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There’s no getting around it: One of the best ways to stay on top of online competition is delivery. Here are 7 retailers who make their mark with deliveries.

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AMAZON isn’t going anywhere. Neither is Chewy. So how can independent brick-and-mortar stores compete when it comes to the purchase and delivery of pet supplies?

We asked you that very question, and those who have found success in this area generously shared their practices and policies. Some factor delivery into the cost of doing business, while others have grown it into quite the moneymaker. Learn from both.

THERE BEFORE BREAKFAST

1CAPTIVATING CANINES, WESTERVILLE, OH
No customer’s dog or cat ever misses their breakfast with Ron Keller on the job at Captivating Canines. He takes phone orders and drops them off the next morning, bright and early, on his way to open the store. He also makes sure pet parents get the best price. “I consistently beat anyone’s prices, including Amazon and Chewy.”

DETAILS: Free delivery within a 5-mile radius.

THERE BEFORE DINNER

2CITY BARK, DETROIT, MI
Many a pet parent empties the bag or last can at breakfast, which means picking up pet food goes on their to-do list for after work. And then tasks pile up, and it looks like they won’t get to the store before closing. City Bark comes to the rescue.

Customers can place an order via phone or website before 7 p.m. for same-day delivery between 7 and 8 p.m. They can even note exactly where they want the food left, a big plus in neighborhoods where porch pirates regularly steal deliveries. And as Jamie Judson points out, “Because we’re a local shop, we’re still able to offer our delivery customers the frequent-buyer program.”

DETAILS: $5 delivery within a 5-mile radius; the person scheduled to close does deliveries.
TIP: “It’s important when providing a service like this to go above and beyond. I’ve delivered to doggie day cares on behalf of a customer and hiked up four flights of stairs to help a customer with a broken arm.”

DELIVERY+TREATS

3PURRRFECT BARK, COLUMBUS, NC
Customers can place orders with Purrrfect Bark by phone, email and online. Deliveries often come with a surprise. “We give freebies from our stash pile. We also bring fresh doughnuts or such at times,” Eric Mack says.
Staff also put deliveries where requested, including frozen foods in house or garage freezers.

DETAILS: $4.95 delivery within a 15-mile radius.
TIPS: “Be sure it won’t stretch you thin, and always remember to put some money away for the wear and tear on vehicles.”

32 YEARS OF DROP-OFFS

4THE HUNGRY PUPPY, FARMINGDALE, NJ
The Hungry Puppy’s well-established delivery division grosses more than $1 million a year. Here’s how Frank and Teresa Frattini have built it into a highly profitable part of their business:

They take payment for delivery over the phone, not online — Customers can place orders through the store’s website or app, by phone, email and even fax. An employee then calls for payment. “This allows us the opportunity to up-sell and cross-sell items that might also be of interest to the customer. The average ticket for each delivery is twice what it is in our store,” Frank says.

They beat Amazon and Chewy’s prices — “They have to abide by MAP pricing for their products not only because manufacturers demand it, but also because they have the added overhead of having to ship products via third party. We, on the other hand, can sell the product through our store for any price we wish. We are not ‘advertising’ the price. We are just offering it for less through our brick-and-mortar store and providing the value-added service of delivering locally to our customers for free. The way we make it profitable is to buy in volumes necessary to accrue appreciable savings on products, and then we pass those savings on to our customers.”

DETAILS: $5 delivery for orders less than $50 and free for orders $50 or more within a 40-mile radius in geographically arranged areas on the same day each week; $6 additional for delivery within 24 hours; auto-ship also available.
TIP: “Infrastructure is super important, which means you have to have procedures in place from the time the orders come in until the time they are delivered.”

EXPANDED OPTIONS

5CHOICE PET, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey
In 2017, this group of pet supply stores streamlined its delivery process and reduced costs through Endless Aisles, a platform from PHIDO, the digital solutions company of Phillips Pet Food & Supplies. With it, customers can place orders for delivery at in-store kiosks and on the store’s website, and they have access to the distributor’s vast inventory.

“Our staff can place orders for customers on items we don’t have in stock or generally don’t carry,” Director of Operations Larry Bocchiere says. “Instead of taking on inventory risk, we get the product delivered directly to the customer, saving time and money but also creating a better experience for our customers.”

DETAILS: $5.95 delivery on orders less than $49 and free for orders $49 or more.
TIP: “The truth is: Our customers will shop however they want to. Sometimes that’s in-store, but other times they’re busy and want products delivered. Home delivery is just another service that strengthens our customers’ trust in our brand, increasing their loyalty and ultimately our bottom line.”

CUSTOMIZED ORDERS

6HEALTHY PET PRODUCTS, PITTSBURGH, PA
Toni Shelaske offers customization as part of her delivery process. Customers, who place orders by phone, can set up recurring orders and even ask that proteins be rotated. They can request that products be left in a specific place and also in a waterproof bag during wet weather. They can get a delivery window as well. “And then we can smile and say thank you in person. That is definitely something the customer can’t get online.”

DETAILS: Free within a 5-mile radius, $5 for more than 5 miles and $10 for more than 10 miles.
TIP: Delivery can be a pain, Shelaske says, but it must be offered. “A lot of companies are swinging back to delivery. Who knows? Maybe the milk box will end up back on the front porch someday!”

TO THE LETTER

7AGSENTIALS, WATKINS, MN
This store and feed manufacturer has been delivering to farmers for 30 years, and began offering the same service to pet parents and hobbyists two years ago. No matter the address, they follow even the most specific instructions to the letter.

Farmers can direct delivery to where feed is stored, such as in a barn or shed, and the employee will not only stack each bag in the same direction for easy identification and a uniform look, but also will place any remaining bags on top of new ones to ensure they are used first. Pet parents and hobbyists also can specify where deliveries should be left, outside their home.

Orders get placed by phone, email or online, with the AGsentials truck making deliveries. Sandy Wolff says, “People love seeing our branded and wrapped truck pull into their yard — it’s very farm feeling and provokes a certain contented, country emotion.”

DETAILS: Free delivery for orders $100 or more within geographically arranged areas on the same day each week; fees apply to orders less than $100, varying on location.
TIP: “It takes a while to build the customer base. Track your expenses and time as a way to measure your success.”

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