Two Strategies to Deal with Internet Competition: Upping Service, Offering Delivery

This month’s question: Have you changed your strategy to deal with internet competition?

Yes: 46%

• Online sales plus local delivery. We also are utilizing the Endless Aisles platform from Phillips for customer retention when we are out of stock on items and need to get something to the customer next day. Penny Jones-Napier, The Big Bad Woof, Washington, DC
• I’ve used tips on maximizing results from Google, website SEO and Instagram. Also making a larger presence in the community. Melanie Haynes, Space Coast Pet Services, Rockledge, FL
• We offer home delivery for $4.95 within 10 miles; free over $79. We don’t price-match, but we do remain competitive on certain brands we need to. Eric Mack, Purrrfect Bark, Columbus, NC
• I recently changed our delivery charge and minimum order amount. We are competitively priced and had a minimum delivery of $25, I recently changed that to be $30 and below $45 is an energy surcharge of $3. Not one client has complained and it has helped us stay competitive. Since Chewy and others are at a $49 for free home delivery I decided we didn’t need to give away our service. Debbie Brookham, Furry Friends Inc., Colorado Springs, CO
• We are adding online sales to our website. Danielle Chandler, Lewis & Bark’s Outpost, Red Lodge, MT
• We added more services the internet competitors can’t provide, like a new self serve dog- wash and a treat bar. Pattie Boden, Animal Connection, Charlottesville, VA
• We have a hyper focus on creating an in-store shopping experience and events. Mike Murray, Bonnie’s Barkery, Phoenix, AZ
• We’re making sure to have signage that shows the benefits, like the highlights you might see when shopping online. Annabell Bivens, The Dog Store, Alexandria, VA
• We upped the bar with service, price-matching and in-store events. My business is up, so whatever I’m doing, it must be working, so I am staying the course. Toni Shelaske, Healthy Pet Products, Pittsburgh, PA
• We have made our return policy more user-friendly, trying to avoid causing people to look around at where else they could shop. I think it has gone well. Returns are smoother and more cheerful on both sides. Connie Roller, The Feed Bag Pet Supply, Grafton, WI
• We are adding all our inventory to our online store, and we offer free shipping for over $99. We are also adding a lot more features to the customer’s online shopping experience to set us apart from the other online stores. Every day we wake up to more and more online orders. Lots more kibble and cans being shipped and orders over $100. Nancy Guinn, Dog Krazy, Fredericksburg, VA
• The experience of shopping in our stores has to be worth it. In our marketing, I focus on anything our stores deliver that the internet can’t. Internet sites can’t match our team. They’re the best! Keefer Dickerson, Nashville Pet Products, Nashville, TN
• When it comes to internet prices, obviously I cannot compete. I’m a small local neighborhood business trying to offer my clients the best of quality foods and products. So I decided to lower my prices in general. I’m not as cheap as the internet but reasonable. Because of that, I do not offer points or sales since my prices are always reasonable. It’s working well and my clients appreciate it as well. Ursula Sanchez, Bucktown Bow & Meow Pet Spa, Chicago, IL
• I’ve been reading everything I can get my hands on. I’m seeking out companies that only sell to independent pet stores. Danielle Wilson, Bath & Biscuits, Granville, OH
• My competitive advantage is our high-touch customer service and response rate. Our strategy for managing internet competition is a mix of personal touch in each home as well as an education piece. We use our blog to advertise our value and or difference from online tech companies like Rover.com and Wag. Julia Rohan, Rover-Time Dog Walking & Pet Sitting, Chicago, IL
• I have regrouped what we carry in store. We have bulked up on big sellers, unique things specialty items you can’t find locally. For example we have avian flight suits. We are the only ones that carry them in our area. Sal Salafia, Exotic Pet Birds Inc., Webster, NY

No: 54%

• Our strengths are customer service and product education. We have good support from the manufacturers. We provide frequent-buyer programs, coupons and specials. We offer a generous reward program. Donna Trill, Healthy Pets NW, Portland, OR
• I also provide dog grooming services, so I encourage treats or at home sprays to the sales ticket. Recently, I have created a rewards program and am ready to implement it during customer appreciation month. Rachel Malmfeldt, Pampered Pups Grooming, Joliet, IL
• We offer services; retail is only about 15 percent of my business. I train my staff in canine nutrition so they can answer questions and make recommendations based on what the customer’s dog needs and not what’s a new product on the shelf. Marcia Cram, Just Fur Pets, Springfield, VA
• In many ways, we simply can’t compete with internet competition, and we don’t want to alienate the customers who do their shopping online — especially since we use it for ourselves. We kind of think of it like the Miracle on 34th Street thing: We simply cannot carry everything in our stores, and we’re more than happy to point people to the place in town or online that might have what they’re looking for. We can’t be all things to all people, but we can be as helpful as possible. Kris Minkle, The Whole Pet, Fort Smith, AR