A Cold January Leads to These Hot Sellers in Indie Pet Stores

DGS Hemlock Coats. They’re affordably priced, in a variety of sizes, and easy to take on and off! They’re also waterproof, so a wonderful piece for the cold Midwest winter. We extended a small portion of our ISO pricing to make them an even better deal for customers! — Mattie Thacker, Paws Stop, Indianapolis, IN

CATIT Pea Husk Cat Litter. There are three formulations, and we sold 14 boxes in January. They were $5 off per box paid for by a manufacturer coupon. — Bill Trufant, B & B Pet Stop, Inc., Mobile, AL

• All of my reptile heating products, including FLUKER’S and ZOOMED bulbs and heat mats, spiked. They usually do during our colder months, but with it being so much colder than normal and for so much longer, we saw a higher uptick for sure. — Paige Elder, Buzz n’ B’s Aquarium & Pet Shop, Erie, PA
• K-9 KRAVING Dried Pipe Bones did incredibly well because we had a snowstorm and so many people needed something to keep their dogs busy. We recommended refilling the bone with stuffing once the dogs eat the marrow, and people loved it. — Annabell Bivens, The Dog Store, Alexandria, VA
• WORTHY DOG Apex Jackets. It’s been a crazy winter around here. Much colder than past years. I particularly like these jackets for their forgiving girth. Lots of Velcro. — Lauren Gallagher, Everything But the Dog, Reading, MA
• MUSHER’S SECRET — 30 units sold. It was SOOO cold and icy here! — Penny Murano, Unleashed, New London, NH
• GRIZZLY Salmon Oil. We can’t keep it in the store. We are having a really dry winter, and everyone is itchy. — Jennifer Pastorini, Dusty’s Den, Sonora, CA
• TUESDAY’S NATURAL DOG COMPANY chews. We’ve had a really brutal winter, so we are doing a lot of advertising on keeping dogs busy and enriched when they’re stuck inside. We sold 145 Tuesday’s chews in January, which was over $1,000 in sales. — McKenna Burzimati, Roxie’s Barkery, North Adams, MA
• PAWZ boots because we finally had snow. — Dorothy Evans, Bushwickbark, Brooklyn, NY
• WOOF Honest Chews. We sold over 100 of these chews. We had some unseasonably cold weather for our area, and people were looking for good, long-lasting chews for their dogs. — Carra Smith, Dog Days Barkery, Mobile, AL
• Ice melt was a hot seller! We even got ahead of every other shop in our area (including grocery, hardware, garden) before running out. We ordered a bunch on Amazon and re-sold it at normal margins, which came out to an offensively high number, but people paid it! We had products that were $90 for 20 pounds, and I thought I was going to have to return them to Amazon because they would never sell. Nope. All gone. Within hours of them coming into the store. Snow storms may interrupt our daily walk-in count, but we still CLEAN UP! — Adina Silberstein, Queenie’s Pets, Philadelphia, PA
• FRANKLY PETS Beef Collagen Rolls. With subzero weather, customers were looking for long-lasting chews to keep their pups busy. — Kaye Busse-Kleber, Bark On Mulford, Rockford, IL
• We almost sold out of sweaters and coats from GOOBY, PETRAGEOUS and FASHION PET. We weren’t promoting them, but a sudden cold snap gave us record winter clothing sales. — Joanna Shaw, All Pet & Equine Supply, Mountain Home, AR
• HOME RANGE Puzzler Collagen Chew. $9.99. We sold almost 100 units. Customers say they’re long lasting, and with wintery weather people wanted to keep their pups engaged and occupied. — Rebeca Santos, Pets Love and Happiness, Huntsville, AL
• We sold a LOT of PUREVITA dry food (dog and cat) thanks to a sale of $4,$6 and $9 off small, medium and large bags. PureVita is always a strong seller, but people definitely liked the sale. — Shane Somerville, Paddywack, Mill Creek, WA
