THE BEST CHECKOUT COUNTERS make a statement, but such statements can vary in size. One can be big and bold in a store with ample square footage, while another can be small and subtle in a limited spaced. This collection of counters includes both.
Dee-O-Gee
BOZEMAN & BILLINGS, MT
The checkout counters at these stores feature a stainless steel top and oversized portraits of dogs at area parks. Josh Allen keeps counter space clear for the most part. “Our goal is for clients to feel welcome — for them to be able to pile bags of food along with retail merchandise and not feel like they are taking up a bunch of space or that their products are falling all over the place. We want them to have as much space as they need.”
$4,000
TIP: Less is more. “Business cards and then one to two small items at each POS. We rotate these items often to keep it fresh for regulars.”
Dog Krazy
RICHMOND, VA
Nancy and Chris Guinn took the DIY route when building out their fourth location. Chris created this checkout counter from displays left behind by the previous tenant, a men’s clothing store. He added black paint and a tile top, plus drawers and shelves inside, and a bakery case on one end. Chris also designed and laid tile in front with the store’s logo.
$600
TIP: Use the counter only for checking out customers. Nancy says, “We spend most our time on the sales floor and not behind the desk to give all of our customers that one-on-one experience!”
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Bow Wow Beauty Shoppe
SAN DIEGO, CA
Store color mint green covers this checkout counter that Leel Michelle built to fit her space. With the adjacent bakery case and dog-level sign, it makes the perfect backdrop for photos. A minimal mix of last-minute items and decor, such as an old-fashioned pink scale, are strategically placed on top.
$600
TIP: “Ladies, learn how to use electric and hand tools! Those skills come in handy being a small-business entrepreneur!”
Godfrey’s – Welcome to Dogdom
MOHNTON, PA
Barb Emmett hired a cabinetmaker to create her checkout counter, plus a back counter with display area. The latter helps set the tone for her store. “I truly love the arts, so I want to include items unique to us or our area, and made by local juried craftspeople. We are about the celebration of people and their dogs, finding products that are carefully curated and are of high quality, carrying through to the high level of services provided.”
$3,000
TIP: Offer free treats to people, too. Emmett keeps a dish filled with snack-size candies on the counter.
Odyssey Pets
DALLAS, TX
This circular counter features dual designs and has multiple purposes. Striking stainless steel wraps around the front, where customers check out. Wooden slatwall covers the back enclosure, where small daycare dogs nap and play. Shape and location forces shoppers into a racetrack pattern when walking the store, Sherry Redwine points out. “My staff can see almost every area from the register, which helps with customer service and deters theft.”
$10,000
TIP: Tempt with treats. “People will buy a last-minute bully stick at the register just because it’s there.”
Bubbly Paws
ST. LOUIS PARK, MN
Keith and Patrycia Miller had their architect design this wooden checkout counter. It had to fit into the pet wash and grooming salon’s overall design, but also Keith says, “We wanted something sturdy that could handle a large dog being clipped to it and not pull it over.”
$2,500
TIP: Consider carabiners. “We try to make it as easy as possible for customers to go hands-free while making sure the dog is still leashed.”
Loyal Biscuit Co.
ROCKLAND, ME
This checkout counter painted in store color lime green does double duty. “Our logo also makes a great backdrop for photos,” Heidi Neal points out. Customers can even put their dog in a sit and back up to shoot, thanks to a boat cleat that holds leashes tight. Joel Neal created the counter using lumber, sheetrock and laminate.
$600
TIP: Be strategic in what you place on top, both in terms of appeal and aesthetic. Heidi says, “I didn’t do a great job at concealing computer wires, so I try to pick tall things to hide those.”
Furry Friends Inc.
COLORADO SPRINGS, CO
Debbie Brookham inherited her checkout counter from the previous tenant, but she made it her own with a coat of pink paint and a surprise for canine customers. “I decided to put mirrors on it because I know how dogs love to look at themselves. This has totally worked, and we love the cuteness factor it brings out in our furry friends.”
$0
TIP: “Change your counter up all the time. People like to look at interesting items while checking out, and you just might make some extra money.”
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Youngblood’s Natural Animal Care Center & Massage
GREENFIELD, IN
To suit her store’s country-chic aesthetic, Samantha Youngblood created a counter base from scrap wood and repurposed barn metal. Wood from her family’s tree farm became the top. Two tiers — “one for the customer to set the products on and another for ringing up and bagging” — help keep checkout orderly and efficient. The bottom level doubles as a gift-wrapping surface, complete with a hanging roll of craft paper.
$20
TIP: Clamp mason jars to the counter’s side to keep scissors and pens handy without taking up surface space.
Razzle Dazzle Doggie Bow-Tique
BRADLEY, IL
Jodi Etienne knew exactly what she wanted in a checkout counter, so she asked her husband, Steve, to build it. He combined repurposed kitchen cabinets with custom sections to create the base, then covered it with tongue-and-groove siding, which Jodi painted white. They poured and sealed concrete for the top. A gate contains “assistant managers in training.”
$1,000
TIP: Brave DIY to save money on labor. Jodi says of her husband, “He is not a professional, but he is a perfectionist. He learned from YouTube videos.”
Animal Connection
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA
When Pattie Boden saw an antique oyster-shucking table in a small country store on Virginia’s coast, she knew it would be her checkout counter. “It was a little beat up, but I liked it that way. I just cleaned the legs and did some butcher’s wax on the top boards.”
$300
TIP: Personalize your checkout. “We surround our area with pictures of our own dogs, cats and horses, and create a family gallery.”
Urban Dog Barkery
HOUSTON, TX
Teresa Bues creates an impulse-buy zone around her checkout counter. “We stash treats and perhaps some human items along with decorated treats. Behind the counter, we put items we feel are things we want people to see when they are standing there. It has helped with sales.” The counter came together from a work table she found on the property and leftover “stainless” material from another project.
$0
TIP: Point out that hooks for leashes also work for purses, so customers don’t have to put their bags on the counter or floor.