Fabdog Holiday Toys, Farmina Cat Cans, Plus More Hot Sellers

FABDOG Faballs Reindeer and Snowman. We literally had three left in stock going into December. The super-squeaky ball is so cute we have it on our main display just inside the door. We haven’t run any special promotions — customers are just buying them up. $13 for small, $15 for large. Next year, we will definitely order a lot more! — Shell Jeffery, The Spaw, Rapid City, SD

FARMINA cat food in cans. We sold 350 across multiple formulas. Customers appreciate Farmina’s palatability and the noticeable improvements they see in their cat’s coat quality and digestion. Additionally, in-store education around rotational feeding and proper feline hydration helped boost sales. — Victor Santucci, Garden State Pet Center, Audubon, NJ

• JUNKYARD BONES out of Renton, WA. They are a smoked marrow bone and body part business. Units sold: 424. We ran them on sale for 20% off on Pink Friday, and then again for Black Friday/Small Biz Saturday. — Jennifer Larsen, Firehouse Pet Shop, Wenatchee, WA
• Our store participates in a holiday market. It’s typically our busiest weekend of the year. We took PEAKSNPAWS Yak Chews and sold every single one. Customers loved that they were made from cheese, longer lasting, and the idea that they’d turn into a cheesy puff in the microwave. We sold 118. Carradine Smith, Dog Days Barkery, Mobile, AL
• While Black Friday/Cyber Monday deals were fewer this year, the month was carried by Astro Loyalty offers. LOTUS, KOHA and RAWZ low-phosphorus cat foods were big players — over 700 cans sold. — Sherry Cassin, Meow Mini Mart, Jersey City, NJ
• We brought in GOOD VIBES raw and gently cooked. It’s been selling like gangbusters! The pricing is a bit lower than other brands. The packaging is fun and cool! There are promotions every month, and the rep comes out and does demos as well. — Kimberly Gatto, The Wagging Tail Pet Grocery & Supply, Las Vegas, NV
• NUTRISOURCE ran an Astro Loyalty promotion for a free bag of freeze-dried Elements with the purchase of a bag of kibble. We gave away hundreds of bags and saw a significant jump in the kibble sales. — Joanna Shaw, All Pet & Equine Supply, Mountain Home, AR
• DOGGINSTIX UFO Beef Collagen Discs. Insane! We sold 60 of them at $13.99. They have been a big hit. Dogs love them, and some customers have reported they last hours, some say weeks. Pet parents keep coming back for more: two, four, six at a time. No promotion needed. — Rebeca Santos, Pets Love and Happiness, Huntsville, AL
• THE RABBIT TAP Rabbit Twists flew out at $9.99. Our first order of 36 sold out in eight days, and they have continued to sell so well. Dogs are really attracted to the smell — and a few dogs even tried to shoplift them, causing the owner to purchase! — Shane Somerville, Paddywack, Mill Creek, WA
• The new DOGGIE DESIGN red holiday dress. Sold 22 at $36. — Susan Nagel-Ress, Winky’s Pet Boutique, Chester, NJ
• CHILLY DOG Blanket Coats. I can never order enough. People love the cozy fleece inside and the beautiful wool blanket outside. Plus easy on/off and a harness hole. Added bonus: great prices. We sold 12 at $45 to $55. — Amy Wolf, The Dog Spot, Joseph, OR
• We had a nice increase in REAL MUSHROOM products due to our education on the products, letting our guests know the benefits. — Lisa Kirschner, Sit, Stay, ‘N Play, Inc., Stroudsburg, PA
• PIONEER PET Tiger Ceramic Pet Dish, a slow-feeder for cats. This is a discontinued item we have a lot of. Our online store has been blowing up with orders, so we upped our price. Why not, right?! And then we bought the remaining stock. Now our profit on them is 60%, and they are still flying off the shipping conveyor belt (that we don’t have). We charge $28.99. — Adina Silberstein, Queenie’s Pets, Philadelphia, PA