• We added FUREVER FIERCE Hairy Rabbit Ears and Feet to our Raw Bar in January, and they have taken off! They have consistently had Astro promos, which helped us introduce them to our customers. — Kimberly Gatto, The Wagging Tail, Las Vegas, NV
• We developed a private-label bar soap for cat grooming, and it sold surprisingly well! We started with all single-ingredient cat-safe scents, then we tested the reaction of 15 or so cats (our focus group LOL). If they hated it, we tossed it. What we had left, we went to work making a smell that cats actually like! Even during grooming, they will calm down once they smell the soap, and it makes the grooming process more fun for both of us! It’s called CATONIC: What cats want. We sold about 30 units in just the first few weeks of the month at $14.99 each. We keep it by the register so it’s easily smelled and then we explain how it was designed for, and BY cats. People love it! And cats love it! — Angela Velasquez, The Kitty Bodega, Houston, TX
• EARTHBORN Monterey Medley crushed in January. We sold 108 cans. — Jennifer Flanagan, Pacific NW Pets, Sherwood, OR
• We just added the LUMI PAWTNERS One Light Up Harness last month, and they’ve been a huge hit. We met these guys at SUPERZOO and are happy we did. The harnesses were selling within hours of being on the floor, for $59.99. — Shell Tomjack, The sPaw, Rapid City, SD
• Neocaridinia dwarf shrimp. We sold 135 in January with a margin of 74%. Nano fish and dwarf shrimp have been extremely popular this past year, and it still continues. People are looking for the smaller tanks with tiny interesting inhabitants. — Rachael Creech, Adventure Pets, Inc., Mandeville, LA
• Neocaridinia dwarf BULLY BUNCHES Yak Chews are always a hit as well as our 1 ingredient “candy” bar. — Keela Huotari, Yellowstone Kennels, Sidney, MT
• Bonnihill Farms from FROMM has become a big seller for us as customers are beginning to look for cheaper alternatives to Farmers Dog. — Keith Henline, Asheville Pet Supply, Asheville, NC
• Nail trim service. We did 108 of them at $15/piece. No promotions. We just are the cheapest in town. A lot of our referrals are word of mouth. — Kirsten Puhr, The NW Dog, Poulsbo, WA
• Valentine’s Day toys from HUXLEY & KENT and SNUGAROOS. — Rachel McGinnis, Leo & Lucky’s, Parrish, FL
• SMALLBATCH Beef 18-pound cases, total revenue $1,145.10. We had no promos or brand support. It’s always one of our top-selling products. — Beth Kidd, Dogs By Design, Irwin, PA
• SMACK dehydrated dog food — going over really well with fussy eaters. — Krysta Fox, Pug & Hound Pet Apothecary, Geneva, IL
• TUESDAY’S NATURAL DOG COMPANY Chews topped all of our chews in that category. Not one chew stands out in particular, but all their products flew last month. — Diana Farrar, Fifi & Fidos Pet Boutique, San Antonio, TX
• We sold 26 bags of BOXIE CAT Pro Scent Free 40-pound at $40.99. Astro was running a $20 off discount, so our customers loved it. — Elizabeth Zikmund, Give a Dog a Bone, Evansville, IN
• K9 GRANOLA FACTORY bulk Chew Sticks have become a popular seller when we keep them on the counter as an impulse purchase. — Kelly Hilzendager, Treat Play Love, Grand Forks, ND
• COLLACHEWS have been a big seller for us this past month. No special on them at this time. We sell the Bully Flavor the most, but beef comes in a close second. — Paul Lewis, The Green K9, Mount Dora, FL
• EARTH ANIMAL Chews. Dogs were bored staying inside in the cold. Customers were looking for longer lasting chews. — Maria Cetrola, Buddy’s Pet Stop, Barnegat, NJ
• BAYDOG Liberty Harness. They are for smaller breeds, and since puppies are popular around Christmas, these were selling really well. — Cindy Samartino, Wiggle Butt & Whiskers, Leesburg, VA
