3 Things Customers Want and Need from Pet Businesses (2024)

HAVE YOU BEEN wondering lately, “What now?” You’re not alone. It’s a fact of 2020: Many petpreneurs are rethinking their business models and revenue streams.

To help, ’cause Digital Marketing released year-three data from our 10-year study of what pet parents want and need. This year’s results reveal a deep desire customers have that many pet retailers could benefit from fulfilling.

Simplicity, Best Care & Consolidated Services

This year, ’cause Digital Marketing surveyed 532 primary caretakers of dogs and cats and found a strong desire for three core factors:

  • Simplicity: 79 percent try to purchase from companies that make it easy
  • Trust in best care: 60 percent describe their approach to pet supplies and service providers as being someone they can “trust to take the best care of their pet”
  • Consolidated services: 71 percent of dog and/or cat owners would “be happy” to find out their pet supply or service provider intended to start offering other services, and 57 percent would consider using them.

Why are these three factors so important? It’s no secret that big-box retailers have been moving toward service consolidation for years. And this new data may give a glimpse into why: Adding a service diversifies revenue streams, leverages established trust with customers and makes pet-care simpler for pet parents.

The Upside: Pet Owners Want to Buy Local

Before you think you’ve missed the boat, consider this: The biggest group of pet owners in the U.S. is on your side — and willing to pay more to help you out. That’s right, Millennials are not only more likely to buy local than any other age group, they also are often willing to pay more to do so. The key? Catering to what they want and need, and the previously mentioned big three are a great starting point.

Creating Self-Reinforcing Sales Opportunities

As I point out to my coaching clients, it’s always best to consider how strategies play together. For example, client acquisition costs for a new service are often lower, as many of your existing clients already trust you enough to try it out. Likewise, having all of their records in a single place makes the pet parent’s life easier. Thus, all three core factors are ticked with one change to the business revenue streams.

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Setting Yourself Apart

While big-box retailers have been making this move for years, our 2020 research also shows that independents have been slower to join in. Of 230 U.S.-based pet retail websites we reviewed, only 33 percent offered pet supplies and services. Of those, fewer than half offered more than one service (like grooming and training.) This indicates a strong area of opportunity for setting your independent store apart from competitors.

So, are you still asking, “What now?” If so, then consider how you might make your customers’ lives easier by bringing a new area of expertise into your business. If you’re not sure how, ’cause offers a free 22-page workbook to help petpreneurs re-think their revenue streams at causedigitalmarketing.com/revenue.

3 Things Customers Want and Need from Pet Businesses (2024)

FAQs

3 Things Customers Want and Need from Pet Businesses? ›

You should ask open-ended questions, such as "What kind of pet do you have?", "What are their needs and preferences?", or "What are you looking for today?" to understand their situation and expectations.

What are three open-ended questions you could ask a customer to better understand their pet care needs? ›

You should ask open-ended questions, such as "What kind of pet do you have?", "What are their needs and preferences?", or "What are you looking for today?" to understand their situation and expectations.

How do you attract customers to a pet store? ›

Marketing your pet store is easy once you know the right tips and tricks. Create a referral or loyalty program that rewards your brand advocates for sharing with their friends and consistently making more purchases. Post entertaining content on social media that piques the interest of potential customers.

What are the basic necessities of a pet? ›

The needs of pets
  • Food. Your pet needs food for energy. ...
  • Water. Just like humans, all animals need water to survive. ...
  • Shelter. Pets need protection from the weather. ...
  • Exercise. Exercise helps to keep your pet healthy and alert. ...
  • The need to socialise. ...
  • The need to be happy.

What does the pet need and what are? ›

Animal Needs

An animal that depends on you for all of their basic needs is a pet. Food, water, shelter, oxygen, space, safety, family, and respect are all basic needs that require human intervention to be taken care of. In animals that are not pets, they do not need humans to take care of them.

What are 3 good open-ended questions? ›

Use open-ended questions as follow ups for other questions; can be asked after open or closed-ended questions.
  • How did you get involved in…?
  • What kind of challenges are you facing?
  • What's the most important priority to you? ...
  • What could make this no longer a priority?
  • What other issues are important to you?

