Impulse Sales

     
Hey all.  Bad Dog here to blog some thoughts on easy summer sales for your grooming shop.  As many of you know, I believe retailing is an incredible opportunity for the grooming salon.  Our clients love us and trust us and listen when we suggest a product.  Too often, however, the professional groomer offers up a suggestion and then sends the customer down the road to the full line pet store, essentially handing the dough right over to the competition.  Whether or not you carry a full line of pet products or a small offering of impulse items by the cash register, here’s what’s moving in my shop (www.villagegroomer.net,  www.dogdazecamp.com).

The warm weather and spring season always boost collar sales.  I’m not talking about plain nylon collars, but rather patterned and whimsical collars.  I am a big fan of Elmo’s Closet (elmoscloset.com), where Rachelle offers up really reasonably priced and unique patterns.  The ‘Tiki Hut’ is one of the new patterns I really like a lot, and Rachelle is kind enough to handle clients like me that call and say, “I’m really busy.  Can you send me a few dozen patterns that are hot right now?”  These collars have a friendly price point and I find many of my customers collecting them for different times of the year.  There’s a wonderful selection of holiday collars!

A big shout out to Juno’s Garden (www.paldog.com), where proprietor Julianne concocts natural botanical blends for pet health, including the hot-selling ‘Outdoor Formula.’  A blend of essential oils (citronella, cedarwood, eucalyptus and lavender) in a pet-friendly water base, this spritz is a fantastic natural pest repellant, and I can’t keep it on the shelves.  For customers with concerns about topical pesticides, this has been an easy sell.  It even keeps the black flies off of my goats’ ears!

Each region of the country demands its own summer checklist of must-have products, so think locally when deciding what to add to your retail area.  Don’t forget your local sports teams (www.huntermfg.com) like our beloved Bruins and Celtics!  As a proud member of Red Sox Nation, our collars, toys and bandanas are well-stocked! 

Do you have a freezer?  Check out Yoghund organic frozen yogurt treats for dogs.  Sell them by the four pack or split the case for your grooming patrons on their way out the door as a little treat.

A little warm-weather retailing can go a long way in extra summer profits.  Until the next time, this is the Bad Dog Bloggin’ out…