• ZIGNATURE dog food. The company has allowed us to run $ off bags of dry food. Up to $15 off large bags. We have switched flavors every two months. Our regular customers have welcomed the savings, and this has also allowed people to try the more expensive flavors like kangaroo at a great savings. — Danyle Morse, Claremont Pet & Aquarium Center, Claremont, NH
• WOOF Pupsicles and Honest Chew Antlers. — Gina Devaney, The Pet Store, Auburn, GA
• We make Thanksgiving dinners for dogs that include freeze-dried turkey, organs/turkey neck, sweet potatoes, green beans, treats, and turkey bone broth all portioned into dividable trays. The large “plates” sell for $15.99 and the small for $10.99, and we sold out of all of them pretty quickly this year. We also got in the WOOF Pupsicles and refills, and those sold well for Black Friday/Small Business Saturday with the $5 off Astro Deal. PORTLAND PET FOOD Homestyle Dog Meals sold well for the Astro offer of “Buy 3 Get 1 Free,” and customers are very excited that the offer was extended through December. — Regina Gent, Bills Pet Shop, Havelock, NC
• WOOF Bite N Brush did well for us in November. The staff made two Instagram stories where we featured it, which may have contributed to the sales bump. — Angela Pantalone, Wag Central, Stratford, CT
• WOOF products, hands down. Having a frequent-buyer program for it makes customers VERY happy. I think I’ve ordered at least 2K of it just in November alone. I see ads for it on Instagram constantly, and it has a pretty good reputation. — Lori Copoundurn, Nature’s Pet Market Orenco, Hillsboro, OR
• WOOF toys and treats were a large seller again this month. We averaged over 15 pieces per week per store, and with the variety of options customers have lots to choose from. — April Wright, The Dog and Cat, Essex Jct, VT
• DR MARTY’S products have been going gangbusters for us. We don’t really even promote it, but so many people find us thanks to their online presence and the store locator. — Jennifer Silverberg, Fetch Pet Supplies & Gifts, Springfield, MO
• LAFEBER Nutri Berries, 10-oz. package. Lots of different flavors and sizes, nutritionally sound treats. Looks great filling an endcap. Great packaging helps sell these, but take a buck off and people grab them even quicker. — Paul Lewis, Birds Unlimited, Webster, NY
• FUSSIE CAT wet food with goat milk, new and delicious. — Dorothy Evans, Bushwick Bark, Brooklyn, NY
• RAWZ 96% Rabbit Pate, 5.5oz We sold 102 cans at $3.49 each in November! I think rabbit protein is becoming increasingly popular in cats. It’s a very clean protein that most pets can tolerate and those with sensitivities too. Rawz is a company that all profits go to charity and I think that gets some customers heart strings. Rawz cans are also carrageenan and gum free which is hard to find in cans. I also think the dedication of the reps has something to do with it. Homer from Rawz, has always attended our event and gives out cans to try and really got that line moving for us. We are thankful for his efforts in making it a success for us both! — Morgan Monty, The Cheshire Horse, Swanzey, NH
• SAINT ROCCO’S TREATS are flying off our shelves and having many repeat customers. They are generous with samples, and we have not had a canine customer turn one down yet! — Pat Schiek, Lucky Dogs, Skaneateles, NY
• The Black Friday and Small Business Saturday were a huge hit for us. Our sales for the weekend basically almost doubled. Manufacturers such as A PUP ABOVE, DR MARTY’S and PETCUREAN have allowed us to have big discounts on their products. — Jusak Yang Bernhard, Wag Heaven Pet Supplies and Self-Serve Dog Wash, Georgetown, TX
• TUFFY dog toys, approx $1,000. We had a 20% discount. — Elaina Starman, 5 Star Larkspur Pet Hospital, Larkspur, CO
