APRIL
1 If April 1 at your store simply means practical jokes between team members, you may be having a laugh but missing out on a top marketing opportunity. How about offering a promotion that boosts revenue while moving excess product: “APRIL FOOL’S DAY. sale — It’s no joke! — 50 percent off select merchandise.” You’ll still be all smiles, but because of the rush of customers and/or online orders instead.
11 On NATIONAL PET DAY, embrace inclusivity with your celebration. Put together packages that include a species-appropriate treat, spa service and mini portrait session for a variety of pets. Make it a real event! And start promoting it in late March with the headline, “National Pet Day is April 11. Don’t disappoint your favorite scaly, furry or feathered friend!”
17 EASTER! Partner with a local charity, maybe a rescue or church, to host a scent-work Easter egg hunt. Fill the eggs with stinky treats, discount coupons, and in one egg a token for the big prize: a $250 voucher redeemable at your business. Scatter the eggs throughout a common green space and invite all local pups to show off their olfactory prowess. Lay out some refreshments and snacks. Bring in a suitably suited Easter Bunny, wearing your logo, to make a special guest appearance for social media pics, and you’re sure to be the talk of the town.
21 Nothing is less inspirational — and more awkward — than a boss who misses with their high-fives. To make sure you’re hitting the target on NATIONAL HIGH-FIVE DAY, keep in mind this tip from Wired magazine: Don’t look at the hand. That looming palm is a moving, unpredictable target. Instead, keep your eye on the elbow; that’ll automatically line up your mitts for a successful slap.
22 EARTH DAY. Looking to add more sustainable products to your store? Don’t know where to start? Visit petsustainability.org/membership to see which brands belong to this organization that advances business through profitable environmental and social practices. Consider joining yourself! Pets Pet Pets in Califon, NJ, and The Green Spot in Omaha, NE, are member stores.
MAY
1 May is SKIN CANCER AWARENESS MONTH and it’s not just humans who suffer, a fact not all pet owners are aware of. But where there’s a lack of knowledge, there’s an opportunity to teach (why shaving a pet increases their risk) and to provide products to protect (pet-safe sunscreens, UV-blocking clothes.) Promote the day and ways you can help.
4 MAY THE FOURTH BE WITH YOU, the date designed to celebrate the Star Wars franchise, should be a big one this year, coming 45 years after the premiere of the first movie in the series. Invite customers to post to your social media lookalike photos of their pet — there are more than a few out there, we’ve noticed, looking like Grogu (aka Baby Yoda), Ewoks and, of course, Chewbacca.
8 What do you have planned for MOTHER’S DAY? Lizzi & Rocco’s Natural Pet Market in Columbia, MO, does a fun event where the owners bring in their children to select items at random for a sale, and then they let their dogs choose a cookie to determine the amount it’s discounted. “It’s always chaotic and insane, and our customers love it because it shows our authentic life running a business as parents,” says owner Jessica Schlosser.