“There is no arguing that the independent pet specialty channel has fared quite well over the past few years, even as other retail segments have been decimated by a still-lagging economy. In fact, in a recent survey conducted by Pet Business, more than 60 percent of pet store owners reported sales increases over the past 12 months, with a majority of those enjoying an uptick of at least five percent. But why is pet industry…”
Cover Story
“Pets and kids are a match made in heaven. Advertising agencies and manufacturers certainly know it—and always have—and so have the producers of countless children’s educational programs through the years. Want to sell a box of cereal that neither smells or looks particularly tempting? Put a tiger on the box,…”
“Pet stores have always faced a unique set of challenges in the aquatics category due to the level of complexity, evolving technology and relatively high price tags involved in this segment of the pet industry. However, aquatics retailers have faced new obstacles in recent years as a weak economy has…”
“Differentiation. For decades, it has been the mantra of small, mom-and-pop pet shops as they face increasing competition from their big-box counterparts and other retail channels. And more times than not, it has served them well.Of course, conventional wisdom tells us that independent pet retailers must set themselves apart in…”
“As with any thriving retail industry, the growth of the pet specialty channel over the past three decades has largely been driven by the success of multi-store chains. Whether you are talking about 10-store single-state operations, 20-store regional retailers or 1,000-plus-store national big-box behemoths, it cannot be overestimated what these…”