PETS+ Readers Share Hot-Selling Products and Services for January

Zignature dog food. Frequent buyer programs. Extensive social media campaigns. — John Kasabucki, Woodbury Pet Commons, Woodbury, CT

Products

• Benebones and Earth Animal No Hide Chews. We can’t keep either on the shelves! — Melissa Flatley, Animal House Grooming & Pet Supplies, Abescon, NJ
• Safe Paw Ice Melter. We are one of very few places that sell the 35-pound bucket in addition to the smaller jug. We really believe in the non-toxic aspect as opposed to what others call safer-for-pets ice melt. We also stress the fact that Safe Paw does not deteriorate wood and concrete. We promote it in our newsletter as well as social media. At other stores, this product goes in and out of stock. We work hard to keep it in stock so our customers can be sure that they will be able to find it at our store. — Todd Ruppenthal, Happy Husky Bakery, Evanston, IL
• Our best seller in January was the full line of Fromm’s new Crunchy Os. Anything from Fromm sells well for us, but the fun names, bright packaging and promotional coupons make them especially attractive. — Jack Carey, Amoskeag Pet Supply, Manchester, NH
• We sold out of our Natural Dog Company paw soother rollers, which glide onto cracked and dry paws like a deodorant stick. We also have been educating clients about how soothing Nagayu C02 bath tablets are on dry and flaky winter skin and coats, and selling it as an upgrade on baths for $10-$20 extra. — Adrienne Preuss, Animal Loving Care, Brooklyn, NY
• Ratherbee Blue Rat cat toys and Greenies did well in January. — Keefer Dickerson, Nashville Pet Products, Nashville, TN
• A new canned cat food topped the list for January: Weruva Cats in the Kitchen Goldie Lox. — Eric Mack, Purrrfect Bark Market, Columbus, NC
• Nutrisource. Customers like that it feeds out better than any other mid-grade food and has shown better results. My moderate-income customers buy it and rotate proteins. — Jennifer Flanagan, Nature’s Pet Market Sherwood, Sherwood, OR
• CBD oil and supplements. We have Pet Releaf, Super Snouts and Colorado Hemp Honey. — Jodi Etienne, Razzle Dazzle Doggie Bowtique, Kankakee, IL
• Boots! And all things ice related. We sold out of ice melt, Musher’s Secret, PawZ Wax and rubber boots, Hott Doggers boots by Muttluks, Alcott boots, Ethical Pet boots and sweaters, Hugglehounds coats and any other warm winter gear we had laying around. It was a cold one up in the Mitten. — Jess Smith, Chow Hound Pet Supplies – Standale, Walker, MI
• The cold weather in January boosted our sales of the Kurgo Loft jackets. I did a Facebook Live and featured my Pug wearing one of the jackets. We sold out the next day. The jacket is popular because it is lightweight, reversible and water resistant and comes in some great colors! — Wendy Megyese, Muttigans, Emerald Isle, NC
• Vital Essentials treats and their raw bar. Sometimes we do a BOGO sale on the raw bar. — Sandy House, The Store at Paws, Hamden, CT
• Elevate dog food, sold to brick-and-mortar stores only! — Greg Gorski, Cody Pet Depot, Cody, WY

Services

• Self-wash. We did about 340 baths. We run a “Downtown Tuesday Special at 50%.” We also ran a promo in December that gave customers $10 for every $50 spent, but they had to return in January. — Jennifer Larsen, Firehouse Pet Shop, Wenatchee, WA
• Our top-selling service in January was our Ditch the Itch Package. We discuss skin, coat and comfort when checking in clients and how the dry, cold air of winter affects our pets’ skin just as it does ours. The package includes an oat protein shampoo and deep moisturizing conditioner. We also take the opportunity to discuss nutritional support for the skin and the benefits of adding omega fatty acids to their pets’ routine. — Teresa Hogge, Belly Rubs N Suds, Ashburn, VA
• Fifty percent of sales was for 20-minute dog walks. Our customers appreciate the value of having a midday potty break for their pets, and we appreciate the brevity so we can visit more customers during the 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. timeframe. — Sherri Schott, Rishlyn Rovers Pet Services, Perry Hall, MD
• Our best service in January would be our W.O.D.S. Program (Work Out Doggie Style). Who would expect something like this is a MALL?! WODS is an innovated exercise program for dogs and their humans, developed and designed by Cool Dog Gear. Think about it: Who could ask for a better gym partner than your dog? WODS is a one-on-one, by-appointment, 45-minute workout session. We guide the human/dog team through a series of obstacle and exercises that mentally and physically challenge both the human and their dog. I sometimes refer to it as preschool for agility with a twist. There are no rules. We work within the ability levels of both the human and dog. They both go home tired! We offer classes every day at both of our stores — and we still have a waiting list! — Sue Hepner, Cool Dog Gear, Roslyn, PA