Retailers Share Whether or Not They Offer Discounts to Employee Families

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Do you offer family discounts to your employees’ families? If so, what are your conditions for this? — Larry Pruden, pawdega.com

• We offer a 15% friends and family discount. It’s somewhat loose as to who qualifies, but my employees do not take advantage and I’m happy to offer it. — Kristen Katsaros, Riverfront Pets, Wilmington, DE
• Yes, and no one has ever taken advantage. The employee just can’t ring up their own sale or for their relative. The more your employees use what you sell, the better they sell it. Don’t make their ability to afford it get in the way of them being the best salespeople for you that they can be! — Melissa Sturm, Agri Feed Pet Supply, Knoxville, TN
• We offer them everything we sell at actual cost. Their family is an extension of our family, and there are tons of potential customers we can make money from. We also extend that courtesy to all of our distributor and manufacturer representatives. We don’t need to make money off those folks. They are partners, not customers. — Frank Frattini, The Hungry Puppy, Farmingdale, NJ
• Those who live in the same household, yes. Family, roommate, partner, etc, we don’t need to know the relationship, just the address. And once in a while we have staff ask if they can get something for “a friend in a tough spot,” “family from out of town,” “boyfriend/girlfriend,” etc., and we will usually approve one person to get the discount extended to. We haven’t had anyone abuse it, yet. — Annabell Bivens, The Dog Store, Alexandria, VA
• We do. Our employees/household are pretty close to cost, but their extended family (not in household) isn’t quite that low: 10% off food and 25% off everything else. Free self washes. — Jennifer Braunschweig Larsen, Firehouse Pet Shop, Wenatchee, WA
• If they do not live in the household with the employee, I do not give a discount. Ya’ gotta draw the line somewhere. — Janelle Pitula, Wags to Whiskers, Plainfield, IL
• I don’t. I already give my employees free use of the dog wash and $100 a month to spend. Plus an employee discount of 20%. But maybe I’ll offer a “friends & family” night in the future. — Elaina Stanley, Three Happy Hounds, Fernley, NV

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