INBOX: Yay for Neighborhood Pet Store Day, Plus More Reader Mail

Neighborhood Vibes

• We did more $$$ in sales on Neighborhood Pet Store Day than our biggest sales day last holiday season! It was a huge success, and the neighborhood really showed up. I look forward to having more reps, more sales, more events, more giveaways to celebrate this Very Important Day next year. — Molly Lewis, Dog River Pet Supplies, Hood River, OR
• Neighborhood Pet Store Day was a lot of fun and a big success for our small boutique. We appreciate that PETS+ magazine alerted us to this event. — Stephanie Bennett, Believe In DOG Training, Houston, TX

You’re Welcome!

• Loving this magazine as always in addition to Candace D’Agnolo’s Pet Boss Club. — Heather Miller, Just For Pets, York, PA
• I truly appreciate your magazine! It allows me to stay “in the know” and learn from other indies! — Diane Mullen, Winni Paw Station, Wolfeboro, NH
• Love the mag! PETS+ is the best publication in the industry by far. — Jodi Etienne, Razzle Dazzle Doggie Bow-tique,
  Bradley, IL
• Thank you again for helping us find new products to better serve our guests and their needs for their dogs. — Lisa Kirschner, Sit, Stay, ‘N Play, Stroudsburg, PA

Keeping It Real

• The most recent Real Deal (“The Case of the Ranting Customer,” Sep-Oct) was an interesting and timely one! I appreciated the different approaches to the topic that my fellow retailers had. — Shane Somerville, Paddywack, Mill Creek, WA

Kudos & Concerns

• Kudos to those in western North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee who stepped up to help so many animals in need after Helene. The destruction is tremendous and will take years to recover. — Eric Mack, Purrrfect Bark Natural Pet Market, Columbus, NC
• I’m seeing a lot of indies say sales are down a lot this year. Chewy and places like Costco are hurting us. — Kathy Long, Growing Trade Pet & Plant, Cincinnati, OH

Reader Requests

• I’d like to see an article that dives into when I should discontinue a product with information on turns and what the turn rate should be for different categories. Please include info for full-line pet stores that carry supplies for fish, reptiles, small pet, etc. All the info I can find for turns and product mix info is limited to dog/cat stores only. — Jennifer Marshall Northwoods Pets, Rhinelander, WI
• I’d love to see more tips on the services business: boarding, grooming and training. — Terri Ellen, Salem Bed & Biscuit, Salem, OR