminates your profit margin.
If bundles prove successful at your pet store, you can expand these offerings by adding multiple bundle tiers.
For a new pet owner bundle, you might create three tiers:
With each ascending tier, offer larger quantities or better-quality products at higher prices. Providing tiered options makes bundles more accessible and customizable for customers.
Your customers are more likely to notice bundles when they’re featured prominently and their value is clearly communicated. You can create a display for a seasonal flea and tick defense bundle that includes each item in the set, paired with readable labels.
To highlight the value, add a sign showing the original price versus the bundle price. You might even include the percentage markdown so shoppers can see exactly how much they’re saving. Listing each item on the sign helps customers understand what’s included at a glance.
Pro tip: Packaging items together in a box or bag designates them as a set. It also makes it easier for customers to grab and place in their cart.
Related Read: Pet Store Merchandising 101: 7 Sales-Boosting Tips
In addition to in-store displays, market bundles through digital channels. Share images and videos that explain the benefits of each product choice. You can also feature bundles on your website’s homepage, with a direct link to purchase.
Many point of sale (POS) systems offer customer relationship management (CRM) features, including SMS and email messaging. These tools allow you to target specific bundles to customers based on their past purchase history.
Let’s say a customer recently bought dental chews for their dog. Based on this information, you could send them an email showcasing a dog dental care bundle that includes toothpaste, a toothbrush, dental chews, and other related items. Personalized marketing makes customers more likely to return to your store and buy again.
Related Read: Pet Store Email Marketing: 7 Strategies, Tips, & Tools
Every business is different, and depending on your customer base, some bundles perform better than others. Monitoring results over time helps you make adjustments to improve your bundling strategy.
Use your POS system to track your pet store’s overall sales, along with performance by bundle. Comparing grouped products with the same products sold individually shows whether combining them is effective. If the items sell faster as a set, you can be confident they’re moving the needle for your store.
Maybe you notice the pet travel essentials kit is selling quickly, but the small animal habitat update bundle is struggling. In response, you can stock more of the stronger performer and phase out the weaker option. Over time, this approach helps you determine which bundles resonate most with your audience and create a customized strategy backed by historical sales data.
Bundles encourage your customers to make larger purchases, helping you sell more pet supplies. To maximize their impact, group items based on customer needs, discount the total price, and promote them both in-store and online.
Remember: Track bundle sales and compare them with individual items so you can see your progress. Based on your data, adjust your strategy over time to improve the profitability of bundles and their convenience for your customers.
A POS system has features to help you sell bundles, and a platform designed for your industry is the best fit for your business.
eTailPet is a cloud-based POS solution built just for pet stores. Our software offers core features like payment processing, inventory management, and e-commerce. It’s also equipped with pet-specific tools like training and grooming scheduling, access to pet suppliers, and an integration with Astro Loyalty.
With eTailPet, you can create bundles, set discounts for smooth checkout, and track results in real time to see how your business performs.
To see how eTailPet can streamline your store and help your bundles sell faster, schedule a demo today!