INDUSTRY VOICES
How do you promote pet bowls?
Anna Thiel, owner of Jeffrey’s
Natural Pet Foods in San Francisco, said people are buying bowls
more regularly for their pets instead of using the same ones for
years on end.
“They are attracted to dif-
ferent styles and colors, so it’s
important to always have the
newer products on top so people
are more likely to grab them,”
she said. “We always try to
have some of the most popular
bowls out for use by our [canine]
visitors.”
Healthy Spot has found suc-
cess by using the bowls it sells at
events it takes part in, including
Yappy Hours, Pawty Play Dates
and hikes.
“We had water and feeding
stations at corgi beach day, and
the unique bowls we provided
were a huge hit with both the
dogs and parents,” Dunn said.
At TailsSpin stores, employ-
ees move dishes around every
few months or so, as different
placements allow new opportu-
nities for customers to discover
the products.
A PERSONAL TOUCH
Winship’s favorite strategy is sig-
nage on the shelf with employee
recommendations. For example,
say a pet store’s assistant man-
ager has a cat named Phoebe,
and Phoebe’s favorite dish is the
white ceramic bowl with a heart
on it. There would be a shelf talker
introducing the store employee
and her cat. The message serves
a dual purpose: it simultaneously
highlights the product, while also
extending a personal connection
to the customer.
“There would be an adorable
picture of the two of them togeth-
er with the bowl in plain sight,”
Winship said. “Also included in
the signage would be some fun
personal facts in Q&A format so
shoppers can get to know the em-
ployee and Phoebe. And natural-
ly, one of the points in the Q&A
would be what they like most
about that specific bowl.”
Not only does a technique
like this boost a particular bowl
style, but it boosts the entire cat-
egory because it gets the shopper
thinking about things they may
not have previously considered,
Winship said.
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