Oct. 6-12
INVENTORY With the holidays approaching, follow this advice from Katherine Ostiguy of Crossbones in Providence, RI: “Check expiration dates on perishable items and put anything short-dated on clearance a little earlier than usual. Normally I wait until a product is down to two months, but with the crazy holiday season, I don’t want to have expired product, so in October I put anything on sale that will expire before the following February.”
LEADERSHIP Speaking of the holidays, celebrate your team now. The fourth quarter will be exhausting, and unfortunately many retail and service workers get burned out and lose their enthusiasm. It’s time to turn up your communication! Engage positively, listen and ask questions to help your staff feel heard, confident and part of the team. Determine bonuses, holiday pay and gift exchanges early to get them excited. Purchase restaurant or other gift cards to immediately reward above-and-beyond efforts and positive attitudes.
Oct. 13-19
OPERATIONS If you will need ice melt and haven’t yet ordered it, do that ASAP. Jennifer Hall of All Things Pawssible in Charlottesville, VA, offers this winter-prep tip: “We never know if we’re going to have lots of snow or no snow at all, but I always make sure I’m lined up with a plowing company and preorder any ice melt or other products I may need, so I don’t have to cope with the rush as a storm approaches.”
Oct. 20-26
MERCHANDISING Get ready to create your first Christmas display, says Rachel McGinnis of Leo & Lucky’s in Parrish, FL. “As soon as Nov. 1 comes around, you MUST put up Christmas. I know, I don’t like it either, but the stuff sells. Put up leftovers from last year first. Save new fresh displays for December.” Mary Owens of Delchester Feed and Pet Supply in Holmes, PA, agrees: “Customers may not buy when they first see your display, but they’ll remember you have Christmas stock and be back for those gifts.” And be sure to start incorporating Hanukkah items by Dec. 1, like Noe Valley Pet Company in San Francisco, CA, did with the above display last year. The holiday happens later in 2024, starting on Dec. 25.
MANAGEMENT Grooming salons and departments, look at 2025 now. Erin Paitrick of Woof Gang Bakery & Grooming in Summerville, SC, shares: “October is when we plan the next year’s grooming schedule. I open up the floor for discussion to make sure what groomers are doing is still working and to discuss potential changes. By the end of October, we open up the full calendar for the following year — many of our clients are trained to schedule for a full year so they can keep their pups on a good schedule and one that works best for them.”
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Oct. 27-Nov. 2
STAFF Approve any time-off requests and finalize work schedules — for the next 10 weeks if possible.
Nov. 3-9
INVENTORY Look ahead to 2025 again with this tip from Elysa Cooper of Junebug’s Beach House in Kennebunkport, ME: “We decide what we are no longer going to carry the following year and have a sale section in the back of our shop of 50%-off items.” Doing this opens up space for seasonal products and proven sellers.
MANAGEMENT Cold and flu season hits its peak around now. “Keep your staff healthy,” Johnna Devereaux of Fetch Ri, Richmond, RI, advises. “We often think about dog and cat health, but focusing on teaching your staff simple ways they can support their immune system to help them stay healthy throughout the winter (and holiday) season is vitally important!” An experienced herbalist, Devereaux makes elderberry syrup for her team.
Nov. 10-16
CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE Heading toward Thanksgiving, think about your customers. They love receiving surprise gifts, especially ones related to their pets. Buy branded merchandise and add pet names after (like with a paint pen, vinyl stickers, labels). During November and December, hand out bounce-back gift certificates with all purchases valid during the first quarter of 2025.
Nov. 17-23
MARKETING Add this item to your to-do list for the next seven weeks: Take photos of all holiday displays, window and in-store. Not only will it help you when planning in 2025, but you can add them to your PETS+ America’s Coolest contest entry. The contest will reopen before you know it! And you can’t go back in time to take photos of your best displays.
Nov. 24-30
CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE Don’t forget the humans when planning refreshments for Small Business Saturday. Diane Marcin of Benny’s Pet Depot in Mechanicsburg, PA, shares, “We send customers home with all kinds of samples for their dogs and cats on SBS, but when they walk in the store and are offered a free mimosa and cookie, you really made their morning/day. Our customers look forward to the free drink and snack while they shop for their pets. Some even come back for seconds!”
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