THE SECOND ANNUAL Neighborhood Pet Store Day, introduced by IndiePet in 2023, happens on Saturday, Sept. 28, this year. Here are five excellent reasons to take part in this year’s celebration:
1. BOOST SALES — According to SPINS, dollars and units increased in all categories for the 2023 day, Sept. 23, compared to the entire week prior. Units increased by 8.31% in apparel, 4.66% in aquariums and reptile habitats, 2.43% in toys, 3.41% in dog treats, and 3.36% in vitamins and supplements. Brand partners also saw a nice lift.
2. INCREASE LOYALTY — The event is a great way to strengthen your relationships with current customers and build loyalty with new ones. Loyal customers spend more in your store over time, adding on to purchases of staples. And word-of-mouth marketing from these customers is effective and free. Overall, building customer loyalty proves essential for long-term growth.
Astro Loyalty and Promoboxx are official partners in Neighborhood Pet Store Day. According to Astro Loyalty President Jimmy Haverstick, “Price and convenience often drive consumer behavior. However, independent pet retailers have a unique opportunity to foster loyalty through exceptional customer experiences and attractive loyalty programs, such as frequent buyer and other initiatives. Many of these programs are even sponsored by the brands, making them an invaluable tool for engaging and retaining customers.” Neighborhood Pet Store Day offers the opportunity to sign up new customers to your loyalty programs and help existing ones earn even more rewards.
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3. TELL YOUR STORY — It’s also the perfect platform to share how you differentiate yourself from the competition and communicate your value message. Use the celebration to talk about how you provide an exceptional customer experience, how you support your local community, how you care about pets, and how you stand behind the products you carry. Show your pride as a pet expert who cares about the customer, environment and community.
4. BUILD RELATIONSHIPS — As part of Neighborhood Pet Store Day, you can network up and down the channel. Last year, we had 35 manufacturing sponsors participate. They offered a variety of specials and reached out through their social networks to promote the day. Retailers who partnered with suppliers expanded outreach and sweetened deals for pet owners.
5. HAVE FUN — Participating also provides fun for you and your staff. We heard it from participating stores last year: Staff loved working on Neighborhood Pet Store Day. Overall, excited staff members play a crucial role in enhancing both sales and service by creating positive experiences for customers, fostering customer loyalty and contributing to the overall success of the business.
IndiePet makes it easy to participate in Neighborhood Pet Store Day by offering social media tools, in-store kits (exclusive to IndiePet members), best practices and supplier contacts at neighborhoodpetstoreday.com. You also can register your participation and put your store on the website’s retailer locator map.