• We sold $1,644 out of the bakery case. Heading into Valentine’s Day, people were buying some of the fresh and fun designs. We carry about five brands, and they all are selling great. — Jennifer Larsen, Firehouse Pet Shop, Wenatchee, WA
• WOOF Honest Chews. We sold over 100 of these chews in January. We had some unseasonably cold weather for our area and people were looking for good, long-lasting chews for their dogs. — Carra Smith, Dog Days Barkery, Mobile, AL
• GF PET Coats: 20 sold, priced between $55 and $70. — Susan Nagel-Rees, Winky’s Pet Boutique, Chester, NJ
• Collagen chews by FRANKLY PET, all sizes and shapes. No promos offered, we sold hundreds in January due to terrible weather and cabin fever! Wisconsin company, clean nice chews at a great price. $5.99-$12.99. — Karen Conell, The Bark Market, Delavan, WI
• Mighty marrows by WAG & BRIGHT. They are around $10 and people have been coming back for them! — Aimee Ranard, Good Karma Dog Spa, Duvall, WA
• All brands of pet-safe ice melt! Snow storms are good for business revenues, albeit stressful in other regards. — Cassie Nilsson, The Mill Stores, Whiteford, MD
• WHIMZEES bulk dental treats. We included samples in our Christmas customer-appreciation gift bags. Diane Mullen, Winni Paw Station, Wolfeboro, NH
• Champion ran a BOGO on small bags of Orijen and Acana puppy and kitten dry food through Astro offers. Our customers loved this deal and it really helped them save some money. — Victoria Park, Park Pet Supply, Atlanta, GA
• PUREVITA. They had some great Astro deals. — Kris Lamoreaux, Healthy Pets Mountain West, Cottonwood Heights, UT
• Last month, we brought in several new products in the fruit and veggie chips line, made by K9 GRANOLA FACTORY. So far, it has been very popular, especially with our customers whose pets are in need of losing a few pounds, and those that have severe protein issues or restrictions. The majority of the line is single ingredient, like carrots or green beans, and come in both soft and crunchy options. They retail from $10.99-$13.99, we sold over a dozen units in the last month, which is surprising for our little shop. Both us and our customers love this brand due to its small-batch practices and simple ingredients, making it an easy, affordable choice. — Corey Heenan, Boutique and Pet Spa, Altamont, NY
• Pet-safe salt. It’s been a bit up and down on the weather, and we try to have people prepared with a bag of pet-friendly options. — Beth Staley, Happy Dog Barkery, Downers Grove, IL
• SAFEPAWS Ice Melt. We’ve been stuck in the deep freeze, and the snow/ice from almost two weeks ago still hasn’t gone anywhere. I can’t keep the SafePaws in stock. — Jennifer Hall, All Things Pawssible, Charlottesville, VA
• PUREVITA/NUTRISOURCE! Sold almost 500 units. — Loree & Danielle Shirazi, The Original Paw Pleasers, San Diego, CA
• TUESDAY’S NATURAL DOG COMPANY 6-inch Chewy Bulls. 36 sold. A number of our Tuesday’s products were very popular this month. With all of the winter weather the Maryland area had in the last few weeks, customers were looking for ways to keep their pets busy. The Chewy Bulls are appealing because they are easy on the stomach and not hard on the teeth. — Karen Komisar, Sea Dog Pet Boutique, Annapolis, MD
• Reptile enclosures have been very popular in the last couple months. We do custom enclosures built to house specific reptiles. Makes it super easy to do a sale even if the staff isn’t very knowledgeable. — Danyle Morse, Claremont Pet & Aquarium Center, Claremont, NH
• The item that we sold the largest number of in January was Weruva Paw Lickin Chicken 3-oz.. No sale. Just a popular item. $1.69 ea. — Shelly Nicastro, Essex Bird & Pet Supply, Essex, MA
• 30-minute visits with multiple cats. — Amber Van Denzen Suarez, Atta Boy! Animal Care Pet Sitting + Dog Walking, Mulberry, FL
