Taste of the Wild grain-free dry dog food. We don’t promote it at all — it just flies off the shelf. Pennye Jones-Napier, The Big Bad Woof, Washington, DC
High Prairie Canine Recipe with roasted bison and venison from Taste of the Wild. tasteofthewildpetfood.com
PRODUCTS
- DôyenWorld Interactive Treat Dispensing Toy. Brianna Swanberg, Mutts & Meows, Nashville, TN
- Up County and Jax & Bones. We internally had some themed upsell areas with spring and summer Up Country collars and leashes and offered a discount when paired. And for Jax & Bones we displayed them offering suggestions as to how to use the toys (such as watering and freezing them for heavy chewers and teething pups). A huge hit! Laura LaCongo, Notorious D.O.G., Clarence, NY
- Locally harvested elk antlers, sold by the ounce. Ren Douthit, Dee-O-Gee, Bozeman, MT
- Our Birthday section is our biggest seller. We have our own private-label birthday cakes and cupcakes that are made for us by a local baker. They are gorgeous, unique, grain free, and 100 percent natural. They are amazing! Leel Michelle, Bow Wow Beauty Shoppe, San Diego, CA
- New rolled beef cheek chew by Natural Cravings out of Miami. Customers are always looking for a long lasting healthy chew. The rolled beef chew is long-lasting and easy on the dog’s digestion. It sells well and fast. Adrian Archie, AZ Healthy Pet, Coconut Creek, FL
- Interactive toys — in particular the ZippyPaws Burrow hide-a-toy that retails for $13.99. They’re great for dogs that like to unstuff their toys. Finding a toy inside a toy gives them some satisfaction. Toni Shelaske, Healthy Pet Products, Pittsburgh, PA
- I think our add-on sales in grooming were the big seller in March. Lots of people wanted their dogs’ hair, skin and feet moisturized after a long winter. Connie Roller, The Feed Bag Pet Supply, Grafton, WI
- Freeze-dried complete meals for dogs across all brands — Stella & Chewy’s meal mixers and patties, Northwest Naturals freeze-dried nuggets. This continues to be a huge mover for us. Clients want the health benefits of raw with the convenience of a freeze-dried product. Commonly used as rewards, toppers and complete meals while traveling — also cross-merchandised with bone broths, which continue to do well. Karen Conell, The Bark Market, Delavan, WI
- Ochah Mineral Mud Shampoo has been a big hit. It takes clean and fluffy to a whole other level. Monica Swank, Lupine Kennels Boarding and Grooming, Amery, WI
- Doggy life jacket sales are up due to the seasonal change. Carrie Hughes. Fido Pet Products, Indianapolis, IN
- Fromm Family Gold Puppy food. Lots of holiday puppies are ready to eat good quality kibble and most of the pet parents are familiar with Fromm. Nancy Okun, Cats n Dogs, Port Charlotte, FL
- Best sellers in March are the CBD products. CBDs have amazingly helpful results and have created repeat sales. We were early adopters and started out with CannaPet. We’ve now expanded to Scouts Blessing and Lazarus Naturals. They truly help pets feel better, makes our customers happy when we recommend it, and make us happy when they thank us! Terri Ellen, Nature’s Pet Market, Salem, OR
- Poop scoops always pick up in March because the snow melts and presents a horrific scene. Jack Carey, Amoskeag Pet Supply, Manchester, NH
- Our best selling non-food item was the Chasing Our Tails 12-inch bully stick. They are a dense U.S.A.-sourced and -processed bully stick that are available at a reasonable price. Michele Saharic, Barkley’s Gourmet Marketplace, Flemington, NJ
- Dirty dog doormats and chamois cloths were great sellers in March. Springtime rain, muddy puddles and yards were a great time to market these items with extra reward points for a future purchase! We also made a Facebook video to show the multiple ways and situations they can be used for. A large percentage of our dog customers own large-breed dogs that these are especially useful for. Nicole Olesen, Woofs & Waves, Sioux Falls, SD
- Victor Grain Free Active Dog and Puppy flies off the shelf. It is a new line to the area, and people (including myself) really like it! Lisa Keppers, Sauk Centre Country Store, Sauk Centre, MN
SERVICES
- My grooming salon offered a Build your Own Package for $20. The clients went wild! Kristina Robertson, Barkley Square Professional Pet Services, Alexandria, VA
- Five-week Board & Train program. Customers love going home with a well-mannered dog. Yvonne Matthews, Academy of Canine Behavior, Bothell, WA
What’s the Brain Squad?
If you’re the owner or top manager of a U.S. pet business serving the public, you’re invited to join the PETS+ Brain Squad. Take one five-minute quiz a month, and you’ll get a free t-shirt, be featured prominently in this magazine, and make your voice heard on key issues affecting the pet industry. Sign up here.