Pet spending has remained stronger than many other retail segments, but retailers shouldn’t underestimate the caution consumers are exercising in their purchase decisions. Even though collars, leashes and harnesses might seem like must-have accessories that dog owners are always going to buy, even in economic slumps, retailers take this important product category for granted at their peril.

Protect the healthy margins these items generate for the store by treating collars, leads and harnesses with creative respect. Emphasize function, durability and value first. Then delight customers with style selection and design originality.

“Gone are the days when customers bought one collar for their dogs and wore the collar out,” says Stephanie Davis, director of sales at Mirage Pet Products, a family-owned company that has been manufacturing collars in the U.S. for over 50 years. “Now customers see the collars they put on their dogs in the same way as jewelry. Because collars have become such a fashionable item, it’s important for retailers to stock different collars for different seasons, events, tastes, etc. If you only stock a basic collar selection and don’t change it up regularly, eventually the customer base will be saturated with those collars and your sales will plummet in that department.  Having a wide variety promotes the idea of a ‘collar wardrobe,’ which is very popular with many dog owners and adds to a retailer’s bottom line.”


Value, Value, Value
Take time to learn about the different materials and hardware that go into collars and leashes. A lot of smart people spend a lot of time designing configurations that provide secure restraint without compromising comfort. Be conversant and train employees.

For example, Martingale-style collars might not have started out as a training collar, but many people now regard them as such. Breakaway safety collars have obvious benefits and noteworthy risks. Buckle versus clips? Materials matter. Be knowledgeable about materials such as leather, nylon, hemp, cotton, plastic acrylic and chain link.

Similarly, types of leashes can include retractable, four-, five- and six-foot, short traffic leads, English slip leads, twin couplers, hands-free with traffic lead handles and bungee-type. Each has unique design qualities that address specific issues for certain behaviors or breeds of dog.

Harnesses do a great job of marrying function and style, especially vest-style harness designs that turn dog apparel into a functional restraint system. Traditional harnesses come in a number of design configurations, including Roman, figure-8 and step-in. Training harnesses are particularly important, because they let a retailer partner up with their customers to help with dog training. Again, be sure employees know how to help customers achieve the proper fit on their dogs. Many dog owners struggle to figure out proper harness fit, so everything the store personnel can do to provide assistance helps to reinforce customer relations.


Now, Have Fun
Once the topics of function, utility and value are covered, it’s time to relax and play. There are exciting styles and designs that will stir customers’ imaginations. Boldly displayed fresh, new styles may convince any pet parent that their dog’s worn, tired collar is ready for replacement.

“There are a multitude of ways that retailers can display collars, leashes, and harnesses for maximum sales,” says Davis. “The most successful we have seen are the stores that place collars near the register. Collars, depending on the price point, can be fantastic impulse purchases for the customer that may already have this need met with something basic but might be contemplating something newer or more fashionable. Show them something cute while they’ve already got their cash or plastic in hand, and you might just add another $20 to the sale.”

Companies today offer a dizzying array of exciting, unique patterns in ribbon collars, but don’t forget to include monochromes. Leather products also come in a variety colors and finishes. Try to offer lines from a handful of companies rather than a single supplier with many patterns. Retailers will be surprised how much variety they’ll be able to offer customers, and they will notice.

Variety in product selections also gives the store a great opportunity to refresh in-store displays and promotions. As soon as a particular product has stopped selling, pull it out, create a new display, add promotions and it’ll look like a brand new line.

The bottom line is to let style, color and branding do the heavy lifting in the store. This will help drive sales and control inventory costs. Work with the geometry of vertical leashes and ways to display collars horizontally on dowels. Harnesses tend to be bulky items, so they need to have plenty of space to hang. Open up the display, let the style statements reach out to customers.


Special Orders
If the economy is forcing a store to stock less in this category, use catalogue displays and in-store product photography to help show customers that even if they don’t see a product on the floor, they can still get it. Also try limiting quantities of certain collars and harnesses in the extreme size ranges-XX small and XX large sizes will move more slowly than medium range sizes.

If the store doesn’t have a product in the right size, commit to providing special orders. This makes customers feel they’re being treated well and builds positive relationships. To do this, be willing to negotiate with suppliers. Try to limit shipping costs and minimum orders and pay close attention that pricing helps to recoup at least some of those costs. Try to pool all special orders into single shipments to minimize the impact of shipping fees.

There’s plenty of evidence out there that dog owners are exercising heightened caution on purchases of collars, leashes and harnesses, even though this product group is essential equipment. Customers are holding off on replacing accessories and saving for special occasions before making those purchases. That said, storeowners should absolutely not diminish their commitment to these products. Indeed, retailers must redouble their commitment to selling by emphasizing value, unique design, functionality and, yes, fun.


Dan Headrick is a freelance writer who, with his wife Pam Guthrie, owns Wag Pet Boutique in Raleigh, NC. The couple, former corporate burnouts who just got fed up with having to leave their dogs home alone all day, opened Wag in 2003. The store has received numerous community and industry awards.