FEEDERS ARE A must-have for independent stores that sell exotic pets. Customers expect to find such foods at these retailers, not only in stock but in a wide variety and in good health.
“Providing high-quality feeders is one of the most important things we can do to support our amphibian and reptile customers and build a loyal customer base,” says Victor Santucci, owner of Garden State Pet Center in Audubon, NJ. “Running out of essential feeders like crickets, dubia roaches or frozen rodents can drive customers to competitors. I make sure to keep a steady supply and also offer harder-to-find options like soft-furred rats and silkworms to stand out.”
Indie stores actually have a competitive advantage when it comes to selling feeders. Pet parents who order online do not get a guarantee of live arrival during certain weather conditions, and quality can be an issue in big-box stores that don’t have sufficient staff.
Stocking feeders comes with its challenges, though. Stores owners and managers who excel at keeping their customers’ reptile and amphibian pets well fed share their best practices.
Megaworms are among the staples Garden State Pet Center keeps readily in stock.
1. Value Quality & Cost
“Using a reputable supplier is key,” shares Danyle Morse, owner of Claremont Pet Center in Claremont, N.H. “We have developed good relationships with all of our suppliers. It took some time to figure out who had the best quality for the best price.”
That said, she adds, “We would rather pay a little more and be able to offer high-quality, healthy feeders.”
B&B Pet Stop keeps its Feeder Insects display neat and tidy.
2. Keep Them Healthy
Customers notice unhealthy and dead feeders, and will shop elsewhere if they become a regular sight. Be sure to keep feeder enclosures in good condition by removing waste, optimizing humidity and maintaining appropriate temperatures, top retailers recommend. Gut load feeders, keep them hydrated, and clear out any dead as quickly as possible.
“A clean, odor-free feeder section makes a huge difference in customer perception,” Santucci says. “Proper care of live feeders, including fresh food and hydration, ensures they stay healthy and appealing to customers.”
To be sure, tending to feeders properly requires a significant investment of time and money, notes Sally Trufant, general manager of B&B Pet Stop in Mobile, AL.
“It takes a lot of payroll. It’s up to each store to decide how best to allocate their payroll dollars, but this is not an area you can afford to skimp on,” she advises.
3. Stock What Competitors Don’t
In addition to being a local supplier of high-quality feeders, meeting as many customer wants and needs as possible helps indies compete.
“The best way to keep customers coming back is to have a good variety in stock at all times,” Trufant says. “Customers get frustrated when they come in and we don’t have what they’re looking for.”
Many stores carry crickets and dubia roaches. Santucci recommends a wider inventory.
“I always look for ways to offer more variety, like hornworms, silkworms, black soldier fly larvae, isopods and springtails,” he says. “Keeping fresh-frozen options, such as pinky mice, quail or even frog legs helps attract serious reptile keepers looking for something beyond the basics.”
Since many exotic pet retailers — independent and big-box — do not carry live rodents as feeders, indie stores that do set themselves apart.
“Selling live feeder rodents and insects are just part of the service we provide, since we sell the reptiles that eat them,” Trufant says. “We just don’t think it’s fair to sell a pet and not sell the food it needs.”
Garden State Pet Center pre-packages hornworms.
4. Manage Your Inventory
Crickets remain the top-selling feeder in the pet industry, with retailers reporting they go through between 15,000 and 20,000 per week, with some approaching nearly 50,000 sold weekly. Entering feeders into the store’s POS system, just as with any other product stocked, helps ensure adequate inventory, as does regularly counting feeders to subtract those dead and fed to store animals.
“Ordering the right amounts and rotating stock ensures feeders don’t sit too long,” Santucci adds. “I try to bring in fresh shipments on a schedule that matches demand, reducing excess waste.”
Depending on the species, many retailers portion feeders at checkout.
“All of our insects and frozen feeders are kept at the register,” Morse shares. “Live rats and mice are kept in our small animal room. Crickets are counted out as needed. Most other insects we carry are prepackaged in a few different counts.”
Portioning crickets at checkout proves optimal for Santucci, especially because they require more maintenance to stay healthy than other feeder species.
“This allows for accurate counts, ensures customers get the freshest feeders and prevents waste,” he explains. “That said, some stores pre-package certain feeders for convenience, but this can lead to die-off if they sit too long, especially with crickets.”
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Claremont Pet Center offers customer savings with its Cricket Ticket punch card.
5. Build Customer Loyalty
Offering incentives encourages repeat purchases and can be as simple as the free educational support Northwoods Pets in Rhinelander, WI, offers.
“Instructing your customers on how to care for the bugs at home is very important, especially if they are expecting them to live for a week or more,” says owner Jennifer Marshall. She has a two-page care guide available to customers that covers crickets, dubia roaches and multiple worm varieties.
Discounts also bring reptile and amphibian owners back to the store. B&B Pet Stop has a BYOC (bring your own container) discount, which ranges from 49 cents to 99 cents depending on the feeder. And Claremont Pet Center has become the go-to local supplier of live crickets thanks to a special incentive it created.
“Crickets are the most popular insect we sell, so we offer a ‘Cricket Ticket’ punch card for $14.99,” Morse says. “Our normal price of crickets is $2 per dozen. Our punch card buys the customer 10-dozen crickets that can be taken as needed. This saves the customer $5 on every 10 dozen.”
Garden State Pet Center also rewards repeat customers with savings.
“Encouraging repeat purchases with a ‘Buy 6, Get 1 Free’ deal or discounts for bulk purchases has been a great way to keep customers returning for their feeders instead of going to big-box stores or online sellers,” Santucci says.
