Hey, Retailers — Let’s P.L.A.Y.!

What are today’s pet parents looking for as far as play and sleep products are concerned? In a few words: design and convenience. And it doesn’t hurt if the toys and bedding are crafted with eco-friendly materials that can live through a lifetime of drools, spills and playtimes.

We’re talking here about P.L.A.Y., a San Francisco-based company founded by some folks who knew what they (or rather, their pups) wanted in pet products. Since 2010, P.L.A.Y.’s award-winning bedding collections are designed to be fun, easy-to-clean and look downright snazzy in any environment. P.L.A.Y.’s innovative pet toys are beautifully designed and made to last. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Thinking about upping your game to include a well-designed, earth-loving new bedding and toy line? Here are 5 big, drool-inducing reasons why P.L.A.Y. products should be in your store!

1. The World’s Most Logical (and Loveable) Bedding Line

If you know dogs, you know how important a well-made, durable bed is for their comfort and emotional wellbeing. As Momo, P.L.A.Y.’s Chief Pug Officer frequently says, “beds aren’t just for sleeping—they’re also a great place to snack, chew and play!” Which makes the complete line of P.L.A.Y. bedding even more appealing, since every style is designed to be tossed into the washer and dryer for an easy clean! P.L.A.Y. offers standard round and rectangular beds, lounge beds, memory foam beds, outdoor beds (dozing “al fresco” is one of the finer moment’s in any dog’s life!), faux fur-lined Snuggle Beds and Chill Pads. All award-winning P.L.A.Y. complete beds are filled with PlanetFill®, a stuffing made from recycled plastic bottles. Little known fact—you’ll find 108 recycled plastic bottles in every P.L.A.Y. XL lounge bed!

MERCHANDISING TIP: Try stacking beds in your store by size rather than piling them up in no particular order. Organize by color and size and don’t forget to keep them at fingertip reach—customers like to feel a bed’s softness and check their durability. Have a resident dog? We highly recommend a P.L.A.Y. bed for Fido’s store life — he’s the best demonstrator of a bed in (in)action!

2. Toys That Are Beautiful, Durable and Fun

Looking for a thoroughly tested, non-toxic line of beautifully designed toys that can withstand the day-in, day-out demands of even the most high-energy dogs and cats? P.L.A.Y.’s innovative styles are the result of intensive, behind-the-scenes brainstorming and testing. Pets can’t resist P.L.A.Y.’s detachable and interactive elements, squeaky, crinkly, crunchy sound effects—you get the picture. From super soft plush indoor dog toys to highly durable outdoor toys made to last, P.L.A.Y. pup and kitty toys are so much fun, even people without a pet (unthinkable!) want to buy them. Your customers will love the fact that P.L.A.Y. products are certified non-toxic and are fully up-to-date with safety compliance certifications, including ASTM (USA) and EN71 (EU) testing standards. P.L.A.Y. pet toys meet the same strict testing standards for manufacturing as infant and children’s products.

Our “Feline Frenzy” display is free with purchase of P.L.A.Y.’s double starter kit.

MERCHANDISING TIP: P.L.A.Y. creates toys in themed collections that draw buyers and let you merchandise them easily and effectively on a shelf or countertop with free, themed POP displays or handcrafted wooden displays for purchase with starter kits.

3. Loving Pets—and Mother Earth

At P.L.A.Y., nothing is more important than keeping pets happy and active, all while making sure no harm is done to the planet in the process. That’s why the company is committed to ecologically friendly manufacturing practices. P.L.A.Y. is a proud Green America Gold business, one of the very few in the pet industry that is a Certified B Corp and its San Francisco HQ is powered by 100% renewable energy sources. With a two-tier sustainability mission—how its products are made and manufactured as well as how the company can reduce waste—P.L.A.Y. holds itself to the highest eco-friendly standards in the industry, a fact you can pass along to your customers.

MERCHANDISING TIP: Customers will love learning about P.L.A.Y.’s dedication to using recycled, eco-friendly materials in its products—a philosophy that extends to every portion of its business. Today’s consumers want to buy eco-friendly products. You can be proud to share P.L.A.Y.’s philosophy with them—you’ll be doing good for your business, your customers and the Earth.

4. Giving Back to Pets in Need

P.L.A.Y. is passionate—not only about its products but also about those dogs and cats who desperately need a home. The Warm Bellies Initiative is a partnership with the Petfinder Foundation. For every P.L.A.Y. bed sold on its website, the company donates a Chill Pad to a shelter pet in need, providing a warm, soft surface in a sometimes-uncomfortable environment. P.L.A.Y. also donates additional Chill Pads through the Petfinder Foundation Disaster Grant Awards, donating 80 mats to two groups to help provide relief for animals impacted by the recent California fires. P.L.A.Y. is also a long-term partner with the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) and donates 2% of all sales proceeds of its animal-themed toys to wildlife preservation and animal protection.

MERCHANDISING TIP: Share P.L.A.Y.’s animal welfare efforts with your customers. But more importantly, the company hopes that its work will inspire more retailers and manufacturers to begin or expand its efforts to help endangered animals and pets in need within its own communities.

5. Retailers Rock!

P.L.A.Y. wants to make ordering, shipping and merchandising easy for its retail partners. Handshake, the company’s online ordering platform is convenient and lets retailers order from any device. P.L.A.Y. works closely with its warehouses to keep lead times short and fulfillment options as efficient as possible. Online ordering gives its customers “first dibs” on product launches and exclusive online offers. Barcode scanning is also available with its convenient mobile app. Also, another way that P.L.A.Y. makes retailers lives easier is with its special-order program for beds. Now stores can offer their customers the full range of P.L.A.Y. bedding without having to stock every style in store. P.L.A.Y.’s warehouses stock them so you don’t have to!

P.L.A.Y. not only creates high-quality and eco-friendly products, but also understands the needs of its customers by listening to feedback and providing them with the necessary resources to help them sell. To learn more about P.L.A.Y. products, or to become a P.L.A.Y. retail partner, contact the company directly: sales@petplay.com or call 855.300.7529.

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