What would be 3 important factors to consider in responding to customer questions? ›

  • Take Time to Inform Your Customers. Can you get the project done faster? Why do you recommend one product over another? ...
  • Train Your Team When to Respond (and When Not to) You may not always be on-site, so it's important your team can answer customer questions appropriately.

What sells best in a pet shop? ›

On this page
  • Dog Beds.
  • Pet Grooming Kits.
  • Pet Carriers.
  • Collars & Leashes.
  • Dog Training Pads.
  • Pet Stain & Odor Removers.
  • Pet Supplements & Vitamins.
  • Pet-Friendly Cleaning Products.
Jun 30, 2023

How to increase sales in a pet shop? ›

Here are five proven methods to improve your pet shop's profit margins.
  1. Reduce Overhead with a Closely Managed Inventory. ...
  2. Market Your Business Through Community Involvement. ...
  3. Get Customers in the Door with Pet Services. ...
  4. Develop Your Vendor Relationships. ...
  5. Take A Tech Savvy Approach To Customer Relations.

How do you attract customers in animal restaurant? ›

Regular customers will visit when the player's restaurant meets the right requirements. If you got something they like (Facilities, Flowers, Food...) they will stop by! Little white bunny, ever so white; with two pointy ears, that stand upright. Common wild rabbits that are good at digging holes.

What are the 7 basic needs of animals? ›

Food, air, water, shelter, space – Animals need these! Food, air, water, shelter, space – We need these to live! Basic needs!

What are the 7 basic needs of a dog? ›

Below, we explain the most important things to ensure you're caring for your new dog's basic needs.
  • 1: Food. Dogs love to eat! ...
  • 2: Water. It's essential that your dog has continuous access to clean, fresh water. ...
  • 3: Sleeping Spot(s) ...
  • 4: A Fun Environment. ...
  • 5: Exercise. ...
  • 6: A Supply List. ...
  • 7: Grooming. ...
  • 8: Vet Care.
Sep 5, 2023

What is the need for pets? ›

Pets like dogs and cats offer their owners with companionship, understanding and an unbreakable bond of devotion that they can't find elsewhere. Other pets like birds, fish and reptiles provide owners with structure and purpose to daily life through having a pet-care routine.

What are animals 4 basic needs? ›

Animals need food, water, shelter, and space to survive. Herbivores can live only where plant food is available. Carnivores can live only where they can catch their food. Omnivores can live in many places because they eat both plants and animals.

What are the 5 animal needs? ›

The 5 Welfare Needs
  • need for a suitable environment.
  • need for a suitable diet.
  • need to be able to exhibit normal behaviour patterns.
  • need to be housed with, or apart, from other animals.
  • need to be protected from pain, suffering, injury and disease.

What every animal needs? ›

Animals need air, water, shelter and food to survive. Our lungs bring in oxygen and remove carbon dioxide. But other animals breathe in all sorts of different ways. Fish use gills to get their oxygen, like sharks.

What are examples of open-ended questions you can ask a customer? ›

Open-ended probing questions
  • What do you believe is the source of the problem?
  • What are your goals and intentions for the future?
  • Could you provide an example?
  • Do you have a specific budget in mind?
  • Do you use any other product that is similar to ours?
  • If it isn't working for you, can you give me a reason as to why?

What is an open ended question you could use to understand your customers needs better? ›

A great example of an open-ended question is: “What do you dislike about the current CRM you use?” The purpose of open-ended sales questions is to initiate dialogue between the prospect and sales rep. This is vital to learn more about the customer and their needs (and how you can help them).

What question would you ask a potential customer to better understand their needs? ›

What is the one thing that we can do better that would help us to better serve you? What is the one thing we could add to the product / service will help improve your efficiency? What do you wish we could do but can't? What are your pain points with us and how do you think we could fix them?

What are the three questions you can ask about a service dog? ›

How can I tell if an animal is really a service animal and not...
  • Is the dog a service animal required because of a disability?
  • What work or task has the dog been trained to perform?

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