Animated Crabs, Sweater Mice and More Hot Sellers in May

The TALL TAILS Animated Crab Toy is our best-selling item once again! Customers love that the claws move when you squeeze it. It also gives them a nice toy to bring home that represents Maryland and the Chesapeake Bay, home to the blue crab. Sold 26 at $24.99. — Karen Komisar, Sea Dog Pet Boutique, Annapolis, MD

We sold 34 of the CHILLY DOG handknit wool catnip-stuffed mouse toys at $11.95, which was the most we have ever sold in a month. I think cats like it because it’s a well-proportioned kicker fully stuffed with catnip, and kitty claws and knitted wool go very well together! Colorful cute sweater designs appeal to the cat parents. — Sherry Cassin, Meow Mini Mart, Jersey City, NJ

• ETHICAL PET Pup Ice treats shaped like ice cream cones and ice pops. Mostly two-packs for $5.99. The POP display is super cute. We bought it at a distributor show (with 40 pieces) and sold them all within a couple of weeks. — Helen Bennett, The Grooming Place in Pet Shop, Chester, MD
• Top seller was the CANADA POOCH Pick Me “Glow in the Dark” poncho. Perfect for our summer theme of outer space. We got a really good deal, so we marked them 50% off. Normally they retail for $35 to $60, depending on size. Quite possibly the most successful promo we’ve done yet. — Corey Heenan, Boutique & Pet Spa, Altamont, NY
• We sold 127 small Goldfish for $0.49 to $0.79, depending on how many the customer buys. May is usually the busiest month for pond fish and supplies. Other Goldfish and Koi were also up in sales. — Rachael Creech, Adventure Pets, Mandeville, LA
• Single-ingredient venison Chews by PARADISE PAWZ, a local product and huge hit with allergic and sensitive dogs. We sold 350 units at $22.99 per bag (3.5 ounces). Why? It’s a locally sourced meat, axis deer, harvested in the most humane way. An excellent novel protein source, using just key sections like the hind and backstrap, and it’s a very lean meat. Dogs without teeth can even enjoy this tasty chew. Tourists from all over the U.S. reorder after they visit us. — Michelle Ichikawa, Dogtown Bakery, Kailua, HI
• The SKOUT’S HONOR $2 off promotion through Astro Loyalty was a big hit, with 80 units sold. — Kathy Palmer, The Fish & Bone, Portland, ME
• Our shampoo of the month, BARK 2 BASICS Melon Cucumber, went over well as a $6 add-on to our grooming services. The pups smelled great! — Angela Pantalone, Wag Central, Stratford, CT
• LUPINE martingale collars did wonderfully for us! Our promotion was to purchase a Lupine martingale and pick a buckle collar to donate. Our guests dropped the collar they picked into a basket for our local rescue. It was a win all around — our guests feel good about helping, the rescue got new collars for their dogs, and we get to not only help the community but make room for more product. — Lisa Kirschner, Sit, Stay, ‘N Play, Stroudsburg, PA
• PORTLAND PET FOOD COMPANY Grain & Gluten Free Treats in Pumpkin and Bacon flavors for $11 a bag. The packaging is simple, but speaks to the current trend of earth friendly. The dog treats are bone shaped, which always sells best. And they are made in the U.S. and more specifically in Oregon, which my tourist crowd loves. I always merchandise this brand front and center of the treat display, and they are always a top seller. Amy Wolf, The Dog Spot, Joseph, OR
• Our raw category continues to grow. We have had many customers looking for a less expensive product than Farmer’s Dog. They get 50% off their first order of it, and then the next at full price hits and they realize the actual cost. We are able to easily move them to a bulk raw product. One top seller is BLUE RIDGE BEEF Turkey with Bone. We sold 27 units the last week of May. — Jennifer Williams, Ball Ground Hounds, Ball Ground, GA
• A local rescue asked for help with supplies, specifically for puppy teething chews. We stuck the N-BONE teething rings at the counter and let our customers know the rescue was in need. We sold 55 multi-packs! — Nicole Cammack, NorthPoint Pets, Cheshire, CT
• We’ve been selling a lot of rabbit treats from THE RABBIT TAP. We have a lot of customers with allergy issues, and these single-ingredient treats fit the bill. — Keith Henline, Asheville Pet Supply, Asheville, NC
• REDBARN Air Dried Dog Food! Previously, we had sold approximately 25 bags per month. I collaborated with my Redbarn rep to offer a free 2.5-ounce bag to all grooming clients. Customers were offered it in the same text saying their pet is ready for pickup. We sold 131 bags, 2 and 4 pounds, in May while the promotion was running. — Samm Albright, Whisker & Bone, Saint George, UT