• HEALTH EXTENSION Gently Cooked 9-ounce. pouches, five and 10 packs continue to be very popular. — Brett Foreman, euPAWria Holistic Pet Center, Owego, NY
• Goat horns. We did not do any promotions. We suggest these as being especially good for puppies. Many people are enrolling their pups in training classes at the start of the New Year. — Karley Eash, Nilla’s Tub DIY Dog Wash & Health Food Store, Normal, IL
• WOOF Pupsicle. It sells itself! We have not done any promotion for it. — Randy Walker, Lakeshore Pet Boutique, Douglas, MI
• WOOF products, especially the Honest Chew. We sell them from $9.99 to $18.99 each. We sold eight large, seven medium and seven small. They are on an end cap in the front of the store. For one weekend, we did a 15% off sale. — Ruth Sturgis, Dog Daze, North Syracuse, NY
• EVANGER’S Organomics wet cat food continues to be our top “opening price point” canned food for cats. We charge $1.79 for a 5.5 -oz. can, and last month we sold 622 cans between five protein combos. Sherry Cassin, Meow Mini Mart, Weehawken, NJ
• RAW DYNAMIC Frozen Beef 6 pound & Turkey 6 pound. 50+ sold in one location. — Eric Mack, Purrrfect Bark, Columbus, NC
• Coffee wood from CANOPHERA! A case of 16 pieces is $114.99. Retailing at $13.99 per piece, is $229.84 (give or take). In January, we sold out and placed a second order to refill our treat station. Canophera sent brochures with each order; we keep those in each size basket along with at our register. Coffee wood is safe, digestible and great for keeping dogs busy. We had two full weeks of snow/ice and nearly every customer we had specifically came to purchase products to keep their dog busy inside. We love this business; they contacted us after receiving our order to make sure we didn’t need anything and to see how it was selling. When we placed our February order, we purchased more of their products and plan to keep them stocked in our shop! — Roxane Cann, The Dapper Hound, Mount Airy, NC
• Cold snowy weather means we sold out of Organic Ice Melt. We could have sold lots more, but distributors are sold out as well. — Barbara Clemmens, Aardvark Pet Supplies, Thornwood, NY
• STEVE’S REAL FOOD. Units sold 90. Brand support and in-store demo. — Anapatricia Garcia, Dog Lovers of Tarpon, Tarpon Springs, FL
• Grooming and daycare were our top sellers, neck and neck. Our top retail seller was frozen raw food. — Jennifer Frankavitz, Four Leggers Pet Supplies & Services, Beverly, MA
• Easter products! After counting inventory, I decided to put out a small Easter display instead of packing it back up. I figured I’d have pushback, but we have sold something from the Easter display every day. — Ashley Lancaster, Hot Diggity, Barnstable, MA
• January may be a quieter retail month, but in-bakery treats keep the celebration going. We bake fresh in store every day, and January turns into a birthday season for all those holiday pups from years past. That “one Christmas puppy” becomes a gift that keeps giving. This year, we featured two bone-shaped birthday cookies and sold 150 cookies for over $850 in sales, proving celebrations don’t stop after the holidays. We also noticed that pups don’t instantly settle back into routine after all the holiday excitement. To help channel that extra energy, owners reached for long-lasting chews. Our PEAKSNPAWS large yak chews (sold in bulk) moved 100-plus units and generated more than $1,200 in sales in January alone. Fresh-baked celebrations and functional chews turned a traditionally slow month into a strong performer. — Robert L. Critselous, Drooly’s Dog Bakery, Bentonville, AR
• Gourmet peanut butter recipe cookies in our bakery case remain the most popular in our shop. — Dana Julian, Furbaby Boutique, Holly, MI