Holidays Appearing Soon

By Sandra Rea-McGinty

Many retailers start getting ready for the gift-buying season in July. That season includes the holidays of Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah and New Year's. A few retailers share their tips about what to stock and how to celebrate for those just beginning preparations.

Selling Beyond the Holidays

Misty Schneider, manager of Pet Kingdom ... Where Pets Rule in Algona, Iowa, says her store stocks up on specific holiday-themed items.

"We order holiday treats, toys, greeting cards, dog clothes and collars with a Christmas theme," Schneider says.

While holiday-themed toys sell, Loralei Zwitt, owner of My Dog & Me in Houston, says she orders more by color so sales can continue after the event.

"For Halloween, I stock orange, yellow and black toys; for Christmas it's white, green and red,” she says. “We also stock some holiday-themed toys, but not a bunch. We sell some Hanukkah toys for the winter season, but primarily our Christmas items sell best. We also stock breed-specific items for pet lovers and books about pets because customers are thinking about buying puppies for Christmas."
Catelin Carey, manager of Land of Paws in Overland Park, Kan., adds plenty of Halloween costumes for pets and plush toys for all holidays to her store's inventory.

"We also stock up on holiday-themed bakery items for pets," Carey says. "Our best sellers come in holiday and seasonal shapes. Kool Dog makes fall leaves- and acorn-shaped nut cookies that dogs love. For Thanksgiving, we carry baked treats shaped like pumpkins and turkeys. Like the leaves, the pumpkins sell well throughout fall. We also sell personalized ornaments, hand-writing the pet's name on them; customers choose the font they want."

Rick Sommons, owner of Dolittle's in Charleston, S.C., says as a  pet boutique owner, he has to be careful in ordering.

"We used to carry plush toys for the holidays, but now go heavier with toys that last longer, plus collars, gift items for pet lovers and pet treats. People lean toward really durable toys. One of our hottest sellers is a rubber ball that floats and comes in unique shapes because we're by the water. We also buy some holiday-themed items, and baked goods shaped like dreidels and menorahs."

Order Early for the Best Deals

Most retailers use the same tools to find the best items, starting with the SuperZoo trade show in Las Vegas and the H.H. Backer show in Chicago, other pet product shows, catalogs and online research. Vendors call pet retailers regularly to sell their products.

Carey says she does a lot of research online.

 "We also go to trade shows to get good ideas for our store,” she says. “We've found the earlier we put in our orders, the better our pricing from vendors."

Zwitt prefers buying from catalogs.

 "I also find vendors from advertisements in pet trade publications and from the Houston Pet Show,” she says. “I don't search online much."

Sommons says he researchs items online but bases his judgments on prior seasons.

"I attend the Backer event and stay up on what's new by researching online and reading trade publications," Sommons says. "But I base a lot of my buying decisions on customer feedback and sales from prior seasons."

Hosting Events and Incentives

Zwitt says her store goes all out for the holidays, especially Halloween.

"We have a party for customers and decorate the store," she says. "We stock a lot of cute dog costumes and arrange for a photographer. Customers can have pictures taken with their pets. We do that for Christmas, too. It's a big draw."

Carey's store hosts a Halloween costume pet parade to boost sales of costumes and themed items.

"We promote the event via direct mail," Carey says. "This year we're sending invitations to customers via e-mail from our new site. At Christmas, we offer photo sessions. The first two weeks in November, pet owners bring their pets and kids in cute holiday outfits for use on holiday greeting cards. We advertise this event via in-store marketing and bag stuffers. We help customers find appropriate pet outfits and bandannas for the pictures. We special-order sizes they need if we don't have them in stock."

Andresen says her store really gets into the spirit during winter.

"All our stores have lighted Santa hats with our logo, and team members wear them on duty," Andresen says. "We host a charity drive November through December. We collect product donations and sell paw prints for $1; we donate proceeds to a local pet rescue organization. We also give our loyalty program members a holiday gift. This year's is a magnetic dry erase memo board. We send a holiday coupon offer to our loyalty program customers too."

Zwitt sends out a quarterly newsletter to customers.

"In the winter holiday issue, we insert a four-page gift guide, plus run large ads in local publications."

CLEVER DISPLAYS DRIVE FOOT TRAFFIC

Dana Andresen, director of operations for 12 Chuck and Don's Pet Food Outlets, with its corporate office in Mahtomedi, Minn., says the stores stock plenty of holiday-themed dog and cat toys, treats, candy cane rawhides, dog clothing, collars and stockings, using them to decorate the stores during the Christmas season.

"We set up 2- to 3-foot sections in the store to highlight the items," Andresen says. "Each store has a dog clothing section, which does well if weather is cold or snowy."

Misty Schneider, manager of Pet Kingdom ... Where Pets Rule in Algona, Iowa, decorates by holiday, not season.

"We decorate the store for every holiday and devote a few areas for Halloween," Schneider says. "However, for Christmas and Easter, we decorate the entire store. For a while we were creating gift packages and baskets, but they didn't do well. Now, we carry items that pet owners can use to create their own gift baskets and can make suggestions."

Catelin Carey, manager of Land of Paws in Overland Park, Kan., says her store creates great window displays to entice customers.
"In the fall, we use hay bales and a Halloween tree featuring themed items," Carey says. "We also use floor displays for costumes, according to the holiday, and a multi-themed display and decorations for all the winter holidays that customers celebrate. Plus, gift wrapping is free."

Loralei Zwitt, owner of My Dog & Me in Houston, says her store really does it up big for Christmas.

"We have a 20,000-square-foot store divided into three rooms," Zwitt says. "The first is devoted to retail and has a café. We decorate this room from top to bottom. We have a Christmas tree and plenty of room for pictures with Santa. We decorate our glass cases, too, and offer free gift wrapping. This is a display to beat all displays. It is beautiful, and customers really love the decorations."