• Our photos with Santa Paws are always our big event in November. We open slots in October, and they sell out in a matter of just a few days. We partner with a local photographer so the photos are professionally done and beautiful. This is one of our most anticipated yearly events with multiple repeat customers who come every single year. Santa Paws is my dad, so it’s a family-run event, which our community loves! We operate it in a way that is extremely safe and organized, which people love as well. This allows all types of dogs to book a slot. And just about every single person shops in the store after, so it’s a good sale day for us and a good kick off to the holidays! — McKenna Burzimati, Roxies Barkery, North Adams, MA
• We’ve started selling Christmas Gift Bundles in stockings, and they are selling well. I have some put together, but I let them swap out items that are similarly priced when necessary. — Taylor England, Earthwise Pet Lake Nona, Orlando, FL
• Dehydrated camel skin. Purchased from an indy wholesaler. Costs me $1.50/piece, and I sell for $12 so the margin is great. No promotion, just talking with customers and having a new exotic product. — Amber Sutfin, Pet Wants South Hills, Pittsburgh, PA
• Our numbers really picked up for PET RELEAF. There was no special pricing, just what Astro Loyalty offered for Black Friday/Small Business Saturday. — Ruth Sturgis, Dog Daze, North Syracuse, NY
• Handmade collars from one of our Maine makers, SEW FETCH, lots of Maine-themed collars that our customers are loving. — Elysa Cooper, Junebug’s Beach House, Wells, ME
• Boarding with enrichments. The weather has changed here, so it’s been a huge success adding enrichments. — Keela Huotari, Yellowstone Kennels, Sidney, MT
• RAWTERNATIVE Air Dried Dog Food, various proteins and sizes. Brand support with a sale ($5-$15.00 off based on size of bag). Awesome product! Twenty-four units sold. — Denise Strong, Pawz On Main, Cottonwood, AZ
• My Perfect Pet flew out the door. We had a lot of new customers transition to it, and several kibble customers switched or added as a topper. We sold 174 of the 4-pound boxes! — Diana Farrar, Fifi & Fidos Pet Boutique, San Antonio, TX
• Our self-serve dog wash was hopping in November. For some reason, the colder it gets, the busier it is. Also, everyone is trying to get their dogs nice and clean before the holiday. — Kelly Hilzendager, Treat Play Love, Grand Forks, ND
• Thanksgiving Dinners for dogs. Made in store we sold over 350 to individuals and boarding facilities. — Stephanie Rossino, Giggybites Bakery & Marketplace, Chadds Ford, PA
• TASTE OF THE WILD dog food sold a lot this month because we had the government shutdown, and people needed a reasonably priced food, plus we had people donating to help those who weren’t getting paid. — Sheila Raebel, Dogma Dog Bakery, Arlington, VA
• KONG Turkey Wubbas. We ordered 72 and sold out. They are always a top November seller because they aren’t available everywhere. — Beth Staley, Happy Dog Barkery, Downers Grove, IL
• Pet-sitting for caged pets. We saw a need in our area: No one usually can or wants to deal with rabbits/guinea pigs/reptiles when people go on vacation. So, we built a countertop and take reservations for a handful of pets and care for them! — Megan Kurzwell, Forepaws, Minooka, IL
• COLORADO HEMP HONEY. We’ve been stocking this company for about two years. It’s perfect for anxious dogs, cats, and humans. CHH sends us sample honey sticks, and once a customer tries it, they see the difference. Honey is absorbed in the bloodstream and not the liver, making it work faster, and if you have an anxious pet then you know timing is important! We sold 16 jars at $39 each and gave out around 20 sample sticks. Honey already is packed with an abundance of great properties beneficial for both dogs and people, combine that with CBD and it’s a no-brainer for stress, anxiety, pain and overall tranquility. — Roxane Cann, The Dapper Hound, Mount Airy, NC
• We have increased focus on bulk categories to differentiate ourselves from big-box competition. PEAKSNPAWS Large Yak Milk Dog Chews: 60 with $597 in sales. BUFFBITES Small Baked Bison Knuckles: 46 knuckles for $600 in sales. — Robert L. Critselous, Drooly’s Dog Bakery, Bentonville, AR